Friday, November 23, 2018
Bombay
A Morning at Dad's and Musical Entertainment Through 'Celebrate Bandra'
Namaste from Bombay!
Bombay may not have an autumn season...but it is clear that the year is closing in on us. It gets bright later in the day and night falls faster--by 5.45 we have lost daylight and by 6.00 pm, it is positively dark!
Thanksgiving in the US:
I awoke at 6.30 am and began blogging. Just then, the calls with the US began--it was still Thanksgiving there and Llew reached out to me while the group was around the Thanksgiving table ready to begin their meal. I had a chance to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving which was a lot of fun--my brother Roger's family were present as were the Seqeuiras with their nieces Tara and Priyanka, Llew's niece Katherine and her wife Sharon. I also had a chance to get a quick glimpse of the laden table which, thanks to Llew's prowess in the kitchen, was beckoning. He had clearly killed himself to put on a good show and all credit to him for pulling it off so well. When I finished chatting with him, I chatted with Chriselle who was celebrating Thanksgiving in Los Angeles at her friend Nandini's house and some more friends in the Hollywood Hills. Everyone seemed happy and joyous--so it was great to be a part of the festive celebration, although I am miles away from my American home.
At Dad's...with Ewell:
Then, I had my breakfast of a chocolate croissant, bread and spreads with coffee and left for the gym. I only managed a short workout today as I arrived there much later (at 10.15) and the gym closes at 11.00 am. A quick shower later, I left for Dad's flat as he had requested me to come over. Our family friend Ewell who helps Dad with all his accountancy work was coming over at 11.30 am and Dad wondered if I might be required to take something down. I went there with my computer, met Ewell and Russel and spent the morning there as Ewell went over Dad's papers. I was mainly redundant but I used my time fruitfully to read a chapter on his early life in theater that the actor Gerson da Cunha had emailed me in preparation for my interview with him later next week.
Lunch and a Movie at Home:
Back home, I had my lunch (another tiffin had been delivered: shrimp curry with white pumpkin, red pumpkin and tartlets--which were leftovers from my earlier tiffin--I now have so many leftovers in my fridge as I tend to eat out so much). While eating, I began watching Suite Francaise on Netflix--a novel that I had read a few years ago in the States. It is amazing how there are so many works about German soldiers who were posted in French homes during the occupation of World War II and who got involved with their hosts. Again, I had the vague feeling I had seen this movie before---but that was probably because I had read the novel. Wonderful performances by Michelle Williams and Kristin Scott Thomas and I was delighted to recognized an aged Clare Holman with whom I became familiar in the Morse and Lewis TV series. In fact, I recognized a lot of British actors (Harriet Walker, for instance).
Work...again:
Then, I took a short nap and upon awaking began transcribing my interview with Jinx Akerkar. It was great fun going over the information she had shared with me--a great deal about her personal life. At this point, Shahnaz got in touch and asked if I would consider making a change in our evening's program--we were supposed to go a play called Death of an Accidental Anarchist by Dario Fo which is part of the Celebrate Bandra Festival--but I am pretty sure I have seen this, many decades ago. She had received an invitation to see a Musical show that featured a folk group called Ankh Micholi and a quawali group called The Shabri Brothers. This meant that I had to go online to try to get tickets too and the juggling of my set evening's schedule at the last minute irritated me. Still, had I not seen the Dario Fo play before and had I not enjoyed quawali as much as I do, I would have gone alone to the play.
I had a pot of tea with half a guava and an orange (as I am trying to cut down sugar) and then saw that it was already 6.00 pm. It would be too late to go to Dad's and I had already seen him and Russel in the morning. So I merely got dressed, met Shahnaz at the corner where she and her friend Jyoti picked me up. We were dropped off at the Bandra Fort amphitheater where we sat with several friends of Shahnaz.
Musical Evening as Part of Celebrate Bandra:
The second half of the evening's entertainment was very good--the first was simply not my cup of tea: Fusion melodies consisting of heavy rock music with Hindi songs that were meant to be interactive--it sounded like a lot of rubbish to me. The quawali group that followed was very different from the scintillating one I had enjoyed in Hyderabad last month when The Chisti Brothers had regaled us with an unforgettable performance. This one used more than the traditional quawali instruments: usually just the voice, the chapping of hands, a tabla and a harmonium. These guys used electronic synthesizers which changed the sound completely. They have provided a lot of Bollywood music in recent years and the audience was well aware of their hits and enjoyed the entire evening enormously.
