It's Diwali and US Mid-term Elections! A Break from Routine, Lunch with Michael and At Cousin Linnet's

Wednesday, November 7, 2018
Bombay

It's Diwali and US Mid-term Elections! A Break from Routine, Lunch with Michael and At Cousin Linnet's...

     Namaste from Bombay!
     Today was a really odd sort of day. Would you believe it if I told you that I was awoken at 3.30 am by a spluttering of fireworks that gave me a panic attack? My heart was beating so fast I thought I had palpitations! Whose genius idea it was to herald Diwali, the Hindu Festival of Lights, by waking up the building/neighborhood in that bizarre fashion is anyone's guess...but I dreaded awakening in the morning as I do recall the hideous Diwali mornings I had endured as a child in the Reserve Bank Colony where you could have been forgiven for thinking you had strayed on to the battlefields of Picardie during World War I--so bad were the fireworks there and then. In fact, people took evil delight in bursting something they actually called 'atom bombs!'
     Luckily, I did fall asleep almost immediately and when I awoke at 6.30 am, I found out that I was mistaken--there was nary a squeak to be heard.  It was going to be a very silent Diwali after all. People had taken seriously the government's exhortation to avoid noise and air pollution and there were barely any crackers at all! What a relief!
     I tweeted, caught up with email, did some reading and viewing because I was fully engrossed in CNN and BBC coverage of the US mid-term elections. By the way, Llew went off to the polling booth to vote in Fairfield, Connecticut, and discovered that on the election list, there was a line drawn against my name with a capital A written against it.  The polling officers confirmed that they had received my Absentee Ballot Form and that it had been counted! Yesssss! My crazy kerfuffle at the Bandra Post Office had been fully worth it!
     Anyway, it was an absolute joy to discover that the Dems had done as well as they did--sure, they could have done better...but hey, I was willing to take small successes. Fully absorbed by the news on every form of media available, my routine went haywire.  I did not post a blog (and later in the day was pleasantly surprised to find that Sylvia, my friend in Canada, whatsapped me to say that she missed it and hoped everything was OK with me! How thoughtful was that!?) .
    By 9.00 am, Clement my electrician, arrived to take a look at my table lamp.  It appears that the bulb I was using heated the lamp so badly that the mechanism inside it had burned out.  Clement worked swiftly to replace it--he had to leave to go out and buy a couple of parts. He also advised me to use an LED light which, he said, does not heat up. That too he went out and bought me. Great! He charged me almost nothing for his pains--a dollar and a half, to be precise! Some things are so weird in Bombay that I still find myself marveling at them!

Helping Russel Walk Again:
     After he left, I had a shower and got dressed as I had two appointments in the city. But before I took public transport to get there, I made a stop at Dad's as Lenita, the physiotherapist, was not coming in today--she had given herself a holiday for Diwali. I took over Russel's walking movements with the new wardboy, Nilesh, who is replacing the one we had (he had to go off to his village for his Grandma's funeral services and will be back next week). Russel is doing well and building up confidence each day with each step on the walker.  He is walking longer distances now and is already talking about being able to go back to church! He hopes to be walking well by Christmas--which would really be miraculous, if that happened.

On the Train to the City:
     I left Dad's place and got straight into a bus for the Bandra railway station where I hopped into a train. On the train, I whatsapped Diwali greetings to a bunch of friends in Bombay and around the world. At Churchgate, I found that the special shuttle bus was not running.  The trains, indeed the city, looked completely deserted as everyone enjoyed the Diwali holiday.  In fact, Bombay at this time of year, is a bit like the West in the week between Christmas and New Year as many companies give their employees the entire week off and life pretty much simmers down. Many people leave the city to take short vacations with their kids who are on Diwali Holidays. It is a lovely festive time to be here and I am revelling in the delights of what I see after 30 years away from the city at Diwali.

