Friday, November 30, 2018
Bombay
A Relaxing Morning and an Interview with Gerson da Cunha
Namaste from Bombay!
Most of my early morning hours were spent communicating with folks about the publication of my new book on Goa. I had to inform the contributing essayists as well as my colleagues at NYU and a bunch of friends and well-wishers. It took longer than expected. Next, I blogged and read my Twitter feed and then got on with my day.
I also woke up with a distinct cold and immediately decided to take a Crocin Cold and Flu as I would like to nip it in the bud. Knowing that I would not be able to see Dad and Russel this evening (as I had an interview scheduled), I decided to spend a part of the morning with them.
So after my breakfast of muesli and hot tea (with lemon and honey--wish I had some ginger in the house), I called Dad to tell him I would be coming in the morning. He asked me to stay for lunch and I decided to take my leftovers along (as a new tiffin was delivered today: potato chips, Goan shrimp curry with white pumpkin and cauliflower with peas--all of my favorite things in the world!) in my Tupperware containers.
By the way, I am still patting myself on the back at the foresight with which I selected to bring things with me to India. I carried only 6 Tupperware containers and wish I had brought the whole dozen (thanks Sylvia!). The only things I have not used yet are my lemon reamer, my microplane and my little whisk (as I do no cooking at all). Everything else is very much used on a daily basis--including the few things I picked up in China because I knew I would need to use them everyday!
I showered and dressed and went off to Dad's where I spent the morning just chatting with him and Russel--both of them really appreciate the company and that gives me great pleasure. Russel is now able to come out (with his walker) and sit in the living room and he does this for several hours--he is back in the swing of regular life in Dad's household again--thanks to the good Lord for His mercies. We are very grateful for his progress although we are still measuring it in baby steps.
While I was at Dad's, the postman rang the doorbell to deliver Dad's passport! Can you even believe it? It took less than 24 hours to have his passport delivered to his door! We are still marveling at the speed with which this was accomplished--without paying expediting fees or anything of the kind. Even in the States, it takes 2-3 weeks for a renewed passport to reach. It is things like this that take my breath away about India of the 21st century. You have to spend decades away from your home country to return to it and be swept away by the changes that have occurred in your absence. India is truly no longer a Third World country. That said, there is still poverty and the farmers of India are currently staging a huge protest in Bombay over their loss of livelihood and financial ruin from decades of neglect.
We had lunch at 12. 30 pm--my leftovers plus some new items from today's tiffin--a real smorgasbord of food. I left at 1. 45 for my interview with Gerson da Cunha that was scheduled for 3.00 pm at his home in Churchgate.
An Interview with Gerson da Cunha:
Like Roger Pereira, Gerson da Cunha lives in one of those sprawling apartments that seem to go on forever and forever opposite the Oval Maidan in Churchgate--prime real estate in Bombay. His building is called Fair Lawns and I was there on schedule at 3.00 pm--after taking a bus and a train to reach it.
For the next two hours, I listened to an extremely enlightened man go through the annals of Theater Group with me. Now 89 and a victim of a stroke a couple of years ago that affected his sight in one eye and his movements, Gerson's mind is lucid and as clear as a bell. As he recalled his childhood in Mazagoan, his college years at St.Xavier's College, his devotion to his Goan heritage and East Indian history (he is Goan on his father's side and an East Indian on his mother's), his contribution to Advertising as head of Lintas for decades, his entry into Theater Group and the vast number of plays he did for the Bombay stage, I was simply astounded. Truly, with Farokh Mehta and now the late Alyque Padamsee, he forms the grand Triumvirate of English Language Theater doyens in Bombay and I felt deeply privileged to meet him. In preparation for our talk, he had emailed me the first draft of a chapter he is writing for a book--an autobiography that traces his many contributions to the beloved city of Bombay that he loves. He worked for a while with UNICEF in Brazil as someone who promoted breast-feeding in the country and for his pains, was decorated with Brazilian government honors, a few years ago. Back in Bombay, he continued doing theater and advertising. I found him endlessly fascinating and before I knew it, it was 5.00 pm--two hours had just slipped away. Gerson offered me a slice of banana bread and a cup of tea or coffee (but the declined the latter as a result of my caffeine-intolerance) and stuck to water instead.
Back home on the train, even in the midst of peak hour rush, I had a seat and reached Bandra on a slow train relatively comfortably and took a bus home. I was able to meet Dad at his gate for the 7.00 pm Mass which we attended together. After Mass, I nipped off into his house for just a few minutes to pick up my empty Tupperware and laundry and got back home for dinner and the watching of a new British sitcom called Peep Show (which is very popular, although I still have to get into it). I also ate an early dinner as my cold was blooming and I had been dozing myself all day with Crocin. I was asleep by 10.15 pm after what had been a more relaxing day.
I certainly intend to get some rest and relaxation over the weekend as I nurse my cold--although I will have to transcribe two long interviews--with Sam Kerawala and Gerson da Cunha.
Until tomorrow...
Friday, November 30, 2018
Thursday, November 29, 2018
My Goa Book is Published! Plus A Visit to the Passport Office and A Scintillating Memorial Tribute to Alyque Padamsee
Thursday, November 29, 2018
Bombay
My Goa Book is Published! Plus A Visit to the Passport Office and A Scintillating Memorial Tribute to Alyque Padamsee
Namaste from Bombay!
I had a most memorable day that started with the most heartening news and ended with the most scintillating show I have seen in recent years.
My Book on Goa is Out!
Awaking at 6.00 am, I started my day with the best news in the world! My Book on Goa has been published and is out! At long last! Entitled Goa: A Post-Colonial Society Between Cultures, it consists of essays by internationally-renowned scholars on Portuguese history and culture from far-flung parts of the world such as the USA (New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts), UK (Glasgow), Portugal (Lisbon), Brazil (Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro) and, of course, India (Bombay and Goa) on varied aspects of Goan history, society and culture.
These essays began their journey as papers that were presented at a conference of the same name at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, in 2013 when the Poynter Lecture had been delivered by my friend, Ashley D'Mello of Bombay who was at that time a Research Fellow at UC Berkeley. Ashley arranged for the papers to be published by his friend, Frederick Noronha, who runs a publishing house called Goa 1556 Publications in Panjim and that was where it began and has ended. The book is finally out--there were many publication glitches that caused me to almost despair of seeing the book out in print. But it is here! Finally! What a great way to end the year 2018 for me and my band of academics who stayed the course with me, entrusted their scholarship to me (as editor of the volume) and co-operated with me at every stage to allow the book to see the light of day. This is my sixth book and I am very grateful that I have had the opportunity to publish so steadily during my long and fulfilling academic career.
Once I got over the excitement about the publication of my book and corresponded with my contributors to give them the good news, I began blogging, reading my Twitter feed and planning my day. I did not go to the gym today either as I had a very eventful morning and did not want to have to rush through it. After a leisurely breakfast of muesli and coffee (during which I could feel the dreaded coming on of a cold), and while I watched Still Game on TV, I showered, dressed and got ready for my appointment with my Dad.
Taking Dad to the Passport Office:
My date with Dad concerned the renewal of his passport. Although both his and Russel's expire shortly, Russel is not in a position to get his renewed and we will have to wait until he gets a bit more mobile before we can take him to the Passport Office to get it done.
Dad had all his documents sorted and was almost ready for me when I arrived at his place at 9.45 for our 11.00 am appointment. We took a cab to Lower Parel (with which neither one of us is familiar) to the spot where all passport formalities are now carried out. You can tell that India has catapulted straight into the 21st century by the fact that all passport applications are now done online prior to arrival at the Passport Center. There are three such centers in Bombay but we chose Lower Parel as it is said to be the most pleasant. It is located in the compound of what used to be the former Kamala Mills.
From the get-go, we were deeply impressed by the manner in which business is conducted. After one's documents are submitted online, they are scrutinized and checked by officials. The applicant chooses a date and time slot online and arrives at the Center with supporting documents. Dad was treated as a Senior citizen and I was, therefore, permitted to assist him throughout. I am told that in normal cases, only the applicant is allowed inside--everyone else has to wait outside. Once his initial appointment time was back checked, Dad received a token number--this would remain constant till the end of the procedure.
We were then led into another room where there was ample seating and where the air-conditioning worked. It was a bit like waiting at a visa office for your token number to come up on a screen which then led you to the counter and the officer who would assist you. I found all the personnel deeply conscientious about their work, polite in the extreme and very helpful. Gone are those days of barking government officials who appear as if they are doing you a favor. These guys (and gals) were efficient and pleasant throughout. What a joy it is to be in Bombay today! Believe me when I tell you, in so many small ways, Bombay is being run like a major city anywhere in the world. You have to experience these small things and be able to compare the country as it was run for decades previously to understand how much of a difference there is today.
Things moved on smoothly as Dad was fingerprinted and photographed. We moved through three different desks where documents (mainly previous passport and Aadhar card--India's national identity card available only to Indian citizens) were checked. At the last desk (and there was always a seat so that when you are approaching and dealing with an officer you are never standing), his old passport was cancelled and returned to him and we were told that he should receive his new passport in the mail in about a week--this is even faster than delivery time in the USA (where it takes two weeks!). Believe me, I had barely hailed a taxi to go home when I received a text on my phone to tell me that processing of Dad's passport had already begun and by the end of the day, I received another text to tell me that the passport was in the mail! I am still dumb struck. Dad was extremely impressed by the entire process that took no longer than half an hour and then we were out. There! Done and Dusted! The ordeal of getting an Indian passport is history! Long Live India's progress.
Back Home for Lunch, a Natter and a Nap:
We took a taxi back home and using the Sea Link, were home in half an hour. Dad asked me to stay over at his place for lunch and I agreed. Russel was thrilled that we were home by 12 noon and in half an hour, as I was feeling very hungry, we had lunch: Croquettes, gherkins, dal, chicken curry--there was a variety of items on my plate as Dad and Russel use the same meal delivery service that I do--Valerie of Bandra. We had a long natter during lunch as Dad and I had so much to discuss.
At 2.00 pm, I left Dad to get home for a nap. Shahnaz called to let me know that she would not be able to accompany me to the Memorial Tribute to Alyque Padamsee that was to be held in the evening at 6.30 pm at the NCPA and so I made a couple of calls to find out if someone could use the ticket. My friend Marianel jumped at it and told me she would meet me at the theater at 6.15. My friend Nafisa would also be joining us from her home in Byculla.
I took a nap and when I awoke, I decided to spend a couple of hours transcribing my interview with Nisha da Cunha which I finished by 4.30 pm. It was my intention to get out of my studio by 5.00 pm to meet my friends at 6.15 pm and that was exactly what I did.
A bus ride, a train ride and a taxi tride took me to the theater in under an hour. I picked up my tickets from the counters that were set up there and awaited the arrival of my friends. While there, I had the great pleasure of running into my friend Mario Poppen who had studied French with me at the Alliance Francaise 35 years ago! Mario has worked at the Taj Hotel and is now based at Express Towers at Nariman Point. We made plans to have lunch really soon. He is a darling man and I have met him off and on through the years on my many visits to Bombay as he is also a close friend of my brother Roger who was his colleague at the Taj years ago. I introduced Nafisa to him and they discovered a common connection! Six degrees of separation!
Needless to say, the foyer was filled with many recognizable faces including folks I had not seen in donkey's years such as former retired Chief of Police Julio Ribeiro and his wife--looking years older, of course. I said Hello to Sam Kerawala and Roger Pereira whom I have interviewed recently and then we took our seats as my friends arrived on schedule. The auditorium--the grand Jamshed Bhabha Theater--was full and when the show began, it scintillated from the first second. It was almost as if Alyque was orchestrating the entire thing from his perch in Heaven. As the emcee, one Shomit Roy said, "I bet he is raising Hell in Heaven!"
The show had many segments which consisted of verbal tributes from his closest colleagues, short clips from his most successful advertising commercials done by the film-maker Kailash Surendranath who was a rookie cameraman when Alyque discovered him, excerpts and clips from the social service campaigns with which he has been associated such as Anti Dowry, Girl Child, etc. as an active Board Member of the Citizens for Justice and Peace. There were internationally-renowned lawyers (such as my Elphinstone College classmate Teesta Setalvad and her husband Javed Anand) who spoke, CEOs of companies such as Hindustan Lever whose advertising was handled by Alyque as CEO of Lintas, the current CEO of Lintas, loads of actors who grew old acting with him (Farokh Mehta, Roger Pereira, Kabir Bedi, Kunal Vijaykar, Cyrus Broacha, the one and only Gerson da Cunha) as they recited from Shakespeare or told of their most hilarious moments with a man who was well and truly driven, who headed an international ad agency that was one of the most successful in India and gave his city some of its biggest theatrical extravaganzas during which rehearsals continued until 2.00 am--yet he was full of beans when he returned to his desk before 9.00 am the next morning. As Shakespeare put it so eloquently: We will not see his like again...
So here is an account of the tribute:
1. Dalip Tahil who had played Che Guevara in Evita opened by singing "Oh What a Circus! Oh What a Show!" and moved right into the next song, "High Flying, Adored."'
2. A short film with clips from Jesus Christ Superstar was played with the voiceover of Madhukar Chandra Dass who had played Jesus singing the song "I Only Want to Say..."
3. Shahzan, Alyque's daughter by Sharon Prabhakar, made verbal tribute to her father and talked about Legends of Lovers in which he had directed her. It was the last stage show he did.
4. Delna Modi (an up and coming actress and singer) sang, "Life is a Cabaret" from Cabaret.
5. Gerson da Cunha made a speech and read a long soliloquy from Shakespeare's Hamlet in which Hamlet instructs the Players how to portray a scene that will enable them to expose Claudius' murder of Hamlet's father.
6. Actor Farokh Mehta paid verbal tribute to Alyque and told us that he had done at least 75 plays in his lifetime out of which at least 35 were with Alyque whom he described as his oldest friend--they had 75 years of friendship together. Alyque's plays also led to many marriages as romances bloomed at rehearsals. Farokh married the legendary Marathi stage actress Vijaya (Khote) Mehta whom he met at rehearsals for A Touch of Brightness.
7. Siddharth (Sid) Meghani sang "The Impossible Dream" from Man of La Mancha. Sid happens to be the son of my old photographer friend Madhu and it was the first time I heard him sing--he is known as the Elvis Presley of Bombay for he can do a brilliant imitation.
8. Raj Gupta, current CEO of Lintas, who began his career as a gofer under Alyque, spoke.
9. Kabir Bedi, Bollywood actor, who had begun his acting career under Alyque when he headed the Film Department at Lintas, came next. Under Alyque's direction, he did Othello, Tughlak and Gidhade (The Vultures) and went on to a lucrative career as an international star playing the pirate Sandokan in an Italian TV series of the same name.
10. Someone whose name I did not catch played Herod in Jesus Christ Superstar and sang, "If You Are The Christ..." Both Marianel and I recalled the original production we had seen in 1974 with Keith Stevenson playing Herod and felt deeply nostalgic for our school days--we were still in High School then!
11. Kailash Surendarnath, commercial film-maker, recalled his advertising journey from a rookie cameraman to a director of commercials.
12. A lady called Mrs. Coelho read out a tribute from her son Arun Prabhu who ghost-wrote Alyque's autobiography A Double Life. Arun has emigrated to the UK.
13.Stage actors Kunal Vijaykar and Cyrus Broacha talked about their long association as actors with Alyque.
14. Shiamak Davar came on stage to do a song from Cabaret with the large ape--"If You Could See Her With My Eyes..." I was just thrilled to see him acting and dancing on stage again. I swear although I saw him in Cabaret 35 years ago, he does not look a day older. One of my Fulbright colleagues, a modern dancer--the first time the Fulbright has been given to a dancer--is working with Shiamak's dance studio in Andheri. Shiamak started in his role at the Emcee in Cabaret and went on to become the leading modern dance practitioner in India today.
15. Sharon Prabhakar, Alyque's ex-wife who played Eva Peron in Evita sang her signature song, "Don't Cry for me, Argentina..." She received a standing ovation. As in the case of Shiamak, she too has aged gloriously for she is 65 if she is a day and looks about 30!
16. Quasar, Alyque's son by Dolly Thakore, spoke of his Dad and the life-long mentoring he has received from him.
17. "Amazing Grace" was sung by Mary-Ann D'Cruz Aiman who, apparently, had wowed Bombay audiences with her role,a few years ago, as Maria in The Sound of Music. It was the favorite hymn of Alyque and Pearl, his late ex-wife. She has a clear soprano voice and provided a stirring rendition of the hymn.
18. All the artistes of the evening came back on stage to go out singing, "Hosanna" from Jesus Christ Superstar and invited the audience to sing with them as well.
The entire show was conceived by Raell Padamsee, Alyque's daughter by Pearl, and was directed by Carla Singh, an American actress and singer, whom I have also seen several times on stage in Theater Group Productions. It was truly one of my best nights in the theater and one I will always remember.
We said Bye to Marianel who found a ride home, Nafisa gave me a ride to Churchgate station as it was still early (the entire show finished by 9.30 pm) and I took the train home. I reached home at 10.30, had my dinner while watching The Great British Menu and went to bed after midnight.
It was truly a day to remember--one that had started with glorious personal news and ended with such a bang!
Until tomorrow...
Bombay
My Goa Book is Published! Plus A Visit to the Passport Office and A Scintillating Memorial Tribute to Alyque Padamsee
Namaste from Bombay!
I had a most memorable day that started with the most heartening news and ended with the most scintillating show I have seen in recent years.
My Book on Goa is Out!
Awaking at 6.00 am, I started my day with the best news in the world! My Book on Goa has been published and is out! At long last! Entitled Goa: A Post-Colonial Society Between Cultures, it consists of essays by internationally-renowned scholars on Portuguese history and culture from far-flung parts of the world such as the USA (New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts), UK (Glasgow), Portugal (Lisbon), Brazil (Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro) and, of course, India (Bombay and Goa) on varied aspects of Goan history, society and culture.
These essays began their journey as papers that were presented at a conference of the same name at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, in 2013 when the Poynter Lecture had been delivered by my friend, Ashley D'Mello of Bombay who was at that time a Research Fellow at UC Berkeley. Ashley arranged for the papers to be published by his friend, Frederick Noronha, who runs a publishing house called Goa 1556 Publications in Panjim and that was where it began and has ended. The book is finally out--there were many publication glitches that caused me to almost despair of seeing the book out in print. But it is here! Finally! What a great way to end the year 2018 for me and my band of academics who stayed the course with me, entrusted their scholarship to me (as editor of the volume) and co-operated with me at every stage to allow the book to see the light of day. This is my sixth book and I am very grateful that I have had the opportunity to publish so steadily during my long and fulfilling academic career.