Back home on the bus, I had my dinner (a mishmash of the leftovers in my fridge) and finished watching Suite Francaise--very sad, very good. It was after midnight when I called it a night.
Hopefully, I will have something of a more relaxing weekend although I still have to transcribe two very long interviews I did this past week--with Yohan Jeffereis and Jini Dinshaw. And then I will need to get ready for my interviews next week: with Sharon Prabhakar, Sam Kerawala and Geron da Cunha. I also hope to make appointments for a few more interviews which will take me into December...
I hope my American readers are enjoying their long holiday weekend as we swing into the festive season. My friend Delyse from Connecticut informs me that there are already Christmas songs on the radio!!!
Until tomorrow...
Showing posts with label Celebrate Bandra. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Celebrate Bandra. Show all posts
Friday, November 23, 2018
Monday, November 19, 2018
A Day Devoted to Vegetating--well, Almost
Monday, November 19, 2018
Bombay
A Day Devoted to Vegetating--well, Almost
Namaste from Bombay!
After having the kind of hectic day I had yesterday, I decided that I would spend most of today vegetating. I had visions of watching a movie, reading all day, taking a long walk...but none of that really happened.
I awoke at 6.30 and just clean swept all thoughts of going to the gym away. Instead I blogged...and I blogged...and I blogged. I had so much to write yesterday because it had been such an eventful day and so completely related to my field work here in India that even the blogging, in the end, seemed like a load of work! Anyway, I decided to take a holiday from the gym. I also broke with tradition and had a coffee and a chocolate croissant for breakfast. It was probably one of the best chocolate croissants I have ever eaten! Like Marks and Spencer's chocolate eclairs that made an addict of me in the UK, these are going to do the same here in Bombay. Shame! Shame! Shame on me!
That done, I simply had to clean my house. I hadn't done so yesterday as I was rushing off for Mass and Alyque's cremation. Hence, I began...and it went on...and on...and on. Apart from cleaning, I had to replenish a lot of my bottles--with my vitamin supplements, my Metamucil, etc. I also had to get my laundry organized to be taken to Dad for washing. Cleaning my microwave, my fridge, my cabinets, re-making my bed...the list was endless. Then there was the bathroom. Sadly, at the very end of my cleaning spree, I broke my ceramic bowl--the one I use to eat my muesli in each morning. Not that it fell from my hands--luckily, I do not have butter fingers! It fell from the little shelf I have in one of my cabinets. And, to make matters worse, one of the shards cut my toe and the blood started spilling all over my floor! Ugh! The next ten minutes were spent trying to stem the blood flow while picking up and discarding the shards. Of course, this meant that I would have to replace my bowl (I had carried it from home--bought it from Crate and Barrel).
After I finished my cleaning and my bleeding cut was brought under control, I went in for a shower and shampoo and only then relaxed. By that time, it was already past midday and I was ready to eat again--lunch had been delivered in the morning: mince curry, cabbage and cutlets and those I served myself to eat with the last of my fresh papaya for dessert.
I needed a nap, of course, after my physical exertion of the morning...but 20 minutes was all my traitorous body permitted me. I awoke, read The Times on my IPad and made a couple of calls for more interviews. This was really the only bit of 'work' I did today. I fixed appointments with Nisha da Cunha and Gerson da Cunha (they are in-laws--Nisha is married to Gerson's brother Sylvester) both of whom were just lovely on the phone and more than welcoming of my call and my request for an interview). With those sorted, I got dressed and went off in search of a replacement bowl.
I took a rickshaw this time as the cut on my toe was still painful and flexing my toe caused pain. At Cheap Jack on Hill Road, I found a Borosil glass bowl that came close in terms of size and depth to the one I had. With that in my bag, I walked off to Marks and Spencer which is announcing a 50% Off Sale. I thought I would poke around and try to find something. Sadly, I found nothing--the sale items are in gigantic sizes and most of the stuff was in prints--not something I like. I prefer a neutral foundation palette to which I then add color with scarves.
