WORLD WIDE CUP

Yesterday was a good day! India smashed Pak to return tomorrow to our beloved Bombay! The entire city was electrified. Fireworks lit up the sky and people drove around screaming at the top of their lungs! India is a staunchly religious country. Be it Hinduism, Islam, Christianity or any other ... we take our religion very seriously. And yesterday, cricket was a religion that everyone followed for the day. Did not matter whether they were hardcore fans or not. Yesterday was not about cricket. It was something else all together… losing was not an option!

The match started around 2pm and the roads were deserted! It took me 10 minutes to get home (one-third my normal travel time). It was crazy and fun and we are all charged up for Saturday. Go India! Incredible India Indeed!

Home sweet home and the chai drama.

The early morning breeze tickles my skin as I leave for work and yet feels warm after braving the cold gusts of NYC. Don’t get me wrong, I do miss the NYC skyline as it hid in the mist at dawn, glowing in neon lights and the reflected lights of Times Square... what a sight indeed! But the promise of driving to work to Radio mirchi (pending my license..Don’t ask) is such a refreshing change.

Warm friendly faces welcome me at work as they pause to share the morning quota of gossip. Then comes the longest wait ever for the chai-wala.
The slight clinging of tea cups signals his approach as he bustles by the desk and slams my cuppa tea with an acknowledging nod.. he leaves quickly embarrassed at my gracious ‘thank you’! This ‘at the desk service’ of strong tea has only fed my tea-mania which is becoming somewhat of an addiction. My otherwise healthy eating lifestyle has managed to thwart my “potato chips” cravings. (Paro I miss u!)
The delightful aroma wishes me a good morning and a second round at 3 jostles me after lunch! Unfortunately, I have gone from a cup of tea/day to 3 cups/day! And yes, I do add generous portions of sugar to it..such that no amount of crunches can undo the damage. Sigh!

At the end of the day, the familiar raucous of overflowing streets disgusts me as I wait wearily for the rickshaw to drop me back home to another cup of hot tea and “nashta” that my dearest nani lovingly makes! Home certainly is, where the heart is... and a cup of tea doesn’t hurt either!

My Furry Little Friend?

Squirrels are known for their stripped backs and affable temperaments in our mythological stories (Lord Rama’s pet) and current day society alike. My maid even pets two of these creatures. However when these potential pets feel trapped in our homes, where they accidentally venture into, they panic and their razor sharp claws come out. Today, one such little fella scampered into my bedroom and created havoc as it ran in circles desperately trying to find a way out. As I gingerly stepped in attempting to quietly steal my stuff out on my way to work, it saw me and panicked. Unwilling to harm it even in self defense its terror infected me and I screamed violently which remained my only form of self defense. Chaos reigned as the melodramatic pair of us scampered in the same direction out of the door. In this mayhem, it managed to crawl under my foot and I felt its soft fur which only fueled my panic as I screamed louder and somehow managed to avoid trampling it! I sat pitiably trembling in the next room as my nana courageously escorted our furry visitor out. Relief was etched on my mind as I tiptoed out unwilling to chance any more encounters with him!

A very Orange House

Work took me to this cozy coastal town of Manglore which is adorned by coconut trees and enchanting beaches. There is something more than just the sea and the undulating countryside that made me feel like I belonged to this place. I wonder if it is because of its spectacular cuisine or its warm people or the muggy climate, but the X-factor generated a captivating charm that has me hooked to this city. This is perhaps one of the greenest cities I have been to in India with quaint little homes that make a perfect picture. There has to be something magical about Mangalore’s soil and waters to explain the lush greenery. People here are unimaginably sweet and have an air of content which is missing in our Mumbaikar’s lives.

The best part of this town is its vibrant coloured homes and their attached gardens that sport wondrous flowers. It’s a treat to watch them as they line the countryside, waiting to be captured onto a post card. The sandy beaches were spotless and the waters clear. On the brink of one such beach stood an orange coloured house sporting a sandy backyard that held my unwavering attention. I marched along its perimeter and relished the soft feel of the sand as it slipped away under my weight. The landlady watched me with suspicious eyes as I clicked away, capturing that house from all possible angles.

We moved to a guest house on the second day that had trees of every kind. The next day, we managed to visit a majestic temple that could have easily housed two city blocks. After a very long day, we rushed to the shore and relished our “ice golas” as the sun set in the deep waters.

Mumbai...Your place in my heart as one of the top places to live, now has a strong contender. Watch out! J Love you Manglore J

Monkey Business

Quit ‘monkeying around’ has a new meaning in my neighbourhood which is currently in combat with rogue primates. These mischief makers are considerably wiser than their caged colleagues as they make it on their own in our concrete jungle. These new age ‘junglees’ invade people’s homes and steal food and sometimes lipstick even (I swear I am not making this up)!

On one such lazy afternoon, while we were lounging in the living room, one of these creatures managed to squeeze in through the window bars and grabbed a banana crashing the fruit basket in the process. Startled by the sound, my grandma hurried to the kitchen and screamed in horror as the hairy creature unabashedly skittered out of the window snarling at her instead! On a separate occasion, another one of its ‘buddies’ managed to scare a worker half to death as he dangled precariously at the side of our building where he was trying to do some plaster work. I presume the monkey was feeling rather possessive of his precious coconut trees that hug our building and are his main source of livelihood.

They have managed to ruin our garden so much that no one bothers to plant saplings any more. It is pointless to put in that effort when these crazy creatures make breakfast of them. I am not heartless, I don’t mind when they devour all the fruits and flowers in our garden, and it is kind of gratifying to see our garden being appreciated, but to destroy little plants in the process seems cruel!

Today we ran out of water, because these mean creatures managed to turn the terrace tap on and they left it on for a day or two which exhausted our overhead water supply tank. It sure gets annoying when you have to run down to the pump room early in the morning even before brushing your teeth.

Enough monkeying around I say or the residents of Mithaghar Road may have to unite to form a Quit M Road movement against these irksome invaders!