Once I got over the excitement about the publication of my book and corresponded with my contributors to give them the good news, I began blogging, reading my Twitter feed and planning my day. I did not go to the gym today either as I had a very eventful morning and did not want to have to rush through it. After a leisurely breakfast of muesli and coffee (during which I could feel the dreaded coming on of a cold), and while I watched Still Game on TV, I showered, dressed and got ready for my appointment with my Dad.
Taking Dad to the Passport Office:
My date with Dad concerned the renewal of his passport. Although both his and Russel's expire shortly, Russel is not in a position to get his renewed and we will have to wait until he gets a bit more mobile before we can take him to the Passport Office to get it done.
Dad had all his documents sorted and was almost ready for me when I arrived at his place at 9.45 for our 11.00 am appointment. We took a cab to Lower Parel (with which neither one of us is familiar) to the spot where all passport formalities are now carried out. You can tell that India has catapulted straight into the 21st century by the fact that all passport applications are now done online prior to arrival at the Passport Center. There are three such centers in Bombay but we chose Lower Parel as it is said to be the most pleasant. It is located in the compound of what used to be the former Kamala Mills.
From the get-go, we were deeply impressed by the manner in which business is conducted. After one's documents are submitted online, they are scrutinized and checked by officials. The applicant chooses a date and time slot online and arrives at the Center with supporting documents. Dad was treated as a Senior citizen and I was, therefore, permitted to assist him throughout. I am told that in normal cases, only the applicant is allowed inside--everyone else has to wait outside. Once his initial appointment time was back checked, Dad received a token number--this would remain constant till the end of the procedure.
We were then led into another room where there was ample seating and where the air-conditioning worked. It was a bit like waiting at a visa office for your token number to come up on a screen which then led you to the counter and the officer who would assist you. I found all the personnel deeply conscientious about their work, polite in the extreme and very helpful. Gone are those days of barking government officials who appear as if they are doing you a favor. These guys (and gals) were efficient and pleasant throughout. What a joy it is to be in Bombay today! Believe me when I tell you, in so many small ways, Bombay is being run like a major city anywhere in the world. You have to experience these small things and be able to compare the country as it was run for decades previously to understand how much of a difference there is today.
Things moved on smoothly as Dad was fingerprinted and photographed. We moved through three different desks where documents (mainly previous passport and Aadhar card--India's national identity card available only to Indian citizens) were checked. At the last desk (and there was always a seat so that when you are approaching and dealing with an officer you are never standing), his old passport was cancelled and returned to him and we were told that he should receive his new passport in the mail in about a week--this is even faster than delivery time in the USA (where it takes two weeks!). Believe me, I had barely hailed a taxi to go home when I received a text on my phone to tell me that processing of Dad's passport had already begun and by the end of the day, I received another text to tell me that the passport was in the mail! I am still dumb struck. Dad was extremely impressed by the entire process that took no longer than half an hour and then we were out. There! Done and Dusted! The ordeal of getting an Indian passport is history! Long Live India's progress.
Back Home for Lunch, a Natter and a Nap:
We took a taxi back home and using the Sea Link, were home in half an hour. Dad asked me to stay over at his place for lunch and I agreed. Russel was thrilled that we were home by 12 noon and in half an hour, as I was feeling very hungry, we had lunch: Croquettes, gherkins, dal, chicken curry--there was a variety of items on my plate as Dad and Russel use the same meal delivery service that I do--Valerie of Bandra. We had a long natter during lunch as Dad and I had so much to discuss.
At 2.00 pm, I left Dad to get home for a nap. Shahnaz called to let me know that she would not be able to accompany me to the Memorial Tribute to Alyque Padamsee that was to be held in the evening at 6.30 pm at the NCPA and so I made a couple of calls to find out if someone could use the ticket. My friend Marianel jumped at it and told me she would meet me at the theater at 6.15. My friend Nafisa would also be joining us from her home in Byculla.
I took a nap and when I awoke, I decided to spend a couple of hours transcribing my interview with Nisha da Cunha which I finished by 4.30 pm. It was my intention to get out of my studio by 5.00 pm to meet my friends at 6.15 pm and that was exactly what I did.
A bus ride, a train ride and a taxi tride took me to the theater in under an hour. I picked up my tickets from the counters that were set up there and awaited the arrival of my friends. While there, I had the great pleasure of running into my friend Mario Poppen who had studied French with me at the Alliance Francaise 35 years ago! Mario has worked at the Taj Hotel and is now based at Express Towers at Nariman Point. We made plans to have lunch really soon. He is a darling man and I have met him off and on through the years on my many visits to Bombay as he is also a close friend of my brother Roger who was his colleague at the Taj years ago. I introduced Nafisa to him and they discovered a common connection! Six degrees of separation!
Needless to say, the foyer was filled with many recognizable faces including folks I had not seen in donkey's years such as former retired Chief of Police Julio Ribeiro and his wife--looking years older, of course. I said Hello to Sam Kerawala and Roger Pereira whom I have interviewed recently and then we took our seats as my friends arrived on schedule. The auditorium--the grand Jamshed Bhabha Theater--was full and when the show began, it scintillated from the first second. It was almost as if Alyque was orchestrating the entire thing from his perch in Heaven. As the emcee, one Shomit Roy said, "I bet he is raising Hell in Heaven!"
The show had many segments which consisted of verbal tributes from his closest colleagues, short clips from his most successful advertising commercials done by the film-maker Kailash Surendranath who was a rookie cameraman when Alyque discovered him, excerpts and clips from the social service campaigns with which he has been associated such as Anti Dowry, Girl Child, etc. as an active Board Member of the Citizens for Justice and Peace. There were internationally-renowned lawyers (such as my Elphinstone College classmate Teesta Setalvad and her husband Javed Anand) who spoke, CEOs of companies such as Hindustan Lever whose advertising was handled by Alyque as CEO of Lintas, the current CEO of Lintas, loads of actors who grew old acting with him (Farokh Mehta, Roger Pereira, Kabir Bedi, Kunal Vijaykar, Cyrus Broacha, the one and only Gerson da Cunha) as they recited from Shakespeare or told of their most hilarious moments with a man who was well and truly driven, who headed an international ad agency that was one of the most successful in India and gave his city some of its biggest theatrical extravaganzas during which rehearsals continued until 2.00 am--yet he was full of beans when he returned to his desk before 9.00 am the next morning. As Shakespeare put it so eloquently: We will not see his like again...
So here is an account of the tribute:
1. Dalip Tahil who had played Che Guevara in Evita opened by singing "Oh What a Circus! Oh What a Show!" and moved right into the next song, "High Flying, Adored."'
2. A short film with clips from Jesus Christ Superstar was played with the voiceover of Madhukar Chandra Dass who had played Jesus singing the song "I Only Want to Say..."
3. Shahzan, Alyque's daughter by Sharon Prabhakar, made verbal tribute to her father and talked about Legends of Lovers in which he had directed her. It was the last stage show he did.
4. Delna Modi (an up and coming actress and singer) sang, "Life is a Cabaret" from Cabaret.
5. Gerson da Cunha made a speech and read a long soliloquy from Shakespeare's Hamlet in which Hamlet instructs the Players how to portray a scene that will enable them to expose Claudius' murder of Hamlet's father.
6. Actor Farokh Mehta paid verbal tribute to Alyque and told us that he had done at least 75 plays in his lifetime out of which at least 35 were with Alyque whom he described as his oldest friend--they had 75 years of friendship together. Alyque's plays also led to many marriages as romances bloomed at rehearsals. Farokh married the legendary Marathi stage actress Vijaya (Khote) Mehta whom he met at rehearsals for A Touch of Brightness.
7. Siddharth (Sid) Meghani sang "The Impossible Dream" from Man of La Mancha. Sid happens to be the son of my old photographer friend Madhu and it was the first time I heard him sing--he is known as the Elvis Presley of Bombay for he can do a brilliant imitation.
8. Raj Gupta, current CEO of Lintas, who began his career as a gofer under Alyque, spoke.
9. Kabir Bedi, Bollywood actor, who had begun his acting career under Alyque when he headed the Film Department at Lintas, came next. Under Alyque's direction, he did Othello, Tughlak and Gidhade (The Vultures) and went on to a lucrative career as an international star playing the pirate Sandokan in an Italian TV series of the same name.
10. Someone whose name I did not catch played Herod in Jesus Christ Superstar and sang, "If You Are The Christ..." Both Marianel and I recalled the original production we had seen in 1974 with Keith Stevenson playing Herod and felt deeply nostalgic for our school days--we were still in High School then!
11. Kailash Surendarnath, commercial film-maker, recalled his advertising journey from a rookie cameraman to a director of commercials.
12. A lady called Mrs. Coelho read out a tribute from her son Arun Prabhu who ghost-wrote Alyque's autobiography A Double Life. Arun has emigrated to the UK.
13.Stage actors Kunal Vijaykar and Cyrus Broacha talked about their long association as actors with Alyque.
14. Shiamak Davar came on stage to do a song from Cabaret with the large ape--"If You Could See Her With My Eyes..." I was just thrilled to see him acting and dancing on stage again. I swear although I saw him in Cabaret 35 years ago, he does not look a day older. One of my Fulbright colleagues, a modern dancer--the first time the Fulbright has been given to a dancer--is working with Shiamak's dance studio in Andheri. Shiamak started in his role at the Emcee in Cabaret and went on to become the leading modern dance practitioner in India today.
15. Sharon Prabhakar, Alyque's ex-wife who played Eva Peron in Evita sang her signature song, "Don't Cry for me, Argentina..." She received a standing ovation. As in the case of Shiamak, she too has aged gloriously for she is 65 if she is a day and looks about 30!
16. Quasar, Alyque's son by Dolly Thakore, spoke of his Dad and the life-long mentoring he has received from him.
17. "Amazing Grace" was sung by Mary-Ann D'Cruz Aiman who, apparently, had wowed Bombay audiences with her role,a few years ago, as Maria in The Sound of Music. It was the favorite hymn of Alyque and Pearl, his late ex-wife. She has a clear soprano voice and provided a stirring rendition of the hymn.
18. All the artistes of the evening came back on stage to go out singing, "Hosanna" from Jesus Christ Superstar and invited the audience to sing with them as well.
The entire show was conceived by Raell Padamsee, Alyque's daughter by Pearl, and was directed by Carla Singh, an American actress and singer, whom I have also seen several times on stage in Theater Group Productions. It was truly one of my best nights in the theater and one I will always remember.
We said Bye to Marianel who found a ride home, Nafisa gave me a ride to Churchgate station as it was still early (the entire show finished by 9.30 pm) and I took the train home. I reached home at 10.30, had my dinner while watching The Great British Menu and went to bed after midnight.
It was truly a day to remember--one that had started with glorious personal news and ended with such a bang!
Until tomorrow...
Wednesday, November 28, 2018
Interview with a Retired Professor, Lunch with Firdaus and a Meeting with Fr. Tony
Wednesday, November 28, 2018
Bombay
Interview With a Retired Professor, Lunch with Firdaus and a Meeting with Fr. Tony
Namaste from Bombay!
I had another delightful day--productive and yet fun.
Awake at 6.30, I blogged--it took a bit longer than usual as I had so much exciting stuff to report-- washed, ate my Club Sandwich (chicken cutlets and cheese) for brekkie with two cups of coffee (as I had much to wash down), showered and left for my 11. 30 am appointment downtown.
In a bus and then a Bandra local train, I reached Churchgate a little early. My interview was scheduled at 11.30 am. I walked across the Oval Maidan on foot on a lovely morning taking in views of the glorious Victorian Gothic buildings of the Fort area--I can never tire of this sight. Then, I walked past the Bombay High Court and arrived at the C.J. Hall and went past the YMCA International House and St. Anne's School to arrive, after a half hour walk, at one of my favorite shops in the whole of Bombay--Phillips Antiques.
Exploring Phillips Antiques:
This amazing antiques store has been a Bombay fixture for decades--more than a century as it dates from the 1870s. During my college years, when my pocket money was just Rs. 30 per month, I used to stand outside the shop windows and gaze upon the treasures contained within. In those days, there used to be a lot of European bric-a-brac in those windows: porcelain, glass, crystal, silver--acquired, I believe, through the large number of expatriates who lived in Bombay and were being repatriated to their home countries. Through the years, as my finances improved, I bought items that were easily portable. I proudly own a set of original 19th century engravings depicting The Battle of Mooltan than decorate my dining room. And I have three framed photographic portraits of Victorian Gothic buildings by Willets and George Gilbert Scott just above my bar in my family room.
Walking into Phillips Antiques this time round, I was struck by the lack of any European items. Now it is exclusively Indian antiques that they sell--Indian silver, brass, wooden carved temple fragments, wooden toys, bits of doors from Rajasthan and Gujarat--that sort of thing. The biggest-selling item right now seems to be prints and lithographs of engravings as well as maps of colonial India and colonial Bombay. There are also prints of the ads that announced steamers sailings to and from India and for British colonial products such as Pears Soap. I had a bit of a poke around and found nothing to really catch my eye. What really did attract me was up on the wall: a set of a dozen prints of paintings by Raja Ravi Verma which were then embellished with fragments of fabric, beads, sequins, etc. to create a three-dimensional collage of portraits from Hindu mythology. These were selling for a steep Rs. 64,000 each! I do believe that they would create the greatest effect if exhibited together on a single wall.
Off to my Interview with Nisha da Cunha:
My next port of call was the Yacht Club where I had an 11.30 am interview scheduled with Nisha da Cunha who is 85 years old and does not miss her daily workout at the Gym of the Club! At 85, she does not look a day over 65, is as slim as a reed, spritely, vivacious and filled with good cheer and humor. I have a history with Nisha--which if you will allow me, I will explain...
Thirty-five years ago, I had competed for the Cambridge-Nehru Scholarship to go to the University of Cambridge to do my Masters in English Literature. Nisha, who is a graduate of Newnham College, Cambridge, and was then Head of the Department of English at St. Xavier's College, Bombay, was assigned to interview me and actually spend half a day with me to find out if I was a worthy candidate for the prestigious award. I was competing with a bunch of scientists, mathematicians, etc. I spent a lovely morning with Nisha but I bet I did not make an impression as she did not remember me at all! Needless to say, I did not get the Scholarship. Which might be just as well, because a few years later, I got a British Council Scholarship and ended up at The Other Place--Oxford! And the rest is, of course, history. Also, as I pointed out to Nisha, I might not have got the Cambridge-Nehru Scholarship as a graduate student but I did get the Fulbright-Nehru Fellowship as a Senior Researcher! Life presents the strangest coincidences... I must add that Nisha refused to believe I had applied 35 years ago--she kept looking at me and insisting I was not a day over 35 myself! You can bet she made my day! She said, "I looked outside the gym and saw this little girl and thought this could not be the Fulbright Fellow who has come to meet me. No way!" She kept touching my skin and saying, "How do you do it?"
Secondly, after resigning from St. Xavier's College after a 35 year run there (the politics of academia can stink, believe me, and she felt bullied by another faculty-member in her department), she took to writing and produced 4 fabulous collections of short stories--all published by Penguin India in Delhi. They were so good that they inspired me to start writing short fiction myself. I still have a collection of 12 stories of which only two have been published so far: 'Stranger on a Bus' and 'Unfinished Symphony' (they are both on my website). Maybe someday...
I had begun working on my post-doctoral dissertation at St. John's University at New York and needed to find a topic on which to sink my teeth. I chose to work on 'The Politics of Mourning: Grief-Management in Cross-Cultural Fiction' which was later published as my second book. Nisha's stories fit the brief perfectly and I wrote to her from New York requesting her to send me copies of her book reviews--which she promptly did. (She does not remember this either!). After my book was published, I devised a course for the Liberal Studies Program at New York University on 'Mourning in Cross-Cultural Fiction' and used her stories to illustrate theoretical concepts from Freud to Elizabeth Kulber-Ross. I photocopied her stories and circulated them in class as handouts and have spent many an enlightening afternoon dissecting them with my students.
So, at several points my work has intersected with the life of Nisha da Cunha--and yet she had no clue. So, it was with the utmost pleasure that I waited for her to finish her workout and then begin to interview her. The reason our paths were crossing again (this time, literally) was because she had been an active producer and director of English language theater in Bombay and had worked tirelessly while at St. Xavier's College to stage quality drama. She also happens to be married to Advertising man, Sylvester (Sylvie) da Cunha, brother of Gerson da Cunha (whom I shall be interviewing on Friday). The names of Sylvie and Gerson are intrinsically linked with quality drama productions in Bombay. Sadly, at 88, Sylvie is now battling severe Parkinson's Disease and cannot give an interview himself. Nisha would be speaking not just for herself but also for her husband. She is also very proud of her son, their only child, Rahul, who is a producer in his own right and founded Rage Theater Company--he has produced a vast number of plays and is now one of the organizers of Sing, India, Sing, a dramatic extravaganza that contains originally composed music, a wonderful plot line and a bevy of stunning singers and musicians--the best that Bombay knows right now. I will also be speaking to Rahul in due course.
It was fascinating chatting with Nisha--she is the daughter of former Minister of Finance, H. M. Patel who was an Oxonian himself (St. Catherine's College)--and had four sisters--one of whom was the magnificent Usha Amin Katrak who played Medea and Julius Caesar in Theater Group Productions. She was raised in Delhi and graduated from Miranda House with English Honors before proceeding to Cambridge and then to Bombay. Finding out about her creative life was an endlessly inspiring and fascinating experience for me and I do believe, the more I think about it, that there is so much I owe to the women I met during my early years who inspired me so much to reach out and grasp at every opportunity that lay ahead. Anyway, Nisha and I parted in an hour as she had to rush home to pick up her nursing duties for Sylvie. Her parting shot was, "You must note that I am not a Goan. I am a Gujarati and a Hindu." My talk with her will remain one of the high points of my research here in Bombay.
As we were chatting, our mutual friend Firdaus turned up for his 1.00pm lunch appointment with me. He is Nisha's work out pal--they are at the gym each day at the same time. Firdaus and I received scholarships to Exeter College, Oxford, the same year (1987) and have remained firm friends through the decades. He is a member of the Yacht Club and it has often been my pleasure to have a drink with him several times in this glorious place overlooking Bombay Harbor and the Gateway of India. This afternoon, he said he would treat me to lunch.
Lunch with Firdaus:
I said goodbye to Nisha and picked up with Firdaus who led me up to the first floor dining hall (we had our interview in the lounge on the ground floor over coffee and lemonade) where we took a look at the menu and ordered. Firdaus chose asparagus soup (he is closely watching his figure!) while I had Fish in Mushroom Sauce with potato croquettes and beetroot. It was fabulous--these colonial clubs have not lost the art of colonial cooking, that's for sure. I realize now that I ought to order continental cuisine every time I am treated to a meal in one of these places. What they once served the gora sahib they now proudly serve the brown sahibs! And the food in unfailingly good.