I also nipped into Giani's, the Italian ice-cream place, to replenish my supplies of their Choco Almond Fudge Ice-cream that I adore. With those items in the bag, I walked to Birdy's and bought a chocolate truffle cake for my friends Denzil and Ruth who have invited me for lunch to their place tomorrow. I also bought two more chocolate croissants (for Dad and Russel), a chocolate eclair (so gigantic, I will probably get four servings out of it) and some chocolate truffle cake. I am going to have to put in added hours at the gym--that's for sure!
Back home, I made myself a pot of tea and sipped it while enjoying some cake and part of the eclair. It was OK--I love the flavor of the dark chocolate they use--but nothing, nothing in the world, can come close to the glorious chocolate eclairs that 'Marks and Sparks' sells in the UK!
Then I dressed and went to Dad's place to spend part of the evening with Russel. I was headed to the Celebrate Bandra show tonight called 'Sing India Sing' that features some of Bombay's best-known musicians (mostly vocalists)--so I would be missing Mass with Dad tonight.
Dad found some time to clear out his paperwork in peace while I chatted with Russel and kept him company. At 6.45, when Dad left for Mass, I left with him. I would be meeting Shahnaz at the venue as she was going to get there with her friend Nandini. I jumped into a rickshaw and in ten minutes, I was at the venue--the Bandra Fort Amphitheater. Shahnaz and Nandini had found good seats. We settled ourselves down on a rather uncomfortably warm evening. What made it more uncomfortable was that I was covered from head to toe in a long-sleeved shirt and jeans as I did not want to risk mosquito bites. Thankfully, I carry my hand fan with me everywhere I go and this made it much nicer.
The show was fabulous. I am simply astounded by the standards of Bombay's musicians and especially its female singers. Much of the evening was devoted to heavy rock music--not particularly my cup of chai, but some parts of it were great. The ladies have enormous showmanship and vocal cords that could put Beyonce or Lady Gaga to shame. The show was well compered by Brian Tellis who also sang a duet with an artist called Sarosh Nanavaty. Overall, a lovely night. Nandini and Sangeeta, Shahnaz' friends, left early as the program did not hold their interest. They were headed to the Bandra Gym for dinner.
We stayed on as I was really keen to see the range of talent offered. I recognized Uday Benegal, a friend of ours whom we knew when he lived in New York--at least ten years ago. He has been back in Bombay for a decade and has made waves as one of the most legitimate rockers of his generation. I was also pleased to hear Asif Ali Beg whom my friend Annabelle had told me was wildly talented. He happened to have been in school at St. Mary's with my brother Russel and we remember him as being extraordinarily kind and helpful to Russel all those years ago. He is absolutely wonderfully talented--so I was very pleased to see how well he is doing.
The show ended at 9.00 pm. We hopped into a 211 bus that was waiting for us as it starts at the Bandstand. A few stops later, we hopped off at the Yacht Restaurant. On the bus, we met my friend Blossom who happened also to know Shahnaz. We walked down St Paul's Road together. Shahnaz decided to join her friends at the Bandra Gym but I decided to get back home. We all walked her to the entrance of the Gym, I signed her in and said Bye. Blossom, her friend Marion and I then walked the next five minutes home.
I served myself some dinner and watched Come Dine With Me before I caught up with Twitter, brushed and flossed my teeth and went to bed.
I had wanted to spend the entire day vegetating and I think I came close...
Until tomorrow...
Bombay
A Day Devoted to Vegetating--well, Almost
Namaste from Bombay!
After having the kind of hectic day I had yesterday, I decided that I would spend most of today vegetating. I had visions of watching a movie, reading all day, taking a long walk...but none of that really happened.
I awoke at 6.30 and just clean swept all thoughts of going to the gym away. Instead I blogged...and I blogged...and I blogged. I had so much to write yesterday because it had been such an eventful day and so completely related to my field work here in India that even the blogging, in the end, seemed like a load of work! Anyway, I decided to take a holiday from the gym. I also broke with tradition and had a coffee and a chocolate croissant for breakfast. It was probably one of the best chocolate croissants I have ever eaten! Like Marks and Spencer's chocolate eclairs that made an addict of me in the UK, these are going to do the same here in Bombay. Shame! Shame! Shame on me!
