Friday, September 14, 2018
Bombay
Still Waiting--The Day Before Russel's Surgery.
Namaste from Bombay!
With Dad and me deciding to share hospital duty over my brother Russel's fracture, I was able to have a more leisurely morning than I've had for the past couple of days. As usual, however, I awoke at about 5.00 am and used the time to blog, respond to email, catch up on my computer To-Do List. Then, I washed, breakfasted on the last of my yogurt and almond milk (will need to replenish supplies this morning) to make birschersmuesli and enjoyed a cup of coffee while watching Escape to the Continent on Netflix--the only form of entertainment I currently have in my studio.
I then spent the next hour drafting a letter to an associate at Yale University about my forthcoming edited volume on Goa and to my publisher in the US about a grant for which I intend to apply. This kept me busy for more than an hour after which I answered a call from my cousin Blossom in Chennai who was calling to inquire about my brother.
I was left with just enough time to run to the grocery store to pick up almond milk and Coffeemate Creamer (which I think is going to be much more convenient to use than Amul fresh cream provided it does not clump in the damp monsoon air), to the dairy to buy fresh yoghurt (it was excellent quality when I bought it last week) and Bisleri water from the corner store.
Then I rushed in for a shower and had my lunch. I received a new tiffin today: Goan Shrimp Curry, Batter-Fried Mackerels and Cabbage Fougard. Dad had told me to have my lunch and get to the hospital to relieve him so that he could go home and get his lunch. Accordingly, I ate my lunch while watching Still Game on Netflix (just heard that this hilarious iconic show set in Glasgow, Scotland, wrapped up yesterday--so terribly sad!). I was out of my house at 12.50 and at the hospital at 1.00 pm after a leisurely walk down the rain-soaked streets--it had poured again at breakfast time. They were adrift with fallen mango leaves and coconut palm fronds. Occasionally one finds a fallen yellow-tinged white champa flower (plumeria) and I am transported to Hawai'i where I found them scattered on the ground in so many vibrant colors. As I walk through Bandra's bylanes, I am often reminded of Goa. The little Portuguese-style bungalows from the colonial era and their names (Christina, Fernliz, etc.) are reminiscent of another world that never fails to charm me.
Dad left soon after I arrived which kept me alone with Russel all afternoon. He is very quiet--not his usual chatty self. But it is good to see that he has accepted that he will remain in hospital until Saturday and he also seems reconciled to the fact that the 'procedure' we speak about is, in fact, surgery. He has been sleeping a lot of late and seems to have developed some level of comfort at being in the hospital. I tried to snatch forty winks myself but the patient in the next bed was speaking very loudly on his mobile and I just about managed a couple of nods.
Dad's return meant some more discussion about pre-op prep. With surgery set for tomorrow (Saturday) at 11.00 am, Dad is very emotional, very stressed and very sad. Dad keeps focussing on Russel's rehabilitation, post-surgery, and keeps wondering "how he will cope" when he returns home. Russel is only keen on knowing when they will discharge him. I find myself having to manage Dad's emotions as much as I am dealing with Russel's anxieties. I, for my part, have left everything in the hands of the Lord. I have been praying consistently but not allowing myself to get worked up. A certain amount of serenity is definitely called for in such circumstances.
Hence, I was able to talk to Dr. Vijay when he came a-calling without too much emotion. He told me that in addition to setting Russel's fractured shin bones with plates, they would be carrying out a synovectomy which, I understand, is a draining of the fluids accumulated in his knee. I told the doctor that we had made the choice to go with the titanium plates (instead of the stainless steel ones). He made note of it.
On a slightly humorous note, the daughter of the man in the adjoining bed, Priyanka, told me that she thought Russel was my Dad! She also said that she thought I was about 35 years old!!! Well, that really was my ray of sunshine on a cloudy day!
Through most of the afternoon, I responded, on my computer, to the interview questions that were emailed to me by a UK-based journalist named Rudy Otter who wants to interview me about the Fulbright Fellowship for an online magazine called Desh and Diaspora that is published from Dubai by a man named Frank Raj. Fortunately, I was able to focus on the task at hand. My mind is still able to detach itself from our current family crisis to continue with the routine and other work I need to undertake. Thank goodness for the mobility of laptop computers that allows us to multi-task.
When Dad returned at 5.00 pm, he had brought his check book as advance payment for the surgery needed to be made. We were shocked to find out that it costs us more than $2,000 which might seem a small amount in the US but is a sizable sum in India. This does not include the cost of the plates which is about $800 more. The hospital bill will also be considerable as Russel has been there already for about 4 days and is likely to be kept there for a few more days after surgery. These expenses have indicated to us that the operation is a complex affair and not the simple setting of fractured bones. Now it is all in the hands of the Lord. We hope that he will guide the surgeon Dr. Derrick D'Lima and his team towards successful completion of their task and that Russel will emerge from this ordeal in a better state than he is now. I implore you to join us in prayer.
At the end of the day, Russel had two visitors: Bernie from our parish church who has been bringing him Communion at home for the past year and Jon Ken who always brings his cheerful presence with him. They offered the morale boosting that we all need through this sad occurrence.
By the end of the day, Russel was seen by his regular psychiatrist and, once again, by the orthopedist who will be doing the surgery tomorrow. Preliminary pre-op testing has certified him fit for surgery. He is calm, if morose. I have faith...it will see Dad and me through tomorrow.
By the time Dad and I left the hospital together, it was 9.45 pm and I was dying to get back home for dinner and some relaxation. I ate while watching In The Line of Duty, a British cop drama on Netflix that I am enjoying hugely.
Until tomorrow....
Friday, September 14, 2018
More Waiting on Ganesh Chaturti in a Bandra Hospital
Thursday, September 13, 2018
Bombay
Waiting in Holy Family Hospital on Ganesh Chaturti:
Namaste from Bombay!
You must wonder what happens to sick people on holidays! Today was a holiday in Bombay to celebrate Ganesh Chaturti--feast of the most beloved God of the Hindus--the elephant-headed Ganesh. It is a huge festival in Maharashtra. People bring wonderfully painted clay idols of Ganesh into their homes where he is pampered all week long through pujas and the distribution of traditional sweets called modaks. Most of Bombay was closed today--schools, colleges, some offices, businesses and shops.
I awoke at 6.00 am and rushed through my morning ablutions and my breakfast in order to meet my Dad at the hospital at 8.00 am so that my vigil over my brother Russel could begin. And what do you know? Just ten minutes before we could set out, torrential rain bucketed down. It thundered on the rooftops and began to flood the streets in minutes. I was lucky to find a rickshaw just a few steps from my studio and jumping into it, I reached the hospital just a little past 8.00 am.
At the hospital, I found that the Out Patients Department was closed. This meant that the hordes of people that queue and crowd the ground floor were absent. There was almost no one around--the corridors were empty and spotless and quiet. It reminded me a lot of the hospitals in Connecticut where you have these vast spaces, wide hallways, sparkling corridors, with hardly anyone passing through them.
Russel had a better, more restful night. He was cheerful and seemed almost back to his normal self when we arrived. He had been sponged and changed and had breakfasted well. He actually did a bit of reading. Fortunately for him, no one had occupied the accompanying bed during the night and until 11.00 am, we had the room to ourselves.
Dad read his newspaper and I began work on my laptop that I had carried with me. I focussed on drafting the plenary address that I have been invited to give at a conference on Translation next month in Hyderabad. Luckily for me, I had given a paper on the transliteration of literary works to other media such as films at the University of Bath in the UK, about twenty years ago. It would be very easy for me to recycle that talk by bringing it up to date with more recent publications and criticism and to bolster my arguments with new examples. I spent almost all day working on this talk with very little disturbance as Russel slept most of the time. I ended up making very good headway with it. Russel seems reconciled to the fact that he will be having surgery on Saturday at 11.100 am. With visitors no longer encouraged to see patients in hospitals, we really did not see anyone except for Jon Ken who arrived at the very end of the day.
At mid-morning, Dad started feeling uneasy. I told him to lie down on the adjoining plank bed--which he did. An hour later, he awoke and said that he felt much better. Surely the stress of this crisis is taking its toll on him. I am praying for Russel and for him--that he will have the mental and psychological strength to withstand this challenge and to know that he is in a better place because he has me to share it.
Dad ate lunch in the hospital canteen and when he got back to the ward, I left for home and ate lunch in my own studio as I now know that other than biscuits, fruit and coconut water, you cannot bring any food into the hospital. I also had the chance to take a short nap before I returned to the hospital at 4.00 pm. The two of us passed the evening with me turning to read some part of my Harlan Coben novel, Let It Go on my I Pad which I also carried to the hospital; but both Dad and I are finding it hard to focus on other activities. Occasionally we chat about current affairs or Dad asks me to read something to him in the papers which he finds too difficult to do with his failing eyesight.
In the mid-afternoon, two orthopedists, Dr. Parth and Dr. Vijay, came to see Russel to find out how he is doing. They took us aside and told us that surgery is set for Saturday and they asked us to choose between titanium plates or stainless steel plates that will be inserted into his leg to set the fractured bones. We discussed the pros and cons of each choice with them and Dad made the decision to go with titanium which is double the cost but is considered the better option. Let us hope that all will go well with the surgery and that Russel will manage okay when the time comes for him to go back home--which he is very keen to do.
Dad left the hospital at 7.00 pm while I stayed there till 8.30 pm when I had Jon Ken's company for about half an hour. When we realized that with the Out Patients Department closed today, there would be no doctor's visits, I too decided to leave. Russell's night attendant arrived at 8.00 pm and took care of his dinner. Russel was very drowsy and slept most of the day. He seemed keen to go back to sleep right after his dinner.
Back home at 8.30, I was actually able to have a full dinner and watch another episode of the British cop drama In the Line of Duty which is terrific. I must tell Llew to watch it too in the US--so that we can both talk about it.
By 10.00 pm, I brushed and flossed my teeth and fell off to sleep. There will be one more day of waiting (tomorrow) before D-Day or S-Day (Surgery-Day) on Saturday which will be busy and stressful, no doubt.
We are praying...and with the Lord and his Blessed Mother in-charge, we are happy to leave it all in Their hands.
Until tomorrow....
Bombay
Waiting in Holy Family Hospital on Ganesh Chaturti:
Namaste from Bombay!
You must wonder what happens to sick people on holidays! Today was a holiday in Bombay to celebrate Ganesh Chaturti--feast of the most beloved God of the Hindus--the elephant-headed Ganesh. It is a huge festival in Maharashtra. People bring wonderfully painted clay idols of Ganesh into their homes where he is pampered all week long through pujas and the distribution of traditional sweets called modaks. Most of Bombay was closed today--schools, colleges, some offices, businesses and shops.
I awoke at 6.00 am and rushed through my morning ablutions and my breakfast in order to meet my Dad at the hospital at 8.00 am so that my vigil over my brother Russel could begin. And what do you know? Just ten minutes before we could set out, torrential rain bucketed down. It thundered on the rooftops and began to flood the streets in minutes. I was lucky to find a rickshaw just a few steps from my studio and jumping into it, I reached the hospital just a little past 8.00 am.
