Basant Panchmi & School Memories

Like all new moms, I too have lost track of how days become weeks, and weeks months. When a festival is around the corner, my elder sister or my MIL act as reminders, suggesting the bare minimum rituals I should follow.

This morning, as sonny boy and I went to the park for our daily dose of Vitamin D, I was delighted to see a burst of yellow. Women dressed in yellow, yellow flowers shouting to be picked up at flowers, the familiar freshness in the air and Pandal with Ma Saraswati idol in the colony school – I didn’t take a moment to realize Basant Panchmi – Saraswati Puja is here!

While my family doesn’t practice any ritual as such, apart from wearing yellow and preparing sweet yellow pulav, Basant Panchmi occupies a very special place in my heart. Having spent 12 years in a Bengali dominated school; the festival has been a special occasion each year. After all, this was the only day in the year when we could wear the dress of our choice to school instead of the boring uniform! Unlike most kids who save the best dress for birthdays, girls in my school dressed their best on Basant Panchmi. The three day long celebrations provided us the much awaited break from classes, freedom to dress up as we liked, lot of fun, amazing Bengali sweets and bhog, and much needed blessings from Ma Saraswati before the final exams would haunt us!

A Day Before

A day before the festival, all eyes would be trained towards the school gate as we waited for Ma Saraswati idol to arrive. The moment we saw the tempo, we would leave everything and rush to the foyer. The entire school echoed with “Bolo bolo Saraswati Mai ki Jai” as we welcomed the goddess with flowers, songs and impromptu dance!

The festival

For us, this was the day of freedom, fun and festivities! Our usually over protective parents gave us the luxury of giving the school bus a miss. Instead, we girls took our sweet time to dress up our best and arrived at the school on our own, in groups. The security situation wasn’t as sorry as present, so the authorities let open the gates of the senior wings and one could enter and leave school premises at our own wish. For teenagers of a girl’s school, this was nothing short of living the college dream once a year! The senior girls would seize the opportunity to flaunt the best sarees and imitation jewellery, even as the eyes of senior teachers scrutinized the depth of their blouses! Best part would be the Pushpanjali time, when each one of us would pray to Ma for good marks and a bright career! Sounds of “Bolo bolo Saraswati Mai ki Jai” would fill the ramparts as those who waited for their turn took to dancing and singing! Wish we had mobile phones with cameras back then! The alumni also took this occasion to take blessings from Ma and thank teachers for shaping up their careers so well.

Morning gave way to the noon in no time and the aroma from the makeshift kitchen in the classroom signalled that the Bhog was ready. Our teachers displayed their culinary skills as they pampered us with the most delicious Bhog – the traditional Khichuri! After Bhog, we would dash to grab our boxes of Prasad which contained an assortment of the best Bengali sweets one could think of! 

Awwww! I miss my school!

As we progressed to senior classes, the later part of the noon became hangout time with friends at Connaught Place before we returned home.

Visarjan

This was a moment that came heavy on our hearts as the thoughts of Ma parting left us teary eyed. Moments after the tempo left the school premises, taking Ma away, we would keep looking at the gate with gloom. Then the teachers would lovingly ask us to return to our classes and be good students till Ma returned next year.

More than a decade after leaving school and more than a thousand kilometres away from school now, I still feel the fragrance of flowers and incense sticks afresh in my mind. As I recall those wonder years, I pray Ma Saraswati for blessing my little one with knowledge and creativity the way she has been generous to me.

To, the Goddess, the mother, and the power – Bolo bolo Saraswati mai ki Jai !!!

Sharing few pics of my visit to the Alma mater few years ago 

My Alma Mater

The Decor

Ma Saraswati

The lovely rangoli

Flowers in full bloom

Friends

Friends

Durga

The first time I looked at her, I just kept looking for few seconds with eyes wide open. There wasn’t anything extraordinary about her. Spotless white uniform, grey hair neatly tied into a bun, a simple look with not even a trace of makeup, yet she looked graceful and radiant in her own right.

She was the lady traffic controller at the traffic signal near my office.

