An unexpected guest
One of the things about living in India (and many other parts of the world!) is there can be a casual impromptu approach to popping over to someone’s home.
The other night was such an evening where my partner bumped into a friend when he was out, so the friend came home to savour a couple single malts, nibbles, music and conversation for a few hours. It was a relaxing, thoroughly enjoyable and completely unplanned evening.
However after he left, we had an unexpected guest… who stayed for the night. (more…)
A Diwali Wish
I have a small Diwali wish – Please welcome Lakshmi into your home this year with the gentle glow of diyas, the explosion of flowers and the joy of being with family and friends.
Invite Lakshmi with light…
Take a moment to consider the conditions under which patakars (firecrackers) are made, the noise and pollution that comes with using them… Chose how to celebrate the festival of lights. Happy Diwali!!!
Related posts:
House Cooling/Warming Part 2 – Special Paan
Wednesday’s “house-warming” was combined with the launch of The Bartender’s new video… The entire place was bursting with talent and instruments. Fabulous!
Sooooo…. NOT a cop!
It was a riot seeing the video together with the folks involved in making it – lots of familiar faces! The video was shot walking distance from home… And features some of my favourite Bandra graffiti, brought to life digitally with funky eye googling! It is based on an old hindi film hit “Khaike Paan Banaraswala” re-interpreted “Bartender” style.
We all cracked up at the sadhu and cop parts especially. Vinay a sadhu?? Ramon a cop?? Impossible!! Far too zany to even be the caricature ‘cool dudes’ that burst forth after eating the special paan spiked with a secret transformative formula. (more…)
House Cooling/Warming Part 1 – Mumbai masquerades
Given a choice between socializing at public establishments or private homes – my vote is ‘house party’! And while average flat sizes in Mumbai are modest, there are some that are designed with ‘entertaining’ in mind!
We recently attended a ‘house cooling’ party in Mumbai. It wasn’t at all like the one I had in Winnipeg before moving back to India. Mine was a simple affair where the focus was valiant efforts by one and all to empty the house of assorted bric-à-brac and demolish the booze cabinet! No one was permitted to stay with empty glass or leave empty-handed.
In the recent Bandra variant, there was certainly food and booze aplenty however it also featured a burlesque masque theme! Tonight is the same friend’s ‘house warming’ party and am looking forward to kicking off the “B-b-b-b-birthday celebrations – quintuple style” courtesy of his hosting skills! (more…)
Cooooofffeeee! Part 2
Clearly my 1st Starbucks experience in India was utterly sub-par… So why bother with a Part 2?
Well… as is often the case in life… there is more to the story!
1. Bandra Reclamation Starbucks – Part 2
Embroiled in local tussles regarding bribes… ahem licensing issues, apparently the power cut issue is only one symptom. One hopes that whatever lafra (a brilliant Hindi slang word that roughly translates as ‘trouble’) is going on is resolved soon. (more…)
Cooooofffeeee! Part 1
I’m a coffee addict! I’ve also had a wretched time for a week with BOTH of my internet services doing a “Now you see me! Now you don’t!” game, making getting anything accomplished doubly difficult! (Also explains my blog absence too!)
So, I thought, why not check out the new Starbucks that opened down the street?
Bandra Reclamation Starbucks
In Asia, typically there are three things you can count on from Starbucks (or its equivalents):
- Reasonably reliable Wi-Fi
- Blissful cool from powerful air-conditioning
- Drinkable coffee
All desirable things… right? So out I strolled in the sunny 36’c warmth (that 96’F for my American friends).
What did I find? (more…)
Rathod the roach killer
Rathod the roach killer!
I’m cool with chipkalis (geckos/lizards) and can even live with a spider or two but I absolutely detest cockroaches. I’ve been known to squeal like a little girl and leap up on chairs, beds, anything!
Which is why I’m a huge fan of pest control and get it done regularly in our home. Which generally works… except… for some strange reason when my partner rehearses his role as “Rathod the roach killer.” Magically they appear to torment me. Then when the performance is done, they scurry back to whatever dank dark hole they emerged (I don’t want to know!) (more…)
Daily Prompt: Home Sweet Home 2
Daily Prompt: When you’re away from home, what person, thing, or place do you miss the most?
I travel – at least once a month – typically for a couple of weeks. So ‘being away from home’ is a fact of life.
My concept of ‘home’ has two dimensions:
- Home of my birth – Winnipeg, Canada
- Adopted home – Mumbai, India
Yet my answer for both is simple – family and friends. And warning – this post is unabashedly sentimental! (more…)
Bangalore house envy
I experienced a serious case of ‘house envy’ in Bangalore. I had the pleasure of being invited in my one night to two homes plus the guest house and… I gotta admit… the spaciousness compared to our cramped – I mean cosy – flat in Mumbai is extreme. The bathroom alone in the cheerful guest house is bigger than our guest bedroom!
Guest house living room
Don’t get me wrong – I’m not suddenly going to up and move to Bangalore and I love our place, however it did prompt thoughts in choices we make in life and the circumstances we adjust to in living arrangements. (more…)
One night in Bangkok… I mean Bangalore!
Having literally just breezed through Bangkok airport on my trip back from Jakarta to Mumbai, I find myself throwing jeans and a t-shirt into a small bag for a quick trip tomorrow morning to Bangalore.
I admit it… I have a special fondness for Bangalore… and I can’t wait to be back after years! (more…)
Everyday Asia 