Monday, September 3, 2018
Bombay
Getting Settled…on Janmashtami
What is Janmashtami?
I awoke in my new studio for the first time on Janmashtami—I knew it as Gokulashtami where I was a girl growing up in India. It is a bank holiday and so a lot of shops and other business establishments were closed. It is a joyous Hindu festival that celebrates the birthday of Lord Krishna, the little blue-faced child-god who is beloved of his followers. In India, Hindus celebrate it by hanging terracotta pots (handis) containing dahi (which is Hindi for yoghurt) on strings between buildings way up high. The idea is to congregate as a neighborhood community and make a human pyramid that will reach up to the pot. The man at the very top then tries to break the pot with encouragement from onlookers. The practice symbolizes the fondness that the young Lord Krishna had for yoghurt. Legend has it that, as child, he would sneak into the kitchen and eat it. Attempting to keep the pot beyond his reach, his mother would tuck it away at a height. Using all his ingenuity, little Lord Krishna would still try to get at the pot. Hence, the fun re-enactment of his efforts.
I made myself my first cup of coffee in my new studio using my electric kettle and my microwave oven. It felt so good to sip my own hazelnut coffee (grounds brought from the US) with Coffeemate (also brought from the US in the travel pouch I usually carry to fix my own decaff tea and coffee in overseas hotels). I have also carried pounds and pounds of my own homemade granola. But I realized that I did not have yoghurt or milk in my fridge and so I could not have breakfast.
What I Carried With Me From the States:
Just as I was contemplating what I should do for breakfast, my Dad called to ask if I would like to join them. He said he was wondering how I could eat as I would need crockery and cutlery to even put together the simplest meal. I told him that I have lived alone in so many parts of the world and have ‘moved house’ myself or moved Chriselle in and out of homes so often that I know exactly what I should carry to help me set up shop initially. . For instance, I told him that the first thing I did was place a roll of toilet paper in my bag as I was leaving his place as I knew there would be none in my new home! He laughed out loud. I also told him that I had carried one dinner plate, one quarter plate, one cereal bowl, one everyday glass, one crystal glass (you cannot enjoy a G and T without a really good glass), one Lenox porcelain mug (you cannot enjoy a cup of coffee without a really special mug) and one porcelain cup and saucer (you cannot enjoy a tea of tea without a really special c and s). In China, I had bought one knife, one fork, one tablespoon and one teaspoon…so, I am all set!!! Dad was simply stunned. You could have taken all these things from me, he said. I did not have the heart to tell him that having my own everyday things from the States make me feel at home, comforted, not quite so alien in my new solitary situation. He also marveled at the fact that I’d had the foresight to carry all these things with me. How do you think I ended up with three suitcases, I asked???
Anyway, without any milk or curd at home, I could not fix myself breakfast—so I did hop across to Dad’s where I had Theo Broma’s raisin-nut bread with a slice of Kraft processed cheese and coffee. I left Dad’s home taking 3 mugs from his place to mine—to stack my pens and pencils at my bedside table, to place my kitchen accessories (all brought from the States—microplane grater, potato peeler, lemon reamer, whisk, kitchen scissors, small paring knife, large Chef’s knife). I also carried 6 round stacking Tupperware containers with lids. I never make my home anywhere in the world without carrying these with me. One mug was placed on my drainage board to hold my washed cutlery (I have carried a dish draining pad from Bed,Bath and Beyondwith me). Dad also gave me a pack of new hand towels to use as kitchen towels. From Dad’s place, I also took a sponge with abrasive side to wash my utensils, a plain sponge for cleaning the counter tops and a duster for cleaning surfaces.
What Were the First Things I Bought?
On my way back, I stopped at the vegetable kiosk and picked up lemons (for my tea and G and Ts—yes, I have my priorities right!). I then stopped at the dairy and picked up yogurt for my cereal. At the grocery store next door, I picked up cream, almond milk (so delighted to find it), two large litre bottles of Bisleri water, a box of tissues (as I am still fighting allergies from air pollution and probably the smell of fresh paint in my studio), liquid detergent (the grocer recommended something called Prill) and toilet cleaner (he recommended Harpic). I so miss my Mum—she would have advised me on every household aspect, had she still been with us. But Dad has been extraordinary and has told me not to buy anything as he has everything and can simply pass things on to me. So too my friend Shahnaz said, “Do not buy any bed linen. I have sheets for king sized beds. You can have them.”I do, however, need to buy a bedspread and Fab India, which is only a ten-minute stroll away, would be the place to buy it.
My First Tiffin:
The grocer told me that he would have my groceries delivered to my house! I was delighted. I gave him my address and left. By the time I reached home, my first tiffin was already hanging on my door—homemade food, home delivered. What a fantastic service! I was simply thrilled. Inside, in each compartment of a tiffin carrier, I found 7 mince cutlets, meatball curry with 10 meatballs and a huge amount of eggplant—tiny ones that were stuffed and cooked. Since I do not eat carbs, I had told the supplier who is named Valerie not to send me rice or chappatis—and so she has sent me an enormous amount of other food. Since I have ordered the meal delivery service every other day, this tiffin will see me through two days or four meals—two lunches and two dinners. I moved the food into my Tupperware containers—see? I knew I would use them! I washed the tiffin and it is now ready to be returned to the supplier and delivery man when he brings my next tiffin on Wednesday! Some things in India do work!