We had recently relocated from Delhi to Mumbai. I was anyway dealing with a sea of cultural change; however, a lady traffic controller was a sight I don’t remember having witnessed in Delhi. The first day I saw her, I called up my husband after reaching office.“You know what, they have lady traffic controllers here!” I told him with enthusiasm and surprise. He seemed equally surprised. We briefly discussed how it would be if we started having the same in Delhi. Delhi is already known to be very unsafe for women and almost every rash driver has his HiFi links protecting him. Even if they have women traffic controllers in Delhi, I wonder if people would let them do their work in peace. Being born and brought up in Delhi, I knew that women traffic controllers would just become new eye candies and who knows the brats would break rules just to strike a conversation with a good looking lady traffic controller.

I thought of telling her this and asking about her opinion, perhaps know more about her and how she manages this predominantly men’s job. But, fearing that she might get offended, I decided to stay mum.

Few months passed like that. She became a part of my daily commute to work and often, when I crossed the signal on foot, I gave her a smile which she promptly reciprocated. My appreciation for her grew more on a particular morning when the signal lights stopped working due to some technical default. Her male colleague might have gone to check the matter as she was alone. There she was, managing a chaotic and busy traffic signal, sans traffic lights all by herself, that too during peak office hours! For a moment, I stood nearby, impressed by the discipline she maintained, for not even a single person dared disobey her orders.

I was in my 8^th month of pregnancy when I finally had a chance for a tete a tete with her. She used to notice me cross the signal with a huge baby bump every morning and often, ensured I crossed the road before she let the traffic open.

One afternoon as I was out for a stroll post lunch, luckily she was on a break while her male colleagues were managing the traffic. Not wasting a moment, I walked up to her and appreciated her for the good work. “Madam, main to bas meri duty karti hai” (Madam, I just do my duty) was all she said with a smile. I then told her I was from Delhi, the safety concerns of women there and what would happen if women started manning traffic signals there. She listened to me with a smile, and then told me that in her tenure of 11 years, not even once had she faced any trouble for being a woman – something that increased my respect and appreciation for the people of Mumbai.

A mother of 2, Durga (name changed) came from a humble background. The sole breadwinner of their family, her husband had succumbed to a road accident. Burdened by financial troubles, this mother of 2 decided to maintain her dignity and raise her children on her own sans any financial help from her parents. Choosing this profession was more of a personal choice, since Durga wanted to ensure no more lives are lost to violation of traffic rules.

But it wasn’t a cakewalk for her. Long hours of strenuous duty left her completely drained. By the time she reached home, there was a pile of housework waiting for her attention. Since those were crucial career years for her daughter, she didn’t want to burden her with house work and somehow managed everything by herself. However, her colleagues were more than happy to help. After all, God helps those who help themselves. The male colleagues deployed with her often swapped places when she appeared tired and let her take breaks. Also, the wife of a colleague staying nearby offered to help the kids with their studies by charging a nominal fee for tuition. For Durga, a headstrong woman with oodles of dignity, a complete waiver would have anyways been unacceptable.

Today, her daughter is studying in college and her son is preparing for IIT entrance exam, she tells me with a proud smile.

Not all people come triumphant from adversities of life. Women like Durga command even a higher respect. In a situation where an ordinary woman would have gone blank with shock, she thought of taking it on herself to erase the cause that not only took away her husband, but also poses a threat to other lives.

For me, she is no less than goddess Durga herself, with her many hands managing many responsibilities, and ensuring that the good wins over the evil.

On my maternity break now, I can’t wait to meet Durga again and tell her how she continues to inspire me everyday!

This contest is written for #SpreadTheVibe contest by @YouthKiAwaaz and @indiblogger

Smart moms shop with FlipkartKids

What happens when you land up in a new city, are bad with local navigation, have a hectic schedule at work and in dire need of shopping? Ting tong, e-commerce comes to rescue!

Well, that’s my story. Ever since I left the comfort zone of my hometown last year and relocated to a new city, my life has been super busy. After slogging at work for 5 days, all I wanna do on a weekend is spend a lazy day with Mr. Hubby, a good movie and food ordered from my favourite restaurant. But then, shopping is to woman what dope is to an addict! Sorry, bad example but you see that’s how it is! No matter how much we have, we always want more! In a city like Mumbai, I would rather prefer spending quality time with Mr. Hubby at home than spending half of our weekends stuck in traffic jams, quenching my thirst for shopping. Thanks to online shopping, I am able to pamper myself to best of both the worlds! A smart phone and hubby’s credit card is all I need to sit at home, yet manage to impress my colleagues with the latest, trendiest and the coolest stuff they can’t sometimes get in stores!

