Mumbai Diaries Week 8 - Of 100 year phenomenons, multiple restaurants and artsy Sundays

1. Another week closer to the European vacation! Nice!

Another week closer to the next pay cheque as well! Nicer! :)

2. This is the once-in-a-100 year-week. First the Solar eclipse and now the high tide. Thursday was to be Day 1 of high tide, upto 5 m high. Friday was Day 2, upto 5.05 m high tides. The BMC says its prepared and has warned Mumbaikars to not leave their houses. Obviously no one paid heed to the warning and all were at work or at the beach/ rocks trying to witness this rare phenomenon. Good thing, there was no rain either of the days; which saved this city from huge calamities.

4. Wednesday night dinner was at Sanjeev Kapoor's 'Yellow Chilli' at Powai with the sis-in-law and grandmum-in-law. Paneer Masala Roomali Khakra and Paneer Tikka in red chillies were the highlights of the meal. The pictures, actually do justice to the exotic-ness of the presentation of the food. A reasonable restaurant with a full-house on Wednesday night and decent ambience. On my recommendation list for this neighbourhood.

Post Dinner, a quick tour of the apartment, to show grandmum-in-law the place who loved the house, but thought it was too empty without atleast 6 people living in it :)

5. The trainer decides to re-measure me, after a month's worth of training. To his surprise, there are some big reductions. Sadly, it probably doesnt really show, since every time I meet Pops, he goes "Lagta to nahi hai, tumhara weight loss ho raha hai" (Translation: Doesnt look like you're losing weight) Sigh!

6. Saturday night dinner was at "5-The Restaurant" run by a friend of Bindu's (my journalist friend). While Roy (the owner) personally attended to us, we ordered some delicious spinach soup with bacon (The first time I ve ever had bacon in Mumbai ) which came along with a bread basket, and some flavourful dips. My main course was a spaghetti with jalapeno sauce and chicken (carbo-loading for the 11 miler the next morning), while Bindu ordered her favourite BBQ Chicken. Wine, of course was Sula; we picked the Satori. The night ended with a yummy Chocolate Flan and a discounted bill :)

7. Sunday morning began with the regular long run; a 11 miler on the treadmill with a glass of fresh OJ after, in memory of the running buddy who is physically training in NYC, but with me, here, in spirit, urging me to run along, when I am on the verge of hitting a wall (Not literally! It's a runner-term for super mental exhaustion on a long run)
The rest of the Sunday unfolded marvelously. Brunch was to be at the Chemould Art Gallery, hosted in honour of the late Tyeb Mehta, one of India's greatest painters, who would have been 91 on Sunday. Tush and I were to meet there, before I went design-consulting to his gallery-space again, in Colaba. Turns out, accepting the brunch invite, was one of the best things I did. Not only did I bump into, my ex-KRVIA faculties (undergrad school in Mumbai), but also had a great time making new acquaintances and contacts with some very prominent names in the Indian Art/ Architecture Circle. The brunch menu was simple; 'Biryani and Beer' because "That's how Tyeb would have liked it" said Shireen Gandhy, owner of Chemould.
The highlight of the afternoon was meeting with Sen Kapadia, founder director of my undergrad school KRVIA and prominent Indian architect, who was also best friend's and chai-buddys' with Tyeb Mehta. I was love-struck all over again, as I had been, on the first day of school, at the orientation in KRVIA, 12 years ago, hearing him speak. Sen and I promised to stay in touch and exchanged emails/ nos. He'll be visiting me in NYC soon, says his "It was a pleasure to meet with you Shweta" email, that followed the next morning :)
A quick visit to Tush's gallery space, for my weekly design advice and to make sure the work is coming along as intended. Arshiya Lokhandwala (owner of what was once 'Lakeerein' the art gallery in Vile Parle) came along and the three of us, an entrepreneur/ art-collector, an art-historian/ gallery owner and an architect/ designer brainstormed into the afternoon about windows, ceilings, artwork and art-cafes. A quick trip to 'Bungalow 8' which reminded me of 'Anthropologie' back in the US; both highly unaffordable :) but superbly original!
Next stop was at the NGMA (National Gallery of Modern Art) at Kala Ghoda to see the 'Soak' exhibit, which explores Mumbai's Mithi river and the potential possibilities that emerge within its estuaries. Fantastic work by Upenn M.Arch students and faculty Anuradha Mathur and Dilip D'Cunha!
The stroll continued through Jehangir Art Gallery and ended at the Fab India nearby, where a good chunk of the early evening was spent.
Evening tea and scones were at the 'Tea Centre' at Churchgate to catch up with Sonal (another Architecture school friend) , who was in town from Ahmedabad for just this weekend. A super fast journey across town followed on the Virar Fast, which was relatively emptier, being a Sunday evening. Dinner was with Mum and Pops at RK's in Andheri and of course the customary 'paan' which ended the dynamic Sunday!
Easily the best Sunday in my stay here, so far!