As always, Firdaus and I had much to chat about--literature, books, my research, his next trip to Europe (he retired as Chief Financial Officer of the Tata Group and now spends much of his time chasing opera performances in varied parts of Europe)--his next trip is to London in April to see La Forza del Destino by Verdi at Covent Garden. How fabulous is that???!!! Like me, Firdaus is a confirmed Anglophile and his favorite place is the whole world is London where we have often met and spent time together. He makes a very good case for retirement!
Off to See Kulsum Terrace:
In the many interviews I have been carrying out, the building named Kulsum Terrace has been popping up repeatedly as theater people tell me how iconic it was in terms of shaping the early English language theater in Bombay through Theater Group that was founded there and had its rehearsals and early performances on its terraces. I told Firdaus that after Yohan Jefferries had told me exactly where it was located, I intended to go out in search of it. Firdaus decided to walk there with me along the quiet arcaded Tulloch Road behind the Taj Mahal Hotel. We passed by his building and he pointed it out to me. Sadly, we could not visit his home as he had house guests in the process of leaving and returning to Canada in the midst of their repacking.
A few minutes later, we were on Colaba Causeway and gazing up at the legendary building. I took many pictures from both sides of the road--the Causeway and Wodehouse Road. Like all the buildings of its vintage (1930s), it has sprawling rooms inside but is not very well maintained on the outside. Still...hopefully, I shall have the pleasure of getting inside it when I go off to interview its current resident, Raell, the daughter of Pearl and Alyque, also a giant in the current theater business.
A Meeting with Fr. Tony Charangat, Editor of The Examiner:
My next port of call was the Eucharistic Congress Building near Archbishop's House. Firdaus and I parted and I went to say Hello to Fr. Tony Charangat who has been a very old friend of mine. As Editor of The Examiner, he waits each year for my annual contribution to his special Christmas issue. The staff have also become familiar with my name through my byline and smile as soon as I introduce myself.
Fr. Tony has recently gone through major heart surgery and told me that he had a series of epiphanies that deal with Christian theology about which he received new enlightenment as he was convalescing. He tells me that he is in the process of writing a book about these extraordinary revelations. He looked fit and well and has taken up the reigns of his work as Editor, as parish priest of St. Joseph's Church and as Principal of the school--how anyone can wear three hats at the same time is quite beyond my understanding! Still, he is also a brilliant raconteur and I always have a great time listening to his stories. He was instrumental in getting the former Principal of St. Xavier's College to offer to sponsor me as a Fulbright Fellow. So I also owe him big time and I said Thanks to him again. About an hour later, I left so that I could avoid the peak hour rush on the trains home. I took a 133 bus from outside the C.J. Hall and was at Churchgate in no time.
Back Home in Bandra:
I was in Bandra an hour later. At home, I had a cup of tea and a cookie and went off to Dad's to spend a half hour with Russel. Then I too left to catch the Novena followed by Mass. After Mass, Dad asked me to come over to his place to read a few articles from the papers for him as he simply cannot read the fine print anymore--they were about the Reserve Bank of India and its current controversy with the Indian government over issues of autonomy and about the controversy surrounding the dropping of Mitali Raj from the Indian women's cricket team in a match that bombed badly for India. It amazes me how vibrant and stimulated Dad keeps his mind and how much he continues to want to be part of the conversations out there--at 88! I stayed long enough to serve dinner to Russel and himself as he then wanted to catch the last of the World Cup hockey match between India and South Africa on the telly--India was leading 5-Nothing.
In my own home, I started watching Wanderlust on Netflix, a film with Toni Collete, an actress I quite like, while I ate my diner (a new tiffin had been delivered and I enjoyed cutlets, chicken curry and gherkins with half a guava for dessert). The movie has the most bizarre plot--about a couple who wished to bring back the zing in their long and boring marriage by getting involved sexually with other partners! I left it half way through so that I could get to bed but I predict this will not end well! I also realized that this is not a movie but a TV series--which is to be continued.
Until tomorrow...
Bombay
Interview With a Retired Professor, Lunch with Firdaus and a Meeting with Fr. Tony
Namaste from Bombay!
I had another delightful day--productive and yet fun.
Awake at 6.30, I blogged--it took a bit longer than usual as I had so much exciting stuff to report-- washed, ate my Club Sandwich (chicken cutlets and cheese) for brekkie with two cups of coffee (as I had much to wash down), showered and left for my 11. 30 am appointment downtown.
In a bus and then a Bandra local train, I reached Churchgate a little early. My interview was scheduled at 11.30 am. I walked across the Oval Maidan on foot on a lovely morning taking in views of the glorious Victorian Gothic buildings of the Fort area--I can never tire of this sight. Then, I walked past the Bombay High Court and arrived at the C.J. Hall and went past the YMCA International House and St. Anne's School to arrive, after a half hour walk, at one of my favorite shops in the whole of Bombay--Phillips Antiques.
Exploring Phillips Antiques:
This amazing antiques store has been a Bombay fixture for decades--more than a century as it dates from the 1870s. During my college years, when my pocket money was just Rs. 30 per month, I used to stand outside the shop windows and gaze upon the treasures contained within. In those days, there used to be a lot of European bric-a-brac in those windows: porcelain, glass, crystal, silver--acquired, I believe, through the large number of expatriates who lived in Bombay and were being repatriated to their home countries. Through the years, as my finances improved, I bought items that were easily portable. I proudly own a set of original 19th century engravings depicting The Battle of Mooltan than decorate my dining room. And I have three framed photographic portraits of Victorian Gothic buildings by Willets and George Gilbert Scott just above my bar in my family room.
Walking into Phillips Antiques this time round, I was struck by the lack of any European items. Now it is exclusively Indian antiques that they sell--Indian silver, brass, wooden carved temple fragments, wooden toys, bits of doors from Rajasthan and Gujarat--that sort of thing. The biggest-selling item right now seems to be prints and lithographs of engravings as well as maps of colonial India and colonial Bombay. There are also prints of the ads that announced steamers sailings to and from India and for British colonial products such as Pears Soap. I had a bit of a poke around and found nothing to really catch my eye. What really did attract me was up on the wall: a set of a dozen prints of paintings by Raja Ravi Verma which were then embellished with fragments of fabric, beads, sequins, etc. to create a three-dimensional collage of portraits from Hindu mythology. These were selling for a steep Rs. 64,000 each! I do believe that they would create the greatest effect if exhibited together on a single wall.
Off to my Interview with Nisha da Cunha:
My next port of call was the Yacht Club where I had an 11.30 am interview scheduled with Nisha da Cunha who is 85 years old and does not miss her daily workout at the Gym of the Club! At 85, she does not look a day over 65, is as slim as a reed, spritely, vivacious and filled with good cheer and humor. I have a history with Nisha--which if you will allow me, I will explain...
Thirty-five years ago, I had competed for the Cambridge-Nehru Scholarship to go to the University of Cambridge to do my Masters in English Literature. Nisha, who is a graduate of Newnham College, Cambridge, and was then Head of the Department of English at St. Xavier's College, Bombay, was assigned to interview me and actually spend half a day with me to find out if I was a worthy candidate for the prestigious award. I was competing with a bunch of scientists, mathematicians, etc. I spent a lovely morning with Nisha but I bet I did not make an impression as she did not remember me at all! Needless to say, I did not get the Scholarship. Which might be just as well, because a few years later, I got a British Council Scholarship and ended up at The Other Place--Oxford! And the rest is, of course, history. Also, as I pointed out to Nisha, I might not have got the Cambridge-Nehru Scholarship as a graduate student but I did get the Fulbright-Nehru Fellowship as a Senior Researcher! Life presents the strangest coincidences... I must add that Nisha refused to believe I had applied 35 years ago--she kept looking at me and insisting I was not a day over 35 myself! You can bet she made my day! She said, "I looked outside the gym and saw this little girl and thought this could not be the Fulbright Fellow who has come to meet me. No way!" She kept touching my skin and saying, "How do you do it?"
Secondly, after resigning from St. Xavier's College after a 35 year run there (the politics of academia can stink, believe me, and she felt bullied by another faculty-member in her department), she took to writing and produced 4 fabulous collections of short stories--all published by Penguin India in Delhi. They were so good that they inspired me to start writing short fiction myself. I still have a collection of 12 stories of which only two have been published so far: 'Stranger on a Bus' and 'Unfinished Symphony' (they are both on my website). Maybe someday...
I had begun working on my post-doctoral dissertation at St. John's University at New York and needed to find a topic on which to sink my teeth. I chose to work on 'The Politics of Mourning: Grief-Management in Cross-Cultural Fiction' which was later published as my second book. Nisha's stories fit the brief perfectly and I wrote to her from New York requesting her to send me copies of her book reviews--which she promptly did. (She does not remember this either!). After my book was published, I devised a course for the Liberal Studies Program at New York University on 'Mourning in Cross-Cultural Fiction' and used her stories to illustrate theoretical concepts from Freud to Elizabeth Kulber-Ross. I photocopied her stories and circulated them in class as handouts and have spent many an enlightening afternoon dissecting them with my students.
So, at several points my work has intersected with the life of Nisha da Cunha--and yet she had no clue. So, it was with the utmost pleasure that I waited for her to finish her workout and then begin to interview her. The reason our paths were crossing again (this time, literally) was because she had been an active producer and director of English language theater in Bombay and had worked tirelessly while at St. Xavier's College to stage quality drama. She also happens to be married to Advertising man, Sylvester (Sylvie) da Cunha, brother of Gerson da Cunha (whom I shall be interviewing on Friday). The names of Sylvie and Gerson are intrinsically linked with quality drama productions in Bombay. Sadly, at 88, Sylvie is now battling severe Parkinson's Disease and cannot give an interview himself. Nisha would be speaking not just for herself but also for her husband. She is also very proud of her son, their only child, Rahul, who is a producer in his own right and founded Rage Theater Company--he has produced a vast number of plays and is now one of the organizers of Sing, India, Sing, a dramatic extravaganza that contains originally composed music, a wonderful plot line and a bevy of stunning singers and musicians--the best that Bombay knows right now. I will also be speaking to Rahul in due course.
It was fascinating chatting with Nisha--she is the daughter of former Minister of Finance, H. M. Patel who was an Oxonian himself (St. Catherine's College)--and had four sisters--one of whom was the magnificent Usha Amin Katrak who played Medea and Julius Caesar in Theater Group Productions. She was raised in Delhi and graduated from Miranda House with English Honors before proceeding to Cambridge and then to Bombay. Finding out about her creative life was an endlessly inspiring and fascinating experience for me and I do believe, the more I think about it, that there is so much I owe to the women I met during my early years who inspired me so much to reach out and grasp at every opportunity that lay ahead. Anyway, Nisha and I parted in an hour as she had to rush home to pick up her nursing duties for Sylvie. Her parting shot was, "You must note that I am not a Goan. I am a Gujarati and a Hindu." My talk with her will remain one of the high points of my research here in Bombay.
As we were chatting, our mutual friend Firdaus turned up for his 1.00pm lunch appointment with me. He is Nisha's work out pal--they are at the gym each day at the same time. Firdaus and I received scholarships to Exeter College, Oxford, the same year (1987) and have remained firm friends through the decades. He is a member of the Yacht Club and it has often been my pleasure to have a drink with him several times in this glorious place overlooking Bombay Harbor and the Gateway of India. This afternoon, he said he would treat me to lunch.
Lunch with Firdaus:
I said goodbye to Nisha and picked up with Firdaus who led me up to the first floor dining hall (we had our interview in the lounge on the ground floor over coffee and lemonade) where we took a look at the menu and ordered. Firdaus chose asparagus soup (he is closely watching his figure!) while I had Fish in Mushroom Sauce with potato croquettes and beetroot. It was fabulous--these colonial clubs have not lost the art of colonial cooking, that's for sure. I realize now that I ought to order continental cuisine every time I am treated to a meal in one of these places. What they once served the gora sahib they now proudly serve the brown sahibs! And the food in unfailingly good.
As always, Firdaus and I had much to chat about--literature, books, my research, his next trip to Europe (he retired as Chief Financial Officer of the Tata Group and now spends much of his time chasing opera performances in varied parts of Europe)--his next trip is to London in April to see La Forza del Destino by Verdi at Covent Garden. How fabulous is that???!!! Like me, Firdaus is a confirmed Anglophile and his favorite place is the whole world is London where we have often met and spent time together. He makes a very good case for retirement!
Off to See Kulsum Terrace:
In the many interviews I have been carrying out, the building named Kulsum Terrace has been popping up repeatedly as theater people tell me how iconic it was in terms of shaping the early English language theater in Bombay through Theater Group that was founded there and had its rehearsals and early performances on its terraces. I told Firdaus that after Yohan Jefferries had told me exactly where it was located, I intended to go out in search of it. Firdaus decided to walk there with me along the quiet arcaded Tulloch Road behind the Taj Mahal Hotel. We passed by his building and he pointed it out to me. Sadly, we could not visit his home as he had house guests in the process of leaving and returning to Canada in the midst of their repacking.
A few minutes later, we were on Colaba Causeway and gazing up at the legendary building. I took many pictures from both sides of the road--the Causeway and Wodehouse Road. Like all the buildings of its vintage (1930s), it has sprawling rooms inside but is not very well maintained on the outside. Still...hopefully, I shall have the pleasure of getting inside it when I go off to interview its current resident, Raell, the daughter of Pearl and Alyque, also a giant in the current theater business.
A Meeting with Fr. Tony Charangat, Editor of The Examiner:
My next port of call was the Eucharistic Congress Building near Archbishop's House. Firdaus and I parted and I went to say Hello to Fr. Tony Charangat who has been a very old friend of mine. As Editor of The Examiner, he waits each year for my annual contribution to his special Christmas issue. The staff have also become familiar with my name through my byline and smile as soon as I introduce myself.
Fr. Tony has recently gone through major heart surgery and told me that he had a series of epiphanies that deal with Christian theology about which he received new enlightenment as he was convalescing. He tells me that he is in the process of writing a book about these extraordinary revelations. He looked fit and well and has taken up the reigns of his work as Editor, as parish priest of St. Joseph's Church and as Principal of the school--how anyone can wear three hats at the same time is quite beyond my understanding! Still, he is also a brilliant raconteur and I always have a great time listening to his stories. He was instrumental in getting the former Principal of St. Xavier's College to offer to sponsor me as a Fulbright Fellow. So I also owe him big time and I said Thanks to him again. About an hour later, I left so that I could avoid the peak hour rush on the trains home. I took a 133 bus from outside the C.J. Hall and was at Churchgate in no time.
Back Home in Bandra:
I was in Bandra an hour later. At home, I had a cup of tea and a cookie and went off to Dad's to spend a half hour with Russel. Then I too left to catch the Novena followed by Mass. After Mass, Dad asked me to come over to his place to read a few articles from the papers for him as he simply cannot read the fine print anymore--they were about the Reserve Bank of India and its current controversy with the Indian government over issues of autonomy and about the controversy surrounding the dropping of Mitali Raj from the Indian women's cricket team in a match that bombed badly for India. It amazes me how vibrant and stimulated Dad keeps his mind and how much he continues to want to be part of the conversations out there--at 88! I stayed long enough to serve dinner to Russel and himself as he then wanted to catch the last of the World Cup hockey match between India and South Africa on the telly--India was leading 5-Nothing.
In my own home, I started watching Wanderlust on Netflix, a film with Toni Collete, an actress I quite like, while I ate my diner (a new tiffin had been delivered and I enjoyed cutlets, chicken curry and gherkins with half a guava for dessert). The movie has the most bizarre plot--about a couple who wished to bring back the zing in their long and boring marriage by getting involved sexually with other partners! I left it half way through so that I could get to bed but I predict this will not end well! I also realized that this is not a movie but a TV series--which is to be continued.
Until tomorrow...
Tuesday, November 27, 2018
Interviewing the Inimitable Sam Kerawala and a Rotary International Reunion after 30 years!
Tuesday, November 28, 2018
Bombay
Interviewing the Inimitable Sam Kerawala and a Rotary International Reunion after 30 years!
Namaste from Bombay!
I had a profoundly fulfilling day--the interview I did today more than made up for the unsatisfactory one of yesterday. Plus, I met friends from long ago for a lovely reunion at the Bombay Gymkhana. But let's begin at the beginning...
I woke at 6.30 and blogged, went through Twitter, downloaded today's Times of London (to read on the train into the city), showered, dressed, ate my breakfast super fast (muesli--no coffee as I did not have the time), showered, made myself a Club Sandwich of cheese and chicken cutlets and rushed to Dad's to be in time for Russel's session with the physiotherapist Lenita, as I wanted to chat with her.
Once at Dad's, Lenita, Dad and myself sat down for a quick meeting. I could only spare 15 minutes as I had to catch a train to go into the city for my interview. But our meeting was productive. It seems that trying to teach Russel to climb stairs had been a daunting task and traumatic for him. If I remember correctly, another person I had seen with such a fracture and a cast had moved from the walker to a walking stick and from the stick to walking independently before tackling stairs. I suggested to Lenita that perhaps we should proceed in that manner and she agreed. So the next task is to get a hold of the walking stick that had been used by my Aunt Ella who passed away a few months ago. Her daughters had offered it to us if we needed it for Russel. I decided to text them to find out if they could deliver it to Dad's and one of them said she would do so tomorrow. When Lenita comes next on Saturday, we shall try to get Russel to progress towards using a stick. He is--touch wood--doing very well with the walker now and is able to move independently with it around the house. Please continue to pray for his recovery.
Off to the City and my Next Interview:
I left Dad's in time to make my 9.45am Bandra Local train that got me to the city in a half-hour. Next I hopped into the waiting bus at Churchgate Station that took me to Nariman Point where at 11.00 am, I had scheduled an interview with a man who has been an English language theater veteran for 66 years. It turned out to be one of the most fruitful interviews I have done so far.
I remember, before I left Bombay, seeing plays by Sam Kerawala whose name used to be in the playbills we received at the time. He is so well known to the folks at the NCPA that he kept saying Hello to every person who passed by as we sat to do the interview in the foyer of the Little Theater. When I had told Sam that I would meet him at the Reception area as I was not sure they would permit him to go up to the library, he said to me, on the phone, "My dear girl, I have been associated with the NCPA even before they broke ground to construct the building!" I loved it!