I realized the power of e commerce the most when I became a mommy. Not in my wildest dreams can I think of shopping with a cranky baby, whose vicious cycle of feeding, poo & pee would keep me confined to the feeding room of the mall! But, I am a smart mom. I have shopped almost everything for my little one online – from diapers to toys, feeding bottles, clothes (size 0 clothes aren’t really an issue when purchasing online!)…u name it and I got it.

That’s when I began to wonder how these trends in e commerce have changed the way we shop for our kids –

Convenience – We can shop from anywhere, anything, anytime and it will be delivered to us within the committed timelines. What’s more, with Flipkart, one can also choose Express delivery just in case you need the product urgently! Feature like FlipKart Ping and Image search make shopping a fun experience!

Easy returns – Who wants trips back and forth to the store when you can manage easy returns from home!

Genuine products and sales support - Buying from trusted websites guarantees genuine products. There is also a dedicated call center to cater to all customer queries.

Apps – I swear by my FlipKart App! Not only does it make shopping convenient, it also notifies me of latest offers, deals and products of my interest!

Discounts and offers – If you are a smart and aware shopper, you can really make good use of the deals and discounts e commerce has to offer.

All brands under one umbrella – When I was a kid, my friends would flaunt the branded toys their parents bought during international trips. Thanks to e commerce websites like Flipkart, we can shop for any international brand from the comfort of our homes.

Reviews – This is one of my favorite features. I love to go through the review before taking my pick.

The #FlipkartKids Indiblogger Meet on 19^th December was about all this and a lot of fun.

The moment I received the Indiblogger mail about the meet, I was all excited and eager since I myself shop everything online for my baby! Flipkart has launched India's largest online kids store and the meet revolved around the same. There was also a twitter contest where one had to post pic of your kiddo’s favorite toy and the best 10 tweets would win Rs. 1000 Flipkart vouchers. I immediately got in action and posted few tweets with pics of my little one’s toys.

Somehow, Mumbai traffic loves to play spoilsport for my Indimeets. However, this time I wasn’t willing to give up. A clueless cabbie, turtle speed traffic and few frantic calls to friends later I was at the venue - Blue Frog. My savior blogger buddy Sujata Tawde who had guided me to the venue welcomed me and I took a huge sigh of relief. Vineet welcomed us and suggested we quickly register and grab our lunch as the event was just about to begin. After all the struggle to reach the venue, I was super hungry. So, we dashed to the buffet and filled ourselves with some veggie delights. However, Sujata soon spotted the sinful strawberry pastries and we pampered our sweet palates. As I regained some energy, I looked around and realized what a wonderful venue Blue Frog was! The venue was definitely worth the drive & the seating arrangement was just so so cool! To add to the fun was Chhota Bheem himself, obliging everyone with a hug and a pic!

The event began shortly with Anup welcoming us all, along with Kalpana Behara, a veteran mommy blogger. It was a fun and insightful session where she shared her experiences as a mommy blogger – How she deals with writers block; how much to reveal abut one’s life on the blog; and what keeps her motivated. As a newcomer to parent blogging, the session was special for me and I listened with rapt attention.

Next, it was time for a panel discussion with representatives from Flipkart, Mattel and Chhota Bheem team on how e commerce is changing the way we shop for our kids. Many bloggers too shared their views and clarified their doubts regarding online shopping.

After a short break began fun time with a performance by the in-house band Blunder In the Code! I had missed their performance in the last Indimeet and so I thoroughly enjoyed myself this time with my blogger friends!

An Indimeet is never complete without THE activity. Going with the theme of e commerce, the game was Ad Mad where each team had to advertise FlipKart products in the most innovative manner. After a lot of brainstorming, my team of 10 presented the skit “Age of innocence” where the #FlipkartSanta brought products for various stages of a kid’s life.

True to an IndiMeet, there was endless selfies, giggles and lots and lots of fun with blogger friends. Being the last Indi Meet of the year, all of us took the opportunity to exchange New Year wishes.

Just as we were about to move out, we got a cute li’l surprise – Very cute Chhota Bheem soft toy from the upcoming movie Chhota Bheem and Himalayan Adventure! I was as excited as a 10 year old for the toy is really cute and we got excuse for another round of selfies with Chhota Bheem toy!

The last Indi Meet for the year 2015 was definitely full of fun, friends and e commerce insights!