Here's Week 8 in pictures:

http://picasaweb.google.com/shweyta/MumbaiWeek8?feat=directlink

Have fun, enjoy and be good, while I go watch the 'Ab Tak Bachchan' movie series on TV :)

Love,

Shweyta

Mumbai Diaries Week 7 - Of musical ring-tones, much awaited pay-cheques and foodie weekends!

1. Monday was more frustration at work. Contractual details needed to be discussed and dealt with. Something I had thought was frozen and sealed on paper, apparently wasnt. The paperwork is getting the better or shall I say the worst of me ?

2. Tuesday was a pleasant rain break. Another round of overnight rain showers that refused to stop all through the day ensured, that we once again, had to leave work at 3 pm. Mumbai now prefers to be safe rather than sorry. So if it rains continously for a whole day, people decide they need to be back home. 26/11 hasnt left many pleasant memories around here. I decided to make the most of the early day off from work and headed straight to Mom's, who tempted me with her "garam bhajiya and chai" plan for the evening.

3. "What is Massakalli madam?" asks my car partner Mr. Tamilakaran, en route to work one morning. I explain to him. Surprisingly, the conversation ends with "Have you ever tasted pigeon meat?"
Tamil Uncle's never cease to surprise!

4. Never Ever, NEVER EVER, trust a website of an Indian company/ bank/ organisation/ ...anything!!! They always say one thing on the website and do completely the opposite in reality. Even calling them wont really help, in some cases. Information always metapmorphoses from one source to another.

5. Mom was walking on the street, when someone standing at the side of the road, turned around to spit out his 'paan's' red juice. Turns out, a part of it lands on Mom's foot. Mom walks up to him and stares him straight in the eye.

"Sorry Madam. Aapko dekha nahin", says the spitter. (Translation: Sorry Madam, I didnt see you). Of course, had he seen her, he would have turned his mouth around to spit on the other side of the road instead. Like that would have been any better.

"Agley baar isko yahaan thukna, aur apne saath apne ghar le jaana" retaliated Mom, the angry spittoon, pointing to his shirt's breast pocket. (Translation: The next time you spit, do it here and then take it home with you).

Ladies and Gentlemen, My Mother!

6. The Schengen was a cake walk. And it got done, without me having to be there in person, in three days flat. Cant wait to meet the husband in Paris soon :)

7. Meeting in progress at the office. Suddenly I hear "Ipdi pode pode pode..." with 'dhinchak' (Mumbai term meaning loud, blingy etc) music. It's my Chief Architect's phone's, newest ring tone. While he takes the call, in the same conference room, the meeting progresses amidst his personal conversation. Suddenly the next interruption " Neenga kadalll...." screams a soulful voice. Now its the Office manager's turn to receive his call.

I feel out of place suddenly; turn to my poor phone, that's sitting in my pocket on silent/ vibrate mode and turn it back to 'sound on' for the rest of the meeting.

8. Random Impromptu plan to skip the office lunch on Wednesday and order a Chicken Tandoori pizza :) An idea suggested by the Americans and welcomed by me, since all of us were kinda tired of the desi-fare everyday.

My first pizza in Mumbai, in a very long time and definitely not the last.

9. The gym trainer is the best trainer I have ever had. He actually calls me when I dont reach the gym at my regular time, every evening. He has nothing to gain, I have all the weight and fat to lose. Yet, he's prompt and even insistent, that I show up for training every single day! I need to bring him back to NY!