Well, it turned out to be actually true. Sam was able to go back historically to the time even before the construction of the NCPA. He took me to his childhood and his boarding school in Panchgani where his passion for theater developed. He took me to the time when he lost his voice for six months because he was spray painting stage sets and had inhaled paint that had stuck in his vocal cords and prevented them from vibrating. I had that much in common with him as I told him about my thyroidectomy and my loss of voice for six months and the trauma through which I had lived as I undertook speech therapy to get it back. Once again, I heard the name of Sam Berkeley-Hill, the father of my friend Owen in London, who Sam Kerawala said taught him the aduction exercises that had allowed his voice to return. He was able to comment on what it was like working with some of the greatest Bombay English stage directors of all time--Adi Marzban, Pearl Padamsee, Hima Devi, Alyque Padamsee, Burjor Patel, Hosi Vasunia, etc. He was full of anecdotes at every turn. It was endlessly fascinating to me.
Lunch at the Wodehouse Gymkhana:
As our interview began at 11.00 am and we were still deep into it at 1.00 pm, Sam asked me when my next appointment was. I told him it was at 3.30 pm at the Bombay Gymkhana. He then invited me to have lunch with him at his Club--the Wodehouse Gymkhana--so that we could continue our conversation. I thought of my sandwich in my bag but then I figured I could simply have it for breakfast tomorrow. So I graciously accepted his invitation and off we went in his little Smart car to the venue.
The Club is one of those old-world bungalows that still stands in the heart of Colaba's Wodehouse Road. It has the graciousness of colonial times stamped all over it--a far more modest affair that the grand Willingdon Sports Club or the Bombay Gymkhana--to which I would be headed later. As a point of clarification, I ought to mention that everyone in Bombay is now a member of a 'gymkhana' which has come to mean a private, Members Only, Club. I am simply astonished at how many of them there are in Bombay and how the oldest ones now exist side by side with the newer ones that have mushroomed in the last ten years.
We settled outside on the patio overlooking a lovely garden and were waited on by a man who had no one else to look after. Sam offered me a drink but I simply chose water and we had a cold Bisleri brought to the table. For starters, he ordered Eggs Kejriwal--which was toast with grilled cheese and a beaten egg on it sprinkled with chopped green chilies and coriander. It was very good. Sam is a pescatarian--and so we chose to eat fish: Rawas in a Lemon-Mustard Sauce which was served with mashed potato and mixed vegetables--very English that. We also had Pad Thai with prawns. The food was good and filling and the setting perfect for a late summer's afternoon. All the humidity has disappeared from the air in Bombay and it is really very pleasant now. The joy of being able to wear shorts and capris and sandals in late November is something I am truly savoring here.
During lunch, Sam continued to talk about his association with so many theater greats. He truly knew everyone in the field including a very dear friend of mine called Vinod Mehta who died a few years ago. I still miss my friend so much and feel sorry as he too could have been such a valuable resource for me in the study I am now conducting. Vinod used to be my contact man when I needed press passes for all the theater shows I used to report on, thirty years ago. He grew very fond of Chriselle whom he always referred to as "your little girl" (she was only 6 or 7 then) and became a close family friend. At several junctures in the work I am now doing, I think of Vinod with affection.
At 3.00 pm, when we had finished our lunch with lovely malai kulfi for dessert, Sam drove me to my next point of contact--the Bombay Gymkhana.
A Rotary International Reunion After 30 Years!
I was very excited about my next appointment. Not many people know that the first time I ever visited the United States was in 1988 when I had been selected by Rotary International Bombay as one of four professional women to go to Los Angeles, California, on a Graduate Study Exchange (GSE) Program. I was one of four female professionals. The other gals who are selected (after several rounds of interviews plus group discussions and tests of public speaking) were Usha Meghani who was a banker at Scotiabank, a pathologist called Indu Nair who ran her own research laboratory, and a librarian who worked at the Alliance Francaise de Bombay named Shubhada Moghe. The tour leaders were a couple called Ajit and Sushu Kamlani.
The six of us had traveled from Bombay to Los Angeles where we had spent 6 weeks--each week each of us was hosted by a local Rotarian and introduced to the manner in which our respective professions were carried out in California. Being a professor, I was put through a series of visits to high schools, colleges and universities in Southern California. The other ladies were led to places that were associated with their professions. In the evenings and at the weekend, Rotary arranged all sorts of recreational activities for us that included going up in the Goodyear blimp, trips to Disneyland, Knott's Berry Farm, Magic Castle, etc., our first roller-coaster ride called Montezuma's Revenge. Plus we were taken on a three-day cruise to Mexico! All this was All Expenses Paid--we were treated like royalty and lived in some of the grandest homes in some of the most expensive parts of the United States such as Malibu, Hollywood Hills, Pacific Palisades, Rancho Palos Verdes, etc. So you can just imagine what sort of a 6-week experience that was for us all--straight out of Bombay at that! Chriselle is still amazed that when she wants to take me to any place in LA, I keep telling her that I had Been There, Done That--with Rotary International, 30 years ago!
So, as it turns out, two of us (Usha and I) settled in the US (Usha lives in Minnesota) while the other two (Shubhada and Indu) continued to live in Bombay and very close to each other in Chembur. This is the first time in 30 years that Usha and I happened to be in Bombay at the same time and decided to meet at the Bombay Gymkhana (where Usha is a member). We invited the other two, Indu and Shubhada, to join us and despite the fact that we gave them very short notice and Indu has to rearrange her hospital schedule to see us, they both made it possible to join in.
What a historic day it was for the four of us! Naturally, we kept exclaiming about the changes that time has wrought in our appearances and the fact that we have remained so young at heart. Naturally, we kept recalling things that had happened so many years ago--which some remembered vividly and others had forgotten completely. Naturally we talked about the highs and lows of that time we had spent together and about the different paths through which Life has led us.
It was nothing but fun through every second of it. Usha, meanwhile, ordered freshly squeezed juices and eats for us. I had watermelon juice and we shared a lot of chaat--dahi batata puri, sev puri and chili cheese toast (which is found on every Gymkhana menu, by the way--a decidedly Bombay thing). As we ate, we chatted. We took so many pictures--posed, unposed, you name it. We talked about our husbands, children and grandchildren (Indu has three!) and about the place we currently find ourselves in life. One has a mother who is 90, another has a disabled brother (me), another has just gone through a bitter divorce. Indu, who is the only one who joined Rotary International and has contributed and given back hugely is currently competing for the position of District Governor. More strength to her! It was Indu who had arranged for me to speak to her Rotary Club this past January on what Rotary International had done for me and how many doors it had opened on my own route through life. It had been a great opportunity for me to express my thanks to the organization for the great work they do in the lives of individuals and communities.We thought it would be a good idea for the six of us (including the Kamlanis) to join us on a trip somewhere out of Bombay next time we can all be together--which will be in March when Usha returns to Bombay. I will still be here at that time--so that might be a plan. And of course, we could not leave without forming a whatsapp group so that the four of us can now keep in touch privately. What a blast we had!
At 5.30, Indu jumped up to leave as she was addressing a Rotary Club at 7.30 pm. She had a car and a driver who dropped me off at a spot from where I could walk across to Churchgate station for my train home.
Although I did not have a physically tiring day, for some reason I felt really fatigued by the time I got home. I decided to skip Mass today and went straight home to relax. I read another story from my friend Michael Anderson's book Heaven's Above and then served myself an early dinner--the leftovers in my fridge as I will receive a new tiffin tomorrow--and finished watching The Princess Switch which really put me in the Christmas mood as it is set in the days before Christmas. Thanks to my friends the Colcloughs for recommending it to me from London and for flattering me by telling me that the female protagonist reminded them of me ("a real beauty" wrote Michael--music to my ears!)! She turns out to be the actress Vanessa Hudgens.
I decided to do my nails as I had no time for my home-manicure yesterday and with that done, I turned off for the night after a truly memorable day!
Until tomorrow...
Bombay
Interviewing the Inimitable Sam Kerawala and a Rotary International Reunion after 30 years!
Namaste from Bombay!
I had a profoundly fulfilling day--the interview I did today more than made up for the unsatisfactory one of yesterday. Plus, I met friends from long ago for a lovely reunion at the Bombay Gymkhana. But let's begin at the beginning...
I woke at 6.30 and blogged, went through Twitter, downloaded today's Times of London (to read on the train into the city), showered, dressed, ate my breakfast super fast (muesli--no coffee as I did not have the time), showered, made myself a Club Sandwich of cheese and chicken cutlets and rushed to Dad's to be in time for Russel's session with the physiotherapist Lenita, as I wanted to chat with her.
Once at Dad's, Lenita, Dad and myself sat down for a quick meeting. I could only spare 15 minutes as I had to catch a train to go into the city for my interview. But our meeting was productive. It seems that trying to teach Russel to climb stairs had been a daunting task and traumatic for him. If I remember correctly, another person I had seen with such a fracture and a cast had moved from the walker to a walking stick and from the stick to walking independently before tackling stairs. I suggested to Lenita that perhaps we should proceed in that manner and she agreed. So the next task is to get a hold of the walking stick that had been used by my Aunt Ella who passed away a few months ago. Her daughters had offered it to us if we needed it for Russel. I decided to text them to find out if they could deliver it to Dad's and one of them said she would do so tomorrow. When Lenita comes next on Saturday, we shall try to get Russel to progress towards using a stick. He is--touch wood--doing very well with the walker now and is able to move independently with it around the house. Please continue to pray for his recovery.
Off to the City and my Next Interview:
I left Dad's in time to make my 9.45am Bandra Local train that got me to the city in a half-hour. Next I hopped into the waiting bus at Churchgate Station that took me to Nariman Point where at 11.00 am, I had scheduled an interview with a man who has been an English language theater veteran for 66 years. It turned out to be one of the most fruitful interviews I have done so far.
I remember, before I left Bombay, seeing plays by Sam Kerawala whose name used to be in the playbills we received at the time. He is so well known to the folks at the NCPA that he kept saying Hello to every person who passed by as we sat to do the interview in the foyer of the Little Theater. When I had told Sam that I would meet him at the Reception area as I was not sure they would permit him to go up to the library, he said to me, on the phone, "My dear girl, I have been associated with the NCPA even before they broke ground to construct the building!" I loved it!
Well, it turned out to be actually true. Sam was able to go back historically to the time even before the construction of the NCPA. He took me to his childhood and his boarding school in Panchgani where his passion for theater developed. He took me to the time when he lost his voice for six months because he was spray painting stage sets and had inhaled paint that had stuck in his vocal cords and prevented them from vibrating. I had that much in common with him as I told him about my thyroidectomy and my loss of voice for six months and the trauma through which I had lived as I undertook speech therapy to get it back. Once again, I heard the name of Sam Berkeley-Hill, the father of my friend Owen in London, who Sam Kerawala said taught him the aduction exercises that had allowed his voice to return. He was able to comment on what it was like working with some of the greatest Bombay English stage directors of all time--Adi Marzban, Pearl Padamsee, Hima Devi, Alyque Padamsee, Burjor Patel, Hosi Vasunia, etc. He was full of anecdotes at every turn. It was endlessly fascinating to me.
Lunch at the Wodehouse Gymkhana:
As our interview began at 11.00 am and we were still deep into it at 1.00 pm, Sam asked me when my next appointment was. I told him it was at 3.30 pm at the Bombay Gymkhana. He then invited me to have lunch with him at his Club--the Wodehouse Gymkhana--so that we could continue our conversation. I thought of my sandwich in my bag but then I figured I could simply have it for breakfast tomorrow. So I graciously accepted his invitation and off we went in his little Smart car to the venue.
The Club is one of those old-world bungalows that still stands in the heart of Colaba's Wodehouse Road. It has the graciousness of colonial times stamped all over it--a far more modest affair that the grand Willingdon Sports Club or the Bombay Gymkhana--to which I would be headed later. As a point of clarification, I ought to mention that everyone in Bombay is now a member of a 'gymkhana' which has come to mean a private, Members Only, Club. I am simply astonished at how many of them there are in Bombay and how the oldest ones now exist side by side with the newer ones that have mushroomed in the last ten years.
We settled outside on the patio overlooking a lovely garden and were waited on by a man who had no one else to look after. Sam offered me a drink but I simply chose water and we had a cold Bisleri brought to the table. For starters, he ordered Eggs Kejriwal--which was toast with grilled cheese and a beaten egg on it sprinkled with chopped green chilies and coriander. It was very good. Sam is a pescatarian--and so we chose to eat fish: Rawas in a Lemon-Mustard Sauce which was served with mashed potato and mixed vegetables--very English that. We also had Pad Thai with prawns. The food was good and filling and the setting perfect for a late summer's afternoon. All the humidity has disappeared from the air in Bombay and it is really very pleasant now. The joy of being able to wear shorts and capris and sandals in late November is something I am truly savoring here.
During lunch, Sam continued to talk about his association with so many theater greats. He truly knew everyone in the field including a very dear friend of mine called Vinod Mehta who died a few years ago. I still miss my friend so much and feel sorry as he too could have been such a valuable resource for me in the study I am now conducting. Vinod used to be my contact man when I needed press passes for all the theater shows I used to report on, thirty years ago. He grew very fond of Chriselle whom he always referred to as "your little girl" (she was only 6 or 7 then) and became a close family friend. At several junctures in the work I am now doing, I think of Vinod with affection.
At 3.00 pm, when we had finished our lunch with lovely malai kulfi for dessert, Sam drove me to my next point of contact--the Bombay Gymkhana.
A Rotary International Reunion After 30 Years!
I was very excited about my next appointment. Not many people know that the first time I ever visited the United States was in 1988 when I had been selected by Rotary International Bombay as one of four professional women to go to Los Angeles, California, on a Graduate Study Exchange (GSE) Program. I was one of four female professionals. The other gals who are selected (after several rounds of interviews plus group discussions and tests of public speaking) were Usha Meghani who was a banker at Scotiabank, a pathologist called Indu Nair who ran her own research laboratory, and a librarian who worked at the Alliance Francaise de Bombay named Shubhada Moghe. The tour leaders were a couple called Ajit and Sushu Kamlani.
The six of us had traveled from Bombay to Los Angeles where we had spent 6 weeks--each week each of us was hosted by a local Rotarian and introduced to the manner in which our respective professions were carried out in California. Being a professor, I was put through a series of visits to high schools, colleges and universities in Southern California. The other ladies were led to places that were associated with their professions. In the evenings and at the weekend, Rotary arranged all sorts of recreational activities for us that included going up in the Goodyear blimp, trips to Disneyland, Knott's Berry Farm, Magic Castle, etc., our first roller-coaster ride called Montezuma's Revenge. Plus we were taken on a three-day cruise to Mexico! All this was All Expenses Paid--we were treated like royalty and lived in some of the grandest homes in some of the most expensive parts of the United States such as Malibu, Hollywood Hills, Pacific Palisades, Rancho Palos Verdes, etc. So you can just imagine what sort of a 6-week experience that was for us all--straight out of Bombay at that! Chriselle is still amazed that when she wants to take me to any place in LA, I keep telling her that I had Been There, Done That--with Rotary International, 30 years ago!
So, as it turns out, two of us (Usha and I) settled in the US (Usha lives in Minnesota) while the other two (Shubhada and Indu) continued to live in Bombay and very close to each other in Chembur. This is the first time in 30 years that Usha and I happened to be in Bombay at the same time and decided to meet at the Bombay Gymkhana (where Usha is a member). We invited the other two, Indu and Shubhada, to join us and despite the fact that we gave them very short notice and Indu has to rearrange her hospital schedule to see us, they both made it possible to join in.
What a historic day it was for the four of us! Naturally, we kept exclaiming about the changes that time has wrought in our appearances and the fact that we have remained so young at heart. Naturally, we kept recalling things that had happened so many years ago--which some remembered vividly and others had forgotten completely. Naturally we talked about the highs and lows of that time we had spent together and about the different paths through which Life has led us.
It was nothing but fun through every second of it. Usha, meanwhile, ordered freshly squeezed juices and eats for us. I had watermelon juice and we shared a lot of chaat--dahi batata puri, sev puri and chili cheese toast (which is found on every Gymkhana menu, by the way--a decidedly Bombay thing). As we ate, we chatted. We took so many pictures--posed, unposed, you name it. We talked about our husbands, children and grandchildren (Indu has three!) and about the place we currently find ourselves in life. One has a mother who is 90, another has a disabled brother (me), another has just gone through a bitter divorce. Indu, who is the only one who joined Rotary International and has contributed and given back hugely is currently competing for the position of District Governor. More strength to her! It was Indu who had arranged for me to speak to her Rotary Club this past January on what Rotary International had done for me and how many doors it had opened on my own route through life. It had been a great opportunity for me to express my thanks to the organization for the great work they do in the lives of individuals and communities.We thought it would be a good idea for the six of us (including the Kamlanis) to join us on a trip somewhere out of Bombay next time we can all be together--which will be in March when Usha returns to Bombay. I will still be here at that time--so that might be a plan. And of course, we could not leave without forming a whatsapp group so that the four of us can now keep in touch privately. What a blast we had!
At 5.30, Indu jumped up to leave as she was addressing a Rotary Club at 7.30 pm. She had a car and a driver who dropped me off at a spot from where I could walk across to Churchgate station for my train home.
Although I did not have a physically tiring day, for some reason I felt really fatigued by the time I got home. I decided to skip Mass today and went straight home to relax. I read another story from my friend Michael Anderson's book Heaven's Above and then served myself an early dinner--the leftovers in my fridge as I will receive a new tiffin tomorrow--and finished watching The Princess Switch which really put me in the Christmas mood as it is set in the days before Christmas. Thanks to my friends the Colcloughs for recommending it to me from London and for flattering me by telling me that the female protagonist reminded them of me ("a real beauty" wrote Michael--music to my ears!)! She turns out to be the actress Vanessa Hudgens.
I decided to do my nails as I had no time for my home-manicure yesterday and with that done, I turned off for the night after a truly memorable day!
Until tomorrow...
Monday, November 26, 2018
Transcribing and Yet Another Interview
Monday, November 26, 2018
Bombay
Transcribing and Yet Another Interview
Namaste from Bombay!
Today, what Indians refer to as 26/11, took me back to ten years ago when I lived in London and watched the horror of the terrorist activity in Bombay unfold on my TV screen in my Holborn flat. Without any Indian TV channels here now, I did not have to relive that experience. But the very date sends shudders down my spine.
I was going to spend most of the day transcribing the two pending interviews I had carried out that needed to be done--with Jini Dinshaw and Yohan Jeffereis. Following the physical exhaustion of yesterday, I skipped the gym today. So I simply washed and blogged--the blogging took ages as it was a very lengthy post. Then I ate my breakfast of muesli and coffee and began working.
I finished transcribing the interview with Jini by the time lunch rolled around--I ate leftovers of shrimp curry, cutlets and red pumpkin--and watched Still Game on Netflix--I adore this Scottish show. I don't understand half of what they say as their Glaswegian accents are so heavy, but the plots are so hilarious that I never fail to chuckle right through each episode.