That done, I simply had to clean my house. I hadn't done so yesterday as I was rushing off for Mass and Alyque's cremation. Hence, I began...and it went on...and on...and on. Apart from cleaning, I had to replenish a lot of my bottles--with my vitamin supplements, my Metamucil, etc. I also had to get my laundry organized to be taken to Dad for washing. Cleaning my microwave, my fridge, my cabinets, re-making my bed...the list was endless. Then there was the bathroom. Sadly, at the very end of my cleaning spree, I broke my ceramic bowl--the one I use to eat my muesli in each morning. Not that it fell from my hands--luckily, I do not have butter fingers! It fell from the little shelf I have in one of my cabinets. And, to make matters worse, one of the shards cut my toe and the blood started spilling all over my floor! Ugh! The next ten minutes were spent trying to stem the blood flow while picking up and discarding the shards. Of course, this meant that I would have to replace my bowl (I had carried it from home--bought it from Crate and Barrel).
After I finished my cleaning and my bleeding cut was brought under control, I went in for a shower and shampoo and only then relaxed. By that time, it was already past midday and I was ready to eat again--lunch had been delivered in the morning: mince curry, cabbage and cutlets and those I served myself to eat with the last of my fresh papaya for dessert.
I needed a nap, of course, after my physical exertion of the morning...but 20 minutes was all my traitorous body permitted me. I awoke, read The Times on my IPad and made a couple of calls for more interviews. This was really the only bit of 'work' I did today. I fixed appointments with Nisha da Cunha and Gerson da Cunha (they are in-laws--Nisha is married to Gerson's brother Sylvester) both of whom were just lovely on the phone and more than welcoming of my call and my request for an interview). With those sorted, I got dressed and went off in search of a replacement bowl.
I took a rickshaw this time as the cut on my toe was still painful and flexing my toe caused pain. At Cheap Jack on Hill Road, I found a Borosil glass bowl that came close in terms of size and depth to the one I had. With that in my bag, I walked off to Marks and Spencer which is announcing a 50% Off Sale. I thought I would poke around and try to find something. Sadly, I found nothing--the sale items are in gigantic sizes and most of the stuff was in prints--not something I like. I prefer a neutral foundation palette to which I then add color with scarves.
I also nipped into Giani's, the Italian ice-cream place, to replenish my supplies of their Choco Almond Fudge Ice-cream that I adore. With those items in the bag, I walked to Birdy's and bought a chocolate truffle cake for my friends Denzil and Ruth who have invited me for lunch to their place tomorrow. I also bought two more chocolate croissants (for Dad and Russel), a chocolate eclair (so gigantic, I will probably get four servings out of it) and some chocolate truffle cake. I am going to have to put in added hours at the gym--that's for sure!
Back home, I made myself a pot of tea and sipped it while enjoying some cake and part of the eclair. It was OK--I love the flavor of the dark chocolate they use--but nothing, nothing in the world, can come close to the glorious chocolate eclairs that 'Marks and Sparks' sells in the UK!
Then I dressed and went to Dad's place to spend part of the evening with Russel. I was headed to the Celebrate Bandra show tonight called 'Sing India Sing' that features some of Bombay's best-known musicians (mostly vocalists)--so I would be missing Mass with Dad tonight.
Dad found some time to clear out his paperwork in peace while I chatted with Russel and kept him company. At 6.45, when Dad left for Mass, I left with him. I would be meeting Shahnaz at the venue as she was going to get there with her friend Nandini. I jumped into a rickshaw and in ten minutes, I was at the venue--the Bandra Fort Amphitheater. Shahnaz and Nandini had found good seats. We settled ourselves down on a rather uncomfortably warm evening. What made it more uncomfortable was that I was covered from head to toe in a long-sleeved shirt and jeans as I did not want to risk mosquito bites. Thankfully, I carry my hand fan with me everywhere I go and this made it much nicer.
The show was fabulous. I am simply astounded by the standards of Bombay's musicians and especially its female singers. Much of the evening was devoted to heavy rock music--not particularly my cup of chai, but some parts of it were great. The ladies have enormous showmanship and vocal cords that could put Beyonce or Lady Gaga to shame. The show was well compered by Brian Tellis who also sang a duet with an artist called Sarosh Nanavaty. Overall, a lovely night. Nandini and Sangeeta, Shahnaz' friends, left early as the program did not hold their interest. They were headed to the Bandra Gym for dinner.