10. Wednesday night was Bollywood experience night. The American colleagues wanted to see a desi-movie, so we took them to the best one that we could find at the moment; 'Kambakth Ishq'. I tried watching the movie, as an outsider, to see if I understood. The profuse use of English in the dialogue, made sure the Americans got the story completely. All in all, not a bad evening and the movie even seemed funny at parts, or maybe it was just the company :)

11. Thursday night was spent catching up with a marathon-friend from NYC. In one of those random situations that often occur with me, I discovered that a good friend from NYC, who ran the last two marathons with me, is in Mumbai, for her summer internship. And in the strangest of all coincidences, it turns out that she lives literally down the road, from my 'flat' in Powai. Dinner was cooked by friend's sister and the night was spent chatting with their family. I left with a promise, to catch up more often, with my new found neighbours :)

12. Friday was interesting at work, as most of the paperwork was in place and seemed like I'd finally get paid soon :) Another random rendez-vous with an elderly Tamilian gentleman lay in store, who insisted on wasting 45 minutes of my time, discussing why the air conditioning in my office did not seem appropriate. Power play is huge in Indian offices. Everyone wants to have their two minutes of power when they can. If I seem any more aggressive/ confrontational after my stint in Mumbai, you know what and who to blame :)

13. Saturday was Payday! After 8 weeks! Rewarding but late! And in INR, so seems like a lot more :) Hopefully things will be smooth here on.

14. Saturday night was fun; a girls night out with Snehi and the li'll gorgeous Ira. We headed to Oh! Calcutta for some Bong non-vegetarian fare, which I was reluctant about earlier, since I am not a big fan of Bengali cuisine. It turned out to be one of the most incredible meals I' ve had in this city. It was my first time ever, eating Bongla fish. Fried Vetki, Hilsa in mustard sauce steamed in a banana leaf, Prawn curry, Chicken in a tangy mango gravy, Luchi's....the works. With Ira talking to the waiters and all of us catching up over the spread, this made for one fun night.

Note to self: In Cuisine Club's season deux, 'C' could totally be for Calcuttan cuisine adn we could head to Oh Calcutta in Manhattan :)

15. Sunday, the most awaited day of the week, started off with a 10 miler, as always. A quick trip to Hubby's other grandmom's place with the in-laws', just before lunch. The afternoon was spent traversing the Bandra-Worli sea link, my second trip on it, this time, with a personal tour by Pa-in-law, who's spent a career working on bridge and roadway designs. My insistence on Moghlai cuisine had inspired the adorable in-laws to draw up a list of 10 places, all over town, that they thought I would like to eat at.

Lunch at Copper Chimney in Worli, had to be moved to Masalakraft in Bandra instead, which turned out to be 'spectacular-restaurant no. 2' of the weekend. We joked over outstanding nizami kababs, tandoori chicken, and my all time favourite Butter Chicken. And the pampering was'nt over yet; without the pa-in-law's customary 'meetha paan' that he gets me each time we go out :)

A quick bout of window shopping later, I found myself at the dentist's in the late afternoon. The evening was spent chatting with Mum and Pops, which ended with the third awesome meal of the weekend, Chinese at 'Stomach'.

Three restaurants in one weekend, all of which had splendid food to offer, made this a very foodie weekend.

As I tucked into bed Sunday night, I crossed off, in my head another fun week gone by in Mumbai!

Despite the frustrations and the anguish, stress seems minimal here.

Not only is it going to be hard to leave all this behind, but it will be harder to try to adapt back into a life, that from here, seems lesser colourful, more distanced and far far out and away from this mega-magical-maximum Mumbai city, that I first fell in love with!

When I left NYC, I thought I would miss my husband, my apartment and my Manhattan, in that order. The truth is, I only miss the husband.

It could be because I know that the other two I will go back to in a few months. But its the golden times here that would have been amazing to share with hubby :)

Never before have I wished for the two cities to be closer to each other!

'To start a Sunday, with a run in Central Park that ended at The Sea Link; a brunch in Soho that ends with afternoon chai at Moms' in 4 Bungalows; a window shopping bout that starts in Manhattan and ends at Colaba Causeway, and an evening that starts with a Broadway show, and ends with Dinner at the in-laws, followed by a late night Bollywood flick, in Red Box seats!' ......