I took my 20 minute power nap and got back to work again--this time I transcribed the interview with Yohan and felt so relieved that I had caught up. I also emailed my article to Fr. Tony Charangat, Editor of The Examiner--really pleased with the final outcome of it. I got an instant acknowledgment from him--he told me that the staff had been waiting for it to arrive! It will appear in the December 15 (Christmas) issue of the magazine.
Then, I showered and shampooed and got ready for my next appointment--an interview with the singer-actor Sharon Prabhakar. Except that I had wanted to stop off at Dad's to see Russel before I went there. At that moment, I got a call from the man who is renewing Dad's passport for him. He wanted Dad to come and check that he had entered all the data correctly. As Dad's eyesight is so poor, I went along to check things out. This meant that I could not get to Dad's.
I finished with the passport job and then took a rick and went off to Sharons'. She lives on the border between Bandra and Khar and I found her place easily as the directions she gave me were very good.
The interview lasted an hour. She was obviously very tired after what had been a very long day for her. I don't know whether she thought she was speaking to a journalist who would report on her doings in some glamorous magazine but she didn't seem to get that mine was a scholarly inquiry into the historiography of English theater in Bombay. It seemed as if we were speaking at cross-purposes. After an hour--with both of us obviously not really 'connecting' at all--I felt I'd really had enough (and it was clear she felt so too). So I left feeling less than satisfied with what I had picked up from her. There was none of the depth of history that I was seeking. She seemed more keen to speak about herself and her current work--which is not related to my study at all.
Back home by rickshaw, I had my dinner--finished some Singaporean Chilli Crab that I had taken home in a doggy bag from Bandra Gym and ate with with a few more leftovers. As I ate, I watched The Princess Switch, a light rom-com that was recommended to me by my friends Bishop Michael and Cynthia Colclough in London--they said that the female protagonist reminded them of me! I simply had to see the movie and got quite hooked into it. Does she look like me? Well, I suppose if you take in her olive skin and dark hair and maybe her wide smile--then yes...there is some resemblance! I need to find out the actress' name--she plays a double role (an American baker and a European princess with a marked British accent). But then I began to feel sleepy.
I shall watch the second installment tomorrow. I went to bed at about 10.15 pm after brushing and flossing my teeth on a not-so-fulfilling day.
Until tomorrow...
Bombay
Transcribing and Yet Another Interview
Namaste from Bombay!
Today, what Indians refer to as 26/11, took me back to ten years ago when I lived in London and watched the horror of the terrorist activity in Bombay unfold on my TV screen in my Holborn flat. Without any Indian TV channels here now, I did not have to relive that experience. But the very date sends shudders down my spine.
I was going to spend most of the day transcribing the two pending interviews I had carried out that needed to be done--with Jini Dinshaw and Yohan Jeffereis. Following the physical exhaustion of yesterday, I skipped the gym today. So I simply washed and blogged--the blogging took ages as it was a very lengthy post. Then I ate my breakfast of muesli and coffee and began working.
I finished transcribing the interview with Jini by the time lunch rolled around--I ate leftovers of shrimp curry, cutlets and red pumpkin--and watched Still Game on Netflix--I adore this Scottish show. I don't understand half of what they say as their Glaswegian accents are so heavy, but the plots are so hilarious that I never fail to chuckle right through each episode.
I took my 20 minute power nap and got back to work again--this time I transcribed the interview with Yohan and felt so relieved that I had caught up. I also emailed my article to Fr. Tony Charangat, Editor of The Examiner--really pleased with the final outcome of it. I got an instant acknowledgment from him--he told me that the staff had been waiting for it to arrive! It will appear in the December 15 (Christmas) issue of the magazine.
Then, I showered and shampooed and got ready for my next appointment--an interview with the singer-actor Sharon Prabhakar. Except that I had wanted to stop off at Dad's to see Russel before I went there. At that moment, I got a call from the man who is renewing Dad's passport for him. He wanted Dad to come and check that he had entered all the data correctly. As Dad's eyesight is so poor, I went along to check things out. This meant that I could not get to Dad's.
I finished with the passport job and then took a rick and went off to Sharons'. She lives on the border between Bandra and Khar and I found her place easily as the directions she gave me were very good.
The interview lasted an hour. She was obviously very tired after what had been a very long day for her. I don't know whether she thought she was speaking to a journalist who would report on her doings in some glamorous magazine but she didn't seem to get that mine was a scholarly inquiry into the historiography of English theater in Bombay. It seemed as if we were speaking at cross-purposes. After an hour--with both of us obviously not really 'connecting' at all--I felt I'd really had enough (and it was clear she felt so too). So I left feeling less than satisfied with what I had picked up from her. There was none of the depth of history that I was seeking. She seemed more keen to speak about herself and her current work--which is not related to my study at all.
Back home by rickshaw, I had my dinner--finished some Singaporean Chilli Crab that I had taken home in a doggy bag from Bandra Gym and ate with with a few more leftovers. As I ate, I watched The Princess Switch, a light rom-com that was recommended to me by my friends Bishop Michael and Cynthia Colclough in London--they said that the female protagonist reminded them of me! I simply had to see the movie and got quite hooked into it. Does she look like me? Well, I suppose if you take in her olive skin and dark hair and maybe her wide smile--then yes...there is some resemblance! I need to find out the actress' name--she plays a double role (an American baker and a European princess with a marked British accent). But then I began to feel sleepy.
I shall watch the second installment tomorrow. I went to bed at about 10.15 pm after brushing and flossing my teeth on a not-so-fulfilling day.
Until tomorrow...
Bandra Heritage Walk and Celebrating Feast of Christ the King with Dad
Sunday, November 25, 2018
Bombay
Bandra Heritage Walk and Celebrating Feast of Christ the King with Dad
Namaste from Bombay!
I had the most exhausting day--so exhausting that I will be skipping my session at the gym tomorrow.
It began at 6.30 when I awoke to race through the drafting of a blog post. A quick cup of coffee with one cracker and I was out the door to take a rickshaw to get to the Bandra Fort for the 8.00 am start of a Heritage Walk. I was super excited. This was part of the Celebrate Bandra Festival and I had signed up for it.
Meeting my Fulbright Host:
The Fulbright Program has a sign-up activity that allows Fellows to link up with past Fulbrighters in the city in which they are based so that they have a 'friend' to guide them forward. My assigned host was one Monica James who had received a Fulbright award to do her Masters in Communications in Seattle. She was currently working at Teach for India. Although we had made plans to meet weeks ago, she had to cancel as a family emergency took her to Dehra Dun from where she hails. She has only just returned to Bombay and got in touch. Since my registration for the walk entitled me to bring a companion, I invited her to join me. As she is new to Bombay herself (has only been here two years is really new to Bandra--has only been here a few months), the walk offered both of us a chance to get to know something of the suburb and each other as well.
Taking a Heritage Walk of Bandra:
The walk was given by a young man and lasted two and a half hours. You must be really physically fit to take this walk as it involves the climbing of hills and endless standing while you listen to his commentary. I found it way below standard but then I am used to taking walks in some of the greatest cities in the world with renowned historians. I found it historically inaccurate at many junctures (we were told that 16th centuries sailors got scabies instead of scurvy) and that the English "were jumping with joy" when they received the seven islands of Bombay as part of "a Portuguese princess'" dowry. Incorrect. They were at their wit's end and did not know what to do with the mosquito-infested islands that were inhabited by crude, illiterate fisherfolk called Kolis that had been recently converted to Catholicism by the Portuguese. They, therefore, decided to lease the islands in a hundred year lease to the East India Company who, recognizing Bombay's commercial potential through its deep water harbor, decided to lease it after the great success of Fort St. William in Madras. None of this was mentioned . No dates were mentioned anywhere and several key historical personages such as Francisco de Almeida of Portugal, Katherine of Braganza, Adil Shah of Bijapur, Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain and Vasco da Gama were not mentioned at all or were referred to as "one princess", "some Portuguese guy" and "a British lord". Basically the entire tour was pitched at kindergartners. God give me strength!
Bandra Heritage Tour Route and What I Learned From it:
1. We began at the Bandra Fort. It was built as a Portuguese fortification in 1640 and called Castella de Aguada as it was a spot from which fresh water was available after tidal pools receded. Agua is Portuguese for 'water'. It was built after the Mahim Fort (1517) and was followed by the Worli Fort (1675). No dates were mentioned at all by the guide but a hand out was given to us--from which I quote these dates (I cannot vouch for their accuracy).
2. The environs of the Fort were just fabulous. At its highest ramparts, which involves a steep climb, you are parallel with the Bandra Sea Link which stretches off to the Fort at Worli. On the way down, we passed through the most gloriously landscaped tiered gardens that reminded me of the Generalife Gardens in Granada, Spain, and the downhill walk I took in Rio in Brazil--probably the lush tropical vegetation had something to do with that.
3. I learned about the significance of Sir Bomanjee Jeejeebhoy after whom B.J. Road, one of Bandra's seafront promenades, is named. He was a wealthy 19th century Parsi industrialist who lived till the early 20th century--again, I am not responsible for historical inaccuracy. He was also a philanthropist (which is what all wealthy Parsis of that vintage were as I am discovering from my field research in the Western Performing Arts) and made handsome donations for public improvements.
4. We walked to the Band Stand where military bands actually played once upon a time. It still stands and gives the area its name.
5. I discovered a gorgeous black basalt stone and granite structure with arched portico overlooking the Band Stand which was a shelter for destitute Parsis built by Sir BJ. During World War II, it became a refuge for Polish orphans who, together with other European children, were being shipped out of Europe to escape the Nazi blitzkrieg. We were shown a black and white photograph of them to authenticate the detail. One of the members of the group reported that last year, one of those orphans had returned to Bandra to retrace his childhood footsteps. I found this entire segment fascinating and deeply enlightening.
6. We climbed up the steep mountain that is called Mount Mary and arrived at the exterior of Mount Mary's Basilica. We could not go inside as it was a Sunday and Mass was on. We paused at the Oratory across the street and then moved to the church porch where we were treated to a bunch of legends that prevail about a particular statue (that he kept referring to as an "idol") of the Virgin Mary with scepter (that he kept mispronouncing as "skep-ter) and orb (that he kept referring to as a "globe"). It is little details like this that separate the mediocre from the fabulous when it comes to global tour guides. I did not buy any of the legends and dearly wish that tour guides would stick to established historical facts rather than dwell on folkloric nonsense.
7. We walked down the hill to St. Stephen's Church (which he mis-pronounced as St. Stip-in's Church). This is a Protestant (I believe Anglican) Church, built in the mid-1800s and is the only non-Catholic Church in Bandra. It attracts all non-Catholic denominations such as Anglicans and even Marthomites or Syrian Christians. We could not go inside as church service was on.
8. We descended the steps leading to Mehboob Studio. Even though we passed by the huge sculpture of a man behind an ancient movie camera at the corner, we did not pause there and no mention was made of this historic Bandra landmark on a tour in a country that is crazy about movies. I found that a terrible omission.
9. We arrived at Raanwar Village. Mention was made of the various Bombay 'pakadees' or hamlets that the Portuguese built for their employees that subsequently came to be called 'East Indians'. Some of the better preserved ones in Bombay are at Matharpakadee in Mazagoan, Kotachiwadi in Girgaum (where my friend Marianel lives in a splendid refurbished two-story ancestral home filled with carved Portuguese rosewood furniture and antiques), Pali Village in Bandra and Amboli in Andheri (I recently attended a reading by novelist Ivan Arthur of a novel that is set in Amboli).
10. Note was made of the interesting architectural features of the houses here that surround Raanwar Square--the community gathering point in days gone by. Many of them are falling apart (as the current owners lack the funds to maintain them) and some had collapsed completely. There is the mandatory cross in the center at which community rosary used to be said. We noted the staircases that are built on the exterior of structures to lead to higher floors--Renzo Piano who designed the Pompadour Center in Paris (Musee de L'Art Moderne) must have taken the idea of placing staircases, elevators and escalators on its exterior facade from these structures!!!
11. We arrived at the Main Raanwar Cross where mention was made of the plague epidemics that decimated Bandra's population from the late 1800s and into the early 1900s. Vague comments were made about the reason for building the crosses (the guide did not know himself!). Mention ought to have been made that they were built in Thanksgiving for saving those residents that survived the Black Death--in imitation of a custom that had sprung up in Europe in the Middle Ages, eg. Charing Cross in London.
12. We arrived at the former Jude Bakery--no mention was made of the iconic bakery and how it had served Bandra's needs for decades nor why it had closed down.
13. We finished at AI Bakery where the Rs. 100 we had paid bought us a bottle of water plus whatever baked goods we could eat there. I chose a Chicken Makhani Roll and a Chicken Mayonnaise Roll (both great) but when I stopped at a spot to eat them, it was so riddled with flies that I simply had to leave.
By then it was 10.30 and Monica who is probably in her late 20s, slim as a reed and fully attired in walking gear, was beat!!! We hailed a passing rickshaw as she looked ready to drop. She was affected by the climbing and the heat. I, on the other hand, found the lack of humidity completely pleasant and had no problem with the temperature or the climbing at all. It was actually pretty pleasant walking weather for Bombay! I hated to tell her that I had hiked for four hours on the Great Wall of China only a few months ago!
At the end of the walk, I decided that if and when I come to live in Bombay, I will bone up on local history and give these tours myself. Kaushik told me he charges Rs. 800 per person per tour--for the Celebrate Bandra Festival, the tours were free. Good Lord! There is a fortune to be made if I can leverage my great love of history and my knowledge of art and market myself effectively. It is an idea I certainly intend to explore.
Back Home for Brekkie:
I ate a very late brekkie at 9.30am--I was starving and ready to eat a horse. Downed with two cups of coffee, my unusual breakfast was delish.
Fortified with a big meal, I placed an order for lunch for Dad, Russel and myself at the Bandra Gym. Since their Seafood Festival is on, we decided to order fish and seafood. I chose Prawns Caldine (which is Shahnaz's favorite dish) and two whole Stuffed Pomfrets--one was stuffed with green chutney and the other with Reichad Masala. I also bought a naan for Russel and a paratha for Dad--no carbs for me. From my house, I took over a whole container of spiced potatoes that I had not eaten yet.
Then, I began to clean my house and for the next half hour, it kept me full occupied and very exhausted. But, by the end of it, I had a sparking home.
I merely sat to find a movie to watch on Netflix by Googling 'Best British Movies on Netflix' and to edit my Examiner article for publication when Samir from the Bandra Gym told me that my order was ready for pick-up.
I dressed again, walked to the Gymkhana, picked up my food and arrived at Dad's place at about 12. 30 pm. in time for lunch. We had the best meal as we feasted on the most delicately cooked fish and seafood and potatoes and had Thums Up to down it all.
Celebrating the Feast of Christ the King:
We merely had twenty minutes to rest before Dad and I had to leave for the Holy Hour at our church as Bombay celebrates the Feast of Christ the King with much fanfare and flourish. Each little neighborhood of our parish is assigned an hour for prayerful time in front of the Blessed Sacrament which remains exposed all day in our church. Our little village of 'Malla' was assigned the hour from 2.00 to 3.00 pm. There was only a sprinkling of people in the church but I offered up my Holy Hour for the many favors my family has received and keeps receiving daily.
Out of church, I bid goodbye to Dad at his gate and left him to enjoy a T20 cricket match between India and Australia (India won!) while I got back home, took a nap, read the Sunday magazine section of The Times and went in for a shower.
Benediction and Procession:
At 4.45 pm, I returned to Dad's place and together we left for the Benediction in the church that was followed by a procession in our neighborhood between the villages of Sherly and Rajan. Bandra of old was filled with these 'pakadees' or villages that were inhabited by the East Indians and we have four of these in our praish--Sherly, Rajan, Malla (under which our building falls) and Pali. These villages were at one time filled with modest, single or two-story bungalows and dozens of chickens and pigs. I recall seeing loads of pigs and piglings when we passed through the village of Malla en route to our building in years gone by. From these came the old saying, "In Bandra, if you throw a stone, you will hit a pig or a Pereira." It was not meant to be derogatory in any way. Most East Indians reared pigs and took orders for roast suckling for special occasions--and many still do. The pigs have all but disappeared now as are many of the little bungalows. I understand that there is now a halt called to building activity and land, that most precious commodity which was once owned exclusively by Bandra's Catholic East Indians--have fallen into other hands--this explains the cosmopolitanism of the suburb today. Where bungalows once stood, you now have high rise apartment buildings that have brought in spectacular affluence but changed the landscape of the suburb completely.
The procession was very impressive in size and heft. It was led by 'flower girls'--the new first communicants. I remember being 7 years old myself, having just received my communion and strewing flowers on to the streets of Mazagoan where I then lived at what we used to call 'The Thirteen Hours' Adoration'. Today, they do not use this term and the feast is simply referred to as the Feast of Christ the King. We processed in twos along the left side of roads filled with traffic that was regulated to allow us to cross. At the very end, under a grand canopy, our parish priest, Fr. Colman Carlos, held the Blessed Sacrament while attended to by a bevy of altar boys. Throughout the procession, we prayed, sang hymns or recited a litany. It was all wonderfully prayerful and inspiring and I loved it.
The procession went on and on...and on. I was really worried that Dad would collapse at the end of it. He is 88 years old and still takes on these physical challenges even though he admits at the end of them that he is exhausted. We finally arrived (after about 45 minutes of circuitous walking) at what is called the Fernandes Compound where an altar had been erected. As everyone took their seats (Dad gratefully sinking into his), the guest priest who would give a special sermon came to the altar. He was one Fr. Charles Rodrigues and he preached probably the best sermon I have heard in India so far. His diction, intonation, content were simply impeccable. Full marks to him for keeping me fully engaged for about 12 minutes which seemed to fly. I loved every second of this sermon too. Thanks Dr. Colman for giving us a preacher whom it was a sheer pleasure to hear.
Dad and I were really lucky to find a passing rickshaw when the prayer service ended. Dad was really beat and asked for a cold Coke when we reached home. We all treated ourselves to a cold drink as we sat chatting with Russel and telling him all about the Adoration. He was full of questions.
It was then time to have dinner and we had a repeat of the afternoon's seafood feast. It was past 8.30 pm when I wished everyone goodnight and left.
Back home, I spent a long time videocalling Llew and catching up with our respective weekend news. Then I served myself some ice-cream and started to watch the British film Calibre which was so brilliant, I actually watched all of it because I could not bring myself to stop. Please catch it on Netflix if you have not seen it already. It is set in the Scottish Highlands and amidst the glorious mountain scenery, the plot unfolds in a manner that keeps you at the edge of your seat.
It was past midnight when I went off to sleep after what had been a physically fatiguing but very enjoyable day and a great end to a superb weekend.
Until tomorrow...
Bombay
Bandra Heritage Walk and Celebrating Feast of Christ the King with Dad
Namaste from Bombay!