We stayed on as I was really keen to see the range of talent offered. I recognized Uday Benegal, a friend of ours whom we knew when he lived in New York--at least ten years ago. He has been back in Bombay for a decade and has made waves as one of the most legitimate rockers of his generation. I was also pleased to hear Asif Ali Beg whom my friend Annabelle had told me was wildly talented. He happened to have been in school at St. Mary's with my brother Russel and we remember him as being extraordinarily kind and helpful to Russel all those years ago. He is absolutely wonderfully talented--so I was very pleased to see how well he is doing.
The show ended at 9.00 pm. We hopped into a 211 bus that was waiting for us as it starts at the Bandstand. A few stops later, we hopped off at the Yacht Restaurant. On the bus, we met my friend Blossom who happened also to know Shahnaz. We walked down St Paul's Road together. Shahnaz decided to join her friends at the Bandra Gym but I decided to get back home. We all walked her to the entrance of the Gym, I signed her in and said Bye. Blossom, her friend Marion and I then walked the next five minutes home.
I served myself some dinner and watched Come Dine With Me before I caught up with Twitter, brushed and flossed my teeth and went to bed.
I had wanted to spend the entire day vegetating and I think I came close...
Until tomorrow...
Saturday, November 17, 2018
A Return to Holy Family Hospital with Russel and 'Celebrate Bandra' Opening Ceremony
Saturday, November 17, 2018
Bombay
A Return to Holy Family Hospital with Russel and 'Celebrate Bandra' Opening Ceremony
Namaste from Bombay!
Today I awoke at 6.30 am--not that this means anything other than that I fell asleep after midnight and needed the lie-in. I rushed through a blog post, downloaded the weekend edition of The Times on my iPad with the idea of reading it while waiting in the hospital and then raced through my breakfast--the usual, a cup of coffee and a bowl of muesli.
I then left for Dad's place and reached there at exactly 9.00 am. We had an appointment with Russel's orthopedic surgeon Dr. Derick D'Lima. It had been about 6 weeks since Russel's leg had been placed in a cast and as it has started filling with fluid again (which has made its way from his knee down to his shin), his cast had become tight. I was afraid that it would cut off blood circulation to his lower leg and wanted the doctor to take a look at it. He suggested we replace the cast with a new one to ensure that the leg is in good shape, the bones are fusing well and that there are no sores under it. He had also suggested needle aspiration to remove the accumulated fluid. This would be administered through a small local anesthesia. Hence, our return to Holy Family Hospital.
Russel was in good spirits. I could see that he was nervous--going to the hospital is always a challenging prospect for him. Still, between Dad and myself, we managed to reassure him that he would only be there for a short while. We could not have been more wrong.
Once again, the ambulance was summoned and Russel (who cannot climb up or down steps) had to be moved in it to the hospital. The ambulance staff now know Russel and his special needs well and they are unbelievably competent, efficient and cooperative when it comes to his case. Once we arrived at the hospital, his wheeled bed was taken to the Endoscopy Department where we had been instructed to wait.
The doctor took ages to arrive as he had a load of OPD patients that had to be attended to. When he did eventually come after he had tried Russel and Dad's patience acutely (although not mine because I seem to be far more patient than most), the procedure was swift. His assistant, Dr. Parth Patel was hands-on. I was allowed into the procedure area (not a position I like to be in as I am very squeamish and can barely tolerate looking at a syringe!). They reassured me that Russel's leg was doing fine and that his knee was actually in better shape than it had been when they had last brought him in. They extracted about 350 ml of fluid this time--much less than the 2 liters that had been extracted the last time. The fracture too is healing okay but the orthopedist suggested that we keep the new one on until early January to give the bones ample time to fuse together. They want to ensure that the bones will be strong enough to sustain Russel's body weight. However, the doctor also said that he should attempt greater mobility and that walking with the aid of a walker should continue until he felt comfortable about walking with a stick and then a stick should give way to walking independently. After the first week of Jan, new x-rays will be taken again and if all looks fine, the cast will be removed. This is the plan going forward...Let us hope it all pans out as expected. Throughout the procedure, we stood--Dad, myself and the ward boy Nilesh. Dad looked really beat and I did insist that he sit down at certain points, and while he did, for the most part, he persisted in staying with me through it all.
