Murmurs from Mumbai..... Report received from Shaz & Mark!

A sad farewell in Paddington, leaving Sal & Tylers. Jo Shaw drove us to the airport where we met Marks mum and dad (very teary).
A rough start, should have let the Japanese couple push in, as we got the grumpiest, rudest check-in man ever. Not good when we were carrying extra luggage.
(I’m writing a letter of complain he was that bad, and not just because he charged us $36 per kilo extra).
We bid farewell to Jo, Carol and Allan and boarded our flight to Darwin. Business class is kind of crap domestically, so nothing to report.
A few hours later and a few conversations later, we boarded our Mumbai flight. We ate, got drunk, watched movies, got a hangover and then slept (lying all the way down). Before we knew it, we were landing (& yet another movie I’ve seen without an ending).

Cleared customs really easily, were worried as we had a lot of our electrical gadgets with us, and Customs are renown for finding a reason to charge. We also had an extra laptop and play station).

Our apartment broker was to meet us at the airport, instead advised us to where to meet him. We jumped into a cool cab (has air con) with our heavy bags, at one point Mark started to notice the heater rise, smoke began to billow out as we bailed out. We rang Asif (as if that’s his name, but it is), and he came and met us. We were 1 minute from our new home. His driver took the 2 heaviest bags in the auto rickshaw while we drove in comfort and finally made it to our apartment.

We unpacked and tried to stay awake as long as possible. The owner had repainted, added in some lovely touches (& some art and ornaments, some not so lovely) and also some food. We collapsed and before we knew what was happening it was morning. Drums were playing a really cool beat – very loudly. We dressed, raced down stairs and watched what we thought was a wedding at our neighbours house, full of flights and flowers. We were asked to come inside and were told that we were meeting a Jain guru. He and his (disciple?) were naked and chanting. Men and women sat on their respective sides and chanted too. It was incredible. Later he went upstairs and we were told we had to go too. We sat on the ground as he sat on the bed and the owner of this enormous mansion (our next door neighbour) explained about the 28 levels of purity he’s reached. The Jains are totally non-violent, don’t eat anything that is alive (even root vegetables as they may harm the bacteria they eat). The guru eats only once a day from his hands as his bowl and for some reason he annually teaches at our neighbours house.
We then had to have breakfast with the family and fellow worshippers, whatever we ate was delicious, finished off with a gulab. All purely made in the house, we think by the wife – not the servants. The guru later was washed, we couldn’t see him eat or wash as we didn’t have the right robes, it seemed everyone changed into gorgeous white or orange linen flowy robes.

We went out to try and set up bank accounts (the staff at HSBC all seemed to move in slow motion), organise internet and scout out shops. We can’t open a bank account without going to the Foreigner Regional Registration Office which we can’t do without other documentation, hopefully that will be a job for next week. Internet is coming we hope and we found a supermarket. Yes, newish to this town, but apparently there are more of them. They’re a bit like small European supermarkets. We didn’t buy much as we don’t have a stove (only a burner) and we don’t have saucepans. Just found out that we won’t get our shipment of goods until at least last week December. So think we better purchase some plates, frying pan etc.

We came back from our long walk, to pop into the festival house next door. Music was billowing out from the 3rd floor, a live band was playing and we were told to go and sit right across the room (diminishing our easy access escape route). I sat next to a woman who kept trying to tell me something, I think to get a photo between the naked guru’s, we were all sitting at their feet, singing, clapping away while the main guru wrote things in a book). After 40 minutes of “pure” fun – clapping, singing and laughing – the phone rang and we used it as an excuse to take our leave. I think we may have offended them as the guru was about to teach. In smiles they kind of told us it wasn’t ok to leave….oh well.

We’ll make up for it when we next meet.

Asif came over and I signed the lease agreement, locking us in for 13 months with a 2 month notice clause after the 13……..he bought us a chicken thing starting with F and we piked at 8pm. We really need to stay up late tonight as we’re awake so early.

We went for a long walk on the beach this morning, which was also another adventure. Literally, thousands of our neighbours were also walking, running, playing cricket or soccer. Despite the amount of people, it was quite peaceful. We walked all the way to Bandra or so we thought, once we hit a corner, before what seemed to be a fishing village, we started to notice a lot of poo on the ground. We kept walking watching men squatting at what seemed to be in prayer, but was really morning ablutions. No wonder the water is so filthy, loads of them came down from a slum walked towards the water, squatted staring out to sea and shat. I think the Mumbai govt. ought to build toilets within the slum, make it free and stop this…..the beach was quite nice until then. The Tourist police driving up and down, mustn’t go that far. Anyway, another story to add (with pictures). We are at home now, had an appointment with the internet man at 10.00. It’s now 12.40. We had to ring the broker to sought it out, he’s coming now at 4pm. We have the plumbers in here at the moment which is restricting us from leaving – hence I’ve time to write.

Now I’m online, we have bought (but not yet received) printer/fax & scanner and almost ready to go. We also found out we won’t have our shipment until late Dec. So we bought a saucepan and glasses and a dinner set. You should see them….!

It’s now Saturday evening. After much deliberating, coming and going we finally were connected to the internet yesterday. Mark thinks we’re on dial up not broadband. We have been told broadband, but whatever it is, it is painfully slow. We’ll have to purchase speed. It was quite funny, no one spoke English and we didn’t know what was going on as they came in, left, came in and left again. Yardiff our doorman, come night watchman and general errands man, kept us informed with much hand waving and lots of head wobbling.

We decided to venture out and went to the Marriott for a couple of Kingfishers. It was absolutely delightful to sip the cold ales in a space of opulence, it really astounds both of us the enormous gap between rich and poor and how unaffected the rich are by the poor. Kingfishers were still only INR 150. (approx $3.50, for a big bottle at Leopolds, it’s the same price – yet Leopolds is too far to pop into).

We had 2 beers and debated eating at the buffet. We opted for Indian and wandered to “On Toes” our local, near our house. I went to it previously when Jogi and Asif (our brokers) Poor Asif was fasting for Ramadan so didn’t eat a morsel whist Jogi (a Sikh) and I ate for India.. We wandered home on the road that a few hours previously was teeming with parents, maids and auto rickshaw drivers picking up kids. It was like a quiet movie set. Lovely to walk down.

Woke this morning, both of us jumped online, Mark to source TV, washing machine choices and compare prices to home. I was reading the Customs Duty stuff, it will be interesting to collect our stuff when it finally arrives. They’re gonna sting us for everything.

We went for a walk in search for a local gym. The one we saw (which we were told by Jogi the Sikh was state of the art, was horrible and the same membership price as home.

Well it’s Thursday night. It’s been quite the up and down week. If being hassled isn’t enough, debating taxi fares (we now totally understand the auto rickshaw meter and even though we know the rate card in the taxi’s, they seem to put on the meter and “lose” their rate card), receiving what we think is a washing machine instead of a washer dryer, the TV arrived minus the cable, the internet is incredibly slow & freezes all the time and although people are eager to assist, the language barrier often means we get incredible assistance, but the wrong type.

Had a meeting at the Taj, the other side of town today. Met with Travel & Leisure. We’ve just come back having had dinner at Leopolds and a few beers.. Didn’t see Shantaram this time but we left early, it feels weird, but it’s a school night. I gotta get to the office in the spare room in the morning.