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It never ends… shrug and sigh…
For those just tuning in… our building in Bandra is undergoing structural repairs. This is the latest instalment of our ongoing experience!
Ding dong! The doorbell rang and a mumbled “Close your windows” was delivered quickly before the worker moved on to the next flat to repeat the message.
It has become such a regular request, we essentially have shut ourselves in as you never know when falling debris will come tumbling down. We have more than one cracked window now too. This is all just part of life now… (more…)
Red carpet specimens
I will admit that our social calendar is often full.
Some are the normal live music shows, festivals, friends and family celebrations but peppered amongst these are ‘EVENTS’ (yes in caps) where they roll out the red carpet. Film and theatre premiers, _____ (insert brand, book, whatever) launches, etc. Where the point is to see and be seen – to have the shutter bugs snap and flash as guests enter.
For the first 40+ years of my life, such ‘EVENTS’ (yes those caps again!) were rarities rather than regular affairs. However the hazard of having a partner in ‘The Biz’ means these are a normal part of life in Bombay.
There are times at such ‘EVENTS’, I’m reminded of a short section in Fahad Samar’s book FlashPoint… (more…)
Urban Village: More the merrier!
Sometimes company is better… why snooze alone when you can snuggle with your feline family?
Momma cat with her three kittens
Just another day in Bandra’s urban village…
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Glorious Graffiti by Gomez
If you wander around Mumbai you will come across some pretty spectacular graffiti.
Particularly in Bandra’s Ranwar village, there are stunning examples of street art. Given traffic conditions, the best time to stroll along Chapel Road, Veronica and Waroda Road is on a lazy Sunday when people not vehicles rule the narrow lanes….
Which is why I’ve decided to feature on the occasional Sunday an image from many months (nay years!) of wandering and clicking a pic here and there. What you spotted yesterday may be fading today to replaced by something new tomorrow. The only constant is change… with multiple flashes of creativity unleashed for a moment or two.
One such initiative occurred late 2014 with the St.art Mumbai project that brought artists from around the world to India. (more…)
The many faces of home
For those tuning in only now, I recently revamped how Everyday Asia is organised.
It is now ‘Home‘, ‘Away‘, ‘Work‘ and ‘Play… with a few other menu items like About, Quarterly Review and Start here..
You would think ‘Home‘ would be the easiest to do. Just slap on a new label to ‘Everyday India‘… except it raises a rather interesting question.. what and where is ‘home’… and why? (more…)
Welcome home?
You know that special ‘Aaaahh…’ that comes from walking in your front door, flopping on your familiar sofa, making a home-cooked meal, sleeping in your own bed after a trip?
No matter how fun-filled, fabulous and remarkable the journey was, there is that sense of ‘rightness’ in coming home.
Unless your cosy sanctuary is in shambles, the kitchen inaccessible (let alone functioning), all careful efforts to keep furniture undamaged gleefully undermined, every single assurance the work would be done dashed.
Once upon a time this was a kitchen
In this case, for want of a 2 minute phone call, a 10 minute job with a $2 expense. (more…)
The Sounds of Silence… London, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Toronto vs Mumbai
Asia can be a sensory cacophony… Mumbai means living with an everyday decibel level that you just come to accept. Even the background sounds that fade from consciousness are ever present – crows, pigeons, hawkers, traffic, construction, music or TVs blaring, animated conversations at all hours… there is always something day or night.
Average noise levels of our city are at least triple that of your normal North American city. Throw in a festival or two and you can see decibel levels of 140 and above (let’s just say that far worse than jumbo jets taking off!)
If in doubt, check out some of the articles in AcuosticBlok on the Rising Noise Pollution in Mumbai. (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!
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You know you are in trouble when…
We all know that when construction folks say “It is a 5 days job” it is likely to be more. It is practically a universal phenomenon that unexpected developments occur in any major project.
In India, you can reliably double the time so I wasn’t surprised when “5 days” work in our bedroom stretched to two weeks. What was amusing to discover was the different definition of “done.” According to the contractor, “finished” looks like this… (more…)
Mumbai monsoons…
I returned from Singapore to a muggy Mumbai… the kind of weather where you feel sluggish and slow.
I also returned with a freshly injured ankle, so put myself under ‘house arrest’. Which meant an opportunity to witness our living room be transformed into
- A salon for theatrical readings of new plays my partner is planning to produce…
- A film set where our bookshelves became backdrop to a short scene
- An impromptu evening of merriment (my favourite kind!)
While I busied myself with post-Singapore trip follow-up, plunged into the depths of accounts (ugh!), day after day, we had no respite from the humid heat. Teasingly, rains would come only at night where the drop in temperature had negligible impact.
Each morning our maid would share her impatience for the rains… everyone knows how important a good monsoon is to the people and economy of this country. A poor monsoon is devastating. A good monsoon brings prosperity.
Early this morning the heavens opened and the deluge began… and didn’t stop… I think it’s safe to say hello monsoon! Welcome back and may you shower us with blessings this year!
Monsoon evening sky…
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Everyday Asia 