Alyque Padamsee Passes Away:
It was while I was waiting that Shahnaz sent me a text to inform me that Alyque Padamsee, the doyen of English theater in Bombay, had passed away. She was aware that I had spoken to him on the phone last week and to his secretary Anne yesterday. We had scheduled my interview with him next week. Well, to be perfectly frank, Dolly Thakore had informed me that he was "on his way out" and that he would not last too long. I was, therefore, not surprised to receive the news within an hour of its breaking.
What a sad loss for the city of Bombay and for the world of Western Performing Arts! I recalled the other occasions when, as a rookie reporter in Bombay, I had met him and interviewed him and the many spectacular theatrical productions he had directed that I had the privilege of reviewing--Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita, Man of La Mancha, A Streetcar Named Desire, Death of a Salesman, All My Sons, Kabaret--the list goes on and on. I can say that my introduction to quality drama and musicals occurred long before I left India for the UK! It happened while I was a proud Bombayite and when people like Alyque produced shows that were touted with the words, "As good as London, Better than New York!" And indeed this was no exaggeration--they were!
My phone kept pinging non-stop after this message reached me as friends kept sending me the news together with links to various media, etc. They knew that I was working on English Theater in Bombay and they knew that this piece of news would be deeply relevant to me. What a pity, they kept saying, that this was one interviewee that got away. Known as God in the Advertising Industry where Alyque made Lintas one of the best agencies of its kind in India, all I could think of was "God's in his heaven..." Bombay has lost a giant among men. May his soul rest in peace!
Russel was discharged by 2.00 pm and we were back home in an ambulance. I might have made at least five trips back and forth from the Endoscopy Department to the Cashier downstairs to pay for the many services the hospital had provided--the two trips for the ambulance and all the surgical apparatus needed to carry out the change of cast. Still, it was all worth while. Russel is on the road to recovery and the doctors at Holy Family, especially Dr. Parth Patel, continue to treat him and us with the utmost compassion, understanding and sympathy. It is indeed a pleasure to work with such competent personnel. As I have said before, but for the awful nurses in this hospital, it is an amazing place.
Lunch and A Long Chinwag with Dad:
Once we saw Russel home, Dad suggested I have lunch with him. Although I had my own lunch at home, I decided to offer him company. Russel was thrilled to be back home and to eat his lunch in his home while Dad and I sat and tucked into ours. All the while, we chatted. It is clear that Dad loves to talk--and that he misses a companion with whom he can do the talking. We spoke a great deal about Indian politics, the state of both nations (India and US), etc. and I caught him up about my work and the many interesting people I have been meeting. He felt so sorry to know that Alyque was no more because he realized how invaluable his input could have been to my research. Still, he has left behind reams of memories, it seems, and those, I am sure can be accessed by scholars such as myself. After about two hours of such chatter, I decided I would get back home.
Off to the 'Celebrate Bandra' Opening Ceremony:
I was able to snatch a short nap in the afternoon before I sat and put down on paper, in a more organized fashion, the dates of the many 'Celebrate Bandra' free events that I am going to attend in the next week. Then, I had a pot of tea with biscuits, showered, got dressed and walked to the Yacht Restaurant where my friend Marisa was meeting me. We were off to see the Opening Ceremony of the 'Celebrate Bandra' Festival that is held each year with much pomp and well...ceremony! Marisa brought her friend Rita Roychowdhury along and the three of us hopped into a passing rickshaw and made our away to the Bandra Fort Amphitheater. There under the lovely canopy created by swaying coconut palms, we sat down to enjoy the show--all events are free and merely require registration.
The Chief Guest was the actor and Bandra resident Naseeruddin Shah (of whom I seem to be seeing a little too much!). He lit a ceremonial lamp while surrounded by all the members of the Celebrate Bandra Committee. And then the show began and it was fabulous. There was the Bombay Navy Simphonia Band that played standard classics such as the National Anthem to start things off, followed by Vande Mataram, Sare Jahan Se Achha (composed by the Urdu poet Mohamed Iqbal in 1904 when British India was looking at the removal of imperialism) as well as Mozart's 'Eine Klein, Nachtmusik' and foot-tapping pieces such as 'Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White'. It was such a fabulous way to open the event.
This was followed by spectacular contemporary style Khatak dancing, an a cappella group called Afflatunes, the choral songs of the North Western Bandra Zone that won the Zonals contest (they sang a beautiful choral rendition of a medley of Queen and Freddie Mercury hits) and probably the weakest part of the show that ended it--a folk singing duo who called themselves Clayton and Aria.