At the hospital, I found that the Out Patients Department was closed. This meant that the hordes of people that queue and crowd the ground floor were absent. There was almost no one around--the corridors were empty and spotless and quiet. It reminded me a lot of the hospitals in Connecticut where you have these vast spaces, wide hallways, sparkling corridors, with hardly anyone passing through them.
Russel had a better, more restful night. He was cheerful and seemed almost back to his normal self when we arrived. He had been sponged and changed and had breakfasted well. He actually did a bit of reading. Fortunately for him, no one had occupied the accompanying bed during the night and until 11.00 am, we had the room to ourselves.
Dad read his newspaper and I began work on my laptop that I had carried with me. I focussed on drafting the plenary address that I have been invited to give at a conference on Translation next month in Hyderabad. Luckily for me, I had given a paper on the transliteration of literary works to other media such as films at the University of Bath in the UK, about twenty years ago. It would be very easy for me to recycle that talk by bringing it up to date with more recent publications and criticism and to bolster my arguments with new examples. I spent almost all day working on this talk with very little disturbance as Russel slept most of the time. I ended up making very good headway with it. Russel seems reconciled to the fact that he will be having surgery on Saturday at 11.100 am. With visitors no longer encouraged to see patients in hospitals, we really did not see anyone except for Jon Ken who arrived at the very end of the day.
At mid-morning, Dad started feeling uneasy. I told him to lie down on the adjoining plank bed--which he did. An hour later, he awoke and said that he felt much better. Surely the stress of this crisis is taking its toll on him. I am praying for Russel and for him--that he will have the mental and psychological strength to withstand this challenge and to know that he is in a better place because he has me to share it.
Dad ate lunch in the hospital canteen and when he got back to the ward, I left for home and ate lunch in my own studio as I now know that other than biscuits, fruit and coconut water, you cannot bring any food into the hospital. I also had the chance to take a short nap before I returned to the hospital at 4.00 pm. The two of us passed the evening with me turning to read some part of my Harlan Coben novel, Let It Go on my I Pad which I also carried to the hospital; but both Dad and I are finding it hard to focus on other activities. Occasionally we chat about current affairs or Dad asks me to read something to him in the papers which he finds too difficult to do with his failing eyesight.
In the mid-afternoon, two orthopedists, Dr. Parth and Dr. Vijay, came to see Russel to find out how he is doing. They took us aside and told us that surgery is set for Saturday and they asked us to choose between titanium plates or stainless steel plates that will be inserted into his leg to set the fractured bones. We discussed the pros and cons of each choice with them and Dad made the decision to go with titanium which is double the cost but is considered the better option. Let us hope that all will go well with the surgery and that Russel will manage okay when the time comes for him to go back home--which he is very keen to do.
Dad left the hospital at 7.00 pm while I stayed there till 8.30 pm when I had Jon Ken's company for about half an hour. When we realized that with the Out Patients Department closed today, there would be no doctor's visits, I too decided to leave. Russell's night attendant arrived at 8.00 pm and took care of his dinner. Russel was very drowsy and slept most of the day. He seemed keen to go back to sleep right after his dinner.
Back home at 8.30, I was actually able to have a full dinner and watch another episode of the British cop drama In the Line of Duty which is terrific. I must tell Llew to watch it too in the US--so that we can both talk about it.
By 10.00 pm, I brushed and flossed my teeth and fell off to sleep. There will be one more day of waiting (tomorrow) before D-Day or S-Day (Surgery-Day) on Saturday which will be busy and stressful, no doubt.
We are praying...and with the Lord and his Blessed Mother in-charge, we are happy to leave it all in Their hands.
Until tomorrow....
Wednesday, September 12, 2018
Waiting in Bombay's Holy Family Hospital, Bandra
Wednesday, September 12, 2018
Bombay
Waiting in Bombay's Holy Family Hospital, Bandra
Namaste from Bombay!
Although I did not believe I would sleep a wink, I actually crashed. Awaking at 5.00 am, I began blogging and responding to email. At 6.00, I rushed in for a shampoo and shower--somehow I believed I would get home really late and feel too tired to even take a shower. Good job I went by instinct!
I spent the next hour making sandwiches for lunch for Dad and myself--I discovered only later that 'outside' food is not allowed in Holy Family Hospital. I did not know this. Gone are the days when you could take fruit, cookies, etc. up to patients. Security people at the main entrance to the hospital check bags--I had thought for arms. It tuns out, they check for contraband food! Luckily I escaped detection today as they did not check my bag. From tomorrow, I shall have to get back home for lunch (an easy 15 minute walk) or pick up something from nearby Hersch Bakery.
At 7.15 am, Dad called me to say that he wanted to leave at 7.45, not 8.00 as previously agreed. This left me with fifteen minutes less to get ready--I had to change bags to accommodate my IPad, which I thought I would carry with me so that I could continue reading my novel while keeping vigil by Russel's bedside. Anyway, I rushed through the making and packing of sandwiches and my breakfast--I actually had to carry my breakfast with me to the hospital and finish eating it there--again, no one caught me...and I had no idea anyway that I was not allowed to eat in the hospital. I do now see the wisdom of such rules; but coming from America, where we take great big hampers of fruit and goodies to hospital patients, I was not aware of these rules.
I met Dad at 7.45 at the 'corner', we hopped into a rick and reached the hospital ten minutes later. There, we received the news that Russel had spent a sleepless night--anxiety had kept him wide awake and he, his night attendant and the other occupants of the room were kept awake all night with his talking. He was absolutely delighted to see my Dad (mainly) and me. On seeing him in the hospital garb, my Dad burst into tears and remained emotional for at least ten minutes. I comforted him as best I could and wondered why he was so moved to tears. I realized it was because he could not bear to see Russel in hospital knowing how little Russel wanted to be there.
Dad also told me that during his shower water had accumulated in his ear and he could barely ear even out of his good ear. He wanted to see our friend, ENT specialist, Dr Chris D'Souza. A call to his home and his mobile drew a blank. That's when I realized that he was probably in the States. A quick text to my friend Ian confirmed this fact. I told Dad to lie down on his side to allow the water to drain out. He did so and in about a couple of hours, he felt his hearing return. Phew!
The rest of my day passed slowly. I continued to remain in the room leaving only when Russel needed to pee--the attendant helps him while he lies on the bed. Those days have gone when nurses 'nurse'. Today all they seem to do is administrative work--sitting behind a counter or talking on a phone. However, they are attentive and polite and prompt. Most requests are acceded to. Russel told me that a nun came around to give him Communion at 7.00am--which he received. He ate his breakfast at 8.00 am, received coffee at 10.00 am, soup at 11.30 am, his non-veg lunch at 1.30 pm, coffee at 4.00 pm and his dinner at 7.30 pm. He is in a very sad mood--it is quite pitiful to watch him. Every few minutes, he keeps saying that if all his tests are normal, they will send him home. I have tried to explain to him that if all his tests are normal, they will be able to go ahead with the 'procedure' to fix his leg on Saturday. Now he seems to accept that he will be in the hospital till Saturday. We cannot use the words 'surgery' or 'operation' as they disturb him psychologically too much. Hence, we have to be careful in choosing our vocabulary around him--nothing to shake his equilibrium. I am trying to get him to change the topic of conversation and to discuss other things with him--such as the cricket (India was trounced by England in the last match that he was watching on TV), the ailment of the man on the next bed, etc. But he was having none of it. The bulk of my day was spent trying to lighten his mood. He is extremely anxious about what lies ahead and has been badly shaken by his fall.
Mid-morning, a physician named Dr. Rajesh Uchil came to visit Russel to certify that he was fit for surgery. He glanced at Russel's pre-op report and declared that he needs salt capsules to up his sodium level. He was really nice and patiently answered all of Russel's personal questions--when is your birthday, how many children do you have, what do they do, etc. He made him feel quite comfortable and then left after telling me that they would need to do another test to make sure salt levels had increased.
Also at mid-morning, we managed to change rooms and get him from a 3-bedded AC room to a twin non-AC room (Russel does not like the AC at all and Dad is allergic to it). The shift was taking place just when the urologist arrived to see him--Dr. Sobati--with his assistant. Dr. Nishant. He ordered a bladder sonogram, but when I insisted that this had been done only six weeks ago, he asked for the file, reviewed the report, saw that it was normal and decided against it. I did show him the tablets Russel has been taking for an overactive bladder. I like the practice of a trainee doctor (resident?) shadowing a senior doctor and learning the ropes as he goes along. He is the one who makes notes and then carries out orders for new prescriptions.
Russel settled down in his new room quite easily. It is a much smaller room and offers fewer facilities than the larger, more expensive one did. However, since there are only two patients in the room, there is less possibility of Russel disturbing fellow-patients in the ward. I apologized to the other two patients before I left, but they were so accommodating and so understanding of the situation that they told me not to worry at all.
In the afternoon I insisted that Dad go home for a rest. I told him that he ought to have a long nap and that there would be no one to disturb him. I told him that I would hold the fort at the hospital as he was keen that there should be someone with Russel at all times--we expected a bevy of physicians to see him today. Much to my amazement, Dad did agree to go and set out at 2.00 pm. I expected him back by 4.00 pm. In the afternoon, I also insisted that the curtains be drawn and the room darkened, so that Russel could try to get some sleep. I took my 20 minute nap on the accompanying seat which turned out to be just a wooden plank and not cushioned as in the previous ward. Russel did sleep in short spurts of 20 minutes and probably got some rest for about two ours. Adrenalin is pumping through his body making him acutely anxious and keeping him wide awake.
At 4.00 pm, Subhash, the man who is installing my internet and cable, came to visit Russel and spent about an hour with him. He was an unexpected visitor but both Russel and I were delighted to see him. At 5.00 pm. my cousin Meera came to visit with her husband Cyril. They sat for about a half hour at the same time that my friend Shahnaz came to visit too. That's when I discovered that a single pass is issued per patient and only one visitor is allowed in at a time. Wow! This too represents a major shift in hospital policy. There was a time when a dozen relatives and friends would gather around a patient and make a party out of it. Well, not any more. For security, safety and hygiene reasons, only one person is allowed at a patient's bedside at a time. I had to take the pass and go down to bring Shahnaz up. She was allowed in as a special case but, in the future, I will have to adhere to the rules. Dad informed me that people do not make hospital visits anymore. They wait until a patient returns home before they go a-calling--for precisely these reasons. It is amazing how much of a learning curve I am going through, in small ways and large.
It was great to visit with Shahnaz for a while. I was actually really getting alarmed when Dad did not return by 5.30 pm, and requested Meera to swing by his place and find out what was going on. But at 6.45 pm, he walked in. It turns out that he had errands to run and he did these while he had the time off. He had run from the church to our home to take care of petitions for the Novena to Our Mother of Perpetual Succor that he has conducted in our church for the past fifteen years.