Lunch with Michael Anderson:
    I took a cab to Nariman Point and got straight to the INOX Theater where, on the first floor at Jamie Oliver's Pizzeria--yes, the same one at which I had dinner with Shahnaz yesterday!--I had planned to meet my British friend Michael Anderson for lunch. I had met Michael ten years ago when I lived in London.  He was one of the group of Cathedralites (alumni of the Cathedral and John Connon School) that I had gotten to know through my other friend in London, Sushil Velu. Michael is a writer--short stories and novels--and a really fun person to spend a while with. I had attended his birthday party in London's Maida Vale, ten years ago and all those memories came tumbling back as we hugged and settled down for lunch.  Lemonade and pepperoni pizzas did the trick--the pepperoni pizza was just fabulous, I have to say.  They were absolutely generous with their pepperoni and it made such a tasty mouthful--far better than the mushroom pizza I had with Shahnaz yesterday. If I am here again, I shall only order this one! Two days running at Jamie Oliver's Pizzeria--that is a record of sorts for me!
     Mike and I had so much to talk about. He filled me in on all his news--wife Nirmala is ill and being looked after 24/7 by nurses in Petit Hall in South Bombay--it appears that her first husband was knighted--a Sir Someone. Her eldest son has inherited the baronial title and has hold over the sprawling estate in which Mike lives when he comes to Bombay about twice a year to see her.  He also talked about his writing, his publishing avenues and--how great is this!!??--he gifted me a copy of his latest collection of short stories called Heaven's Above.  I was delighted. He signed it for me and told me he would be very eager to hear what I thought about it. Of course, I shall read it and get back to him soon.  It will feel good to hold a physical book in my hand as all the reading I have done since living in Bombay has been on my IPad. After taking a few pictures, we left the place and thought of hailing a cab to my next appointment--an interview with the theater doyen, Alyque Padamsee.
     Nariman Point also looked exactly as I remembered it from 30 years ago--so few people, so little traffic--a bit like Canary Wharf in London today.  Skyscrapers all around me, lovely artsy establishments, swanky restaurants and food courts...The place wore the deserted look of an abandoned city as all offices were closed for the day. It is truly a pleasure to recall the Bombay of my growing years at times like these--and I realize once again where my love affair with this city had first begun.

An Interview Cancelled:
     It was equally fun to drive along Marine Drive today--traffic sped along and taxi drivers were able to do something they can never do on normal days--really rev up their engines and fly! A cool breeze from the Arabian Sea blew straight into my face as I enjoyed its pleasures. We sped up Walkeshwar Road again but just as Mike was getting ready to hop off, I got a call from Alyque's secretary Annie cancelling our appointment as he had developed a urinary infection and been admitted into a hospital in the morning.  She told me that she would call to reschedule soon.
     Mike hopped off at Petit Hall and I simply continued in the same cab all the way to Bandra.  In fact, we did not even need to take the Sea Link but went via Cadell Road as the roads were empty--such a great joy to drive in such circumstances!

Home to Vegetate...
    Back home earlier than expected, I simply vegetated.  I took a short nap but did not even have a cup of tea as I continued to read world comment on the US mid-term elections that had me spellbound. What a relief to know that the Dems have captured the Senate!
     Next, I got dressed and went to Dad's. It was Wednesday--so we had the Novena and Mass to attend. Dad left earlier but I spent about 20 minutes chatting with Russel--who is flush with his success on the walker.
     After the Novena and Mass, I jumped into a rickshaw and went to my cousin Ruby's daughter Linnet's place as it was her birthday and I wanted to wish her in person.  I discovered that the old practice of going over to wish someone had all but disappeared--unless you are actually invited to a party, no one shows up! People now wish each other through texts and calls!  I was, therefore, the only person there as I gave myself up to the thrill of having Ruby and Linnet entirely to myself.  We had so much to chat about. I had an excellent slice of Double Chocolate Fudge Cake--her birthday cake--and a Coke and then I left.
    I was amazed at the lack of noise or fireworks. In fact, two years ago, when I lived in Ealing in London, I had heard more fireworks than I did living right there in Bombay. It felt so odd. However, there are fairy lights everywhere and the affluent suburb of Bandra with its dozens of jewelry shops and its multi-cuisine restaurants is simply transformed as the festive spirit reigns.
    Back home, I ate my dinner--relieved to finish off my leftovers as a new tiffin was delivered this morning--mince curry and white pumpkin with lentils. I had ice-cream for dessert as I watched Couples Come Dine With Me and then switched the light off at about 10.30 pm.
     What a day!
      Until tomorrow...