A Day Devoted to Vegetating--well, Almost

Monday, November 19, 2018
Bombay

A Day Devoted to Vegetating--well, Almost

     Namaste from Bombay!
     After having the kind of hectic day I had yesterday, I decided that I would spend most of today vegetating.  I had visions of watching a movie, reading all day, taking a long walk...but none of that really happened.
     I awoke at 6.30 and just clean swept all thoughts of going to the gym away. Instead I blogged...and I blogged...and I blogged. I had so much to write yesterday because it had been such an eventful day and so completely related to my field work here in India that even the blogging, in the end, seemed like a load of work! Anyway, I decided to take a holiday from the gym. I also broke with tradition and had a coffee and a chocolate croissant for breakfast. It was probably one of the best chocolate croissants I have ever eaten! Like Marks and Spencer's chocolate eclairs that made an addict of me in the UK, these are going to do the same here in Bombay. Shame! Shame! Shame on me!
     That done, I simply had to clean my house. I hadn't done so yesterday as I was rushing off for Mass and Alyque's cremation. Hence, I began...and it went on...and on...and on.  Apart from cleaning, I had to replenish a lot of my bottles--with my vitamin supplements, my Metamucil, etc. I also had to get my laundry organized to be taken to Dad for washing. Cleaning my microwave, my fridge, my cabinets, re-making my bed...the list was endless. Then there was the bathroom. Sadly, at the very end of my cleaning spree, I broke my ceramic bowl--the one I use to eat my muesli in each morning. Not that it fell from  my hands--luckily, I do not have butter fingers! It fell from the little shelf I have in one of my cabinets. And, to make matters worse, one of the shards cut my toe and the blood started spilling all over my floor! Ugh! The next ten minutes were spent trying to stem the blood flow while picking up and discarding the shards. Of course, this meant that I would have to replace my bowl (I had carried it from home--bought it from Crate and Barrel).
     After I finished my cleaning and my bleeding cut was brought under control, I went in for a shower and shampoo and only then relaxed. By that time, it was already past midday and I was ready to eat again--lunch had been delivered in the morning: mince curry, cabbage and cutlets and those I served myself to eat with the last of my fresh papaya for dessert.
     I needed a nap, of course, after my physical exertion of the morning...but 20 minutes was all my traitorous body permitted me. I awoke, read The Times on my IPad and made a couple of calls for more interviews. This was really the only bit of 'work' I did today. I fixed appointments with Nisha da Cunha and Gerson da Cunha (they are in-laws--Nisha is married to Gerson's brother Sylvester) both of whom were just lovely on the phone and more than welcoming of my call and my request for an interview). With those sorted, I got dressed and went off in search of a replacement bowl.
     I took a rickshaw this time as the cut on my toe was still painful and flexing my toe caused pain. At Cheap Jack on Hill Road, I found a Borosil glass bowl that came close in terms of size and depth to the one I had. With that in my bag, I walked off to Marks and Spencer which is announcing a 50% Off Sale. I thought I would poke around and try to find something. Sadly, I found nothing--the sale items are in gigantic sizes and most of the stuff was in prints--not something I like. I prefer a neutral foundation palette to which I then add color with scarves.
     I also nipped into Giani's, the Italian ice-cream place, to replenish my supplies of their Choco Almond Fudge Ice-cream that I adore. With those items in the bag, I walked to Birdy's and bought a chocolate truffle cake for my friends Denzil and Ruth who have invited me for lunch to their place tomorrow. I also bought two more chocolate croissants (for Dad and Russel), a chocolate eclair (so gigantic, I will probably get four servings out of it) and some chocolate truffle cake. I am going to have to put in added hours at the gym--that's for sure!
     Back home, I made myself a pot of tea and sipped it while enjoying some cake and part of the eclair. It was OK--I love the flavor of the dark chocolate they use--but nothing, nothing in the world, can come close to the glorious chocolate eclairs that 'Marks and Sparks' sells in the UK!
     Then I dressed and went to Dad's place to spend part of the evening with Russel. I was headed to the Celebrate Bandra show tonight called 'Sing India Sing' that features some of Bombay's best-known musicians (mostly vocalists)--so I would be missing Mass with Dad tonight.
     Dad found some time to clear out his paperwork in peace while I chatted with Russel and kept him company. At 6.45, when Dad left for Mass, I left with him. I would be meeting Shahnaz at the venue as she was going to get there with her friend Nandini. I jumped into a rickshaw and in ten minutes, I was at the venue--the Bandra Fort Amphitheater. Shahnaz and Nandini had found good seats. We settled ourselves down on a rather uncomfortably warm evening. What made it more uncomfortable was that I was covered from head to toe in a long-sleeved shirt and jeans as I did not want to risk mosquito bites. Thankfully, I carry my hand fan with me everywhere I go and this made it much nicer.
     The show was fabulous.  I am simply astounded by the standards of Bombay's musicians and especially its female singers.  Much of the evening was devoted to heavy rock music--not particularly my cup of chai, but some parts of it were great.  The ladies have enormous showmanship and vocal cords that could put Beyonce or Lady Gaga to shame. The show was well compered by Brian Tellis who also sang a duet with an artist called Sarosh Nanavaty. Overall, a lovely night. Nandini and Sangeeta, Shahnaz' friends, left early as the program did not hold their interest. They were headed to the Bandra Gym for dinner.
     We stayed on as I was really keen to see the range of talent offered. I recognized Uday Benegal, a friend of ours whom we knew when he lived in New York--at least ten years ago. He has been back in Bombay for a decade and has made waves as one of the most legitimate rockers of his generation. I was also pleased to hear Asif Ali Beg whom my friend Annabelle had told me was wildly talented.  He happened to have been in school at St. Mary's with my brother Russel and we remember him as being extraordinarily kind and helpful to Russel all those years ago. He is absolutely wonderfully talented--so I was very pleased to see how well he is doing.
     The show ended at 9.00 pm.  We hopped into a 211 bus that was waiting for us as it starts at the Bandstand. A few stops later, we hopped off at the Yacht Restaurant. On the bus, we met my friend Blossom who happened also to know Shahnaz.  We walked down St Paul's Road together. Shahnaz decided to join her friends at the Bandra Gym but I decided to get back home.  We all walked her to the entrance of the Gym, I signed her in and said Bye.  Blossom, her friend Marion and I then walked the next five minutes home.
     I served myself some dinner and watched Come Dine With Me before I caught up with Twitter, brushed and flossed my teeth and went to bed.
    I had wanted to spend the entire day vegetating and I think I came close...
     Until tomorrow...