It was a huge relief to see him at the same time that Meera called to tell me he was not at home. At about 6.45 pm, Jon Ken arrived. He also visited with Russel for a while and had a long chat with me to get an update on Russel's situation. He stayed for about an hour and left. Meanwhile, the man in the bed by Russel's side was discharged and the bed was re-made. Then, Dr. Vijay came along to re-do Russle's dressing and to make sure the wound under the plaster was not getting infected. It wasn't. He redid the dressing, used a small amount of plaster to stabilize the foot and left. Angels are certainly hovering over Russel.
A while later, one of Russel's favorite physicians, the neurologist Dr Sushil Tandel, came to see Russel. He is very fond of Russel and has always treated him with the utmost understanding and kindness. He certified Russel fit for surgery while chatting companionably with him and wishing him well.
The orthopedist, Dr. Derrick D'Lima, arrived again at about 9.30 pm. He gave Russel the merest cursory glance and left. He confirmed that surgery for the foot would be on Saturday at 11.00 am. Russel will now have to be prepared, mentally, for this next step.
Neither Dad nor I were able to do much reading throughout the day. It is hard to focus on anything when your mind is so-preoccupied. Although Dad had his newspaper and I had my iPad, we did some cursory browsing and that was it.
I got back home at 10.00 pm, had my dinner, washed, watched some TV but since my eyes were closing, I gave up the battle to stay awake and sank into sleep.
Tomorrow is Ganesh Chaturti or Ganpati--the city of Bombay will come to a virtual standstill as Maharashtrian Hindus celebrate the feast of their favorite god--the elephant-headed Ganesh. The hospital will be working on skeletal staff and it promises to be a very quiet day. I hope to carry my computer along and get started with the drafting of the plenary address I have been invited to give in Hyderabad. Hopefully, I will be able to go to that conference in early October...
Until tomorrow...
Bombay
Waiting in Bombay's Holy Family Hospital, Bandra
Namaste from Bombay!
Although I did not believe I would sleep a wink, I actually crashed. Awaking at 5.00 am, I began blogging and responding to email. At 6.00, I rushed in for a shampoo and shower--somehow I believed I would get home really late and feel too tired to even take a shower. Good job I went by instinct!
I spent the next hour making sandwiches for lunch for Dad and myself--I discovered only later that 'outside' food is not allowed in Holy Family Hospital. I did not know this. Gone are the days when you could take fruit, cookies, etc. up to patients. Security people at the main entrance to the hospital check bags--I had thought for arms. It tuns out, they check for contraband food! Luckily I escaped detection today as they did not check my bag. From tomorrow, I shall have to get back home for lunch (an easy 15 minute walk) or pick up something from nearby Hersch Bakery.
At 7.15 am, Dad called me to say that he wanted to leave at 7.45, not 8.00 as previously agreed. This left me with fifteen minutes less to get ready--I had to change bags to accommodate my IPad, which I thought I would carry with me so that I could continue reading my novel while keeping vigil by Russel's bedside. Anyway, I rushed through the making and packing of sandwiches and my breakfast--I actually had to carry my breakfast with me to the hospital and finish eating it there--again, no one caught me...and I had no idea anyway that I was not allowed to eat in the hospital. I do now see the wisdom of such rules; but coming from America, where we take great big hampers of fruit and goodies to hospital patients, I was not aware of these rules.
I met Dad at 7.45 at the 'corner', we hopped into a rick and reached the hospital ten minutes later. There, we received the news that Russel had spent a sleepless night--anxiety had kept him wide awake and he, his night attendant and the other occupants of the room were kept awake all night with his talking. He was absolutely delighted to see my Dad (mainly) and me. On seeing him in the hospital garb, my Dad burst into tears and remained emotional for at least ten minutes. I comforted him as best I could and wondered why he was so moved to tears. I realized it was because he could not bear to see Russel in hospital knowing how little Russel wanted to be there.
Dad also told me that during his shower water had accumulated in his ear and he could barely ear even out of his good ear. He wanted to see our friend, ENT specialist, Dr Chris D'Souza. A call to his home and his mobile drew a blank. That's when I realized that he was probably in the States. A quick text to my friend Ian confirmed this fact. I told Dad to lie down on his side to allow the water to drain out. He did so and in about a couple of hours, he felt his hearing return. Phew!
The rest of my day passed slowly. I continued to remain in the room leaving only when Russel needed to pee--the attendant helps him while he lies on the bed. Those days have gone when nurses 'nurse'. Today all they seem to do is administrative work--sitting behind a counter or talking on a phone. However, they are attentive and polite and prompt. Most requests are acceded to. Russel told me that a nun came around to give him Communion at 7.00am--which he received. He ate his breakfast at 8.00 am, received coffee at 10.00 am, soup at 11.30 am, his non-veg lunch at 1.30 pm, coffee at 4.00 pm and his dinner at 7.30 pm. He is in a very sad mood--it is quite pitiful to watch him. Every few minutes, he keeps saying that if all his tests are normal, they will send him home. I have tried to explain to him that if all his tests are normal, they will be able to go ahead with the 'procedure' to fix his leg on Saturday. Now he seems to accept that he will be in the hospital till Saturday. We cannot use the words 'surgery' or 'operation' as they disturb him psychologically too much. Hence, we have to be careful in choosing our vocabulary around him--nothing to shake his equilibrium. I am trying to get him to change the topic of conversation and to discuss other things with him--such as the cricket (India was trounced by England in the last match that he was watching on TV), the ailment of the man on the next bed, etc. But he was having none of it. The bulk of my day was spent trying to lighten his mood. He is extremely anxious about what lies ahead and has been badly shaken by his fall.
Mid-morning, a physician named Dr. Rajesh Uchil came to visit Russel to certify that he was fit for surgery. He glanced at Russel's pre-op report and declared that he needs salt capsules to up his sodium level. He was really nice and patiently answered all of Russel's personal questions--when is your birthday, how many children do you have, what do they do, etc. He made him feel quite comfortable and then left after telling me that they would need to do another test to make sure salt levels had increased.
Also at mid-morning, we managed to change rooms and get him from a 3-bedded AC room to a twin non-AC room (Russel does not like the AC at all and Dad is allergic to it). The shift was taking place just when the urologist arrived to see him--Dr. Sobati--with his assistant. Dr. Nishant. He ordered a bladder sonogram, but when I insisted that this had been done only six weeks ago, he asked for the file, reviewed the report, saw that it was normal and decided against it. I did show him the tablets Russel has been taking for an overactive bladder. I like the practice of a trainee doctor (resident?) shadowing a senior doctor and learning the ropes as he goes along. He is the one who makes notes and then carries out orders for new prescriptions.
Russel settled down in his new room quite easily. It is a much smaller room and offers fewer facilities than the larger, more expensive one did. However, since there are only two patients in the room, there is less possibility of Russel disturbing fellow-patients in the ward. I apologized to the other two patients before I left, but they were so accommodating and so understanding of the situation that they told me not to worry at all.
In the afternoon I insisted that Dad go home for a rest. I told him that he ought to have a long nap and that there would be no one to disturb him. I told him that I would hold the fort at the hospital as he was keen that there should be someone with Russel at all times--we expected a bevy of physicians to see him today. Much to my amazement, Dad did agree to go and set out at 2.00 pm. I expected him back by 4.00 pm. In the afternoon, I also insisted that the curtains be drawn and the room darkened, so that Russel could try to get some sleep. I took my 20 minute nap on the accompanying seat which turned out to be just a wooden plank and not cushioned as in the previous ward. Russel did sleep in short spurts of 20 minutes and probably got some rest for about two ours. Adrenalin is pumping through his body making him acutely anxious and keeping him wide awake.
At 4.00 pm, Subhash, the man who is installing my internet and cable, came to visit Russel and spent about an hour with him. He was an unexpected visitor but both Russel and I were delighted to see him. At 5.00 pm. my cousin Meera came to visit with her husband Cyril. They sat for about a half hour at the same time that my friend Shahnaz came to visit too. That's when I discovered that a single pass is issued per patient and only one visitor is allowed in at a time. Wow! This too represents a major shift in hospital policy. There was a time when a dozen relatives and friends would gather around a patient and make a party out of it. Well, not any more. For security, safety and hygiene reasons, only one person is allowed at a patient's bedside at a time. I had to take the pass and go down to bring Shahnaz up. She was allowed in as a special case but, in the future, I will have to adhere to the rules. Dad informed me that people do not make hospital visits anymore. They wait until a patient returns home before they go a-calling--for precisely these reasons. It is amazing how much of a learning curve I am going through, in small ways and large.
It was great to visit with Shahnaz for a while. I was actually really getting alarmed when Dad did not return by 5.30 pm, and requested Meera to swing by his place and find out what was going on. But at 6.45 pm, he walked in. It turns out that he had errands to run and he did these while he had the time off. He had run from the church to our home to take care of petitions for the Novena to Our Mother of Perpetual Succor that he has conducted in our church for the past fifteen years.
It was a huge relief to see him at the same time that Meera called to tell me he was not at home. At about 6.45 pm, Jon Ken arrived. He also visited with Russel for a while and had a long chat with me to get an update on Russel's situation. He stayed for about an hour and left. Meanwhile, the man in the bed by Russel's side was discharged and the bed was re-made. Then, Dr. Vijay came along to re-do Russle's dressing and to make sure the wound under the plaster was not getting infected. It wasn't. He redid the dressing, used a small amount of plaster to stabilize the foot and left. Angels are certainly hovering over Russel.
A while later, one of Russel's favorite physicians, the neurologist Dr Sushil Tandel, came to see Russel. He is very fond of Russel and has always treated him with the utmost understanding and kindness. He certified Russel fit for surgery while chatting companionably with him and wishing him well.
The orthopedist, Dr. Derrick D'Lima, arrived again at about 9.30 pm. He gave Russel the merest cursory glance and left. He confirmed that surgery for the foot would be on Saturday at 11.00 am. Russel will now have to be prepared, mentally, for this next step.
Neither Dad nor I were able to do much reading throughout the day. It is hard to focus on anything when your mind is so-preoccupied. Although Dad had his newspaper and I had my iPad, we did some cursory browsing and that was it.
I got back home at 10.00 pm, had my dinner, washed, watched some TV but since my eyes were closing, I gave up the battle to stay awake and sank into sleep.
Tomorrow is Ganesh Chaturti or Ganpati--the city of Bombay will come to a virtual standstill as Maharashtrian Hindus celebrate the feast of their favorite god--the elephant-headed Ganesh. The hospital will be working on skeletal staff and it promises to be a very quiet day. I hope to carry my computer along and get started with the drafting of the plenary address I have been invited to give in Hyderabad. Hopefully, I will be able to go to that conference in early October...
Until tomorrow...
Tuesday, September 11, 2018
Family Crisis on 9/11!
Tuesday, September 11, 2018
Bombay
A Family Crisis on 9/11
Namaste from Bombay!
The thing about being 10,000 miles away from the US on the anniversary of 9/11 is that you do not remember how momentous it is for everyone in your home country. I honestly did not remember it at all because a family crisis rocked my own world today. Later, when it did register that America was mourning, I could not help but think how similar what I went through today was with those who lost or saw loved ones badly injured in the tragedy of 9/11.