On that dilemma and somewhat introspective note, I leave you with the Week No. 7 in pictures:

http://picasaweb.google.com/shweyta/MumbaiDiariesWeek7?feat=directlink

Take care, until next week,

Shweyta

Mumbai Diaries Week 6 - Of the Sea-link, umbrellas OR raincoats and wine!

1. The Week began with an Interview at the US Consulate, that was a breeze.
The drive back to work was exhilarating. Taxi driver suggested we take the sea-link. He had been on it 4 times already, over the last 4 days, since it had opened to the public and was toll-free. His slowest drive across had taken him an hour (due to traffic/ rains) while his quickest drive had been 15 minute long. "Madumm, please see the time" he said as we approached the Sea-link. Madumm's watch read 10:00 am. Taxi driver pushed the accelerator and at about 35-40 kmph (in a 50 kmph speed limit) we drove across. I was just beginning to take in the sea, the mist, the high tidal waves while being super sulky at the fact that one could'nt run/ walk across this amazing bridge. Two lanes run on either side, bringing cars and other vehicles across, but nothing for the walkers/ runners and pedestrians among us.
This could have been Mumbai's newest running track, a bridge that could be experienced, all along it's linearity. Instead, its a momentary transition, that slips by as you blink. For, as I was shaken from my chain-of-thought by the taxi-drivers excited queries "Madumm, Kya time hua?", we had approached the end of the link. My cell phone displayed the time, 10:05 am. In 5 minutes flat for Rs. 50/- we had bridged the gap, between Worli and Bandra. A never before experience, that I feel could have been stretched longer, with pedestrian access. Oh what I could give to run across this stretch, on top of the Arabian Sea! For now, we'll have to settle for good experiences with time-limits!
P.S: News Flash - Turns out the Mumbai Marathon 2010 may actually run through the bridge :) :) :) Now if only I was running it!

2. The Week also began with long, late conference calls, that start with American office hours and end at Indian Dinner hours. Balancing the evening workout with the conference calls, is going to take some new time-management skills.

3. Back and forth, on how I would like to be paid. I like the sound of that, especially when it comes after one whole long month! In India, as everyone knows, you get paid once a month. I was'nt sure this was going to take some getting used to, just as working Saturdays did. Turns out, that time of the month, has yet to arrive.

4. A random trip to the Batching Plant, where the concrete is being mixed for batching to the site. The trip was to collect the 'freebies'; raincoat, umbrella, reflective jacket, construction helmet and site-specific shoes. Turns out, it involved more paperwork and more volleying from one official to another. Also, since none of the systems at the site are computerised, we had to wait while officials started out from drawing lines in their rosters, to jotting down our names (that we had to spell out loud, inspite of having written on our forms). Finally the Monsoon Department handed us our raincoats/ umbrellas and the Site Safety Department handed us our jackets and helmets. In between, at some point, a senior official dropped by to yell at us, because we asked to see both raincoats and umbrellas so we could choose which one we liked better (you see you could take only out of the two). My American counterparts started acting all 'impatiently American' (something I ll elaborate on later), while I sat there, not being able to decide if the meticulous process should be applauded or if the delay it caused should be ridiculed. The dichotomy between applause or ridicule, is only one of many such, that I now face in my day-to-day life in Mumbai.

5. Brainstormed on Wednesday evening, with a friend, going back and forth on his new gallery's name and design. I am enjoying this new role of freelance design consultant on what we think and know, will be Mumbai's newest and most dynamic art space. Since details are to be kept under wraps, there's not much I can reveal yet, about the project, but the upcoming weeks promise to be very exciting in this respect, for sure.

6. The rare long lunch was taken on Friday with the Americans and Australians, at the Hotel Leela's Coffee Shop, much to my dismay. I wanted to take them all for a pani-puri lunch, but we ended up at the Leela instead. A 600 rupee tomato soup later (that was no match for hubby's grandmom's tomato soup), I was convinced, I am done with the fancy-shancy 5 stars. Not many of them can match up to basic western places in NYC anyway. So why waste time? When in Mumbai, eat Mumbai-ian! Street food it is for me!

