Two More Interviews...and Taking Michelle For Dinner

Monday, April 8, 2019
Bombay

Two More Interviews...and Taking Michelle For Dinner

     Namaste from Bombay!
     Time is marching on and so are my interviews. I am trying hard to stay on track as sudden travel opportunities are throwing themselves at me and I need to work overtime if I wish to take advantage of them.
     I awoke at 6.30am and began blogging and reading my Twitter feed and having a few words with Llew. It is clear that we are now both missing each other very much as we look for opportunities to chat even if it is for only a few minutes. He has applied for his visa for Brazil--I am way behind as my focus is still on getting first to Uzbekistan.
     While I was in the middle of transcribing, it was 8.00am and I made a call (as instructed) to Patrician Rozario, a Britain-train soprano who returns to Bombay a few times a year with her English pianist husband to run Master singing classes at her home in Santa Cruz. I had another interview lined up at 11.00 but I cleared my calendar and made room for an interview with her at 9.30 when she asked if that was possible.
     I sped through my brekkie of muesli and coffee and got dressed and ran. A rick got me to her place in about 15 minutes--she gave me excellent directions--and soon I was sitting down with in the living room of the gorgeous Edwin Lutyens' style two story bungalow with which Santa Cruz was once crammed. As I waited for her to come in, with a gleaming grand piano not even two feet from me, I took in the lovely architectural details of the house--the bow shaped windows at one end of the spacious living room, the Art Deco style window grills, the high ceilings and the glorious curved teak stairs that had their own stairwell. Such a beautifully designed home! The second floor was an exact replica of the first.
     In about ten minutes, Patricia emerged and told me to come upstairs which was far more furnished than the lower level--which she told me is uninhabited but used as her rehearsal and classroom space. I met her husband Mark who was preparing for his class.  I think people are very disappointed when I do not take their offer for coffee--but I hate to have to explain to everyone that I have caffein intolerance and cannot drink tea or coffee that is caffeinated!

An Interview with a Sterling Soprano:
     My chat with Patricia was superb. She is a lovely person--someone with a Goan background who was trained at the Guildhall School of Music in London as an opera singer and has lived in the UK ever since she went there as a student in her early 20s. She talked mainly about the role of the Zonals in her life and the kind of influence they had on her. It is increasingly clear to me that what I had suspected deep down is indeed true--that Catholics in Bombay have much to be grateful for in the Zonal competitions that were held each year in their parishes--not only did it showcase their immense talents in the Western Performing Arts but it paved the way for the kind of careers so many of them enjoy today in the Arts. I am going to have such a good time when I actually start writing the book/s that I think will come out of all my research and data-collection.
     I met Patricia's students just as I was leaving as she had a master class scheduled with them for the next few hours.
     I took a rick back from her place to Bandra and went straight to my next appointment--another Interview.

An Interview with Joe Cordo:
     I have gotten to know Joe Cordo well through Church as he is a fellow Lector who sometimes gives Dad and me a ride back home after Mass. He is also the husband of Celeste Cordo, a choir conductor whom I had interviewed a few months ago. Many of the actors I had been interviewing over the past few months kept mentioning Joe's name to me as a Creative Director of the theatrical shows in which they were involved. I felt it was high time I sat with him and had a chat.
     Joe took me into his beautiful air-conditioned studio--he owns several of these recording studios all around Bombay that he rents out and on which he makes his money. As our talk marched on, I discovered that he is a multi-talented person who takes care of sound, lights, sets, backdrops, makes films for advertisers and corporations and designs audio-visual shows. It was wonderful walking down Memory Lane with him and recalling the many shows that I had either seen or heard of while I had still lived in Bandra, thirty years ago. We even talked about friends that we once had in common but with whom we have completely lost touch. It was exciting for us both to revisit those contacts.
     Joe too offered me coffee which I politely refused but, by the time our interview was over, I was starving and ready to dive into my lunch. I walked the ten minutes back home and made straight for the new tiffin that Valerie's delivery man Henry had left at my door. I realized that she did not send me chapattis plus I still had some leftover chicken curry and beans to finish off--which I did. Valerian offered to send me the chapatis and she did--about ten minutes later, Noel came with them.
     I finished lunch and then sat immediately to transcribe my interview with Patricia. After a while, I felt sleepy and thought of taking my 20 minute power nap. The AC was on and I have a most comfortable work space even while it seems to rage fire out there, weather-wise.
     But I did something I haven't done in months. I curled up for a nap at 2.00 pm and I did not awake util 3.45! I was stunned and very disappointed with myself as I lost precious time during which I had intended to transcribe my interview with Joe. At the same time, I was thrilled at how rested I feel and how much, it seemed, my body needed the rest.
     When I woke, I showered and had a cup of tea with some nuts and then left for Dad's. Michelle was supposed to join me at the corner but she was running later--everyone wants to take her out or spend some time with her, now that she is leaving Bombay for the States.
     I visited with Dad and Russel and then Michelle joined us, some 20 minutes later. She did spend some time with us (Russel was delighted to see her again)--but then we had to leave for Mass and she could not get the pictures she wanted with them. She says that she will return tomorrow.
     The three of us--Dad, Michelle and I--went off to Mass but left right after it ended. We did not stay for the Missions which will be conducted for the rest of the week. Joe gave us a ride back home and Michelle and I stayed for just another ten minutes before we left to meet Anil and Ninaz for our dinner date at the Bandra Gymkhana.

Dinner at the Bandra Gymkhana:
     Michelle and I walked to the Bandra Gymkhana and were joined by Anil and Ninaz just a few minutes later. We made our way up to the restaurant and settled down for a meal. They have a special Fish and Seafood Menu for Lent and it was from there that we made our choices: a Tom Collins for Michelle and myself and fresh lime sodas for Anil and Ninaz with lemon pepper prawns and fried Squid for starters. The main was Prawns Caldine Curry with steamed rice, a whole pomfret stuffed with Reichad Masala and  Greek Salad. Dessert was seradurra which Michelle wanted to taste and which we all helped her finish. The meal was magnificent and I was struck, once again, at how smart it was to have become a member of this private club as I never dreamed I would use it so much. Anil is also a member--he became a member at the same time I did--and while I use the health club, he often plays tennis here.
     Anil and Ninaz went off on their scooter while Michelle and I walked home after a truly delightful evening.
    Back home, I cursorily watched TV until my eyes were drooping and I decided to bring the curtain down on another busy day in Bombay.
    Until tomorrow...