‘Me Monday’and Installing a Shower Curtain:
Back home in the States, I always christened the first day of the week, Me Monday. It is the day of the week I always keep for myself—personal grooming chores are done on this day.
But as I had not yet installed the shower curtain in my bathroom, I had to do that first. There was no shower curtain rod in my bathroom and knowing that, I had told Llew to bring me (to China) a retractable one from Bed, Bath and Beyond. He had done this and I had to figure out how to make it work. It involved the use of a Phillips screwdriver (which, of course, I did not have). Since necessity is the mother of invention, I used the tip of a pair of scissors. And it worked! I had also purchased two shower curtains with accompanying rings from China –and these too I installed in my bathroom.
Getting the curtain up there required me to stand on a stool—I did not have one. So I used one of the night stands from my bed and voila! It was up! But not without a huge amount of stretching with my weak right shoulder and arm—I was worried sick that it would trigger off the issue I am having with a torn rotator cuff—but, luckily, I had the good sense to let my left hand do much of the work.
Once the shower curtain was up, in keeping with tradition, I had a shower and shampoo—my first one in my new bathroom. Over the years, when I have lived overseas, in London and Paris, for instance, I have been blessed in that I had fabulous bathrooms—each of which was like a spa to me. I am trying to make this one feel the same way—and to a large extend, it does. It is clean, new and well-appointed. The shower was hot and the volume was more than adequate. I do not know where the switch is to put on the exhaust fan—you need that in India as the warmth and humidity can make bathrooms feel like saunas. I will have to find out where it is. I also did a home manicure and pedicure and tidied my eyebrows. It felt so good to be able to keep myself looking clean and put together.
Next, I organized a mug to hold my stationary supplies right by my bed with a note pad to write down phone messages or numbers. I also organized my costume jewelry in a large chocolate box that I found at my Dad’s and that I had asked him to save for me. I placed my three empty suitcases in the balcony covered by a vast sheet of plastic that had packed my microwave oven. Slowly but surely, I am settling down and feeling at home.
Midway through the morning, my next door neighbor brought the garbage collection woman to my door. My neighbor’s name is Forum and I was reminded so much of my former London neighbors, Tim Freeman and Barbara Cookson, whose apartment was also to the immediate right of mine and who had ended up becoming such dear friends of mine. Forum apologized for not taking my tiffin inside her home, but, as she explained it, they are strict Jains and will never put themselves in contact with non-vegetarian food. I told her that it was perfectly fine, as I did not expect her to take it inside.
At lunch time, about 1.30, I had my lunch while reading the biography of Prince Charles by Sally Bedell Smith which I have downloaded on my Ipad through my local Fairfield library. It will keep me company until my TV is installed. I then washed up lunch things and continued reading until I felt sleepy and ready for a nap. Meanwhile, my friends were texting me and telling me where I could go to buy a bedspread, garbage bins for my kitchen and bathroom, curtains for my window, etc. I had my usual 20-minute nap and continued to read.
Visiting my Cousin Ruby:
At 4.00 pm, I called my Dad and asked him if he would like to accompany me to visit my cousin Ruby who has not been at all well. Dad told me that he would be ready at 5. 15 pm and he would love to go with me. We took a rickshaw and spent the evening at my cousin’s place. En route, as we were passing through a Hindu neighborhood, we had the chance to see a pot being broken on the road through the creation of a human pyramid. What was different from the years gone by in my memory was that all the men were dressed in saffron with their younger compatriots dressed in fluorescent green! Many of them were on motor bikes. Traffic slowed to a crawl to accommodate their festivity. It was, I have to admit, fun to watch, but I was also worried as crowds can become uncontrolled at any time and I hate to be in the midst of them.
My cousin Ruby is doing poorly as a result of a skin infection for which she is under the care of a good dermatologist. She says that there is improvement and she hopes to make a complete recovery soon. It was so sad to just sit there and watch as she told us how much she has suffered through it. I have decided to simply step up my prayers for her as there is nothing any of us can do.
After our visit, we hailed a passing rickshaw and went straight to Mass. As we were early, we visited with two of the office assistants at our church. The Novena to the Blessed Mother is on as September 8 is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. After Mass, I walked to another grocery store with Dad to buy cereal—to bolster my own home made supply—and found muesli there. Also bought more toilet paper and a bottle of local Indian honey for my cereal.
Back home, I did some reading, then had my dinner and went straight to bed at 10.00 pm as I feel very sleep by that time. Hopefully, as all business will resume tomorrow, I shall get my internet connection sorted…
Until tomorrow…
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