I had the most exhausting day--so exhausting that I will be skipping my session at the gym tomorrow.
It began at 6.30 when I awoke to race through the drafting of a blog post. A quick cup of coffee with one cracker and I was out the door to take a rickshaw to get to the Bandra Fort for the 8.00 am start of a Heritage Walk. I was super excited. This was part of the Celebrate Bandra Festival and I had signed up for it.
Meeting my Fulbright Host:
The Fulbright Program has a sign-up activity that allows Fellows to link up with past Fulbrighters in the city in which they are based so that they have a 'friend' to guide them forward. My assigned host was one Monica James who had received a Fulbright award to do her Masters in Communications in Seattle. She was currently working at Teach for India. Although we had made plans to meet weeks ago, she had to cancel as a family emergency took her to Dehra Dun from where she hails. She has only just returned to Bombay and got in touch. Since my registration for the walk entitled me to bring a companion, I invited her to join me. As she is new to Bombay herself (has only been here two years is really new to Bandra--has only been here a few months), the walk offered both of us a chance to get to know something of the suburb and each other as well.
Taking a Heritage Walk of Bandra:
The walk was given by a young man and lasted two and a half hours. You must be really physically fit to take this walk as it involves the climbing of hills and endless standing while you listen to his commentary. I found it way below standard but then I am used to taking walks in some of the greatest cities in the world with renowned historians. I found it historically inaccurate at many junctures (we were told that 16th centuries sailors got scabies instead of scurvy) and that the English "were jumping with joy" when they received the seven islands of Bombay as part of "a Portuguese princess'" dowry. Incorrect. They were at their wit's end and did not know what to do with the mosquito-infested islands that were inhabited by crude, illiterate fisherfolk called Kolis that had been recently converted to Catholicism by the Portuguese. They, therefore, decided to lease the islands in a hundred year lease to the East India Company who, recognizing Bombay's commercial potential through its deep water harbor, decided to lease it after the great success of Fort St. William in Madras. None of this was mentioned . No dates were mentioned anywhere and several key historical personages such as Francisco de Almeida of Portugal, Katherine of Braganza, Adil Shah of Bijapur, Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain and Vasco da Gama were not mentioned at all or were referred to as "one princess", "some Portuguese guy" and "a British lord". Basically the entire tour was pitched at kindergartners. God give me strength!
Bandra Heritage Tour Route and What I Learned From it:
1. We began at the Bandra Fort. It was built as a Portuguese fortification in 1640 and called Castella de Aguada as it was a spot from which fresh water was available after tidal pools receded. Agua is Portuguese for 'water'. It was built after the Mahim Fort (1517) and was followed by the Worli Fort (1675). No dates were mentioned at all by the guide but a hand out was given to us--from which I quote these dates (I cannot vouch for their accuracy).
2. The environs of the Fort were just fabulous. At its highest ramparts, which involves a steep climb, you are parallel with the Bandra Sea Link which stretches off to the Fort at Worli. On the way down, we passed through the most gloriously landscaped tiered gardens that reminded me of the Generalife Gardens in Granada, Spain, and the downhill walk I took in Rio in Brazil--probably the lush tropical vegetation had something to do with that.
3. I learned about the significance of Sir Bomanjee Jeejeebhoy after whom B.J. Road, one of Bandra's seafront promenades, is named. He was a wealthy 19th century Parsi industrialist who lived till the early 20th century--again, I am not responsible for historical inaccuracy. He was also a philanthropist (which is what all wealthy Parsis of that vintage were as I am discovering from my field research in the Western Performing Arts) and made handsome donations for public improvements.
4. We walked to the Band Stand where military bands actually played once upon a time. It still stands and gives the area its name.
5. I discovered a gorgeous black basalt stone and granite structure with arched portico overlooking the Band Stand which was a shelter for destitute Parsis built by Sir BJ. During World War II, it became a refuge for Polish orphans who, together with other European children, were being shipped out of Europe to escape the Nazi blitzkrieg. We were shown a black and white photograph of them to authenticate the detail. One of the members of the group reported that last year, one of those orphans had returned to Bandra to retrace his childhood footsteps. I found this entire segment fascinating and deeply enlightening.
6. We climbed up the steep mountain that is called Mount Mary and arrived at the exterior of Mount Mary's Basilica. We could not go inside as it was a Sunday and Mass was on. We paused at the Oratory across the street and then moved to the church porch where we were treated to a bunch of legends that prevail about a particular statue (that he kept referring to as an "idol") of the Virgin Mary with scepter (that he kept mispronouncing as "skep-ter) and orb (that he kept referring to as a "globe"). It is little details like this that separate the mediocre from the fabulous when it comes to global tour guides. I did not buy any of the legends and dearly wish that tour guides would stick to established historical facts rather than dwell on folkloric nonsense.
7. We walked down the hill to St. Stephen's Church (which he mis-pronounced as St. Stip-in's Church). This is a Protestant (I believe Anglican) Church, built in the mid-1800s and is the only non-Catholic Church in Bandra. It attracts all non-Catholic denominations such as Anglicans and even Marthomites or Syrian Christians. We could not go inside as church service was on.
8. We descended the steps leading to Mehboob Studio. Even though we passed by the huge sculpture of a man behind an ancient movie camera at the corner, we did not pause there and no mention was made of this historic Bandra landmark on a tour in a country that is crazy about movies. I found that a terrible omission.
9. We arrived at Raanwar Village. Mention was made of the various Bombay 'pakadees' or hamlets that the Portuguese built for their employees that subsequently came to be called 'East Indians'. Some of the better preserved ones in Bombay are at Matharpakadee in Mazagoan, Kotachiwadi in Girgaum (where my friend Marianel lives in a splendid refurbished two-story ancestral home filled with carved Portuguese rosewood furniture and antiques), Pali Village in Bandra and Amboli in Andheri (I recently attended a reading by novelist Ivan Arthur of a novel that is set in Amboli).
10. Note was made of the interesting architectural features of the houses here that surround Raanwar Square--the community gathering point in days gone by. Many of them are falling apart (as the current owners lack the funds to maintain them) and some had collapsed completely. There is the mandatory cross in the center at which community rosary used to be said. We noted the staircases that are built on the exterior of structures to lead to higher floors--Renzo Piano who designed the Pompadour Center in Paris (Musee de L'Art Moderne) must have taken the idea of placing staircases, elevators and escalators on its exterior facade from these structures!!!
11. We arrived at the Main Raanwar Cross where mention was made of the plague epidemics that decimated Bandra's population from the late 1800s and into the early 1900s. Vague comments were made about the reason for building the crosses (the guide did not know himself!). Mention ought to have been made that they were built in Thanksgiving for saving those residents that survived the Black Death--in imitation of a custom that had sprung up in Europe in the Middle Ages, eg. Charing Cross in London.
12. We arrived at the former Jude Bakery--no mention was made of the iconic bakery and how it had served Bandra's needs for decades nor why it had closed down.
13. We finished at AI Bakery where the Rs. 100 we had paid bought us a bottle of water plus whatever baked goods we could eat there. I chose a Chicken Makhani Roll and a Chicken Mayonnaise Roll (both great) but when I stopped at a spot to eat them, it was so riddled with flies that I simply had to leave.
By then it was 10.30 and Monica who is probably in her late 20s, slim as a reed and fully attired in walking gear, was beat!!! We hailed a passing rickshaw as she looked ready to drop. She was affected by the climbing and the heat. I, on the other hand, found the lack of humidity completely pleasant and had no problem with the temperature or the climbing at all. It was actually pretty pleasant walking weather for Bombay! I hated to tell her that I had hiked for four hours on the Great Wall of China only a few months ago!
At the end of the walk, I decided that if and when I come to live in Bombay, I will bone up on local history and give these tours myself. Kaushik told me he charges Rs. 800 per person per tour--for the Celebrate Bandra Festival, the tours were free. Good Lord! There is a fortune to be made if I can leverage my great love of history and my knowledge of art and market myself effectively. It is an idea I certainly intend to explore.
Back Home for Brekkie:
I ate a very late brekkie at 9.30am--I was starving and ready to eat a horse. Downed with two cups of coffee, my unusual breakfast was delish.
Fortified with a big meal, I placed an order for lunch for Dad, Russel and myself at the Bandra Gym. Since their Seafood Festival is on, we decided to order fish and seafood. I chose Prawns Caldine (which is Shahnaz's favorite dish) and two whole Stuffed Pomfrets--one was stuffed with green chutney and the other with Reichad Masala. I also bought a naan for Russel and a paratha for Dad--no carbs for me. From my house, I took over a whole container of spiced potatoes that I had not eaten yet.
Then, I began to clean my house and for the next half hour, it kept me full occupied and very exhausted. But, by the end of it, I had a sparking home.
I merely sat to find a movie to watch on Netflix by Googling 'Best British Movies on Netflix' and to edit my Examiner article for publication when Samir from the Bandra Gym told me that my order was ready for pick-up.
I dressed again, walked to the Gymkhana, picked up my food and arrived at Dad's place at about 12. 30 pm. in time for lunch. We had the best meal as we feasted on the most delicately cooked fish and seafood and potatoes and had Thums Up to down it all.
Celebrating the Feast of Christ the King:
We merely had twenty minutes to rest before Dad and I had to leave for the Holy Hour at our church as Bombay celebrates the Feast of Christ the King with much fanfare and flourish. Each little neighborhood of our parish is assigned an hour for prayerful time in front of the Blessed Sacrament which remains exposed all day in our church. Our little village of 'Malla' was assigned the hour from 2.00 to 3.00 pm. There was only a sprinkling of people in the church but I offered up my Holy Hour for the many favors my family has received and keeps receiving daily.
Out of church, I bid goodbye to Dad at his gate and left him to enjoy a T20 cricket match between India and Australia (India won!) while I got back home, took a nap, read the Sunday magazine section of The Times and went in for a shower.
Benediction and Procession:
At 4.45 pm, I returned to Dad's place and together we left for the Benediction in the church that was followed by a procession in our neighborhood between the villages of Sherly and Rajan. Bandra of old was filled with these 'pakadees' or villages that were inhabited by the East Indians and we have four of these in our praish--Sherly, Rajan, Malla (under which our building falls) and Pali. These villages were at one time filled with modest, single or two-story bungalows and dozens of chickens and pigs. I recall seeing loads of pigs and piglings when we passed through the village of Malla en route to our building in years gone by. From these came the old saying, "In Bandra, if you throw a stone, you will hit a pig or a Pereira." It was not meant to be derogatory in any way. Most East Indians reared pigs and took orders for roast suckling for special occasions--and many still do. The pigs have all but disappeared now as are many of the little bungalows. I understand that there is now a halt called to building activity and land, that most precious commodity which was once owned exclusively by Bandra's Catholic East Indians--have fallen into other hands--this explains the cosmopolitanism of the suburb today. Where bungalows once stood, you now have high rise apartment buildings that have brought in spectacular affluence but changed the landscape of the suburb completely.
The procession was very impressive in size and heft. It was led by 'flower girls'--the new first communicants. I remember being 7 years old myself, having just received my communion and strewing flowers on to the streets of Mazagoan where I then lived at what we used to call 'The Thirteen Hours' Adoration'. Today, they do not use this term and the feast is simply referred to as the Feast of Christ the King. We processed in twos along the left side of roads filled with traffic that was regulated to allow us to cross. At the very end, under a grand canopy, our parish priest, Fr. Colman Carlos, held the Blessed Sacrament while attended to by a bevy of altar boys. Throughout the procession, we prayed, sang hymns or recited a litany. It was all wonderfully prayerful and inspiring and I loved it.
The procession went on and on...and on. I was really worried that Dad would collapse at the end of it. He is 88 years old and still takes on these physical challenges even though he admits at the end of them that he is exhausted. We finally arrived (after about 45 minutes of circuitous walking) at what is called the Fernandes Compound where an altar had been erected. As everyone took their seats (Dad gratefully sinking into his), the guest priest who would give a special sermon came to the altar. He was one Fr. Charles Rodrigues and he preached probably the best sermon I have heard in India so far. His diction, intonation, content were simply impeccable. Full marks to him for keeping me fully engaged for about 12 minutes which seemed to fly. I loved every second of this sermon too. Thanks Dr. Colman for giving us a preacher whom it was a sheer pleasure to hear.
Dad and I were really lucky to find a passing rickshaw when the prayer service ended. Dad was really beat and asked for a cold Coke when we reached home. We all treated ourselves to a cold drink as we sat chatting with Russel and telling him all about the Adoration. He was full of questions.
It was then time to have dinner and we had a repeat of the afternoon's seafood feast. It was past 8.30 pm when I wished everyone goodnight and left.
Back home, I spent a long time videocalling Llew and catching up with our respective weekend news. Then I served myself some ice-cream and started to watch the British film Calibre which was so brilliant, I actually watched all of it because I could not bring myself to stop. Please catch it on Netflix if you have not seen it already. It is set in the Scottish Highlands and amidst the glorious mountain scenery, the plot unfolds in a manner that keeps you at the edge of your seat.
It was past midnight when I went off to sleep after what had been a physically fatiguing but very enjoyable day and a great end to a superb weekend.
Until tomorrow...
Saturday, November 24, 2018
Drafting my Christmas Essay and a Historical Walk Around Bandra's Churches
Saturday, November 24, 2018
Bombay
Drafting my Christmas Essay and a Historical Walk Around Bandra's Churches
Namaste from Bombay!
November is closing in and with it comes the realization that I have not yet drafted my annual Christmas essay for publication in The Examiner--a Bombay Catholic best-selling weekly--to which I have contributed a 'holiday' article for as long as I can remember. Finding an idea that works is always the biggest challenge--once inspiration hits, the words flow. The idea took its time hitting me this year... but thankfully, it did whack me in the head just before the submission deadline of Nov 30!
I woke up, drafted a blog post, washed, dressed and headed to the gym for a one-hour workout. Then, I went straight to the fruit monger to buy apples for my muesli breakfast that followed. I showered and sat down to draft my essay and it took me the entire morning.
I was done with a first draft as lunch beckoned. I ate it whilst watching Leap Year--I am now really into Netflix movies!--shrimp and pumpkin curry, white pumpkin and cutlets with a guava for dessert. Back to my laptop to revise the article, I did so until a nap urgently called my name. Twenty minutes later, I was revising again until it came time to leave for my walk--for I had signed up for a Celebrate Bandra Festival event--a historic walk around 'The Churches of Bandra'.
Taking a Historic Walk:
The walk began at 4.00 pm at the gate of St. Peter's Church where a group of about 15 people had gathered. It was led by David Cardoz, a local architect, who told us briefly about the architect, one Henricks, a local boy made good, who was taken with designing the new church building in 1937 (the older one had dated from the 1880s). By 1939, he was all done and dusted--a truly unimaginable feat today!
Inside, he pointed out architectural details and one decorative element--a three-dimensional marble plinth carved in bas-relief depicting Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper--a gift from General Franco of Spain who heard that a church was being built in Bombay. To curry favor with the Jesuits, he sent two such plinths--expecting one to get damaged in transit. Both survived the long sea voyage (the second is installed in the altar at Mount Mary's Church). This was perhaps the most interesting historical material I learned on the entire tour that had attracted a vast number of non-Catholics who spent most of the tour asking questions that had no connections with history or with churches--"What is the difference between Mangloreans, Goans and East Indians?"
Give me a break! I was hopping with frustration by the end of it. While David was adept at pointing out architectural aspects, not much emphasis was given to the decorative elements that were staring us in the face--such as the gorgeous plaster of Paris rondels on the ceiling (in imitation of those to be found in European churches) or the double-galleried construction (similar to Anglican churches in Europe and Congregational churches in America).
Orders were taken for snack bags--veg or non-veg--and Rs. 100 changed hands per person as we trooped out to walk down Hill Road to get to the seafront to St. Andrew's Church. There, we paused in the graveyard outside to discuss why Catholics are not offended by treading feet over the grave stones of their dead! Clearly, our tour guides (Cornel Rodrigues, another architect) were not in any way prepared for such questions. Even the issue of how East Indians got their name sounded questionable to me--and I intend to ask my friend Ashley D'mello, a walking historian on East Indians, to enlighten me on this issue, once and for all. Does it have to do with their being original Catholics from Bombay as opposed to those from Mangalore and Goa? Does it have to do with their having worked for the British East India Company?
Inside St. Andrew's, we paused to admire the glorious medieval elements such as two wooden carved plaques (in the style of my favorite Flemish ecclesiastical wood carver Viet Stoss), the gilded pulpit whose door and staircase are missing, the gorgeous refurbished reredos (altar piece) with its interspersed Medieval and Renaissance statuary and the museum, located in the organ loft, that is kept locked. I would simply love to go into it and explore the pieces at my leisure.
I had to leave by 6.00 as the group walked off to Mount Mary Church. I would love to see these tours done in a far more organized fashion--this was much too ad hoc for my liking with sundry (stupid) questions asked at every juncture. Participants should be told to ask questions related to history, architecture and decorative arts alone--not to Catholic theology which the guides were clearly ill-equipped to answer: "What is the significance of the keys in St Peter's hands?" and "Why was the Baptismal font kept outside a church in a Baptistry instead of being placed inside (as is found nowadays?"
I raced home, changed for church and then joined Dad for 7.00 pm Mass after a brief visit with Russel as I will not be able to attend morning mass tomorrow--another historic walk to Bandra Fort is on the cards. I was delighted to see my friend Sharon from Toronto in church. Llew and I and our friends Sylvia and Dolly had visited her home in Canada earlier this year. She has come to Bombay to help her mother nurse her father who has just gone through surgery. I will be accompanying Dad to visit him soon.
Back home, I made a drink and sipped it with blue cheese and crackers before serving myself dinner and continuing with Leap Year. With Matthew Goode (whom I realize I rather like!) and Amy Adams, it is a delightful rom-com set in Ireland--how could it not be a blast? Really surprised I had not heard of it before.
It was after midnight when I fell asleep--deeply grateful to the Lord and content about another nice productive day in Bombay.
Until tomorrow...
Bombay
Drafting my Christmas Essay and a Historical Walk Around Bandra's Churches
Namaste from Bombay!
November is closing in and with it comes the realization that I have not yet drafted my annual Christmas essay for publication in The Examiner--a Bombay Catholic best-selling weekly--to which I have contributed a 'holiday' article for as long as I can remember. Finding an idea that works is always the biggest challenge--once inspiration hits, the words flow. The idea took its time hitting me this year... but thankfully, it did whack me in the head just before the submission deadline of Nov 30!
I woke up, drafted a blog post, washed, dressed and headed to the gym for a one-hour workout. Then, I went straight to the fruit monger to buy apples for my muesli breakfast that followed. I showered and sat down to draft my essay and it took me the entire morning.