7. For a change the latter part of the week, was more gym-oriented. Sunday was to be spent on a day-trip, so the long run of the week had to be taken care of on Saturday evening after work. Surprisingly, the long run was'nt all that slow, but it did ensure that I did nothing super-exciting on Saturday night, but go home and slouch in front of the T.V.

8. Sunday turned out to be a blast. The entire day-trip went as planned, comfortable, well paced out and without a rush-itinerary. Kate, Miki, Kunal, Sheena and Bala, came by with Zaheer the driver, to pick me up at 9 am. The journey turned out to be one with lots of shine and rain. One road-side stop was made, that entailed walking alongside a narrow highway, over dead snakes to pose for pictures. From Kunal's 'dosa khakra' that was a superb idea to 'Horn Ok Please' discussions, we talked about everything under the sun on our way to Nasik.

The Sula winery is easily comparable to any of the Californian wineries I ve been to. Wine tours and tastings cost Rs 150/- per person, where they walk and talk you through the entire wine making process, the history of the company and end it with a six - wine tasting process. All the wines we tasted, were distinctly different from each other, but Dindori has always been my favourite Sula.

Lunch was at the Little Italy next door, a minimally-designed, yet sprawled out restaurant, that had its own sweet afternoon pace. True to it's Indian countryside context, the winery and the restaurant made up for most of our afternoon. After a heavy Italian lunch, we headed back to the winery for dessert wine and afternoon lazing. Some of us bought wine there and at 5 pm it was time to head back. The journey home was more laid back, slow music, much snoozing and a mini - chai/ coffee/ kulfi break later we were back home by 8:30 pm. Could'nt have spent 12 hours better!

Week 6 (more like weekend 6) in pictures is here:

http://picasaweb.google.com/shweyta/MumbaiDiariesWeek6?authkey=Gv1sRgCOPs8d-B366Y-AE&feat=directlink

In another one of those work-days-cut-short by rain, I am home on Tuesday afternoon at 4 pm.
So you take care and be good, while I go find a "butte-waalah" for a masala butta, nimboo maarke! :)

Love,
Shweyta

Mumbai Diaries Week 5 - Of Reunions, floods and frustrations...

1. The Week started with our first major deadline and release of "GFC's"

(Good for Construction) drawings to be sent out to the client. It was a big

high, while simultaneously being a little unnerving, since in my head a

'GFC' better stand for it's purpose; which is to be built as drawn. But of

course things work differently here. I am told, there can be more than 26

versions of 'GFC's', as the drawings can be tossed back and forth between

the design-build contractors and the clients, much like a tennis ball. Even

the English alphabet from A-Z is less to name each revision at times, so

they have to conform to AA, BB, CC ....and so on.

I am singing "This happens only in India" in my head again!

2. More frustration mounts; this time from the unprofessionalism displayed

at the US Consulate's VFS office. Untrained administrative staff, who have

absolutely no idea of what they are doing, made sure my poor Pops, was sent

back twice, when he went to submit my visa application paperwork. The first

day he was sent back because my photograph did not show enough of my "ears"

and the second day they accepted the same photograph, in lieu of one which

showed more "ear". It took a 4 hour mid-work break and a lot of agitation

and arguing on my end, at the VFS office in Mahalakshmi, until an apology

came my way and the job got done.

3. The Bandra-Worli Sealink, being hailed as Mumbai's architectural marvel,

finally opened on Tuesday this week. A laser show was held a

day earlier and starting Wednesday, the bridge will be thrown open to the public.

Cant wait to take my first drive across.

4. Wednesday night was spent catching up with an old school friend, whom

the best friend and I were meeting after 15 years. Each one of us took turns in the

"After school, this is how my life went..." round. Dinner was at Basilico, in Bandra. A casual, minimally done up space, with the regular outdoor/ indoor seating that most Mumbai restaurants seem to flaunt. We chatted over hummus platters, Conchiglie with spicy sauce and bruschetta. The evening ended with a promise to meet with some more school friends on Sunday evening.