I had finished breakfasting (birschersmuesli and coffee) and showering as I wanted to leave my home by 9.15 am to go across to my Dad's place before I took the train and went to downtown Bombay for my two appointments at 12.30 and 2.00: at St. Xavier's College and at the Asiatic Library. My idea was to go and cut my brother Russel's nails as I had noticed that they were a bit long.
So, my bag packed with a three-tiered sandwich for my lunch and meant to be eaten between appointments, I left my place and in five minutes was at Dad's.
Crisis!
There I found myself in a bit of a drama. My brother Russel who is mentally challenged and badly affected by osteo-arthritis in his left knee (so bad that he can now merely hobble about the flat) had a fall after using the restroom in the morning. Although he has assisted care 24/7, it seems the man hired to assist him was ineffective as Russel crashed to the ground badly twisting the ankle of his left leg. With great difficulty and the help of about three to four men, he was raised on a chair and taken back to his bed where he lay down until the doctor was called. The advice was that he should be taken to a hospital.
Through a good family friend named Ewell, an ambulance was called. Dad, the day assistant and I then rode in the ambulance with him to Holy Family Hospital in Bandra which is about a fifteen minute ride away. Meanwhile, Dad also contacted another close family friend Jon Ken who has been helping him in such circumstances on past occasions. He told us that he would meet us at the hospital. Russel was wheeled straight to Emergency where, after x-rays, it was established that he has had a compound fracture--both bones of his left shin, just above his ankle, have broken. He has also dislocated his left knee. The knowledge was shattering (if you can forgive the pun), but Russel can feel no pain--he has never expressed pain which leads us to believe that the part of the brain that indicates pain is non-existent, in his case. This can be a blessing (for him and us) but it also baffles doctors who do not have indication how they should treat him (in many cases). There was no need for pain-killers, but anti-inflammatory pills were immediately prescribed.
Diagnosis:
Long story short, Russel was admitted to the hospital today and doctors showed us the x-rays and informed us (Dad, Ewell, Jon Ken and myself) that they will need to do surgery on his leg as a first priority, reset his dislocated knee, use the opportunity of his being under anesthesia to drain his swollen knee of accumulated liquid and set his leg in plaster. The prognosis extends to three-months' healing time for the shin. At a later stage, the knee will be addressed. The orthopedist who visited Russel at the end of the day (he had been issuing instructions throughout the day to his assistant doctors who had taken action accordingly) told us that it is probably too late to do knee replacement surgery. However, he did talk about fitting Russel with a caliper (through surgery) that will brace the knee and prevent it from going out of joint again. In other words, he will need to go through a minimum of two surgeries.
Prognosis:
As a great believer in the power of prayer, I do believe that through this awfully dark period, something good will emerge. Russel's knee will finally get the medical attention it needs while he is still hospitalized. He will, hopefully, conquer his fear of hospitals and emerge form this ordeal probably in a better state than he is now. Yes, I am stretching--probably a bit too optimistically. And I am also unaware of the fact that the next three to four months, while his leg is in plaster or in a boot and healing will not be a picnic and will be difficult to watch and difficult to support.
But we shall do the best we can. Friends and family members have already offered help and Russel already had two visitors: my cousins Meera and Veera both spent some time with him in the morning and in the evening. No doubt, once word gets around, more people will come to see him and, should we need help, we have to do nothing but ask for it.
My day was spent talking to hospital personnel, discussing our options with Dad, purchasing the immediate medication he needed from the pharmacy on the ground floor and accompanying Jon Ken to the Bandra police station where fractures have to be routinely reported to the police by hospital authorities. This involves getting a signature from the police station--which took just a few minutes. However, a police officer was despatched to the hospital so that the policeman could actually see Russel and ask him a few questions and get him to sign a statement.
I found that getting to know how the systems operate at Holy Family Hospital with friends Ewell and Jon Ken was easier than I thought. I found the place organized, clean, and efficient, the staff very patient and helpful and the doctors both kind and professional. Even the chore of getting a signature from the police station and going through the interview with the police officer was easier than it could have been as I had Jon Ken by my side guiding me through the process. Yes, this is going to be a huge learning curve for me but I am more than up to the challenge and I feel privileged that my position here in Bombay at this time allows me to lend a hand in a family crisis.
Dad and I left the hospital at 9.30 pm--my lunch was half of my sandwich as Russel wanted the other half. We took a rickshaw home. I'd had a chance to tell Llew what had happened as soon as he awoke in the US and I gave Chriselle the news upon arriving home at about 9.45 pm. I had a guava for dinner as I honesty did not feel like eating when I reached home and I fell asleep with a To-Do List for tomorrow as Dad and I will be back at the hospital together at 8.00 am.
Needless to say, I cancelled my meetings for today and tomorrow and will now purely focus on what is required of me in the next week. The cliche 'One Day At A Time' has never sounded more relevant to me.
Please keep Russel in your prayers. As Tennyson wrote, "More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of..."
Until tomorrow....
Bombay
A Family Crisis on 9/11
Namaste from Bombay!
The thing about being 10,000 miles away from the US on the anniversary of 9/11 is that you do not remember how momentous it is for everyone in your home country. I honestly did not remember it at all because a family crisis rocked my own world today. Later, when it did register that America was mourning, I could not help but think how similar what I went through today was with those who lost or saw loved ones badly injured in the tragedy of 9/11.
I had finished breakfasting (birschersmuesli and coffee) and showering as I wanted to leave my home by 9.15 am to go across to my Dad's place before I took the train and went to downtown Bombay for my two appointments at 12.30 and 2.00: at St. Xavier's College and at the Asiatic Library. My idea was to go and cut my brother Russel's nails as I had noticed that they were a bit long.
So, my bag packed with a three-tiered sandwich for my lunch and meant to be eaten between appointments, I left my place and in five minutes was at Dad's.
Crisis!
There I found myself in a bit of a drama. My brother Russel who is mentally challenged and badly affected by osteo-arthritis in his left knee (so bad that he can now merely hobble about the flat) had a fall after using the restroom in the morning. Although he has assisted care 24/7, it seems the man hired to assist him was ineffective as Russel crashed to the ground badly twisting the ankle of his left leg. With great difficulty and the help of about three to four men, he was raised on a chair and taken back to his bed where he lay down until the doctor was called. The advice was that he should be taken to a hospital.
Through a good family friend named Ewell, an ambulance was called. Dad, the day assistant and I then rode in the ambulance with him to Holy Family Hospital in Bandra which is about a fifteen minute ride away. Meanwhile, Dad also contacted another close family friend Jon Ken who has been helping him in such circumstances on past occasions. He told us that he would meet us at the hospital. Russel was wheeled straight to Emergency where, after x-rays, it was established that he has had a compound fracture--both bones of his left shin, just above his ankle, have broken. He has also dislocated his left knee. The knowledge was shattering (if you can forgive the pun), but Russel can feel no pain--he has never expressed pain which leads us to believe that the part of the brain that indicates pain is non-existent, in his case. This can be a blessing (for him and us) but it also baffles doctors who do not have indication how they should treat him (in many cases). There was no need for pain-killers, but anti-inflammatory pills were immediately prescribed.
Diagnosis:
Long story short, Russel was admitted to the hospital today and doctors showed us the x-rays and informed us (Dad, Ewell, Jon Ken and myself) that they will need to do surgery on his leg as a first priority, reset his dislocated knee, use the opportunity of his being under anesthesia to drain his swollen knee of accumulated liquid and set his leg in plaster. The prognosis extends to three-months' healing time for the shin. At a later stage, the knee will be addressed. The orthopedist who visited Russel at the end of the day (he had been issuing instructions throughout the day to his assistant doctors who had taken action accordingly) told us that it is probably too late to do knee replacement surgery. However, he did talk about fitting Russel with a caliper (through surgery) that will brace the knee and prevent it from going out of joint again. In other words, he will need to go through a minimum of two surgeries.
Prognosis:
As a great believer in the power of prayer, I do believe that through this awfully dark period, something good will emerge. Russel's knee will finally get the medical attention it needs while he is still hospitalized. He will, hopefully, conquer his fear of hospitals and emerge form this ordeal probably in a better state than he is now. Yes, I am stretching--probably a bit too optimistically. And I am also unaware of the fact that the next three to four months, while his leg is in plaster or in a boot and healing will not be a picnic and will be difficult to watch and difficult to support.
But we shall do the best we can. Friends and family members have already offered help and Russel already had two visitors: my cousins Meera and Veera both spent some time with him in the morning and in the evening. No doubt, once word gets around, more people will come to see him and, should we need help, we have to do nothing but ask for it.
My day was spent talking to hospital personnel, discussing our options with Dad, purchasing the immediate medication he needed from the pharmacy on the ground floor and accompanying Jon Ken to the Bandra police station where fractures have to be routinely reported to the police by hospital authorities. This involves getting a signature from the police station--which took just a few minutes. However, a police officer was despatched to the hospital so that the policeman could actually see Russel and ask him a few questions and get him to sign a statement.
I found that getting to know how the systems operate at Holy Family Hospital with friends Ewell and Jon Ken was easier than I thought. I found the place organized, clean, and efficient, the staff very patient and helpful and the doctors both kind and professional. Even the chore of getting a signature from the police station and going through the interview with the police officer was easier than it could have been as I had Jon Ken by my side guiding me through the process. Yes, this is going to be a huge learning curve for me but I am more than up to the challenge and I feel privileged that my position here in Bombay at this time allows me to lend a hand in a family crisis.
Dad and I left the hospital at 9.30 pm--my lunch was half of my sandwich as Russel wanted the other half. We took a rickshaw home. I'd had a chance to tell Llew what had happened as soon as he awoke in the US and I gave Chriselle the news upon arriving home at about 9.45 pm. I had a guava for dinner as I honesty did not feel like eating when I reached home and I fell asleep with a To-Do List for tomorrow as Dad and I will be back at the hospital together at 8.00 am.
Needless to say, I cancelled my meetings for today and tomorrow and will now purely focus on what is required of me in the next week. The cliche 'One Day At A Time' has never sounded more relevant to me.
Please keep Russel in your prayers. As Tennyson wrote, "More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of..."
Until tomorrow....
A TV Set! I am Now All Set!
Monday, September 10, 2018
Bombay
A TV Set! I am now All Set!
Namaste from Bombay!
Today is a red letter day for me! I am finally the owner of a TV set! But to begin at the beginning.
Having had a lousy caffeinated night (two glasses of caffeinated lemon tea kept me awake until 4.00 am), I only woke up at 7.00 am--which, by the way, is a long lie-in for me and the latest I have woken up since I arrived in India! (I have learned a valuable lesson: at meetings, when offered a drink, go for a lassi or a nimbi pani--lemonade).
Hence, today I decided not to go out for an exercise walk. Instead, I washed, blogged, responded to and sent out email and completed the novel The Word is Murder by Anthony Horowitz--which I realized, after I read the Acknowledgements page at the back--is not fiction at all but based on a real story of a double murder in London. Good book. I am now on Harland Coben's Don' Let Go. Now I always though Coben was a British writer (after watching The Five and Safe on Netflix). This one is set in New Jersey! Will need to google and check his nationality and whereabouts.
