Teaching Two Classes Online, Lunch with A Friend in Southport Village, Meeting at Chase Bank

Thursday, August 10, 2023

Westport, Connecticut

Teaching Two Classes Online, Lunch with A Friend in Southport Village, Meeting at Chase Bank. >

The good thing about modern technology is that you can continue to work even though you may be miles away from base. After waking up really early, I realized I had two classes back to back and those took me on to nearly 12 noon. I ate my breakfast in-between classes (muesli with yogurt, milk and coffee) and was ready to leave with Leslie at noon when she drove off to her work at the Pequot Library. I had a meeting at the Chase Bank with Gina at 2.00 pm—hence, I texted my friend Bonnie and asked if she was free to join me for lunch in Southport Village until my meeting began. She was free and ready to meet me at the parking lot of the Pequot Library—but when I did meet her, she was inside checking out a book. I introduced her to Leslie while I went downstairs to take a look at the bins in our basement Sorting Room. By the time I returned upstairs, they were chatting away like old friends.

Lunch with Bonnie at the Driftwood Café:

Going to the Driftwood Café is like returning into the arms of an old friend. Almost thirty years ago, when Llew, Chriselle and I had first moved into our home, we ate lunch daily for a week at the Driftwood as we had ordered a refrigerator and needed to wait for a week for delivery. When we were leaving Southport, to relocate to India, eight months ago, we ate our few last meals there too as we were staying in our neighbor’s apartment which did not have a kitchen.

Bonnie told me that she had last eaten in the Driftwood ages ago. It made sense to settle down in this 1950’s establishment, a real Southport Village institution, and have a chinwag.

Since neither of us was hugely hungry, we decided to split a tuna sandwich on toasted whole wheat bread and to get a Diet Coke each. The sandwich was delicious and as I was eating one after ages, I simply loved it. Bonnie treated me to lunch and I made her promise that’s she would make the time to meet me again for lunch so that I could treat her back.

A Meeting at the Chase Bank:

Just before 2.00 pm, Bonnie and I said goodbye as she headed off home and I crossed the main intersection in Southport Village to arrive at the Chase Bank where I had a meeting scheduled with our Relationship Manager, Gina. She had to help me change the profile details on my bank account and she went through the process with her wonderful efficiency which makes Banking in the USA such a pleasure (and SO culturally different from the situation in Bombay). As my questions got more complicated, she pulled Keith, the Investments expert, in and he, in turn, introduced me to the Manager of the Branch, Omar Khalid (as there has been a change of guard there too—when we lived in Southport, it was Mark with whom we had a long relationship over several decades). By the end of an hour-long meeting, it was agreed that Llew should be a part of our next meeting and that we would do it by zoom to allow him to participate as well. This meeting has been scheduled for next week when I will return to the bank.

Browsing Through the Stores in Southport:

I had an hour to kill before I had to meet Leslie at the Library so that I could get a ride back home with her. I decided to use the time to browse through the shops in Southport Village as so many of them seem to have undergone a metamorphosis. I found a new shop called Foxtrot Home at the Runk Douglas Carriage House and as it was filled with vintage and antique finds, I decided to give browsing inside a lot of time.

So, when I realized that Lattice House had moved into the shop that was once occupied by the Southport Galleries, I stepped right into it. Lattice House is owned and run by my friends Chris and Parker and they were simply delighted to see me again. I love their collection of carefully curated accessories for the home. Parker does serious Interior Design and has cornered some real estate in the large space. Chris came forward to greet me and later Parker joined in our chat. We had a really long natter about the tumultuous political goings-in in the US today. Both of them wondered how America is being perceived in other parts of the world and I had a lot to tell them. We also chatted about common friends and their whereabouts and since both of them know our current tenants (of our home in Southport Village so well), they assured me that our home is in terrific hands and that our tenants (who happens to be a very high-end interior designer and decorator) is sure to take immaculate care of our house and garden. I came away from our chat thinking how blessed we are, on so many fronts.

After our chat, I was left with just enough time to stroll to Pequot Library. Along the way, I took many pictures of Southport Village. At 4.00 pm, Leslie was almost ready to leave. She gathered up her stuff and, in a short while, we were on our way to her place. She sat down with a bowl of popcorn (her snack of choice) and I made myself a cuppa with lemon and snacked on a few cookies.

Dinner with Leslie at Home:

Leslie and I had leftovers of hoisin chicken with greens and roasted vegetables for dinner as we continued to watch Ted Lasso. We have settled into a happy routine, but this will change at the weekend when her husband returns from India and her daughter arrives from Boston for a few days.

I had enough time and energy to go in for a shower and get ready for bed.

Until tomorrow…cheerio!