Whisky Lady – October Offerings
October in Mumbai is often much hotter than the April – June heat. With no hope of the cooling monsoon around the corner, we simply have to grin and bear it until the we ease into ‘winter’… aka 29’c!
And let’s face it – sweaty weather is not exactly optimal whisky tasting conditions. However, undeterred, this Whisky Lady found ways to soldier through! (more…)
10th Quarter Summary – Everyday Asia’s aging!
Wow! We’ve officially entered double digits for quarters… Merci all ya loyal readers and welcome newbies!
This quarter, I was interviewed & featured on two sites – how cool is that?
- Expat Focus – A website for globe trotters and bloggers from around the world…
- Learning India on working in India – a great website started by an American consultant in Chennai to help folks interested in working or living in India
Life brought a few developments too:
- Jumping for joy with the Canadian election results – finally Harper is gone!!
- Travel-wise had three trips: Delhi & Kolkata for work, Jodhpur purely for pleasure
- As for the ongoing structural repairs? After the water spray fiasco, the main building repairs are done though painting is pending… alas we still have one bedroom / balcony / bathroom to go!
- On the whisky side – started a brilliant ‘Whisky Ladies‘ group with a special guest from Inver House
Door No 2 – Bangla bound!
I’m getting back into travel times – so far all in India!
The trip to Jodhpur was delightful and I may eventually get around to sharing another post or two about our time at the palace or film set.
However right now, all attention and focus is on preparing for Door No 2 – Kolkata.
Kolkata (usf.vc)
Good news! I did get the short assignment – yeah!
Even better news! It will take me to Kolkata for a few days – even bigger yeah!
Alas my client’s office is not exactly in the heart of the city. So scope to revisit some familiar haunts is minimal – not so yeah…
And, keeping my client needs paramount, I’ve put together a schedule that leaves nearly no room for play.
Naughty me.
I’m still hoping a friend or two can come rescue me for a small adventure on my one free evening.
No matter what – can’t wait to hear the music of Bangla in my ears, chow down on delicious Bangla food, dive into a good project and… let’s be honest… escape the Mumbai heat for a couple of days!
PS – Just in case you are wondering, skipped ‘Door No 3’ aka the Chennai trip. However have another Delhi / Gurgaon trip coming up soon!!
Related posts:
Pppffft Provident Fund Follies in India – Part 2
Yesterday set the stage for my efforts to access my Provident Fund (PF) aka retirement savings in India.
I have three PFs so I was hopeful that with those odds, there would be some progress at least with one or two – hopefully the bigger ones. I’ve been here long enough to know it wasn’t going to be easy. But I had my sense of humour girded to be amused by the follies to come… (more…)
Pppffft Provident Fund Follies in India – Part 1
Dealing with the tax authorities, government officials and more can be so painful in India that every time I’m able to take one step forward, I’m absurdly happy.
As in right now – witness me doing a manic happy jig as I managed to calculate my Service Tax charged less Service Tax paid with a gazillion little receipts to determine my Service Tax payable.
Yessir! I’ve paid it, printed my ‘challan‘ (proof of payment) and the online filing is happening as I speak.
I’m a happy camper!!
Except who knows what will go wrong next… (more…)
Thank you Canadian voters!
I’m a proud Canadian.
I’m proud of the values I grew up with – embracing cultures and communities of the world, religious persuasion, celebrating that love is the person not the gender… believing in universal healthcare, access to quality education, funding for the arts, creating opportunities to work together in harmony with civility and compassion.
Understanding a helping hand and a second chance can make a positive difference. Recognising we are merely renting space on this planet and responsibility for generations to come in our treatment of our environment. Believing in fairness, a commitment to scientific discovery, that an open honest debate makes us stronger. (more…)
Jodhpur’s Mehrangarh Fort from Raas Haveli
My first day in Jodhpur was spent with a wee bit of shopping, exploring a stepwell and a rather civilised lunch then evening drinks at the enchanting Raas Hotel.
Aside from being an oasis from the hustle and bustle, Raas boasts one of the best views of Mehrangarh Fort. I felt like I could reach out and touch it! Built around 1460 by Rao Jodha, the fort towers high over Jodhpur. (more…)
Jodhpur stepwell… stumbling into history
Living in Delhi means stumbling across slices of history all the time. Walking from the rose garden to Haus Khaz, you could literally trip over evidence of past eras. It is a city built on many previous cities, harkening back to the 6th century BC.
Jodhpur clock – Ghanta Ghar
Living in Bombay fast forwards to the 18th and 19th century. Once upon a time a series of islands, it was strung together during the British colonial period with most historic buildings hailing from that period. Want Victorian or Art Deco? Come to Mumbai!
Coming to Jodhpur, one expects to see the remarkable 14th century Mehrangarh Fort perched over the city, pass the clock tower (Ghanta Ghar) and visit stunning Umaid Bhawan palace.
What we didn’t expect was to accidentally come across an ancient stepwell… possibly around 1,000 years old or more.
Post our shopping, we headed to Raas Hotel to enjoy a late lunch. Our plan was to walk off our meal wandering around the area then return to Raas for sunset drinks against the backdrop of the Mehrangarh Fort.
Braving the late afternoon sun, we aimlessly strolled and heard the roar of a generator and something else… coming closer we discovered efforts to restore and clean this remarkable structure. (more…)
Heat, dust and… shopping! Jodhpur style
Yes – I opened Door No 1 and jumped on a plane to Jodhpur.
When folks think India, they have images of heat, dust, noise, colourful clothing, the shopping, palaces and forts. Jodhpur has that in spades!
Lucky me – my excuse for going to Jodhpur was to join my partner who is part of a film shooting there.
My first day, another member of the cast wanted to head out shopping. She had already sussed out a place that purports to do mostly bulk export trade with some local retail.
Now… I will admit… I’m not much of a shopper. Get me in and out quickly with whatever is needed and I’m a happy gal. Especially malls – shudder!
However there is something engaging about the more traditional trading banter… it was good fun joking, bargaining, swapping stories with the folks at this place.
Here goes a few photos from our shopping escapades… (more…)
Whadya mean we have no water?
Ding dong! Door opens with “No water until 6pm today, tomorrow and…?”
Welcome to the world of bucket baths, no water during the day and insufficient in mornings and evenings for normal daily use.
When my partner and I left for Canada and the UK in June, monsoon was just kicking off. We had hopes our time away would coincide with the worst of the torrential rains. Let’s face it – monsoon in Mumbai can be marvellous at first and then maddening as it carries on. (more…)
Everyday Asia 