I was done with a first draft as lunch beckoned. I ate it whilst watching Leap Year--I am now really into Netflix movies!--shrimp and pumpkin curry, white pumpkin and cutlets with a guava for dessert. Back to my laptop to revise the article, I did so until a nap urgently called my name. Twenty minutes later, I was revising again until it came time to leave for my walk--for I had signed up for a Celebrate Bandra Festival event--a historic walk around 'The Churches of Bandra'.
Taking a Historic Walk:
The walk began at 4.00 pm at the gate of St. Peter's Church where a group of about 15 people had gathered. It was led by David Cardoz, a local architect, who told us briefly about the architect, one Henricks, a local boy made good, who was taken with designing the new church building in 1937 (the older one had dated from the 1880s). By 1939, he was all done and dusted--a truly unimaginable feat today!
Inside, he pointed out architectural details and one decorative element--a three-dimensional marble plinth carved in bas-relief depicting Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper--a gift from General Franco of Spain who heard that a church was being built in Bombay. To curry favor with the Jesuits, he sent two such plinths--expecting one to get damaged in transit. Both survived the long sea voyage (the second is installed in the altar at Mount Mary's Church). This was perhaps the most interesting historical material I learned on the entire tour that had attracted a vast number of non-Catholics who spent most of the tour asking questions that had no connections with history or with churches--"What is the difference between Mangloreans, Goans and East Indians?"
Give me a break! I was hopping with frustration by the end of it. While David was adept at pointing out architectural aspects, not much emphasis was given to the decorative elements that were staring us in the face--such as the gorgeous plaster of Paris rondels on the ceiling (in imitation of those to be found in European churches) or the double-galleried construction (similar to Anglican churches in Europe and Congregational churches in America).
Orders were taken for snack bags--veg or non-veg--and Rs. 100 changed hands per person as we trooped out to walk down Hill Road to get to the seafront to St. Andrew's Church. There, we paused in the graveyard outside to discuss why Catholics are not offended by treading feet over the grave stones of their dead! Clearly, our tour guides (Cornel Rodrigues, another architect) were not in any way prepared for such questions. Even the issue of how East Indians got their name sounded questionable to me--and I intend to ask my friend Ashley D'mello, a walking historian on East Indians, to enlighten me on this issue, once and for all. Does it have to do with their being original Catholics from Bombay as opposed to those from Mangalore and Goa? Does it have to do with their having worked for the British East India Company?
Inside St. Andrew's, we paused to admire the glorious medieval elements such as two wooden carved plaques (in the style of my favorite Flemish ecclesiastical wood carver Viet Stoss), the gilded pulpit whose door and staircase are missing, the gorgeous refurbished reredos (altar piece) with its interspersed Medieval and Renaissance statuary and the museum, located in the organ loft, that is kept locked. I would simply love to go into it and explore the pieces at my leisure.
I had to leave by 6.00 as the group walked off to Mount Mary Church. I would love to see these tours done in a far more organized fashion--this was much too ad hoc for my liking with sundry (stupid) questions asked at every juncture. Participants should be told to ask questions related to history, architecture and decorative arts alone--not to Catholic theology which the guides were clearly ill-equipped to answer: "What is the significance of the keys in St Peter's hands?" and "Why was the Baptismal font kept outside a church in a Baptistry instead of being placed inside (as is found nowadays?"
I raced home, changed for church and then joined Dad for 7.00 pm Mass after a brief visit with Russel as I will not be able to attend morning mass tomorrow--another historic walk to Bandra Fort is on the cards. I was delighted to see my friend Sharon from Toronto in church. Llew and I and our friends Sylvia and Dolly had visited her home in Canada earlier this year. She has come to Bombay to help her mother nurse her father who has just gone through surgery. I will be accompanying Dad to visit him soon.
Back home, I made a drink and sipped it with blue cheese and crackers before serving myself dinner and continuing with Leap Year. With Matthew Goode (whom I realize I rather like!) and Amy Adams, it is a delightful rom-com set in Ireland--how could it not be a blast? Really surprised I had not heard of it before.
It was after midnight when I fell asleep--deeply grateful to the Lord and content about another nice productive day in Bombay.
Until tomorrow...
Friday, November 23, 2018
A Morning at Dad's and Musical Entertainment Through 'Celebrate Bandra'
Friday, November 23, 2018
Bombay
A Morning at Dad's and Musical Entertainment Through 'Celebrate Bandra'
Namaste from Bombay!
Bombay may not have an autumn season...but it is clear that the year is closing in on us. It gets bright later in the day and night falls faster--by 5.45 we have lost daylight and by 6.00 pm, it is positively dark!
Thanksgiving in the US:
I awoke at 6.30 am and began blogging. Just then, the calls with the US began--it was still Thanksgiving there and Llew reached out to me while the group was around the Thanksgiving table ready to begin their meal. I had a chance to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving which was a lot of fun--my brother Roger's family were present as were the Seqeuiras with their nieces Tara and Priyanka, Llew's niece Katherine and her wife Sharon. I also had a chance to get a quick glimpse of the laden table which, thanks to Llew's prowess in the kitchen, was beckoning. He had clearly killed himself to put on a good show and all credit to him for pulling it off so well. When I finished chatting with him, I chatted with Chriselle who was celebrating Thanksgiving in Los Angeles at her friend Nandini's house and some more friends in the Hollywood Hills. Everyone seemed happy and joyous--so it was great to be a part of the festive celebration, although I am miles away from my American home.
At Dad's...with Ewell:
Then, I had my breakfast of a chocolate croissant, bread and spreads with coffee and left for the gym. I only managed a short workout today as I arrived there much later (at 10.15) and the gym closes at 11.00 am. A quick shower later, I left for Dad's flat as he had requested me to come over. Our family friend Ewell who helps Dad with all his accountancy work was coming over at 11.30 am and Dad wondered if I might be required to take something down. I went there with my computer, met Ewell and Russel and spent the morning there as Ewell went over Dad's papers. I was mainly redundant but I used my time fruitfully to read a chapter on his early life in theater that the actor Gerson da Cunha had emailed me in preparation for my interview with him later next week.
Lunch and a Movie at Home:
Back home, I had my lunch (another tiffin had been delivered: shrimp curry with white pumpkin, red pumpkin and tartlets--which were leftovers from my earlier tiffin--I now have so many leftovers in my fridge as I tend to eat out so much). While eating, I began watching Suite Francaise on Netflix--a novel that I had read a few years ago in the States. It is amazing how there are so many works about German soldiers who were posted in French homes during the occupation of World War II and who got involved with their hosts. Again, I had the vague feeling I had seen this movie before---but that was probably because I had read the novel. Wonderful performances by Michelle Williams and Kristin Scott Thomas and I was delighted to recognized an aged Clare Holman with whom I became familiar in the Morse and Lewis TV series. In fact, I recognized a lot of British actors (Harriet Walker, for instance).
Work...again:
Then, I took a short nap and upon awaking began transcribing my interview with Jinx Akerkar. It was great fun going over the information she had shared with me--a great deal about her personal life. At this point, Shahnaz got in touch and asked if I would consider making a change in our evening's program--we were supposed to go a play called Death of an Accidental Anarchist by Dario Fo which is part of the Celebrate Bandra Festival--but I am pretty sure I have seen this, many decades ago. She had received an invitation to see a Musical show that featured a folk group called Ankh Micholi and a quawali group called The Shabri Brothers. This meant that I had to go online to try to get tickets too and the juggling of my set evening's schedule at the last minute irritated me. Still, had I not seen the Dario Fo play before and had I not enjoyed quawali as much as I do, I would have gone alone to the play.
I had a pot of tea with half a guava and an orange (as I am trying to cut down sugar) and then saw that it was already 6.00 pm. It would be too late to go to Dad's and I had already seen him and Russel in the morning. So I merely got dressed, met Shahnaz at the corner where she and her friend Jyoti picked me up. We were dropped off at the Bandra Fort amphitheater where we sat with several friends of Shahnaz.
Musical Evening as Part of Celebrate Bandra:
The second half of the evening's entertainment was very good--the first was simply not my cup of tea: Fusion melodies consisting of heavy rock music with Hindi songs that were meant to be interactive--it sounded like a lot of rubbish to me. The quawali group that followed was very different from the scintillating one I had enjoyed in Hyderabad last month when The Chisti Brothers had regaled us with an unforgettable performance. This one used more than the traditional quawali instruments: usually just the voice, the chapping of hands, a tabla and a harmonium. These guys used electronic synthesizers which changed the sound completely. They have provided a lot of Bollywood music in recent years and the audience was well aware of their hits and enjoyed the entire evening enormously.
Back home on the bus, I had my dinner (a mishmash of the leftovers in my fridge) and finished watching Suite Francaise--very sad, very good. It was after midnight when I called it a night.
Hopefully, I will have something of a more relaxing weekend although I still have to transcribe two very long interviews I did this past week--with Yohan Jeffereis and Jini Dinshaw. And then I will need to get ready for my interviews next week: with Sharon Prabhakar, Sam Kerawala and Geron da Cunha. I also hope to make appointments for a few more interviews which will take me into December...
I hope my American readers are enjoying their long holiday weekend as we swing into the festive season. My friend Delyse from Connecticut informs me that there are already Christmas songs on the radio!!!
Until tomorrow...
Bombay
A Morning at Dad's and Musical Entertainment Through 'Celebrate Bandra'
Namaste from Bombay!
Bombay may not have an autumn season...but it is clear that the year is closing in on us. It gets bright later in the day and night falls faster--by 5.45 we have lost daylight and by 6.00 pm, it is positively dark!
Thanksgiving in the US:
I awoke at 6.30 am and began blogging. Just then, the calls with the US began--it was still Thanksgiving there and Llew reached out to me while the group was around the Thanksgiving table ready to begin their meal. I had a chance to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving which was a lot of fun--my brother Roger's family were present as were the Seqeuiras with their nieces Tara and Priyanka, Llew's niece Katherine and her wife Sharon. I also had a chance to get a quick glimpse of the laden table which, thanks to Llew's prowess in the kitchen, was beckoning. He had clearly killed himself to put on a good show and all credit to him for pulling it off so well. When I finished chatting with him, I chatted with Chriselle who was celebrating Thanksgiving in Los Angeles at her friend Nandini's house and some more friends in the Hollywood Hills. Everyone seemed happy and joyous--so it was great to be a part of the festive celebration, although I am miles away from my American home.
At Dad's...with Ewell:
Then, I had my breakfast of a chocolate croissant, bread and spreads with coffee and left for the gym. I only managed a short workout today as I arrived there much later (at 10.15) and the gym closes at 11.00 am. A quick shower later, I left for Dad's flat as he had requested me to come over. Our family friend Ewell who helps Dad with all his accountancy work was coming over at 11.30 am and Dad wondered if I might be required to take something down. I went there with my computer, met Ewell and Russel and spent the morning there as Ewell went over Dad's papers. I was mainly redundant but I used my time fruitfully to read a chapter on his early life in theater that the actor Gerson da Cunha had emailed me in preparation for my interview with him later next week.
Lunch and a Movie at Home:
Back home, I had my lunch (another tiffin had been delivered: shrimp curry with white pumpkin, red pumpkin and tartlets--which were leftovers from my earlier tiffin--I now have so many leftovers in my fridge as I tend to eat out so much). While eating, I began watching Suite Francaise on Netflix--a novel that I had read a few years ago in the States. It is amazing how there are so many works about German soldiers who were posted in French homes during the occupation of World War II and who got involved with their hosts. Again, I had the vague feeling I had seen this movie before---but that was probably because I had read the novel. Wonderful performances by Michelle Williams and Kristin Scott Thomas and I was delighted to recognized an aged Clare Holman with whom I became familiar in the Morse and Lewis TV series. In fact, I recognized a lot of British actors (Harriet Walker, for instance).
Work...again:
Then, I took a short nap and upon awaking began transcribing my interview with Jinx Akerkar. It was great fun going over the information she had shared with me--a great deal about her personal life. At this point, Shahnaz got in touch and asked if I would consider making a change in our evening's program--we were supposed to go a play called Death of an Accidental Anarchist by Dario Fo which is part of the Celebrate Bandra Festival--but I am pretty sure I have seen this, many decades ago. She had received an invitation to see a Musical show that featured a folk group called Ankh Micholi and a quawali group called The Shabri Brothers. This meant that I had to go online to try to get tickets too and the juggling of my set evening's schedule at the last minute irritated me. Still, had I not seen the Dario Fo play before and had I not enjoyed quawali as much as I do, I would have gone alone to the play.
I had a pot of tea with half a guava and an orange (as I am trying to cut down sugar) and then saw that it was already 6.00 pm. It would be too late to go to Dad's and I had already seen him and Russel in the morning. So I merely got dressed, met Shahnaz at the corner where she and her friend Jyoti picked me up. We were dropped off at the Bandra Fort amphitheater where we sat with several friends of Shahnaz.
Musical Evening as Part of Celebrate Bandra:
The second half of the evening's entertainment was very good--the first was simply not my cup of tea: Fusion melodies consisting of heavy rock music with Hindi songs that were meant to be interactive--it sounded like a lot of rubbish to me. The quawali group that followed was very different from the scintillating one I had enjoyed in Hyderabad last month when The Chisti Brothers had regaled us with an unforgettable performance. This one used more than the traditional quawali instruments: usually just the voice, the chapping of hands, a tabla and a harmonium. These guys used electronic synthesizers which changed the sound completely. They have provided a lot of Bollywood music in recent years and the audience was well aware of their hits and enjoyed the entire evening enormously.
Back home on the bus, I had my dinner (a mishmash of the leftovers in my fridge) and finished watching Suite Francaise--very sad, very good. It was after midnight when I called it a night.
Hopefully, I will have something of a more relaxing weekend although I still have to transcribe two very long interviews I did this past week--with Yohan Jeffereis and Jini Dinshaw. And then I will need to get ready for my interviews next week: with Sharon Prabhakar, Sam Kerawala and Geron da Cunha. I also hope to make appointments for a few more interviews which will take me into December...
I hope my American readers are enjoying their long holiday weekend as we swing into the festive season. My friend Delyse from Connecticut informs me that there are already Christmas songs on the radio!!!
Until tomorrow...
Thursday, November 22, 2018
Interview with an American-Indian Actor, Oscar Wilde at the NCPA and A Play in Bandra
Thursday, November 22, 2018
Bombay
Interview with an American-Indian Actor, Oscar Wilde at the NCPA and A Play in Bandra
Namaste from Bombay!
I woke up on Thanksgiving Day in the US to a bunch of calls. Today was another one of those crazy days--it is mainly feast (rarely famine) for me!
Up at 6.30 am, I spent quite a long while on the phone as Llew consulted with me about Thanksgiving that he is hosting at our Southport home for a total of 13 folks! Go Him! He had a lot of questions relating to serving options, menu, etc--he had completed table settings at the weekend. Then another long catch-up call with Chriselle during which I wished her A Happy Thanksgiving too and before I knew it, I had to race through my breakfast--no muesli today as I ran out of apples, but I had a croissant and two slices of bread with spreads--lovely!
No gym either today as I had to rush in for a shower and leave my place at 9.20 for the bus into the city. There were no Bandra local trains today for some reason...so I ended up in a regular slow train (not too bad at all). From Churchgate, I took a cab to Cuffe Parade--I had an appointment there at 11.00 am and I was exactly on time.
An Interview with Jinx Akerkar:
Jinx Akerkar is a German Jew who emigrated to the US in the 1930s from Berlin when she was a child with her parents. In college in Wisconsin, she met her Indian husband, married him and came to live in Bombay where she has been for the past 63 years. She speaks the most beautiful Hindi but, as she informed me, she has an ear for languages and speaks French, German, Italian and English in addition to Hindi.
As someone who acted on the English stage in the 1950s with Theater Group and Alyque Padamsee, Jinx proved to be a very interesting person. She offered me wonderful material about her own life story as well as her experiences of working in the early English theater in Bombay. We met at a restaurant called Hammer and Song at the World Trade Center (WTC) which I knew well as I'd had a reunion with my former Jai Hind College students there, a couple of weeks ago. She had a birthday party to attend there at 12. 30--so with about 90 minutes at our disposal, we settled down well for a chat.
Lunch with my Friend Aban:
At 12. 20, I bid Jinx goodbye and waked across the street to Casablanca to spend about an hour with Aban, my former colleague at Jai Hind College. Aban, who was a French professor at Jai Hind, continues to teach at the Alliance Francaise de Bombay in addition to doing translating and interpretation for the French commercial corporations in the city. Our friendship goes back several decades and we throughly enjoy the rare times we get together.
Aban insisted that I join her for lunch and over chicken curry and spinach, we had a very lovely family meal while chatting and catching up on things. We will be meeting again soon as we have a mutual friend in Firdaus who also wants to get together with us.
Oscar Wilde at the NCPA:
I could not stay with Aban long as it turned out that both Jinx and I were heading to the 2.00 pm screening of The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde that was being beamed by HDLive from the National Theater in London. Jinx, therefore, offered me a ride and told me to return at 1.40 to the World Trade Center--which I did. It was great to get a ride in a chauffeur-driver car from her.
At the WTC, I met up with Shahnaz who had taken the train in from Bandra and had arrived there to meet me. I was also delighted to meet Vispi Balaporia who taught me everything I know about administration of an academic department as she had hired me in my very first job at Jai Hind College when she was Head of the English Department there. I had worked under her for 8 years before leaving India for the US. We had a nice visit during the intermission and I promised her that I would get in touch with her again soon. Now retired, she continues to be deeply involved in the affairs of Jai Hind College and in the running of the Asiatic Society Library at the Bombay Town Hall.
The play was quite delightful indeed. I have seen many versions of it over the years in London with a number of well-known stars such as Rupert Everett playing Earnest and actresses such as Penelope Keith and Susan Woolidge playing Lady Bracknell. Still, it is a treat to mull over the deliciously witty lines of Oscar Wilde and Shahnaz and I throughly enjoyed it--as clearly did all the members of the audience. We are really very lucky indeed that we have such fine quality entertainment in Bombay.
On the Train Home, Tea and a Visit with Dad:
Shahnaz and I took a cab to Churchgate station and then the train from there back to Bandra. I was home to enjoy a lovely pot of tea, some cake and the rest of my eclair before dashing off my blog post for the day (as I had found no time in the morning). Then I left home, walked over to Dad's and spent about an hour with him and Russel. They are all well and wished me a Happy Thanksgiving. Honestly, the day goes by quite unnoticed in this part of the world. At 7.00 pm, I got a call from Shahnaz telling me to come to my Dad's gate where she was waiting in a rickshaw to pick me up.