5. Every conversation with the hubby over the phone this week, starts with a "Today's

frustration issue was ....." and I rant my issue of the day. This week, it was the bank account and salary issue. L&T is still not able to decide if they should pay me in INR or USD. Talks are on to revise the contract, once they figure out which one is easier. Goes to show, that the most taken for granted aspects of a new job dont come easy, even in a reputed, large company like this one. I am not sure where the terrain of unprofessionalism stops and pure ridiculousness begins.

6. Saturday was Rain Day. When it rained, it poured. From morning to night. Non-stop. Word went around the office, to leave work at 5:30 pm. For once the "boys' bus" would leave with the "girls' bus". So more than half the office emptied out at 5:30 pm. The rest of us, privileged few, who go home in chauffered cars, stayed in and left around 6 ish. More on the drive back home in no. 7 below.

7. En route, I felt like a criminal. Atleast 50 pairs of eyes, at various intervals, stared right into mine, seeming to say "You lucky bitch you". As I stared at the world beyond my car's glass window, I saw people wading home in knee deep water while others stood drenched under their umbrellas, in never-ending queues at bus-stops. Shying away from their stares, I decided to look in the other direction, only to find open manholes and more water clogged streets. Vaykar (my driver at the moment) and I, glided through the rain water to reach home, luckily within 30 minutes. But something in me said, while this limitless rain brings with it a promise of overflowing lakes, it also seems to bring with it overflowing manholes and gutters. One day of non-stop rainfall and the Bandra-Worli Sealink was already in a traffic jam. Both runways at Mumbai Airport were flooded and hence unoperational. All incoming flights were diverted to Pune and Ahmedabad. News channels were already pointing fingers at the BMC for having once again, successfully falsified all their pre-monsoon promises. Mumbai does not seem prepared. And this is only one day's worth of rain. Where will we go from here? is the question in my mind tonight.

8. Sunday morning was a pleasant surprise. Most of Mumbai thought they would be waking up to crazy rains from yesterday, but instead there was just a cloud cover, that at times gave way to the sunshine. No signs of "non-stop rainfall" as predicted by the MET Department earlier last night. And the entire day was clear. I did the regular 8 miles in the gym and then set off to the Hare Rama Hare Krishna Temple, for the best friend's parents' joint birthday celebrations. A spectacular Gujju thaali buffet awaited my tired self, with endless glasses of 'masala chaas'.

The afternoon was spent at Snehi-Atit and Ira's where the three of us fell asleep trying to put li'll Ira to sleep. Finally when Ira did snooze, Snehi and I spent our afternoon catching up in the salon, over hot-oil head massages and more girlie - pampering. Chai was at Mum and Pops and then a quick mini-reunion in the building with childhood building buds. Walked across to the neighbouring building, deciding to act like kids all over again and scream out friends' names from under their houses, only to realise we were standing under the wrong house :)

Dinner was a farewell for Raga-Roy at Snehi-Atit's where both of us, (Maasi's) read out stories to li'll Ira while trying to catch the IIFA awards. Bitching over how old Aishwarya Rai looks, to actual standing ovations when Amitabh recited Kabhi Kabhi in an impromptu 'antakshari', the evening could not have got any better. Dinner ended close to midnight with two sweet 'paans' and bringing the parents home for a stay over, Sunday night!

Week 5 in pictures is here:

http://picasaweb.google.com/shweyta/MumbaiDiariesWeek5?feat=directlink

Until Week 6 ends, you take care and be good while I snack on the 6 pm samosa - chai!

Love,

Shweyta

Mumbai Diaries Week 4 - Of Rains, Partyharddrivers and 'paaplet'

Week 4 follows:

1. Its raining, finally! Rained for an hour, two mornings and one evening, this week. And today is the first day at work, when it's raining on and off, during the day as well. The balmy, sweaty heat has given way to breezy and fresh sprays and people are smiling all over. "Today we will buy an umbrella" some colleagues say. Hopefully the rain will soon take care of the water cut at home.

2. Talking of water cuts, this week, I woke up to no-water-in-the-tap, 4 days in a row. After last weeks experience, I made sure to yell at the caretaker, who now regularly ensures, drums/ buckets/ bottles all are permanently filled with water at home :) Some yelling and bossing around, can get you very far in Mumbai!!!