Five reasons why I miss Delhi Winters

Winters are here! Ironically, I ain’t feeling an inch of it sitting here in Mumbai. Its perhaps the first time in 3 decades of my existence that I am sitting on December 7, 2014 with fan on and no sweaters! In Delhi, I have always cribbed about winters, preferring to snuggle in my velvet rajai than to wake up on a chilly morning; the torture of taking that morning shower; it was the favourite season of maids when they would cash on their worth. So, now, away from the winters why am I missing the love hate relationship?

Here are my 5 reasons for missing Dilli ki sardi

1.    Weddings

Come winters and wedding invitations start pouring in. If it’s a family wedding, it makes for a double treat. Cousins gossiping overnight on the terrace while munching on mungphalis and gazzak, and pre wedding bashes in huge lawns with bonfires! We Dilliwallas like our weddings big, fat and truly dhinchaak! While summers make it tough to carry heavy makeup and costume, winters make it all easy. The style divas love to flaunt their deep cut and backless blouses despite the chill.  And for those, who still feel the chill, a peg of Black Dog and dancing non stop does the trick.

2.    Winter brunches

Sunday mornings become party time, with moms preparing yummy delicacies (sarson ka saag, make ki roti, bajre ki khichdi, tikkas etc.) and the whole family enjoying the fare on sunny mornings at the terrace. Food lovers also go gaga over the winter brunches offered by the city hotels. I particularly miss the winter brunch at the American Diner at India habitat Centre, Delhi.

3.    Lodhi garden

No matter how much we run away from the suraj chachu in summers, winters do the patch up act. Even the annoying dhoop becomes “Makhmali”. Being away from Delhi, I can vouch there is no experience better than spending a winter morning in Lodi Garden, the Central park of Dilli. Kids flock to the garden to enjoy their favourite spot, while lovebirds leave no opportunity of getting cosy; on a lucky day you might even spot a painter sitting on the grass depicting the nature on canvas. Amateur photographers satiate their lenses with views of various migratory birds, even local. Have often seen squirrels being bribed with peanuts to strike a pose! How can we forget food here? Every Sunday, you can spot umpteen brunch gatherings in the garden.

4.    Winter shopping and discounts

Weddings and winter sales give Dilliwalas enough reasons to stuff their shopping carts. With fests like the CP shopping festivals and the big spacious malls organizing exclusive events, shopping becomes a joyful experience. And when the newspapers announce the end of season sale, Dilliwallas flock to their favourite stores to steal bargain on their long desired winter overcoats.

5.    Barbeque evenings

Fun, food and friends sums up the idea of a perfect evening for any Dilliwalla. Winters give just the perfect excuse, and Dilliwallas love to flaunt their barbeque skills on evenings with ghazals and old pals!

It is said we realize the value of something only when we are away from it. While I have been told winters will show us a small trailer here in Mumbai, I am yearning to rush to my Dilli to savour the magic of Dilli Ki Sardi! 

What all do you love about Delhi winters? I am all ears..:)

Room with a view

This Mumbai Mayanagri never leaves an opportunity to amuse me, be it for the simplest of things. You all will find the incident I share today really funny, especially if you are from the North.

Well, if I ask you what is the meaning of the hindi word “kamra”, what would your answer be…A room, right? You must be wondering I have lost it today!

Wrong answer if you are in Mumbai for here, "kamra" signifies a full flat! Can you believe it?

Even I couldn’t digest it the first few times I heard this rather funny usage.

The first time was when Mr. Hubby and I were on the lookout for a house. While we were clarifying our concerns of adequate water and power supply, security etc. our landlord suddenly mentioned, “Don’t worry, you will really like your Kamra!”

For a moment, I felt like the passenger who has been downgraded from business class to economy at the last moment and whispered to Mr. Hubby “What is he talking about? He thinks we will shell out this much money just for staying in one room?” Mr. Hubby then explained to me the Mumbai version of Kamra!

I was still not convinced. “It might be some old school of thought.” But my myth was broken as soon as we shifted to our house, for everybody from the milkman to the neighbors had the same reaction, “So you have shifted in KAMRA number …?” Always put off by their questions, I replied “Yes, FLAT number…”

And the usage is not just confined to verbal mention. I found several flats in my society mentioning “Kamra no. …”on their name plates!

We Dilliwallas are used to living king size, so a house is usually a kothi, a flat is a 2/3/4 bhk and a kamra usually indicates a single room. But here kothi becomes a bunglow, and flat straightaway gets downgraded to Kamra!

