Breakfast at Taj Land's End and Catching Up with Work

Monday, March 4, 2019
Bombay

Breakfast at Taj Land's End and Catching Up with Work

    Namaste from Bombay!

Birthday Breakfast at Taj Lands End:
    Despite spending a week in five-star hotels, there is something wonderfully comforting about waking up in your own home after a spate of travels. Be it ever so humble, etc...So I was thrilled to wake up at 6.30 am yesterday. But I did not have too much time to blog--just enough to catch the news on Twitter as I had been invited to breakfast. My brother Roger's wife, Lalita, happens to be celebrating her birthday in Bombay and the family had booked a night at the Taj Land's End Hotel at Bandra Bandstand.  A few folks were invited to celebrate it by joining them for breakfast at the Taj. I was told to be there at 8.00 am--so I took a rickshaw and was there at 8.00 to find Roger in the lobby getting arrangements ready.
     The breakfast which is free for guests of the hotel is held in the coffee shop which is on the second floor. Part of it overlooks the beautiful waters of the Arabian Sea. Since I was the first to arrive, Roger asked me whether sitting outside would be preferable to sitting in the air-conditioned interior of the place. Since it is still really pleasantly cool in Bombay early in the morning, it made sense to be outside.  He told me that a total of ten people were expected. We then asked the wait staff to join tables. as I decided to go inside and take a look at the offerings. As in any five-star hotel, there was a lot from which to choose.
     The rest of the guests arrived by 8.30 pm. It was a group of their former neighbors from their building in Bombay plus Lalita's sister Pearl and myself. I decided to go for those things I do not get to eat often in Bombay--so I started off with a delicious mango milkshake and an almond croissant. I then went on to place an order for what looked really enticing: Truffled Scrambled Eggs--they were chalked in on the blackboard near the live Egg station. I asked the waitress standing by if they were using real truffles on the eggs and she said, yes, they were! Wow! That would be a rare treat indeed! I asked for mine to be made with ham and cheese but not placed on the English muffin (as I wanted to avoid some carbs). While I awaited its preparation, I helped myself to a slice of toast with smoked salmon (I have not eaten any since I arrived here in Bombay and, doubtless, this is imported). With sour cream and chopped onions, it was my second course. I asked for lemon wedges to be brought to the table so that we could really enjoy the smoked salmon.
     When my eggs were brought to my table, the waitress told me that they had run out of the truffles (Of course!) and that the chef has used some truffle oil instead. Needless to say, I did not get the taste of the truffle oil at all--this was probably how they actually do it; I have a feeling she spoke through her hat when she told me they used real truffles! So, the eggs were no great shakes: they were basically scrambled eggs with ham and cheese! I also asked for a decaf coffee and was very happy to find that they had them.
      Other folks at the table were going crazy with pancakes and crepes and dosas and all sorts of things. I gave it a break as I was full with what I had eaten but later, having spied kheer, I took a small helping of it with some freshly squeezed orange juice--both were very good. Stuffed once again (just when I had decided that I would curb what I ate after a week of five-star hotel buffet breakfasts in Kerala!), I got up from the table, thanked my hosts and bid everyone goodbye by 10.00 am. I was dropped off by some of the people present and went straight to my Dad's place to pick up my bed linen.
     I visited with Russel for a bit and then left as they had their morning routine to get through. Rohit is shaping up well but spends a part of the morning cooking his own food. I left soon after and reached home where I actually made my bed properly and sank down on it. The days are definitely getting warmer and there is the sure presence of humidity in the air. Just the short ten minute walk from Dad's place to mine at about 11.00 am caused me to sweat a little. It is funny but as soon as March hit the calendar, so did the heat!

Back to the Salt Mines Again:
     I spent the rest of the day hard at work--so hard that I had no idea where the day went. First of all, I spent about an hour on the phone making calls to set up appointments with people I need to interview for the next couple of weeks.  I got firm interviews scheduled with about six folks which will see me through the next two weeks.
     I also called Russel's physiotherapist Valerian and had a long chat with him about resuming exercises under his supervision but with immense caution. Valeria was a good listener and seems amendable to scaling back and changing his approach. We set up an appointment for 11.30 am tomorrow which will allow me to get to the gym before I join him at Dad's place to watch the exercise session.
      Next, I spent time on the phone with Sam Kerawala who is extremely well-connected in Bombay theater circles getting phone numbers from him for the various people with whom I still need to chat.  
      Next, I called my Anglo-Indian friend Owen who is in Bombay for a limited time from London where he is teaching a course at IIT Powai. I was hoping to meet him before he left--I thought at the end of the month.  It turns out that he is leaving next week and is currently in Connoor in Kerala where he is visiting his maternal Malayalee relatives (he is English on his father's side of the family). So there went my pans to meet him because Owen is swamped until his departure next week.
      Next, I looked at the interview with Zane Dalal that had transcribed but did to have the time to proof read. I finished proof reading it and saved the interview. I now only have the interview with Rael Padamsee to transcribe (which I shall do tomorrow) and I will be up-to-date with my work backlog--before more interviews take place and need to be transcribed! No rest for the wicked!
     I then took a break and had a shower and shampoo and stripped my nails of old polish wth the idea of painting them again. That dine, I skipped lunch as I was still so stuffed with my gigantic breakfast and instead made up an itinerary for the trip to South America that Llew and I are planning to take at the end of May to coincide with a faculty conference that NYU is organizing and to which I have been invited. I needed to consult with him about a couple of things before I put a tentative itinerary together. I then emailed the itinerary to Llew who was just awaking in the US to a snowstorm at night that had left about six inches of snow and closed schools, universities (NYU was shut) and our church. Luckily, there seemed to be no storm damage as Llew left for work. While he was on the train, getting to work, we discussed the itinerary and the possibilities of seeing Argentina and Brazil quite thoroughly (with a side trip to the Iguazzu Falls). It will be a first time for Llew since I saw Rio pretty thorough when I was there for another conference, about four years ago. I am excited as it would be at least nine months before I saw Llew--which is the longest we have ever been apart.