Brekkie were the delicious dahi wadas that my next-door neighbors sent me. They were just lovely and such a nice break from the bischersmuesli I have been devouring--I love muesli too, but this was a welcome change. That and hot decaff coffee really makes my day. I have carried decaff tea bags for a few months and decaff coffee--neither of which are easily available in India. I will have to make sure my supplies are topped up as the weeks go by or I will be in bad trouble.
I spent a good part of the morning on research reading--still using online resources based on the bibliography I had previously prepared. I also sent out email asking people to send me the contact details of persons I can now start interviewing. For the moment, I am compiling a list of prospective interviewees and hopefully, I will actually start doing the interviews soon.
At 11.00 am, I went in for a shower and at 11.30 am, I left my home to go out and buy my TV set. But, at Llew's advice, I did some comparison shopping. I walked to Vijay Sales at Linking Road to see what their final price would be. Fortunately, the store was open although I had to use a side entrance. Today has been declared a Bandh--a protest of sorts that closes down shops and keeps traffic off the streets. However, I took a rickshaw to get to the store at Bandra Station from where I actually wanted to buy the TV that had been arranged for me at a special price through my Dad's TV techie. It was actually quite a pleasure to be out on the Bombay streets in a bandh for the crowd and traffic were thinner.
I saw the TV working in the shop, tried to negotiate further with the price, did not succeed and ultimately, bought the TV. They told me they would deliver it by the end of the day. I was quite excited. I was the owner of a Samsung state-of-the-art smart TV with all the bells and whistles--this includes a Smart Hub and internet surfing. Now all I need is a cable package and I will be all set! Yesssss!
Next, I took a 'rick' to Cheap Jack on Hill Road from where I did buy the simplest, plainest goose neck table lamp as the ones I had seen at Kapoor Lampshade were all in the Rs.5,000 range. And this one cost me Rs. 700 and is perfectly functional. I also stopped at Nature's Basket, the upscale gourmet food store on Hill Road and bought Schwepps canned tonic water and Theo Broma's multi-grain bread. I have two meetings lined up tomorrow--one at 12.30 with the new Principal of St. Xavier's College and one at 2.00 pm at the Asiatic Library where I will be introduced to the digital collection and to their resources. Since I will only have time for a sandwich lunch, I figured I would need to make myself one. Hence, the bread. I also bought a mutton patty from AI Bakery--for my tea.
From Laxmi, the store right by my lane, I piked up Bisleri bottled water, cheese and mayonnaise. I returned home to set up my lamp and have a very late lunch lunch at almost 3.00 pm--the last portions of my previous tiffin. I then had a quick nap--20 minutes did just fine.
I continued working on my computer till 6.00 pm when I called the store to find out if my TV was actually going to be delivered today. They assured me it would. I then called Dad and told him I could not visit with him or accompany him for Mass as I was waiting for my TV delivery.
At 7.20, the TV man delivered my new set and placed it on the stand. He also showed me the rudiments of its use but an engineer from the company shall come on Wednesday to wall mount it and show me the actual ropes. I will also need to call my cable operator Subhash to tell him to set me up with a cable box so that I can watch the shows I like. Meanwhile, I am quite content to look at Netflix which I can access through my wifi! The Miracles of Modern Home Entertainment.
Naturally, after the TV delivery man left, I had to watch something! I only have Netflix and other pre-programmed channels so far that work through my wifi connection. But it will be a few days before I can watch BBC News and CNN. I watched something called In The Line of Duty--a British cop drama while eating my dinner. Ah, the days of watching and eating are back!
However, the days of falling asleep while watching are also back! I was out like a light by 10.30 pm.
Until tomorrow...
Bombay
A TV Set! I am now All Set!
Namaste from Bombay!
Today is a red letter day for me! I am finally the owner of a TV set! But to begin at the beginning.
Having had a lousy caffeinated night (two glasses of caffeinated lemon tea kept me awake until 4.00 am), I only woke up at 7.00 am--which, by the way, is a long lie-in for me and the latest I have woken up since I arrived in India! (I have learned a valuable lesson: at meetings, when offered a drink, go for a lassi or a nimbi pani--lemonade).
Hence, today I decided not to go out for an exercise walk. Instead, I washed, blogged, responded to and sent out email and completed the novel The Word is Murder by Anthony Horowitz--which I realized, after I read the Acknowledgements page at the back--is not fiction at all but based on a real story of a double murder in London. Good book. I am now on Harland Coben's Don' Let Go. Now I always though Coben was a British writer (after watching The Five and Safe on Netflix). This one is set in New Jersey! Will need to google and check his nationality and whereabouts.
Brekkie were the delicious dahi wadas that my next-door neighbors sent me. They were just lovely and such a nice break from the bischersmuesli I have been devouring--I love muesli too, but this was a welcome change. That and hot decaff coffee really makes my day. I have carried decaff tea bags for a few months and decaff coffee--neither of which are easily available in India. I will have to make sure my supplies are topped up as the weeks go by or I will be in bad trouble.
I spent a good part of the morning on research reading--still using online resources based on the bibliography I had previously prepared. I also sent out email asking people to send me the contact details of persons I can now start interviewing. For the moment, I am compiling a list of prospective interviewees and hopefully, I will actually start doing the interviews soon.
At 11.00 am, I went in for a shower and at 11.30 am, I left my home to go out and buy my TV set. But, at Llew's advice, I did some comparison shopping. I walked to Vijay Sales at Linking Road to see what their final price would be. Fortunately, the store was open although I had to use a side entrance. Today has been declared a Bandh--a protest of sorts that closes down shops and keeps traffic off the streets. However, I took a rickshaw to get to the store at Bandra Station from where I actually wanted to buy the TV that had been arranged for me at a special price through my Dad's TV techie. It was actually quite a pleasure to be out on the Bombay streets in a bandh for the crowd and traffic were thinner.
I saw the TV working in the shop, tried to negotiate further with the price, did not succeed and ultimately, bought the TV. They told me they would deliver it by the end of the day. I was quite excited. I was the owner of a Samsung state-of-the-art smart TV with all the bells and whistles--this includes a Smart Hub and internet surfing. Now all I need is a cable package and I will be all set! Yesssss!
Next, I took a 'rick' to Cheap Jack on Hill Road from where I did buy the simplest, plainest goose neck table lamp as the ones I had seen at Kapoor Lampshade were all in the Rs.5,000 range. And this one cost me Rs. 700 and is perfectly functional. I also stopped at Nature's Basket, the upscale gourmet food store on Hill Road and bought Schwepps canned tonic water and Theo Broma's multi-grain bread. I have two meetings lined up tomorrow--one at 12.30 with the new Principal of St. Xavier's College and one at 2.00 pm at the Asiatic Library where I will be introduced to the digital collection and to their resources. Since I will only have time for a sandwich lunch, I figured I would need to make myself one. Hence, the bread. I also bought a mutton patty from AI Bakery--for my tea.
From Laxmi, the store right by my lane, I piked up Bisleri bottled water, cheese and mayonnaise. I returned home to set up my lamp and have a very late lunch lunch at almost 3.00 pm--the last portions of my previous tiffin. I then had a quick nap--20 minutes did just fine.
I continued working on my computer till 6.00 pm when I called the store to find out if my TV was actually going to be delivered today. They assured me it would. I then called Dad and told him I could not visit with him or accompany him for Mass as I was waiting for my TV delivery.
At 7.20, the TV man delivered my new set and placed it on the stand. He also showed me the rudiments of its use but an engineer from the company shall come on Wednesday to wall mount it and show me the actual ropes. I will also need to call my cable operator Subhash to tell him to set me up with a cable box so that I can watch the shows I like. Meanwhile, I am quite content to look at Netflix which I can access through my wifi! The Miracles of Modern Home Entertainment.
Naturally, after the TV delivery man left, I had to watch something! I only have Netflix and other pre-programmed channels so far that work through my wifi connection. But it will be a few days before I can watch BBC News and CNN. I watched something called In The Line of Duty--a British cop drama while eating my dinner. Ah, the days of watching and eating are back!
However, the days of falling asleep while watching are also back! I was out like a light by 10.30 pm.
Until tomorrow...
Sunday, September 9, 2018
Celebrating Bandra Feast! And Meeting a Youthful Publisher
Sunday, September 9, 2018
Bombay
Celebrating Bandra Feast! And Meeting a Youthful Publisher.
Namaste from Bombay!
My mornings have taken on a routine of their own--and so it was today: blogging, reading, responding to and drafting email. Awoke early at 4.30 am--used 'morning brain' to get on with work. Brekkie was my birschersmuesli with hot hazelnut coffee and more reading of Anthony Horowitz's The Word is Murder--getting quickly to the end of the whodunit and still baffled. Have now downloaded a Harlan Coben novel from my library and will shortly start reading it.
Also got down to a few chores while still feeling energetic: swabbed my tiny studio, cleaned toilet and bathroom sink. Everything takes me 10 minutes and very little sweat equity because this studio is so tiny. What are we thinking, in the US, living in humongous homes that take so much maintenance?
I spent a good relaxed morning while reading and then suddenly I received a call from a friend Joe asking me if I could meet a publisher who was keen on working with me. I had a phone chat with the young chap named Ishaan and make an appointment to meet him at 4.00 pm at the Juhu Ville Parle Gymkhana. I had no idea where this was but he suggested I take an Uber back and forth--which was a very good idea. And this time I was not plagued by the drivers' BO.
Ordering Lunch from Bandra Gym:
I then showered, dressed a bit more formally for our meeting and left my home at 11.30 am to stroll to Bandra Gym to pick up take-out lunch for Dad, Russel and me as today is the day Bandrites celebrate Bandra Feast--the birthday of our Blessed Mother. The gym was already full of merry-makers. I learned the drill: you study the menu, catch hold of one of the waiters, place an order for takeaway food and wait. In the future, I know to call ahead and order our meal and then arrive there only to pick it up They do not deliver at home. A lovely friendly lady called Deirdre Rodrigues helped me figure out what to order--she kept recommending things and telling me that everything is delicious! I ordered Pork Sorpotel (you cannot celebrate Bandra Feast without this traditional classic!), Chicken Pullao, Crispy Vegetables (sort of like Vegetable Manchurian) and Greek Salad. It took me a whole half hour to get the order but I managed to get to my Dad's flat by 12.45 so that we could start with lunch.
Bandra Feast Lunch with the Bombay Family:
And it was great fun! Everything was delicious! We had 7 UP and port wine to accompany our meal and really enjoyed the food which was enormous in quantity. There was more than enough for us for dinner so Dad asked me to return in the evening. We spent a long while chatting about the more controversial items in the papers--just as we used to do on the phone, we are now talking in person. I know that Dad is grateful for the chatter and the company and the mental stimulation that he otherwise lacks with just Russel for company. I then took a short nap to recharge my batteries.