Project STRIP as Part of the Celebrate Bandra Festival:
And so we arrived at the venue (the Ranwar Club) which turned out to be an Open Air venue on a very warm night (pretty uncomfortable) to see Project STRIP, another play that was directed by Quasar Padamsee (we saw his Khatijabai yesterday). This, however, was very boring, very badly written and had a plot that did not hold my interest at all. I found the acting really awful--everything about it was bad. It was about the exploitation of unspoiled parts of the world by corporations who send anthropologists to do ethnographic work that they then wish to exploit for commercial purposes. I'm afraid that by the intermission, there was no movement to the plot at all and I simply decided I'd had enough. Shahnaz was of the same mind. I guess after hearing the gems of linguistic excellence that is a play by Oscar Wilde, this dialogue was too much of a come down for us.
Thanksgiving Dinner at the Bandra Gymkhana:
We reached the last item on my very crowded agenda as Shahnaz and I decided to adjourn to the Bandra Gymkhana restaurant for dinner. They were having a Seafood Festival there and we decided to try out their delicacies. The restaurant's air-conditioning system had also recently been attended to and it was pleasant to sit on a Thursday evening when the place was less crowded to shoot the breeze over fresh lemonade and feast on a menu of sweet corn crab soup, a whole pomfret stuffed with green chutney (divine), Singaporean Chilli Crab (good but not as good as the ones I have had in Singapore) and Prawns Caldine (which is Shahnaz's favorite--most of which she took home to feast on at leisure).
It occurred to me while I was there that this was my Thanksgiving dinner--a rather weird one (no turkey in sight and no mashed potatoes or gravy or cranberry sauce or green bean casserole or pumpkin pie); but we did not do too badly with a meal that was quite memorable indeed. I recalled that, ten years ago, when I was celebrating Thanksgiving in London with my American colleague, Karen, we had gone to a 'chippie' at Covent Garden and eaten Fish and Chips! So, ten years later, Fish featured well in my Thanksgiving dinner too!
It was about 11.30 pm that I got home and about midnight that I turned off the night and called a halt to a full and very exciting day.
Until tomorrow...
Bombay
Interview with an American-Indian Actor, Oscar Wilde at the NCPA and A Play in Bandra
Namaste from Bombay!
I woke up on Thanksgiving Day in the US to a bunch of calls. Today was another one of those crazy days--it is mainly feast (rarely famine) for me!
Up at 6.30 am, I spent quite a long while on the phone as Llew consulted with me about Thanksgiving that he is hosting at our Southport home for a total of 13 folks! Go Him! He had a lot of questions relating to serving options, menu, etc--he had completed table settings at the weekend. Then another long catch-up call with Chriselle during which I wished her A Happy Thanksgiving too and before I knew it, I had to race through my breakfast--no muesli today as I ran out of apples, but I had a croissant and two slices of bread with spreads--lovely!
No gym either today as I had to rush in for a shower and leave my place at 9.20 for the bus into the city. There were no Bandra local trains today for some reason...so I ended up in a regular slow train (not too bad at all). From Churchgate, I took a cab to Cuffe Parade--I had an appointment there at 11.00 am and I was exactly on time.
An Interview with Jinx Akerkar:
Jinx Akerkar is a German Jew who emigrated to the US in the 1930s from Berlin when she was a child with her parents. In college in Wisconsin, she met her Indian husband, married him and came to live in Bombay where she has been for the past 63 years. She speaks the most beautiful Hindi but, as she informed me, she has an ear for languages and speaks French, German, Italian and English in addition to Hindi.
As someone who acted on the English stage in the 1950s with Theater Group and Alyque Padamsee, Jinx proved to be a very interesting person. She offered me wonderful material about her own life story as well as her experiences of working in the early English theater in Bombay. We met at a restaurant called Hammer and Song at the World Trade Center (WTC) which I knew well as I'd had a reunion with my former Jai Hind College students there, a couple of weeks ago. She had a birthday party to attend there at 12. 30--so with about 90 minutes at our disposal, we settled down well for a chat.
Lunch with my Friend Aban:
At 12. 20, I bid Jinx goodbye and waked across the street to Casablanca to spend about an hour with Aban, my former colleague at Jai Hind College. Aban, who was a French professor at Jai Hind, continues to teach at the Alliance Francaise de Bombay in addition to doing translating and interpretation for the French commercial corporations in the city. Our friendship goes back several decades and we throughly enjoy the rare times we get together.
Aban insisted that I join her for lunch and over chicken curry and spinach, we had a very lovely family meal while chatting and catching up on things. We will be meeting again soon as we have a mutual friend in Firdaus who also wants to get together with us.
Oscar Wilde at the NCPA:
I could not stay with Aban long as it turned out that both Jinx and I were heading to the 2.00 pm screening of The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde that was being beamed by HDLive from the National Theater in London. Jinx, therefore, offered me a ride and told me to return at 1.40 to the World Trade Center--which I did. It was great to get a ride in a chauffeur-driver car from her.
At the WTC, I met up with Shahnaz who had taken the train in from Bandra and had arrived there to meet me. I was also delighted to meet Vispi Balaporia who taught me everything I know about administration of an academic department as she had hired me in my very first job at Jai Hind College when she was Head of the English Department there. I had worked under her for 8 years before leaving India for the US. We had a nice visit during the intermission and I promised her that I would get in touch with her again soon. Now retired, she continues to be deeply involved in the affairs of Jai Hind College and in the running of the Asiatic Society Library at the Bombay Town Hall.
The play was quite delightful indeed. I have seen many versions of it over the years in London with a number of well-known stars such as Rupert Everett playing Earnest and actresses such as Penelope Keith and Susan Woolidge playing Lady Bracknell. Still, it is a treat to mull over the deliciously witty lines of Oscar Wilde and Shahnaz and I throughly enjoyed it--as clearly did all the members of the audience. We are really very lucky indeed that we have such fine quality entertainment in Bombay.
On the Train Home, Tea and a Visit with Dad:
Shahnaz and I took a cab to Churchgate station and then the train from there back to Bandra. I was home to enjoy a lovely pot of tea, some cake and the rest of my eclair before dashing off my blog post for the day (as I had found no time in the morning). Then I left home, walked over to Dad's and spent about an hour with him and Russel. They are all well and wished me a Happy Thanksgiving. Honestly, the day goes by quite unnoticed in this part of the world. At 7.00 pm, I got a call from Shahnaz telling me to come to my Dad's gate where she was waiting in a rickshaw to pick me up.
Project STRIP as Part of the Celebrate Bandra Festival:
And so we arrived at the venue (the Ranwar Club) which turned out to be an Open Air venue on a very warm night (pretty uncomfortable) to see Project STRIP, another play that was directed by Quasar Padamsee (we saw his Khatijabai yesterday). This, however, was very boring, very badly written and had a plot that did not hold my interest at all. I found the acting really awful--everything about it was bad. It was about the exploitation of unspoiled parts of the world by corporations who send anthropologists to do ethnographic work that they then wish to exploit for commercial purposes. I'm afraid that by the intermission, there was no movement to the plot at all and I simply decided I'd had enough. Shahnaz was of the same mind. I guess after hearing the gems of linguistic excellence that is a play by Oscar Wilde, this dialogue was too much of a come down for us.
Thanksgiving Dinner at the Bandra Gymkhana:
We reached the last item on my very crowded agenda as Shahnaz and I decided to adjourn to the Bandra Gymkhana restaurant for dinner. They were having a Seafood Festival there and we decided to try out their delicacies. The restaurant's air-conditioning system had also recently been attended to and it was pleasant to sit on a Thursday evening when the place was less crowded to shoot the breeze over fresh lemonade and feast on a menu of sweet corn crab soup, a whole pomfret stuffed with green chutney (divine), Singaporean Chilli Crab (good but not as good as the ones I have had in Singapore) and Prawns Caldine (which is Shahnaz's favorite--most of which she took home to feast on at leisure).
It occurred to me while I was there that this was my Thanksgiving dinner--a rather weird one (no turkey in sight and no mashed potatoes or gravy or cranberry sauce or green bean casserole or pumpkin pie); but we did not do too badly with a meal that was quite memorable indeed. I recalled that, ten years ago, when I was celebrating Thanksgiving in London with my American colleague, Karen, we had gone to a 'chippie' at Covent Garden and eaten Fish and Chips! So, ten years later, Fish featured well in my Thanksgiving dinner too!
It was about 11.30 pm that I got home and about midnight that I turned off the night and called a halt to a full and very exciting day.
Until tomorrow...
Interview with a Pioneering Musician and A Truly Brilliant Play
Wednesday, November 21, 2018
Bombay
Interview with a Pioneering Musician and A Truly Brilliant Play
Namaste from Bombay!
I'm not sure I am entirely happy with these late wake-ups...now averaging 6. 30 am. It means a rush through my blog post, downloading of The Times of London and my work out at the gym. Something, I suppose, has to give...and I am not happy when it is my workout.
Today was one of those days--I had a muesli and coffee breakfast, showered and was out the house at 9.20 to get my 9.45 train from Bandra Station. I was headed to do an interview with a woman called Jini Dinshaw in downtown Bombay.
An Interview with a Unbelievable Musician:
Jini Dinshaw's name and number were given to me by adoring members of the Symphony Orchestra of India who trained under her. They had spoken of her with awe, reverence and respect. I could not wait to meet her. The Dinshaws own the fourth floor of a building called Ventakesh Chambers opposite the Tata Telecom Building, one of the city's first skyscrapers. Jini has a music studio on the terrace of the building. In it, her piano and musical paraphanelia reside besides a lifetime's worth of memorabilia.
I took the train to get to her place, then crossed the Cross Maidan on foot and arrived ahead of schedule. Her building is sandwiched between three famous Bombay schools--The J.B Petit School, Alexandra Girls High School and the famed Cathedral and John Connon School. Like most Parsis of her vintage, despite her almost 90 years, she is as slim as a reed. The years sit lightly on her beautiful face and her mind is as lucid as a bell.
I had the most wonderful time talking to Jini about her life and the tragedies that have befallen key figures of the golden era of classical music in Bombay. By the time we finished our conversation, I had reams of notes and cannot wait to write about this little old lady and her contribution to Western classical music in India. She founded the Bombay Chamber Orchestra and remains, to date, the only Indian to have received the MBE--Member of the British Empire--from the queen. Yet, two years ago, she suffered a stroke that left her entire left side paralyzed. She can no longer play the piano, but she can still play the violin and she still continues to play in the symphony orchestra. What an inspiring person she turned out to be!
I suppose I ought to have gone to the museum as I had no afternoon appointment--but I decided to go home for lunch and a nap before my evening's engagement.
And that was exactly what I did! Lunch was green chicken curry, spinach and corn tartlets and methi with potatoes--all wonderful! I then took a 20-minute nap and when I awoke, I transcribed my interview with Viraf Pocha. I need to meet him again as we did not finish our conversation as he is able to offer me incredible historical details about the early English theater in Bombay through his family connections.
When I finished my transcribing, I had a cup of tea with chocolate truffle cake and part of the chocolate eclair I had purchased--wickedly sinful of me, especially as I did not have the time to work out today.
Then, I left for Dad's and spent the evening with Dad and Russel. Dad left for his novena but I could not join him today. Instead I stayed on and took off the dressing attached to the tiny hole made by the needle aspiration that had been carried out at the hospital to remove the fluid from Russel's knee. That done, I left and walked to The Cuckoo Club as I had tickets to see a play.
Seeing Khatija of Karmali Terrace:
Khatija of Karmali Terrace has been penned by Quasar Thakore Padamsee of QTP Productions--he is the son of Dolly Thakore and Alyque Padamsee. He has clearly inherited the drama genes from both his parents. Although I am not sure he continues to act (I had seen him on stage, ten years ago, and was frankly not impressed), he has turned into a producer, director and writer par excellence.
The play is a one-woman show based on the life of Quasar's grandmother (Alyque's mother) who was called Kulsumbai. The building she owned and lived in on Colaba Causeway was called Kulsum Terrace (her husband had named it after her). The actress playing her was Jayati Bhatt and she did the most brilliant job. That said the script was so marvelous that it would be hard for any actress to ruin it. I was so impressed by Quasar's talent that, at the end of the play, I wanted to wait to meet him and congratulate him on his achievement--forget about the prowess of the actress. I realized that it was not just the names that were dramatized but also key events from Kulsum's life including the suicide of her eldest son Aziz (Sultan or Bobby, in real life), her husband's infidelity and bullying from her older sister-in-law for the family's real estate holdings. She held her own fiercely, however, through the ups and downs of her life and left the audience hugely awed by her achievements. A truly brilliant performance!
Off to Doolally:
Shahnaz, who accompanied me to the play, then suggested we join the members of her Book Club at Doolally, a beer bar, at Khar--so we hopped into a rickshaw and got there in about fifteen minutes, reaching at about 9.00 pm. It was wonderful to put faces to the many names I have heard her speak about through the years. They welcomed me warmly into their midst as we got to know each other. We sipped Belgian White beer and entered into a long and interesting game of Scrabble--boards and tiles were available at the venue and everyone was seated casually at play at the end of a Pub style quiz which we had just missed. Seriously, Bombay blows me away in the variety of evening activity it is now able to offer its young folks.
Shahnaz's friends Nandini and her husband Dinesh then dropped me home in their car. I had my dinner and finished watching The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society that I had started watching during my lunch--as you can see, I have returned to watching movies with a vengeance. It was quite wonderful and what made it especially so was seeing that a lot of it had been shot in Clovelly in Devon which Shahnaz and I had visited, two years ago. Clovelly, in fact, stands in as Guernsey Island (one of the Channel Islands of the movie's title). I finished watching it (liked it) and went off to bed at 11.30 pm.
Until tomorrow...
Bombay
Interview with a Pioneering Musician and A Truly Brilliant Play
Namaste from Bombay!
I'm not sure I am entirely happy with these late wake-ups...now averaging 6. 30 am. It means a rush through my blog post, downloading of The Times of London and my work out at the gym. Something, I suppose, has to give...and I am not happy when it is my workout.
Today was one of those days--I had a muesli and coffee breakfast, showered and was out the house at 9.20 to get my 9.45 train from Bandra Station. I was headed to do an interview with a woman called Jini Dinshaw in downtown Bombay.
An Interview with a Unbelievable Musician:
Jini Dinshaw's name and number were given to me by adoring members of the Symphony Orchestra of India who trained under her. They had spoken of her with awe, reverence and respect. I could not wait to meet her. The Dinshaws own the fourth floor of a building called Ventakesh Chambers opposite the Tata Telecom Building, one of the city's first skyscrapers. Jini has a music studio on the terrace of the building. In it, her piano and musical paraphanelia reside besides a lifetime's worth of memorabilia.
I took the train to get to her place, then crossed the Cross Maidan on foot and arrived ahead of schedule. Her building is sandwiched between three famous Bombay schools--The J.B Petit School, Alexandra Girls High School and the famed Cathedral and John Connon School. Like most Parsis of her vintage, despite her almost 90 years, she is as slim as a reed. The years sit lightly on her beautiful face and her mind is as lucid as a bell.
I had the most wonderful time talking to Jini about her life and the tragedies that have befallen key figures of the golden era of classical music in Bombay. By the time we finished our conversation, I had reams of notes and cannot wait to write about this little old lady and her contribution to Western classical music in India. She founded the Bombay Chamber Orchestra and remains, to date, the only Indian to have received the MBE--Member of the British Empire--from the queen. Yet, two years ago, she suffered a stroke that left her entire left side paralyzed. She can no longer play the piano, but she can still play the violin and she still continues to play in the symphony orchestra. What an inspiring person she turned out to be!
I suppose I ought to have gone to the museum as I had no afternoon appointment--but I decided to go home for lunch and a nap before my evening's engagement.
And that was exactly what I did! Lunch was green chicken curry, spinach and corn tartlets and methi with potatoes--all wonderful! I then took a 20-minute nap and when I awoke, I transcribed my interview with Viraf Pocha. I need to meet him again as we did not finish our conversation as he is able to offer me incredible historical details about the early English theater in Bombay through his family connections.
When I finished my transcribing, I had a cup of tea with chocolate truffle cake and part of the chocolate eclair I had purchased--wickedly sinful of me, especially as I did not have the time to work out today.
Then, I left for Dad's and spent the evening with Dad and Russel. Dad left for his novena but I could not join him today. Instead I stayed on and took off the dressing attached to the tiny hole made by the needle aspiration that had been carried out at the hospital to remove the fluid from Russel's knee. That done, I left and walked to The Cuckoo Club as I had tickets to see a play.
Seeing Khatija of Karmali Terrace:
Khatija of Karmali Terrace has been penned by Quasar Thakore Padamsee of QTP Productions--he is the son of Dolly Thakore and Alyque Padamsee. He has clearly inherited the drama genes from both his parents. Although I am not sure he continues to act (I had seen him on stage, ten years ago, and was frankly not impressed), he has turned into a producer, director and writer par excellence.
The play is a one-woman show based on the life of Quasar's grandmother (Alyque's mother) who was called Kulsumbai. The building she owned and lived in on Colaba Causeway was called Kulsum Terrace (her husband had named it after her). The actress playing her was Jayati Bhatt and she did the most brilliant job. That said the script was so marvelous that it would be hard for any actress to ruin it. I was so impressed by Quasar's talent that, at the end of the play, I wanted to wait to meet him and congratulate him on his achievement--forget about the prowess of the actress. I realized that it was not just the names that were dramatized but also key events from Kulsum's life including the suicide of her eldest son Aziz (Sultan or Bobby, in real life), her husband's infidelity and bullying from her older sister-in-law for the family's real estate holdings. She held her own fiercely, however, through the ups and downs of her life and left the audience hugely awed by her achievements. A truly brilliant performance!
Off to Doolally:
Shahnaz, who accompanied me to the play, then suggested we join the members of her Book Club at Doolally, a beer bar, at Khar--so we hopped into a rickshaw and got there in about fifteen minutes, reaching at about 9.00 pm. It was wonderful to put faces to the many names I have heard her speak about through the years. They welcomed me warmly into their midst as we got to know each other. We sipped Belgian White beer and entered into a long and interesting game of Scrabble--boards and tiles were available at the venue and everyone was seated casually at play at the end of a Pub style quiz which we had just missed. Seriously, Bombay blows me away in the variety of evening activity it is now able to offer its young folks.
Shahnaz's friends Nandini and her husband Dinesh then dropped me home in their car. I had my dinner and finished watching The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society that I had started watching during my lunch--as you can see, I have returned to watching movies with a vengeance. It was quite wonderful and what made it especially so was seeing that a lot of it had been shot in Clovelly in Devon which Shahnaz and I had visited, two years ago. Clovelly, in fact, stands in as Guernsey Island (one of the Channel Islands of the movie's title). I finished watching it (liked it) and went off to bed at 11.30 pm.
Until tomorrow...
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