Anyway, I have undivided love for all the Kamras in my flat. But yes, I miss the spacious balconies, terraces and gardens Dilli has to offer.

No matter how much I may have cribbed about my city, the long distance relationship has its own charm, for distance deepens the bond of love. So my big city with a big heart, I miss you!

How to board an auto in Mumbai!

We Dilliwallas are famous for being rash and rowdy. Ask a Dilliwalla to stand in a queue and you are sure to invite an unpleasant conversation. I recall many instances of women calling each other names in Delhi metro just because one woman asked another to be in a line and the other asked her to mind her business. 

Though I am yet to experience the peak hours in Mumbai local trains, a recent instance made me familiar to the advantages of being patient in a queue.

Yesterday I was trying to board an auto near one of the local train stations. First things first, in Delhi we have rickshaw and autos. But in Mumbai, there are only autos, which Mumbaikars call Rickshaws. And if someone asks you if you came by Rick, don’t be surprised, for rick or rickshaw or auto are all the same! Now Mumbai autowallas are much different from the ones in Delhi (and unless I dedicate a separate post to them, I won’t be doing justice). As I tried to stop autos, none even bothered to slow down and even listen to where I wanted to go. Ignored and dejected, as I wondered and worried, my eyes fell on a long queue at the roadside. Some 15-20 people were standing in a queue like disciplined school kids waiting for school bus. Hullow, we weren’t even that disciplined as school kids and the moment bus used to come, we used to get into junglee mode!

Confused and curious, I thought of asking one of them, ‘’aakhir maajra kya hai’’ then my eyes fell on the umpteen autowallas that stopped near that line. So what did they have that autowallas stopped for them and not the others?

Eureka! In Mumbai, they have a line for boarding autos!!!

I looked at the auto and the last person in the queue who I had to join in case I wanted to be considered for auto. Being a rainy day, the size of the queue got me thinking. I have broken queues at several places in Dilli…my training ground being my school canteen and then the queue for college U Special. The rule is simple, survival of the fittest. But here, there wasn’t any scope of breaking queue. Unlike local trains, people maintained utter discipline and I didn’t want to come in the limelight as being an eager rule breaker!

So I went & stood in the long queue. The old uncle in front of me was a super friendly person and could make out from my looks that I was a newbie in the city. The tensed me was assured the line would move fast as most people going the same side share autos. He was right, for the line moved really fast, and soon I was in the front. As an auto came, the uncle smiled and said “Ricksha thaamba!”

I soon realized the advantage of these auto queues. The autos that stopped here didn’t refuse to commute on your desired destination. Discipline pays at times.

While Mumbaikars reading this are all smiles, my Dilliwaale bhai bandhu need not worry as my notion of discipline was wiped away clear the day I went to drive on the streets of Mumbai! Post coming soon… 

So i finally buy an umbrella!

I have never been fond of umbrellas. Right from school days, umbrellas have been nothing but a burden in hands. I mean we just have two hands and holding an umbrella amounts to losing 50% of holding capacity!

So in Delhi I avoided carrying an umbrella. Whenever it would rain I would take an auto or do some emotional blackmailing until someone from the family would drop me. Umbrellas drying in the office corridor were somehow considered tacky by most of the lot. The mantra was...better to wait at the metro station for  15 minutes than bearing the burden of an umbrella. How I often felt jealous of the princesses who had a servant to carry their umbrellas!

Alas, the princess has come to Mumbai...and one can only look at rains and say"atithi tum kab jaogey?" He he...

Here, the rains rule the game. But I too wasn't willing to go for an easy surrender. For 2 days i tried managing without an umbrella thinking its not raining heavily and I can manage. The result, by the time I reach office, i am half wet, the sandals get irritating squeaky, my hair have got a new frizzy look and most importantly my specs refuse to work...wish they had wipers! Seeing my state, the office guard can't help but give a warm smile to make me feel better :-)

Throughout the day I was consoling myself the rains would stop when its time to go home. But in Mumbai, rains rule the game. By the time I boarded the taxi, I was wet & irritated in rain. Even the taxi guy looked at me in pity and said " madam umbrella bhool gaya"

So this evening my frizzy hair forced me to visit an umbrella shop. Now in Mumbai I see people buying raincoats and umbrellas like we buy bread in Delhi every morning. By the time v chose one umbrella, the guy had already sold ten! I finally settled for a blue umbrella after been thoroughly confused by the wide variety of a thing as simple as an umbrella which v dilliwallas use more when walking in sun!