At 3.30 pm, I called for an Uber and at 4.15, I was at the venue--traffic was awful even on a Sunday. I am simply amazed at the way the Western suburbs have developed in the three decades of my absence. The place reeks affluence. Very swanky new restaurants, designer boutiques, shops offering the most fancy digitalized equipment and gadgets, are available for the asking in the Bandra-Juhu corridor of Bombay where income levels have skyrocketed and people live like kings. I have seen similar demographics in Manilla in the Philippines where poverty and affluence exist cheek by jowl.
A Very Fruitful Meeting:
Ishaan Jajodia came to the entrance of the Gymkhana to meet me--I was struck by his youthfulness. At merely twenty (he looks sixteen), he heads a successful publishing house called Bombay Kala that he runs while completing his undergraduate studies in Architectural History at Dartmouth! I know!!! I was simply floored. Our mutual friend Ashley joined us a few minutes later. We spent the rest of the evening over lemon tea and the most delectable dahi batata puri I have ever eaten as we discussed one of my current books that is awaiting publication. I also made a pitch for a memoir that I wondered if he'd be interested in publishing. Fingers crossed as he takes a look at the manuscript.
Back Home for Dinner and a Visit with my new Neighbors:
After more than two hours during which we gabbed and laughed, the meeting ended and we said goodbye to Ishaan who flies off to Dartmouth tonight for his first semester as a Junior, Ashley joined me in the Uber and rode with me to Bandra. This time the driver took me via Juhu Beach--an area that continued to amaze me by its ambience. Clearly, this is where the rich and famous live. Money was evident at every turn--in the huge bungalows, the upscale high-rise apartment buildings, the kind of shops that have mushroomed and that seem to want to imitate offerings in London or New York or Dubai. At the beach, I saw tour buses that bring Indian tourists to show them what used to be such a sleepy beach when I was growing up. Once again, the place was crowded--quite understandable on a Sunday evening. It reminded me so much of China and the throngs we saw at all sites of tourist interest.
Ashley slipped off at Bandra Gym where he thought he could shoot the breeze with friends. I carried on to Dad's place, then had dinner with him and Russel--afternoon's leftovers--still delectable.
I left Dad's at 8.30 am and was just putting the key into my door when my next-door neighbors, the Dedhias, invited me into their flat. I knew that they were trying to be friendly and to get to know me better--and so I accepted their invitation. In true Indian style, they wished to offer me dinner. I declined as I told them I had already eaten. However, they brought me dahi wadas in a bowl and told me to take it home and enjoy it. I will eat them for breakfast tomorrow. They are a Jain family of four, of Kutchi descent: father, mother (who has rheumatic arthritis and is practically bedridden except for movement with a walker), a daughter who is a trained freelance beautician and hair stylist named Forum and a son who is a college student at nearby Rizvi College. I met Forum's finance named Kiran, an engineer who lives in Pune and who is visiting her for the weekend. They mother only speaks Hindi but her children are fluent in English. I have lucked out again--I had similarly friendly and hospitable neighbors, ten years ago, in London. This time too I have next-door neighbors who are friendly and caring. How lucky am I???!!!
I left them to go home next-door, got ready for bed and read a bit before switching off my light. Then, to my horror, I discovered that having drunk two glasses of caffeinated lemon tea at 4.00 pm, I would remain wide awake for a good long time. I only fell asleep at 4.00 am!!! It was absolutely nuts!
Until tomorrow....
Bombay
Celebrating Bandra Feast! And Meeting a Youthful Publisher.
Namaste from Bombay!
My mornings have taken on a routine of their own--and so it was today: blogging, reading, responding to and drafting email. Awoke early at 4.30 am--used 'morning brain' to get on with work. Brekkie was my birschersmuesli with hot hazelnut coffee and more reading of Anthony Horowitz's The Word is Murder--getting quickly to the end of the whodunit and still baffled. Have now downloaded a Harlan Coben novel from my library and will shortly start reading it.
Also got down to a few chores while still feeling energetic: swabbed my tiny studio, cleaned toilet and bathroom sink. Everything takes me 10 minutes and very little sweat equity because this studio is so tiny. What are we thinking, in the US, living in humongous homes that take so much maintenance?
I spent a good relaxed morning while reading and then suddenly I received a call from a friend Joe asking me if I could meet a publisher who was keen on working with me. I had a phone chat with the young chap named Ishaan and make an appointment to meet him at 4.00 pm at the Juhu Ville Parle Gymkhana. I had no idea where this was but he suggested I take an Uber back and forth--which was a very good idea. And this time I was not plagued by the drivers' BO.
Ordering Lunch from Bandra Gym:
I then showered, dressed a bit more formally for our meeting and left my home at 11.30 am to stroll to Bandra Gym to pick up take-out lunch for Dad, Russel and me as today is the day Bandrites celebrate Bandra Feast--the birthday of our Blessed Mother. The gym was already full of merry-makers. I learned the drill: you study the menu, catch hold of one of the waiters, place an order for takeaway food and wait. In the future, I know to call ahead and order our meal and then arrive there only to pick it up They do not deliver at home. A lovely friendly lady called Deirdre Rodrigues helped me figure out what to order--she kept recommending things and telling me that everything is delicious! I ordered Pork Sorpotel (you cannot celebrate Bandra Feast without this traditional classic!), Chicken Pullao, Crispy Vegetables (sort of like Vegetable Manchurian) and Greek Salad. It took me a whole half hour to get the order but I managed to get to my Dad's flat by 12.45 so that we could start with lunch.
Bandra Feast Lunch with the Bombay Family:
And it was great fun! Everything was delicious! We had 7 UP and port wine to accompany our meal and really enjoyed the food which was enormous in quantity. There was more than enough for us for dinner so Dad asked me to return in the evening. We spent a long while chatting about the more controversial items in the papers--just as we used to do on the phone, we are now talking in person. I know that Dad is grateful for the chatter and the company and the mental stimulation that he otherwise lacks with just Russel for company. I then took a short nap to recharge my batteries.
At 3.30 pm, I called for an Uber and at 4.15, I was at the venue--traffic was awful even on a Sunday. I am simply amazed at the way the Western suburbs have developed in the three decades of my absence. The place reeks affluence. Very swanky new restaurants, designer boutiques, shops offering the most fancy digitalized equipment and gadgets, are available for the asking in the Bandra-Juhu corridor of Bombay where income levels have skyrocketed and people live like kings. I have seen similar demographics in Manilla in the Philippines where poverty and affluence exist cheek by jowl.
A Very Fruitful Meeting:
Ishaan Jajodia came to the entrance of the Gymkhana to meet me--I was struck by his youthfulness. At merely twenty (he looks sixteen), he heads a successful publishing house called Bombay Kala that he runs while completing his undergraduate studies in Architectural History at Dartmouth! I know!!! I was simply floored. Our mutual friend Ashley joined us a few minutes later. We spent the rest of the evening over lemon tea and the most delectable dahi batata puri I have ever eaten as we discussed one of my current books that is awaiting publication. I also made a pitch for a memoir that I wondered if he'd be interested in publishing. Fingers crossed as he takes a look at the manuscript.
Back Home for Dinner and a Visit with my new Neighbors:
After more than two hours during which we gabbed and laughed, the meeting ended and we said goodbye to Ishaan who flies off to Dartmouth tonight for his first semester as a Junior, Ashley joined me in the Uber and rode with me to Bandra. This time the driver took me via Juhu Beach--an area that continued to amaze me by its ambience. Clearly, this is where the rich and famous live. Money was evident at every turn--in the huge bungalows, the upscale high-rise apartment buildings, the kind of shops that have mushroomed and that seem to want to imitate offerings in London or New York or Dubai. At the beach, I saw tour buses that bring Indian tourists to show them what used to be such a sleepy beach when I was growing up. Once again, the place was crowded--quite understandable on a Sunday evening. It reminded me so much of China and the throngs we saw at all sites of tourist interest.
Ashley slipped off at Bandra Gym where he thought he could shoot the breeze with friends. I carried on to Dad's place, then had dinner with him and Russel--afternoon's leftovers--still delectable.
I left Dad's at 8.30 am and was just putting the key into my door when my next-door neighbors, the Dedhias, invited me into their flat. I knew that they were trying to be friendly and to get to know me better--and so I accepted their invitation. In true Indian style, they wished to offer me dinner. I declined as I told them I had already eaten. However, they brought me dahi wadas in a bowl and told me to take it home and enjoy it. I will eat them for breakfast tomorrow. They are a Jain family of four, of Kutchi descent: father, mother (who has rheumatic arthritis and is practically bedridden except for movement with a walker), a daughter who is a trained freelance beautician and hair stylist named Forum and a son who is a college student at nearby Rizvi College. I met Forum's finance named Kiran, an engineer who lives in Pune and who is visiting her for the weekend. They mother only speaks Hindi but her children are fluent in English. I have lucked out again--I had similarly friendly and hospitable neighbors, ten years ago, in London. This time too I have next-door neighbors who are friendly and caring. How lucky am I???!!!
I left them to go home next-door, got ready for bed and read a bit before switching off my light. Then, to my horror, I discovered that having drunk two glasses of caffeinated lemon tea at 4.00 pm, I would remain wide awake for a good long time. I only fell asleep at 4.00 am!!! It was absolutely nuts!
Until tomorrow....
Saturday, September 8, 2018
It's Bandra Feast! Preliminary Research Reading Begins ...and my First Visitor
Saturday, September 8, 2018
Bombay
It's Bandra Feast! Preliminary Research Reading Begins...and My First Visitor
Namaste from Bombay!
I awoke to the realization that today is Bandra Feast--the Feast of the Nativity of Our Blessed Mother. In Bandra, traditionally, this day is celebrated by the Catholic Community as 'Bandra Feast'. That's because a landmark church in Bandra--Mount Mary's Church--so-called because it sits on the top of a mountain and is dedicated to Mary, Mother of Christ--celebrates its 'feast' today, September 8, which is the birthday (Nativity) of Mary. During the past nine days, local Bandra churches have been praying the Novena to Our Lady--a novena is a nine-day special prayer that culminates with the feast of a saint. Traditionally, Bandra's Catholics celebrated the 'feast' on the Sunday closest to September 8--which will be tomorrow. There is wining and dinning and community singing around a piano in Bandra homes. It is good to be here on Bandra Feast after three decades.
All About 'Bandra Fair':
Bandra Feast is synonymous with a Fair--Bandra Fair. This used to go on for a week and was part of the feast celebrations. As kids we used to be taken to the Fair by our parents who, after we'd heard Mass in a gloriously decorated church, walked with us down "Mount Mary Steps" past stalls selling candles, religious statues, rosaries and the like. They bought us cheap trinkets, a bottle of bubbles and typically Goan 'sweets' such as 'kadio-modios' and packets of black gram (roasted chick peas, known as 'channa' in Hindi). When we became teenagers, we no longer went to the Fair with our parents. We'd grown 'cool' and went with our friends, dressed to the nines and strutting our stuff in tight Levis and stillletoed heels at the September Garden where we made a beeline for the giant wheel and the BBQ Chicken whose aromas enticed for miles before we arrived at the rotisserie spits.When I became a mother, I took Chriselle to the Fair. I have pictures taken swinging on the moon with her in one of the make-shift studios that were set up there. My mother as a teenager also took dozens of pictures in theses studios--we still have several of her posing in these black and white passport sized images. I remember taking Chriselle into the House of the Laughing Mirrors where our reflections were so distorted that we doubled up in mirth. Just good innocent fun it all was!