It was 10.00 pm exactly when the sound system was switched off (in keeping with Bombay regulations) and we trooped out into a really beautiful night at the Bandstand where the light shed by the lovely Taj Residence Hotel provided illumination as we walked into a rickshaw.
I was starving by the time I reached home at 10.30pm, served myself some dinner to eat while watching Dead Wind and went to bed at 11.15 pm.
Tomorrow, I shall be attending Alqyue's funeral tomorrow at the Worli Crematorium where my friend Kamal will be meeting me.
Until tomorrow...
Bombay
A Return to Holy Family Hospital with Russel and 'Celebrate Bandra' Opening Ceremony
Namaste from Bombay!
Today I awoke at 6.30 am--not that this means anything other than that I fell asleep after midnight and needed the lie-in. I rushed through a blog post, downloaded the weekend edition of The Times on my iPad with the idea of reading it while waiting in the hospital and then raced through my breakfast--the usual, a cup of coffee and a bowl of muesli.
I then left for Dad's place and reached there at exactly 9.00 am. We had an appointment with Russel's orthopedic surgeon Dr. Derick D'Lima. It had been about 6 weeks since Russel's leg had been placed in a cast and as it has started filling with fluid again (which has made its way from his knee down to his shin), his cast had become tight. I was afraid that it would cut off blood circulation to his lower leg and wanted the doctor to take a look at it. He suggested we replace the cast with a new one to ensure that the leg is in good shape, the bones are fusing well and that there are no sores under it. He had also suggested needle aspiration to remove the accumulated fluid. This would be administered through a small local anesthesia. Hence, our return to Holy Family Hospital.
Russel was in good spirits. I could see that he was nervous--going to the hospital is always a challenging prospect for him. Still, between Dad and myself, we managed to reassure him that he would only be there for a short while. We could not have been more wrong.
Once again, the ambulance was summoned and Russel (who cannot climb up or down steps) had to be moved in it to the hospital. The ambulance staff now know Russel and his special needs well and they are unbelievably competent, efficient and cooperative when it comes to his case. Once we arrived at the hospital, his wheeled bed was taken to the Endoscopy Department where we had been instructed to wait.
The doctor took ages to arrive as he had a load of OPD patients that had to be attended to. When he did eventually come after he had tried Russel and Dad's patience acutely (although not mine because I seem to be far more patient than most), the procedure was swift. His assistant, Dr. Parth Patel was hands-on. I was allowed into the procedure area (not a position I like to be in as I am very squeamish and can barely tolerate looking at a syringe!). They reassured me that Russel's leg was doing fine and that his knee was actually in better shape than it had been when they had last brought him in. They extracted about 350 ml of fluid this time--much less than the 2 liters that had been extracted the last time. The fracture too is healing okay but the orthopedist suggested that we keep the new one on until early January to give the bones ample time to fuse together. They want to ensure that the bones will be strong enough to sustain Russel's body weight. However, the doctor also said that he should attempt greater mobility and that walking with the aid of a walker should continue until he felt comfortable about walking with a stick and then a stick should give way to walking independently. After the first week of Jan, new x-rays will be taken again and if all looks fine, the cast will be removed. This is the plan going forward...Let us hope it all pans out as expected. Throughout the procedure, we stood--Dad, myself and the ward boy Nilesh. Dad looked really beat and I did insist that he sit down at certain points, and while he did, for the most part, he persisted in staying with me through it all.
Alyque Padamsee Passes Away:
It was while I was waiting that Shahnaz sent me a text to inform me that Alyque Padamsee, the doyen of English theater in Bombay, had passed away. She was aware that I had spoken to him on the phone last week and to his secretary Anne yesterday. We had scheduled my interview with him next week. Well, to be perfectly frank, Dolly Thakore had informed me that he was "on his way out" and that he would not last too long. I was, therefore, not surprised to receive the news within an hour of its breaking.
What a sad loss for the city of Bombay and for the world of Western Performing Arts! I recalled the other occasions when, as a rookie reporter in Bombay, I had met him and interviewed him and the many spectacular theatrical productions he had directed that I had the privilege of reviewing--Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita, Man of La Mancha, A Streetcar Named Desire, Death of a Salesman, All My Sons, Kabaret--the list goes on and on. I can say that my introduction to quality drama and musicals occurred long before I left India for the UK! It happened while I was a proud Bombayite and when people like Alyque produced shows that were touted with the words, "As good as London, Better than New York!" And indeed this was no exaggeration--they were!
