Getting Accustomed to an Unscheduled Life

Thursday, July 4, 2019
Bombay

Getting Accustomed to an Unscheduled Life

     Namaste from Bombay!
     I awoke to the realization that today is July 4--American Independence Day--and a federal holiday in the US. Llew is home today and has spent the evening of July 3 at the fireworks organized by the Town of Fairfield on Jennings Beach with our Book Club/Gourmet Club friends. They were invited to get together at Mary-Jo and Ford's house and since it was still July 3 in Connecticut when I was waking up in India on July Fourth, Llew and I chatted on the phone first thing in the morning and he told me all about the fireworks and sent me some pictures. He is also invited for a Barbecue dinner on July 4--so he will have quite an eventful Fourth!
      As for me, I got along with my day which suddenly yawns before me with nothing really urgent to do. I feel at an unaccustomed loose end after months of hectic activity. What's worse is that the rain hardly promotes fun exploration. It keeps me cooped up indoors and, thankfully, because I do enjoy movies and reading, I do not feel as bored as I would have done otherwise. 
     Breakfast was the last of my Theo Broma multi-grain loaf with various spreads and coffee--I needed to finish that loaf before I dived into my new sourdough raisin-walnut loaf (half of which I shall take to Dad and Russel). When that was done, I spent a while on my phone sending invitations to a few close friends for a small birthday celebration. It will be decades since I have been in Bombay for my birthday--which, because it falls in the summer, I have celebrated, over the years, in South Africa, Berlin, Alaska, Hawaii, London and other world cities. This time it will be back where it all began: in the city in which I was born. My late mother used to always moan the fact that it was hard to plan a birthday party for me as it always took place in the throes of the monsoon and on a day when it was usually dripping. Well, it won't be different this year, by the looks of it, so I am steeling myself for a cancellation, if the weather makes travel unsafe. So, there I sat, inviting about 10 friends over to Dad's place where we shall hold a little party on the evening on July 8 at 7. 30 pm.
      Responses came almost instantly with every one of the invitees telling me they could make it. Ninaz told me not to buy a cake as she will be bringing it. And although I told her not to bother, she insisted. I, of course, will be catering the entire meal, from good old Bandra Gym--hopefully, my friend Sameer there will deliver (as he had done when I had ordered on Dad's birthday).  At any rate, I am so glad that my friends are coming. Honestly, I would have liked to have invited many more, but Dad's flat is small and there is no room to accommodate everyone who has generously offered me invitations to their homes or clubs during the past year.  I have had to restrict my guest list to about 12 folks.
     That done, I blogged and posted my draft. I also continued reading my novel The Cuckoo's Calling. When finished, I decided to spend some time before lunch culling through my accumulation of papers and getting rid of things I did not want. I will be leaving some things behind at Dad's (papers pertaining to my Bandra Gymkhana membership, my bank books, etc).
     Streamlining my collection of papers took me substantially forward with my plans to return to the US. It was then lunch time and I ate the leftovers of my beef sizzler from the Gym together with a portion of Hawaian Chicken Salad from Candies. I ate part of a mango for dessert. I watched House Hunters International (based in Sweden this time) as I ate and when I was done, I continued reading and then took a nap.
     When I awoke, it was time for tea. I had a pot of tea with a chocolate croissant (which was superb) and then was just getting ready to spend the evening at Dad's place with him and Russel when the heavens opened and it came crashing down! That did it. I decided to stay indoors and continue reading. I let Dad know I would not be going over to his place and I chatted with Russel on the phone.
     I went in for a shower and shampoo and emerged to watch a bit of TV--rather desultorily, I must say. Then it was time for dinner: Valerie's meal of chicken curry with stewed legumes and a chapatii and more salad and then it was time for bed.
     I had two more invitations before I went to bed: my friends Liz and Jeevan have invited me for dinner to their place on July 11 and my former student (and now friend) Rashida invited a group of us to her home for lunch on Saturday. On Sunday, I have plans for lunch with another school friend Beulah at her place in Chembur--so that is my upcoming weekend sorted. Before I know it, it will be time to leave this apartment and move to Dad's for the last two weeks of my stay in Bombay. Meanwhile, there is my birthday and Russel's birthday (July 15) to go through.
     Until tomorrow...
   


-->