Travel time…
Not sure if you’ve noticed but I’ve been a bit pre-occupied the last while.
Lots happening behind the curtain with the upshot that in just a few hours I will be on a plane from Mumbai to London… enjoy the weekend there catching up with my partner, seeing him perform, hopefully meet a few friends!
Partner and I last year at BAFTA
Then hop on another plane to Toronto. Hope and pray everything goes smoothly with my Indian visa submission.
Hop on another plane to Winnipeg to spend some much needed time with family and friends.
2015 family reunion
Then hop on yet another plane back to Toronto where my sincere wish is that a lovely new visa will be ready and waiting for me. Pretty please!
And then, yes you got it… hop on another plane back to London then home to Mumbai.
My adopted home…
Won’t bore you with the details but this is a big change for me. Til now I’ve been terribly spoilt in the visa department. With a flourish of a pen all that changed. So now… my fate is in the hands of some random stranger. Just as it is for many people. Wish me well!!
Related posts:
Puuurrrfect Autumn in Amsterdam
As I enjoy a lazy Saturday in Mumbai with our kitten Zoe while my partner is busy on a chilly shoot in Manali, Himachal Pradesh, I was reminded of cooler climes during an autumn trip to Amsterdam (Nov 2014)… with a few non-human friends who tried to brighten and warm up our days!
More than just a cosy home, the Oosterpark AirBnB flat came replete with bright fall coloured garden and puuuurrrfectly friendly felines.
Off the living room was a delightful view of the garden… (more…)
India Memory Project – Partner’s Story
Once upon a time there was a little boy growing up in India.
His father was a very talented man and toured the world with the Paranjoti Choir. One such trip took his father to France where he met another little boy.
Who became pen pals with his son. Writing to each other for many years…
His son even shared the news of his father’s death when he only eleven.
Fast forward forty years and the two finally meet when the little boy has grown up and tours France with a musical.
This is their story captured in:
India Memory Project: 105 – “A friend from my childhood I had never met” (more…)
London Theatre – Past and Present
I came across a playbill from our July trip to London… and it got me thinking that we just might have another experience or two worthy of a post. (Yes we DID manage to do more than just hang out at BAFTA!)
Well in advance of our trip, a Canadian friend living in Essex kindly offered to arrange an evening of dinner and theatre together for our single Saturday night in London. Sounded just right!
Before the performance, to get into a theatrical frame of mind, we met near the Tate Gallery and then took a little stroll along the South Bank to glimpse Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. (more…)
And the BAFTA Award goes to…
We landed in London on Friday morning and managed to fit in a couple ageless pubs in Ealing, train, tube and taxi travels, a touristy wander around Piccadilly Circus, Leicester Square, St Martin-in-the-Fields, saw part of an opera at Trafalgar Square, skirted the edge of China Town, chowed down on fab Caribbean cuisine and rum at Dub Pub in Covent Garden…
However one of the highlights was a stop most tourists miss… the hallowed halls of BAFTA – the British Academy of Film and Television. (more…)
So long, farewell!
As we prepared our home for the demolition gang, completed last-minute shopping, we struggled with the internet… Yes… living in Mumbai you cannot rely on having one internet alone!
You would think having easy access to four options (yeah that’s 1..2..3..4…) would be enough:
- My so-called ‘high speed’ internet has been down for two days and counting…
- My partner’s slow but steady MTNL internet was sorta kinda working but now has gone from barely functioning to not…
- Our recently re-charged data card isn’t compatible with my MacBook Air…
- So I’m on my back-up to the back-up to the back-up… using my phone as a ‘hot spot’… however the signal keeps dashing off leaving me intermittently ‘high and dry’ as the city drowns in monsoon floods
Because ultimately the monsoon is the real culprit in this equation. And the poor drainage conditions in this city that leads to regular flooding, damaging cable connections and more.
I’m not sure how often I will post over the coming weeks while we trot around the globe to London, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Toronto and back to London… so quick before I lose this precious connection… ciao for now and catch you in a bit!
Looking to London, then Van-Groovy… then Winterpeg… T.O. and back to Big Ben!
Related posts:
Holi heat, wouldn’t it be nice to ice skate in Amsterdam?
After Holi, the temperature heats up in these parts. What that means now in Mumbai is getting increasingly warmer and humid. And if you are crazy enough to go out and about during the sunny day… let’s just say your sweat will sweat!
Oddly I used to be pretty ok with this. So I thought… til I realised that was because I used to work in nice air-conditioned offices and commute in my nice air-conditioned car. These days, operating from home and generally getting around by walking, rickshaws (and sometimes car) means no such daily respite.
Don’t get me wrong, I do NOT miss -40’c winter, and given a choice between sweating and freezing, I’ll take sweat! However there is a tiny part of me that can’t help but flirt with enjoying a little chill. (more…)
London Calling… Watch out Winnipeg!!
There is something just so joyful about hitting the ‘confirm’ button when purchasing long haul flights. That extra thrill that tells you… soon… soon… you will be back to the international airport, whip out that passport and wing your way around the globe to a place where your morning is night and your sleep time is a sunny day!
Yup! We just booked our Canada flights… and decided to jazz things up a little this time with multiple stops. Just because we can. 🙂
Sightseeing Amsterdam’s The Edge
Amsterdam is known for bicycles, canals, gorgeous historic buildings, cheese, fries with mayonnaise, beer, coffee shops & its red light district…
My last day took a bit of a departure from that list… with a rather modern edge!
It started with a delightful breakfast catch-up at a café in Oosterpark followed by a ride on the back of a bicycle to the metro. (pretty standard stuff so far)
And then?
Why naturally hop over to Amsterdam Zuid for lunch in the business district! Isn’t that everyone’s top destination?
Huh? (more…)
Amsterdam’s Bibliotheek + Conservatorium (new and old)
As I sip my morning coffee in Bombay, back to the sights, sounds and smells of India, it seems strange to think last weekend I was in Europe!
It was a brilliant impromptu trip with many wonderful moments. Lucky me, last Saturday a friend had time to show me slices of ‘her’ Amsterdam that I’d be unlikely to explore on my own…
While originally from Japan, she’s called Holland home for 30 years – lured by her love of Western classical music and art. (more…)
Everyday Asia 