My phone kept pinging non-stop after this message reached me as friends kept sending me the news together with links to various media, etc. They knew that I was working on English Theater in Bombay and they knew that this piece of news would be deeply relevant to me. What a pity, they kept saying, that this was one interviewee that got away. Known as God in the Advertising Industry where Alyque made Lintas one of the best agencies of its kind in India, all I could think of was "God's in his heaven..." Bombay has lost a giant among men. May his soul rest in peace!
Russel was discharged by 2.00 pm and we were back home in an ambulance. I might have made at least five trips back and forth from the Endoscopy Department to the Cashier downstairs to pay for the many services the hospital had provided--the two trips for the ambulance and all the surgical apparatus needed to carry out the change of cast. Still, it was all worth while. Russel is on the road to recovery and the doctors at Holy Family, especially Dr. Parth Patel, continue to treat him and us with the utmost compassion, understanding and sympathy. It is indeed a pleasure to work with such competent personnel. As I have said before, but for the awful nurses in this hospital, it is an amazing place.
Lunch and A Long Chinwag with Dad:
Once we saw Russel home, Dad suggested I have lunch with him. Although I had my own lunch at home, I decided to offer him company. Russel was thrilled to be back home and to eat his lunch in his home while Dad and I sat and tucked into ours. All the while, we chatted. It is clear that Dad loves to talk--and that he misses a companion with whom he can do the talking. We spoke a great deal about Indian politics, the state of both nations (India and US), etc. and I caught him up about my work and the many interesting people I have been meeting. He felt so sorry to know that Alyque was no more because he realized how invaluable his input could have been to my research. Still, he has left behind reams of memories, it seems, and those, I am sure can be accessed by scholars such as myself. After about two hours of such chatter, I decided I would get back home.
Off to the 'Celebrate Bandra' Opening Ceremony:
I was able to snatch a short nap in the afternoon before I sat and put down on paper, in a more organized fashion, the dates of the many 'Celebrate Bandra' free events that I am going to attend in the next week. Then, I had a pot of tea with biscuits, showered, got dressed and walked to the Yacht Restaurant where my friend Marisa was meeting me. We were off to see the Opening Ceremony of the 'Celebrate Bandra' Festival that is held each year with much pomp and well...ceremony! Marisa brought her friend Rita Roychowdhury along and the three of us hopped into a passing rickshaw and made our away to the Bandra Fort Amphitheater. There under the lovely canopy created by swaying coconut palms, we sat down to enjoy the show--all events are free and merely require registration.
The Chief Guest was the actor and Bandra resident Naseeruddin Shah (of whom I seem to be seeing a little too much!). He lit a ceremonial lamp while surrounded by all the members of the Celebrate Bandra Committee. And then the show began and it was fabulous. There was the Bombay Navy Simphonia Band that played standard classics such as the National Anthem to start things off, followed by Vande Mataram, Sare Jahan Se Achha (composed by the Urdu poet Mohamed Iqbal in 1904 when British India was looking at the removal of imperialism) as well as Mozart's 'Eine Klein, Nachtmusik' and foot-tapping pieces such as 'Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White'. It was such a fabulous way to open the event.
This was followed by spectacular contemporary style Khatak dancing, an a cappella group called Afflatunes, the choral songs of the North Western Bandra Zone that won the Zonals contest (they sang a beautiful choral rendition of a medley of Queen and Freddie Mercury hits) and probably the weakest part of the show that ended it--a folk singing duo who called themselves Clayton and Aria.
It was 10.00 pm exactly when the sound system was switched off (in keeping with Bombay regulations) and we trooped out into a really beautiful night at the Bandstand where the light shed by the lovely Taj Residence Hotel provided illumination as we walked into a rickshaw.
I was starving by the time I reached home at 10.30pm, served myself some dinner to eat while watching Dead Wind and went to bed at 11.15 pm.
Tomorrow, I shall be attending Alqyue's funeral tomorrow at the Worli Crematorium where my friend Kamal will be meeting me.
Until tomorrow...
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