The raincoats that are limited to bachcha party in Delhi r a style statement here...kids, college students, people driving two wheelers, aunties driving scooties, even the traffic police guys, all happily don their raincoats. U will get raincoats of every shape, size and style here.

After all, when the rains don't stop, y should we?

Its began to rain again...lemme go out and inaugurate my blue umbrella!

Mumbai rains are here!

My third day in Mumbai and I get a wet rainy welcome! Unlike Delhi, rains here come with its own whims and fancies. No storm, wind, dust…just clouds and rains are here, like guests who come uninvited. This time around, rains made Mumbaikars wait a lot, and finally arrived with me! Somehow all my friends have been telling me since morning – madam, you came and brought rains.

Thinking of rains, the first thing that comes to my mind is ginger tea and hot pakodas, perhaps sooji halwa as well, if mom is in a generous mood. But since everything in Mumbai has a different nomenclature, pakodas here become Bhajiyas…big dumplings of potatoes (needless to say, sweet) and onions, bound generously in gramflour batter, and deep fried. As everybody in office enjoyed Bhajiyas, I missed Delhi, where we order an assortment of onion, potato, chilli, paneer pakodas.

The good old lauki/ghiya has become dudhi here. I still am unable to understand why the vegetable vendor wraps each dudhi in plastic…if it is to save it from the rains, why such partiality towards dudhi? Hehe…

For first timers, rains may play spoilsport, but the normal Mumbaikar has befriended even the moody rains. Truly, the city never stops. While I was frowning at the sight of my sandals, spoiled in rains, my friends’ shoes were shining, despite their long travel in metro….oops locals. Aaakhir raaz kya hai? I wondered. Then a friend told me, people keep an extra pair of shoes in office, and wear plastic flip flops to work. Also, never before have I seen raincoats and umbrellas of this variety. Even spotted a guy wearing a plastic pants and enjoying the rains!

Mumbai women too know, how to tweak fashion to their convenience. Spotted many women in sarees who had tied it like a skirt, but didn’t like to miss their local train!

Throughout the day, I was looking at the rains, reading twitter updates about water logging (even the Mumbai metro wasn’t spared by rains) and wondering what would be the sight on roads in the evening. But what I saw in evening took me by surprise. Everyone went around doing their business as usual. Apart from few potholes, there were no major water logging on the roads. In Delhi, the day we have rains like this, reaching home is an endless struggle with water logging on every road.

When things don’t go the way we want them to be, we go in the cribbing mode. Perhaps we should take inspiration from people who have learnt to befriend the odds. Not even a single person in office was making faces at the sight of heavy rains. It was first major shower of the season, and Mumbaikars celebrated it like a festival with tea and Bhajiyas!

As much as I miss Delhi, I also salute the spirit of Mumbai, the city that never stops.

And before I sign off for the day, one more update…mom in law finally got her spicy food. She threatened the steward to prepare North Indian style North Indian food – hot n spicy else she will enter the kitchen and prepare herself!

She will have to wait for a few days to relish her Dilliwalla alu subzi though!

Finally, I am in Mumbai!

To all my readers and friends who thought writers block has eaten my blogging frequency, I have an update – we have moved to Mumbai. As much as I dreaded and resisted moving out of Delhi, destiny proved its sense of humor. Mr. Hubby found greener pastures in Mumbai and I had to follow suit.

So, since the last one month, I am like a cranky cow…yep…you read it right! Cranky cow, not a baby! Cranky, for obvious reasons. Delhi runs in my genes and heart and moving all the way 1400 something km away was just not acceptable to me. Cow – because no matter how much I revolt, I am a susheel, sanskari Indian wife, who prioritizes her hubby’s welfare over her choices. Transfer, packing, house are the key words running in my mind since the last one month and blogging suffered.

Before coming, everyone except me was super excited. Some think I am going to the financial mecca, others think I would be hob nobbing with the stars (as if I am the one they are waiting to give darshan!)…remaining ones have already planned their holidays in Mumbai and Goa; while all this while I wondered how would I survive without seeing my family everyday (Mr. Hubby said, “skype hai na!”)

Finally, we landed up in the Mayanagri yesterday and today I was off to work. Since morning, many people have asked me how did I find the place. I look at them for a second, then explain that it is too early to comment as I landed up yesterday only!