I understand that the Fair is not what it used to be--it has apparently dwindled to a shadow of its old self. Dad and I were talking about what it was like when he was a child--I am talking 80 years ago--yes, that's how long the Fair has thrived. He recalls being taken there with his sisters as kids by his oldest brother. He told me that getting through the church service was not too bad, but once they arrived at the Steps, it was simply impossible to make their way down. The crowds were so thick and so scary that my puny Dad and his puny little female siblings simply did not have the courage to brave them. Then, out of the blues one of their neighbors appeared--a gigantic 'Sandow' of a man who towered above the crowds. He told them to hold on to him in a tight crocodile and that he would part the crowds and let them through. With their hearts in their mouths, they followed his suggestions and, miraculously, like Moses parting the Red Sea, he elbowed his way through the crowd and made a channel for them to follow.
I recall hating the crowd myself when I was a pre-teen because I too remember what an ordeal it was to get down those steps. Well, apparently, it will not be half as bad today and I am sorely tempted to take a turn there and see for myself. Perhaps if I can find company, I will brave the likely throng and go. The Fair, like many old cultural traditions, might disappear altogether. Apparently, people who live in high-rise buildings that cling to the route that is part of the Fair are badly affected by the human traffic that descends upon their neighborhood for the week of the Fair and have floated many campaigns to eradicate it. Municipal authorities have taken heed of their requests and toned down the noise and the accompanying festivity--much to the annoyance of the tradition-bound who lament the passing away of another quaint cultural event to the demands of Modernity.
Morning Routine Established:
Today was a very productive and exciting day. I awoke at 5.45 am--glory be! It is the latest I have awoken since I have arrived in Bombay. Most days, I am up by 4.30 am and simply cannot get back to sleep again. That said, I have been falling off to sleep by 10.00 pm. As usual, I blogged, responded to email and read Anthony Horowitz's The Word is Murder. Good book. Keeping me very absorbed during my meals--I munch as I read. This will probably be the pattern of my meals until I get a TV set. Soon....hopefully.
I made myself a birschersmuesli breakfast with lovely hot hazelnut coffee. It is also something to which I look forward. The best thing I did was buying my microwave oven and electric kettle--they were virtually my first purchases in Bombay, and they have turned out to be a boon.
Right after breakfast, I decided to go to the Jogger's Park to walk for exercise. I had not been there in years and I have entirely forgotten what it was like. I think the last time I went was when my nephew Arav was a little over a year old. Llew and I have some pictures with him in the Park. He is almost fifteen--so you could say that it has been a while.
Exercising at Jogger's Park:
Jogger's Park was created about 20-25 years ago in honor of a local PE (Physical Education) teacher who was known as "Sir" Oliver Andrade. He was associated with local Bandra Catholic schools such as St. Andrew's School and St. Anne's School. He had made it his aim and vision to create physical training facilities for youth because he firmly believed that strong minds exist in healthy bodies. To that extent, he was seen daily at dawn, training bunches of kids. When he died, it was decided that a dedicated space ought to be carved out, in his honor, through which his mission could continue.
The end result is the beautiful Jogger's Park--a misnomer if ever there was one as folks do much more than jog there. Yes, jogging gets prime attention and has a beautiful dirt track that encircles the park on which joggers pound relentlessly. But carved alongside it is an equally beautiful walking track--and that was the one I used. I prefer walking on dirt (it is kinder on the knees) and this was paved in concrete blocks. What I did, therefore, was walk partly on the periphery of the jogger's track and partly on the concrete pavers. The concrete pavers run right alongside the Arabian Sea. Waves crashed on the rocks and swirled around the mangroves that fringe the palm-lined track. It was such a pleasure that I simply cannot express how thrilled I was to have such an exercise facility just minutes from my doorstep. How fortunate am I!
I took 10 full rounds and enjoyed the ocean breeze in my face at every turn. The crowd was scanty (as most people seem to favor really early exercise and seem to avoid the warmth of the sun that definitely mounts after 9.00 am). As I am not averse to having the sun's warmth around me (all that fabulous Vitamin D for free), I am quite content to go later when the crowd has thinned and you have the park virtually to yourself. Such a boon! I do not believe I shall miss the Bandra Gym very much at all.
In addition to these tracks, the park is gloriously landscaped with profuse tropical plantings, mature trees laden with blossoms, a play area for children, a meditation section where I saw people doing yogic headstands and an abundance of other facilities. What's more, it abuts the very swanky private Otter's Club--and I could not help thinking how privileged we all are to have the facilities that the Jogger's Park can offer for free when the members of the adjoining club are paying exorbitant amounts for the same ambience.
On to Work:
Jogger's Park closes at 10.00am and reopens at 3.00 pm. I was back home at 10.10 to jump into the shower. Then it was time to get down to work. But then I got a call from my friend Sunita (Sue) inviting me to have lunch with her. I extended the invitation to her--she would be my first 'official' visitor. Nafisa and Shanaz have seen my place but they were here prior to my move. I told Sue that I could offer her Goan Shrimp Curry--and that closed the deal. She was delighted. We made plans for her to arrive at 1.00 pm.
And so until 1.00 pm, I sat at my laptop and began my preliminary research reading by accessing the online articles that I had identified as part of my bibliography for my research project. It went well and I learned so very much in such a short period--but mainly about Parsee Gujarati Theater. I have yet to come upon anything worthwhile with regards to Parsee English Theater--which is probably why my study is so apropos. I also started a list of potential interviewees for my field surveys--an equally important part of my work.
The great part about being able to work on a laptop with internet connectivity is that one can multi-task. I was simultaneously trying to set up an appointment with the new Principal at St. Xavier's College, which, hopefully, will be this coming Tuesday. I was also attending to email related to NYU in New York and writing a few Thank-you emails to the folks I met at NYU-Shanghai--all of which kept me deeply engaged for a solid three hours.
Lunch with "Sue":
At 1.15, Sue arrived. It was great fun to see her again. I have known her since we were both 16 and had been freshmen at Elphintone ("Elphie") College in Bombay from which we both graduated. Somehow we had hit it off--my best friend Beulah and I and Sue's best friend Delilah and herself. Time has taken us all far away from each other: I emigrated to the States, Delilah to Canada, Beulah moved with her husband's job to Saudi Arabia and Sue remained in Bandra. Over the years, I have met her on each trip I have taken to Bombay and have also seen her often on her trips to the US which have been frequent. She does not live too far from me--in fact, she is on the same street as Fab India at Khar. Sue arrived with my first ever housewarming gifts--a beautiful candle and a diamante bracelet, both of which are just lovely. I adore them both. No need now for me to buy a candle which I was dying to do sooner or later.
The best sense of gratification I get is when friends enter my little studio and exclaim about how cute it is. It totally warms my heart when they see how homely I have made it. Sue kept telling me how lucky I was to have found it and I kept telling her how lucky I was that I am so close to Dad in an area of Bandra that is still so charming and so quaint.
We paused in our non-stop chatter to eat: I put out Goan Shrimp Curry, Elbow Macaroni with Scallions, Gherkins with Coconut and Onions and a Mash that I still cannot identify--Sue thinks, like me, that it is bread that has been soaked, squeezed and then sautéed with spices. At any rate, she was further amazed to find that this was a home-delivered meal and that I pay less than Rs. 200 for it! Truly, I have lucked out in so many ways that I am filled with gratitude each day.
Our chinwag could have gone on forever but she had an appointment at Bandstand and had to leave. What's crushing is that she will soon be off to the US for 6 weeks and will not be back until early November. At least three of my close friends are headed Stateside at the very time that I have chosen to be here!
Shopping for a Bedside Lamp:
The very last purchase I need to make my studio really cozy is a bedside lamp. The little night stand I have fashioned out of the carton of my microwave oven is small and cannot accommodate one with a very broad base. Sue suggested I return to Cheap Jack as I would find it there. So off I walked to Hill Road (which is literally just a 10 minute walk from my studio). Sadly, the three that they had on display had very broad bases and would not fit comfortably. I will have to continue to shop around.
I walked back via Naturals Ice-cream and ended up buying two take-home packs--one custard apple and one fig for myself and one pack of Chocolate for my Dad and Russel. Ice-cream is always welcome--even if they have some already.
Off to Aldrin's Workshop:
Back home, I got ready to make an excursion to the workshop of a chap called Aldrin, my Dad's TV techie. He is trying to sell me a Sony 'semi-smart' TV set that is about 4-5 years old. He tells me that with an Amazon Firestick, I could easily convert it into a smart TV. Not knowing too much about
TV sets, I am an eager learner. He also wants to find out if my laptop will permit me to connect an HDMI cable to enable me to surf the web on the TV screen. I have, therefore, been instructed to carry my laptop to his workshop so that he can take a look at it. He gave me directions and I found his place--it is a 15 minute walk from my studio.
Well, he took one look at my laptop and said that I would need an adaptor as I have a Mac. He suggested I buy an Apple TV and connect that to his second-hand Sony Bravia. After chatting with Llew on the phone about it, we have decided that I should simply go ahead and buy a new TV and that is what I will be doing. So I have now identified a Samsung TV that he says he can get at a good price. Hopefully, by Monday, I will be fully set up...This TV buying saga has gone on far too long.
Church, Dinner and Bed:
I just had enough time to race back home on foot, change into something more formal and set off again on foot for Dad's place to drop off the ice-cream. The two of us then left for 7.00 pm Feast Mass. I then visited with Russel after Mass for about twenty minutes and left so that they could get on with dinner and I could have mine at my studio.
I had my first weekend G and T, my regular dinner and custard apple ice-cream for dessert (absolutely the best!) all the while reading The Word is Murder. At 10.30 pm, I washed my dinner things, brushed and flossed my teeth and went to bed as I really did feel a tad tired after all the walking I have done today.
Until tomorrow...
Bombay
It's Bandra Feast! Preliminary Research Reading Begins...and My First Visitor
Namaste from Bombay!
I awoke to the realization that today is Bandra Feast--the Feast of the Nativity of Our Blessed Mother. In Bandra, traditionally, this day is celebrated by the Catholic Community as 'Bandra Feast'. That's because a landmark church in Bandra--Mount Mary's Church--so-called because it sits on the top of a mountain and is dedicated to Mary, Mother of Christ--celebrates its 'feast' today, September 8, which is the birthday (Nativity) of Mary. During the past nine days, local Bandra churches have been praying the Novena to Our Lady--a novena is a nine-day special prayer that culminates with the feast of a saint. Traditionally, Bandra's Catholics celebrated the 'feast' on the Sunday closest to September 8--which will be tomorrow. There is wining and dinning and community singing around a piano in Bandra homes. It is good to be here on Bandra Feast after three decades.