4. I love how casual a workplace can be, here. People joke, talk, gossip, ridicule and even imitate each other at work. Radio Mirchi blasts in one section of the office and Tamil music in the other. Signs of stress are few. Work gets done, in all this fun. Seriousness or silence doesnt loom over everyone, as it did in NY at the workplace often. And somehow the feeling of acceptance, topped with a lot of warmth and concern from strangers who I' ve met just yesterday, is unbeatable.

5. A mid-week trip to South Mumbai, after work, on a Wednesday, to see a friend's potential gallery space. Fantastic drive in the rain. The Lower Parel skyline is now dotted with cranes and high rises, some built, some beign built. There was a strange sense of fear and sadness, when we drove past the Gateway and the Taj Mahal Hotel, four times that evening; both abuzz with the night crowds. Almost 7 months ago, on 26/11 last year, I was here in this exact same neighbourhood, with the exact same friend, doing the exact same thing as today - Viewing potential gallery spaces, in Colaba. Talk of coincidences!

Having viewed two gallery spaces, we went to friend's friend's cafe; a quaint little white washed salad-and-sandwich kind of cafe. Kalaghoda Cafe, reflects it's owners interest in all aspects of the place; from the exposed once-upon-a-time trussed roof, to the wooden bench, to the perfect cup of cappucino, to the intriguing photo-art exhibition on the walls. Post-dinner, a short stint at friend's high-rise apartment with a spectacular view and then another fun-drive back home, with a stranger. Details on the drive back home, in point 7 below.

6. http://www.partyharddrivers.com is one of those business plans, you discover and then go "Why didnt I think of this?"

Gurcharan, my parthyharddriver last night, drove me home, talking non-stop, because apparently my forehead reads "Come, confide in me". From his stories of immigrating to Canada, to a pesky sister-in-law to Australians troubling Indians, we talked about everything under the sun. He ended the ride with his phone number and a "Call me if you need anything, absolutely anything, in Mumbai, ever!".

7. Raga, the best friend, flew back from Bangalore, earlier this week. She came over to spend Thursday night at my place. After some initial catching up, we headed out to the Marriot for our 'midnight coffee/ drink' date, which ended only at 1:30 am. Back home, and more chit-chat over flipping T.V channels went on till 2:30 am, until finally when we called it a night. Second fun night in a row.

8. Friday evening, tickets for a special screening of the movie 'New York' at the Red Lounge. Thanks to Atit :), movie tickets promise to be galore. Not much can be said about the movie, as it seemed highly passable to say the least. But red box seats, popcorn and fun company made up for it. Dinner was at Trishna, one of Mumbai's premier sea-food restaurants. Missed the hubby when I devoured his favourite Goan Shrimp curry. Third late night in a row.

9. Saturday night was spent at hubby's grandmom's place devouring the best 'paaplet' (friend pomfret) that I ve ever had. She taught me to eat fish the right way, when we visited here last November. Grandmom-in-law had churned out a 5 course meal, all by herself, which made sure my 'dieting' regime was tossed out of the window for that one night. Turned out to be quite a fun ladies' night with mum-in-law, her sister and my sis-in-law too. Conversation flowed from the husband's childhood antics to my crazy work experiences. Fourth fun night in a row.

10. Sunday morning started with the weekly long run; my slowest 7 miler ever. Something in me is dreading the NYC Half Marathon this time. Got to run faster. Sunday routine followed after that; mommy-made lunch at four bungalows, weekly head oil massage and even a rare short nap that afternoon. The evening was spent with the best friend and her extended family, at her cousins wedding. The 'pani-puri' that had eluded me so far, was devoured with pleasure there, among other delicious wedding fare. Making fun of the best friend, draped in a sari to look like 'Tulsi ben' of the infamous 'K' - T.V serials, was priceless.

"When in India, attend a wedding" - Checked!

Enjoy Week 4 in pictures:

http://picasaweb.google.com/shweyta/MumbaiDiariesWeek4?feat=directlink

Finally I am up-to-date and current with my weekly diaries.

Almost a month down, 4 more to go, of this madness in Mumbai! Can't wait :)

Until Week 5, you take care while I go looking for my driver, to take me home, after this insane long day.

Shweyts