The Oxford Webcam Provides Welcome Distraction:
     Yup, I was at it again now that I have returned home. At 1.30 pm, I switch on my TV screen to the Martin School webcam at Oxford which offers me a live window into the goings-on on Broad Street (colloquially known as The Broad). As I work, I keep imagining I am seated at a window of the Indian Institute (which the Martin School once was) and that I am looking down upon one of my favorite cities in the world. It turned out to be a really beautiful day in Oxford with blue skies filled with puffy white clouds and golden rays of sunshine sneaking in through the tall Cotswold stone-clad buildings. It was a great puzzle to see large groups of students (all clad in uniforms) in groups trooping in and out of the Weston Library, the Museum of the History of Science and the yard of the Sheldonian Theater. I wondered whether it was a special Open House day or something in Oxford as I am aware (through Hilary, who is English and a regular reader of this blog) that the week of Half-term holidays was two weeks ago!
     It also turns out that I am not the only weirdo who has this webcam live-beaming from Oxford in my home in Bombay. I discovered while in Munnar with my Fulbrighter friend Michelle who is from Saipan in the Polynesian Islands that she has her TV set to a beach near her home so that she can see what is going on there, all day long! We are truly two peas in a pod! I was aghast! So now I know that there are other people who tune in to their own individual 'happy place' and live in their imagination in a different part of the world from the one in which they currently find themselves.

More Work Accomplished:    
     Itinerary tentatively done, I began corresponding with my admin assistant at NYU to make inquiries about ticketing for Llew (my ticket will be booked by the university). I also began to correspond with the Fulbright folks about some other possibilities that I am exploring to undertake while I am still in India. I had to review and update my CV and put down a list of possible assignments I could undertake. Believe me, I felt deeply productive and virtuous as all this work was accomplished.
     At about 5.30 pm, I began drafting my monthly newsletter for the month of February, but I had to stop at 6.00 pm as I had told Dad I would be at this place at 6.30 pm as he wanted to go a bit early to church to book some Masses for his late sister Cellie and her husband Lawrie. I carried off more of my laundry to Dad's together with some pink guava jam and black Kerala halwa (which he loves) that I had bought for him and Russel from Kerala. I did not visit long with Russel as Dad and I left to book the Masses. We met Norma, the assistant in the parish office, who helped us accomplish our booking after which Dad and I went to church. The Mass was a month's mind one for Kreisler Drego, our young friend who had passed away of diabetes leaving behind his elderly father Arnold who was present in a wheelchair at the front of the church. It breaks my heart thinking of how he will find the mental strength to take this loss and live with it. I prayed hard for the family and especially for Arnold. In Bombay, there is the custom of giving all mass attendees a box of heavy snacks as many of them come for the month's mind mass from a long distance. Dad and I picked up a box each containing a chicken croissant, a chicken pattie, a chutney sandwich and a soft drink box. I gave mine to Dad so that he and Russel could have its contents for dinner. I had not touched Valerie's lunch today and had put it straight in my fridge as I simply did not feel hungry all day. At tea time, I ate a few nuts. I did not even have a cup of tea today--I was so busy working and so full.  
     Dad and I walked back to his gate together where we parted company. Back home, I had a bowl of dal with spinach and a small helping of brinjal as I watched Grace and Frankie which I am really enjoying very much. Llew and Chriselle had recommended that I watch Killing Eve on Netflix, but it is not available on Netflix in India. I am thinking of watching The Sinner, but I think I will need to read up a bit more on it.  Sadly, I did not find any time to continue reading my novel which I shall do at the gym tomorrow--when I shall resume my routine.
     After dinner and TV, I continued drafting my newsletter and was almost done with it. I shall polish it off tomorrow and send it on its way. It is a couple of days late because I was traveling.
      Until tomorrow...