All About 'Bandra Fair':
Bandra Feast is synonymous with a Fair--Bandra Fair. This used to go on for a week and was part of the feast celebrations. As kids we used to be taken to the Fair by our parents who, after we'd heard Mass in a gloriously decorated church, walked with us down "Mount Mary Steps" past stalls selling candles, religious statues, rosaries and the like. They bought us cheap trinkets, a bottle of bubbles and typically Goan 'sweets' such as 'kadio-modios' and packets of black gram (roasted chick peas, known as 'channa' in Hindi). When we became teenagers, we no longer went to the Fair with our parents. We'd grown 'cool' and went with our friends, dressed to the nines and strutting our stuff in tight Levis and stillletoed heels at the September Garden where we made a beeline for the giant wheel and the BBQ Chicken whose aromas enticed for miles before we arrived at the rotisserie spits.When I became a mother, I took Chriselle to the Fair. I have pictures taken swinging on the moon with her in one of the make-shift studios that were set up there. My mother as a teenager also took dozens of pictures in theses studios--we still have several of her posing in these black and white passport sized images. I remember taking Chriselle into the House of the Laughing Mirrors where our reflections were so distorted that we doubled up in mirth. Just good innocent fun it all was!
I understand that the Fair is not what it used to be--it has apparently dwindled to a shadow of its old self. Dad and I were talking about what it was like when he was a child--I am talking 80 years ago--yes, that's how long the Fair has thrived. He recalls being taken there with his sisters as kids by his oldest brother. He told me that getting through the church service was not too bad, but once they arrived at the Steps, it was simply impossible to make their way down. The crowds were so thick and so scary that my puny Dad and his puny little female siblings simply did not have the courage to brave them. Then, out of the blues one of their neighbors appeared--a gigantic 'Sandow' of a man who towered above the crowds. He told them to hold on to him in a tight crocodile and that he would part the crowds and let them through. With their hearts in their mouths, they followed his suggestions and, miraculously, like Moses parting the Red Sea, he elbowed his way through the crowd and made a channel for them to follow.
I recall hating the crowd myself when I was a pre-teen because I too remember what an ordeal it was to get down those steps. Well, apparently, it will not be half as bad today and I am sorely tempted to take a turn there and see for myself. Perhaps if I can find company, I will brave the likely throng and go. The Fair, like many old cultural traditions, might disappear altogether. Apparently, people who live in high-rise buildings that cling to the route that is part of the Fair are badly affected by the human traffic that descends upon their neighborhood for the week of the Fair and have floated many campaigns to eradicate it. Municipal authorities have taken heed of their requests and toned down the noise and the accompanying festivity--much to the annoyance of the tradition-bound who lament the passing away of another quaint cultural event to the demands of Modernity.
Morning Routine Established:
Today was a very productive and exciting day. I awoke at 5.45 am--glory be! It is the latest I have awoken since I have arrived in Bombay. Most days, I am up by 4.30 am and simply cannot get back to sleep again. That said, I have been falling off to sleep by 10.00 pm. As usual, I blogged, responded to email and read Anthony Horowitz's The Word is Murder. Good book. Keeping me very absorbed during my meals--I munch as I read. This will probably be the pattern of my meals until I get a TV set. Soon....hopefully.
I made myself a birschersmuesli breakfast with lovely hot hazelnut coffee. It is also something to which I look forward. The best thing I did was buying my microwave oven and electric kettle--they were virtually my first purchases in Bombay, and they have turned out to be a boon.
Right after breakfast, I decided to go to the Jogger's Park to walk for exercise. I had not been there in years and I have entirely forgotten what it was like. I think the last time I went was when my nephew Arav was a little over a year old. Llew and I have some pictures with him in the Park. He is almost fifteen--so you could say that it has been a while.
Exercising at Jogger's Park:
Jogger's Park was created about 20-25 years ago in honor of a local PE (Physical Education) teacher who was known as "Sir" Oliver Andrade. He was associated with local Bandra Catholic schools such as St. Andrew's School and St. Anne's School. He had made it his aim and vision to create physical training facilities for youth because he firmly believed that strong minds exist in healthy bodies. To that extent, he was seen daily at dawn, training bunches of kids. When he died, it was decided that a dedicated space ought to be carved out, in his honor, through which his mission could continue.
The end result is the beautiful Jogger's Park--a misnomer if ever there was one as folks do much more than jog there. Yes, jogging gets prime attention and has a beautiful dirt track that encircles the park on which joggers pound relentlessly. But carved alongside it is an equally beautiful walking track--and that was the one I used. I prefer walking on dirt (it is kinder on the knees) and this was paved in concrete blocks. What I did, therefore, was walk partly on the periphery of the jogger's track and partly on the concrete pavers. The concrete pavers run right alongside the Arabian Sea. Waves crashed on the rocks and swirled around the mangroves that fringe the palm-lined track. It was such a pleasure that I simply cannot express how thrilled I was to have such an exercise facility just minutes from my doorstep. How fortunate am I!
I took 10 full rounds and enjoyed the ocean breeze in my face at every turn. The crowd was scanty (as most people seem to favor really early exercise and seem to avoid the warmth of the sun that definitely mounts after 9.00 am). As I am not averse to having the sun's warmth around me (all that fabulous Vitamin D for free), I am quite content to go later when the crowd has thinned and you have the park virtually to yourself. Such a boon! I do not believe I shall miss the Bandra Gym very much at all.
In addition to these tracks, the park is gloriously landscaped with profuse tropical plantings, mature trees laden with blossoms, a play area for children, a meditation section where I saw people doing yogic headstands and an abundance of other facilities. What's more, it abuts the very swanky private Otter's Club--and I could not help thinking how privileged we all are to have the facilities that the Jogger's Park can offer for free when the members of the adjoining club are paying exorbitant amounts for the same ambience.
On to Work:
Jogger's Park closes at 10.00am and reopens at 3.00 pm. I was back home at 10.10 to jump into the shower. Then it was time to get down to work. But then I got a call from my friend Sunita (Sue) inviting me to have lunch with her. I extended the invitation to her--she would be my first 'official' visitor. Nafisa and Shanaz have seen my place but they were here prior to my move. I told Sue that I could offer her Goan Shrimp Curry--and that closed the deal. She was delighted. We made plans for her to arrive at 1.00 pm.
And so until 1.00 pm, I sat at my laptop and began my preliminary research reading by accessing the online articles that I had identified as part of my bibliography for my research project. It went well and I learned so very much in such a short period--but mainly about Parsee Gujarati Theater. I have yet to come upon anything worthwhile with regards to Parsee English Theater--which is probably why my study is so apropos. I also started a list of potential interviewees for my field surveys--an equally important part of my work.
The great part about being able to work on a laptop with internet connectivity is that one can multi-task. I was simultaneously trying to set up an appointment with the new Principal at St. Xavier's College, which, hopefully, will be this coming Tuesday. I was also attending to email related to NYU in New York and writing a few Thank-you emails to the folks I met at NYU-Shanghai--all of which kept me deeply engaged for a solid three hours.
Lunch with "Sue":
At 1.15, Sue arrived. It was great fun to see her again. I have known her since we were both 16 and had been freshmen at Elphintone ("Elphie") College in Bombay from which we both graduated. Somehow we had hit it off--my best friend Beulah and I and Sue's best friend Delilah and herself. Time has taken us all far away from each other: I emigrated to the States, Delilah to Canada, Beulah moved with her husband's job to Saudi Arabia and Sue remained in Bandra. Over the years, I have met her on each trip I have taken to Bombay and have also seen her often on her trips to the US which have been frequent. She does not live too far from me--in fact, she is on the same street as Fab India at Khar. Sue arrived with my first ever housewarming gifts--a beautiful candle and a diamante bracelet, both of which are just lovely. I adore them both. No need now for me to buy a candle which I was dying to do sooner or later.
The best sense of gratification I get is when friends enter my little studio and exclaim about how cute it is. It totally warms my heart when they see how homely I have made it. Sue kept telling me how lucky I was to have found it and I kept telling her how lucky I was that I am so close to Dad in an area of Bandra that is still so charming and so quaint.
We paused in our non-stop chatter to eat: I put out Goan Shrimp Curry, Elbow Macaroni with Scallions, Gherkins with Coconut and Onions and a Mash that I still cannot identify--Sue thinks, like me, that it is bread that has been soaked, squeezed and then sautéed with spices. At any rate, she was further amazed to find that this was a home-delivered meal and that I pay less than Rs. 200 for it! Truly, I have lucked out in so many ways that I am filled with gratitude each day.
Our chinwag could have gone on forever but she had an appointment at Bandstand and had to leave. What's crushing is that she will soon be off to the US for 6 weeks and will not be back until early November. At least three of my close friends are headed Stateside at the very time that I have chosen to be here!
Shopping for a Bedside Lamp:
The very last purchase I need to make my studio really cozy is a bedside lamp. The little night stand I have fashioned out of the carton of my microwave oven is small and cannot accommodate one with a very broad base. Sue suggested I return to Cheap Jack as I would find it there. So off I walked to Hill Road (which is literally just a 10 minute walk from my studio). Sadly, the three that they had on display had very broad bases and would not fit comfortably. I will have to continue to shop around.
I walked back via Naturals Ice-cream and ended up buying two take-home packs--one custard apple and one fig for myself and one pack of Chocolate for my Dad and Russel. Ice-cream is always welcome--even if they have some already.
Off to Aldrin's Workshop:
Back home, I got ready to make an excursion to the workshop of a chap called Aldrin, my Dad's TV techie. He is trying to sell me a Sony 'semi-smart' TV set that is about 4-5 years old. He tells me that with an Amazon Firestick, I could easily convert it into a smart TV. Not knowing too much about
TV sets, I am an eager learner. He also wants to find out if my laptop will permit me to connect an HDMI cable to enable me to surf the web on the TV screen. I have, therefore, been instructed to carry my laptop to his workshop so that he can take a look at it. He gave me directions and I found his place--it is a 15 minute walk from my studio.
Well, he took one look at my laptop and said that I would need an adaptor as I have a Mac. He suggested I buy an Apple TV and connect that to his second-hand Sony Bravia. After chatting with Llew on the phone about it, we have decided that I should simply go ahead and buy a new TV and that is what I will be doing. So I have now identified a Samsung TV that he says he can get at a good price. Hopefully, by Monday, I will be fully set up...This TV buying saga has gone on far too long.
Church, Dinner and Bed:
I just had enough time to race back home on foot, change into something more formal and set off again on foot for Dad's place to drop off the ice-cream. The two of us then left for 7.00 pm Feast Mass. I then visited with Russel after Mass for about twenty minutes and left so that they could get on with dinner and I could have mine at my studio.
I had my first weekend G and T, my regular dinner and custard apple ice-cream for dessert (absolutely the best!) all the while reading The Word is Murder. At 10.30 pm, I washed my dinner things, brushed and flossed my teeth and went to bed as I really did feel a tad tired after all the walking I have done today.
Until tomorrow...
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