(no subject)
Most of the desi crowd at work are wearing grim expressions with ndtv and ibn screens lurking somewhere on their two screen panorama. It is so horrible. I couldn't sleep on wednesday night. I've only been in Mumbai twice. Both times on work, other than random kindnesses from the Tata guest house cook and driver it would have been rather boring and dismal. I got taken around forcibly by the driver, a moustachioed south indian thuggee. Who turned out to be camera shy, little boy from some tamilian little community. I don't even remember his name now, him of the "Okay you don't want to go Seeps, you want to go Powai" screeching tyres of a perfectly executed U turn in the middle of a heavily trafficy road in between oncoming traffic. Somehow i survived and completely avoided local trains, other than the once i was allowed to ride between stations so that i could sample famous vada pav and ladies compartment.
The food, the food. The dictatorial cook who made sure i ate breakfast(Aloo parathas, pineapple raita and pickle or chicken curry, veggies and rotis or heavy oil laden puris) before i left for work, never mind i was late for special training by punctual Ozzie people. The unceremonious hurling out of boys who wanted to share flat and possibly more with the one woman on premises. Me unintentionally waking up at 11 pm, the cook and other boys who all slept on the floor in the passage so that they could make sure i was fed warm creamy omelette-toast and went to bed protected. The unceremonious checking of bottles placed by sundry men in the fridge. Heehee, it all flooded back.
I remember it as being a safe, busy and anonymous city. And i'm sure it will revert back to being that slightly explosive but business like place. I'm definitely takin the dutchie down there next year, so we can both have memories of this weird and completely mad city.
I have to admit i cried quite a bit after watching telly. Haven't ever done so watching news. Abba the melodrama of the helpless,tenuous, long distance relationship with one's country.
Today after reading free paper rattle on about gunmen being british muslims, i walked out of the station and i felt such hate. I saw a rather large typically muslim family standing outside the ticket barrier. I had to stop myself, all civilised muscles straining very hard, from lunging at them with Dawn French's Dear Fatty. The only thought going through my head was "Finish off the satan spawn" It is a very big book and could have killed. I wonder what will happen as i'm sure other people don't share such self control.
The food, the food. The dictatorial cook who made sure i ate breakfast(Aloo parathas, pineapple raita and pickle or chicken curry, veggies and rotis or heavy oil laden puris) before i left for work, never mind i was late for special training by punctual Ozzie people. The unceremonious hurling out of boys who wanted to share flat and possibly more with the one woman on premises. Me unintentionally waking up at 11 pm, the cook and other boys who all slept on the floor in the passage so that they could make sure i was fed warm creamy omelette-toast and went to bed protected. The unceremonious checking of bottles placed by sundry men in the fridge. Heehee, it all flooded back.
I remember it as being a safe, busy and anonymous city. And i'm sure it will revert back to being that slightly explosive but business like place. I'm definitely takin the dutchie down there next year, so we can both have memories of this weird and completely mad city.
I have to admit i cried quite a bit after watching telly. Haven't ever done so watching news. Abba the melodrama of the helpless,tenuous, long distance relationship with one's country.
Today after reading free paper rattle on about gunmen being british muslims, i walked out of the station and i felt such hate. I saw a rather large typically muslim family standing outside the ticket barrier. I had to stop myself, all civilised muscles straining very hard, from lunging at them with Dawn French's Dear Fatty. The only thought going through my head was "Finish off the satan spawn" It is a very big book and could have killed. I wonder what will happen as i'm sure other people don't share such self control.