To a pakka Dilliwalla, Mumbai appears like a totally different place. Picture this –

1.     Everytime we are out, we are struggling with finding either the Eastern express highway or the western express highway, and I am still trying to figure how to memorize the easts and wests of the same locality.

2.    The wide, well marked, concrete roads of Lutyens Delhi are replaced by slightly narrow roads which contributes to traffic jams. The shahi Dilliwalla in me, still likes to drive though friends tell me, soon I will start preferring local trains than dealing with traffic jams.

3.    The city is always on the go. This morning, mom in law went for a walk around and all she saw was people rushing for their work. Young and old, everyone was in a hurry. MIL has been terribly missing her Dilliwalli gossip neighbour since then.

4.    People really mind their own business. In Delhi one cannot imaging moving to a flat and not having a welcome tea and introduction session at the neighbour’s place; while other Padosans hop in to know the new lady in their colony. Out here, people have a lot of their own business to mind. Good for us though, coz I never liked the ever peeping Verm aunty in the Delhi neighbourhood.

5.    If you are coming to Mumbai for the first time, get an understanding of some basic Gujrati/Marathi words, if not atleast the accent. I have to often ask routes from passersby and it takes me a minute to replay in my mind and understand what exactly s/he said!

6.    Sweetness flows…I ate Dosa last night and for the first time in my life, I had sweet sambhar. In Delhi, women can be often seen scolding subziwallas for selling them potatoes that are sweet in taste, but here, since yesterday every potato dish I had was sweet. I truly madly deeply loved the Vada Pao though!

7.    BEST buses are a treat to the eye…I even love their Bhopu and red colour! Since childhood, its in Mumbai that I have spotted a double decker bus again and I am looking forward to a ride.

8.    I still haven’t bought grocery so yet to see if the vegetable vendor understands veggie names I know or will I have to take a crash course in veggie nomenclature.

9.    Thanks to space issues, all balconies are covered and there are no pre built almirahs in houses

And now the icing on the cake...

Yesterday I went to eat Dosa. After preparing the Dosa, the vendor asks me, “madam, eat here or parcel?”. Parcel? I wondered and for a second post office, inland letters and stamps floated in my mind. Then I told him “no parcel, eat here”. After 2 seconds, a kid came and asked the vendor “Uncle, gimme a parcel”. I wondered if he would actually take out a parcel from some shelf. All he took out was a polythene bag! So that’s the parcel! I got it!

They say change is the only thing permanent in life. These are the first impressions I have. Do let me know your impressions. And keep looking for more posts in the series “Dilli to Bombay”…

My yellow carpet welcome!

It’s raining Amaltas in my city! Look across any street and you will find beautiful yellow flowers enveloping almost every tree. On a sultry summer day, when most of us prefer to hide indoors with our juices and showers, the Amaltas flowers beautify the surroundings, inviting us to have a tête-à-tête with them.

My affair with the Amaltas started when I was in school. Next to the school bus pick up point, there was a lush tree covering a wall. I would pluck yellow bunches and carry them to school to gift my class teacher. Amaltas flowers were also the easiest target when we had to pluck flowers to play Ghar Ghar during summer vacations. Unlike other flowers, Amaltas seemed more attractive due to their bright yellow colour and the fact that they came in bunches.

If you are still wondering why am I getting so obsessed about some yellow flowers, I suggest you rush to Lutyens Delhi, Delhi ridge area, Chanakyapuri, or any park near your house. The flowers have a strong bond with Dilli and you will find many roads carpeted with yellow flowers in your welcome! Once you experience the yellow carpet welcome, you too will fall in love with them. 

And if you are lucky enough to spot a Gulmohar tree next to an Amaltas tree, the red and yellow combo will truly brighten your day.  

Fortunately, I don’t have to work hard to enjoy the company of these yellow delights. The park near my house has abundant supply of Laburnum trees. It’s bloom time and the entire park looks heavenly; the jogging track donning the yellow carpet look! No wonder it’s also called the Golden Shower tree! Gives the lazy me an excuse enough to go for a walk and bask in the beauty! While as a kid, I enjoyed plucking the flowers as I walked in the park, now I prefer to enjoy the scenic beauty of the yellow flowers blanketing the trees and prefer not to spoil the look by plucking the flowers. However, the guard has a hard time driving away kids who like the earlier me, can’t resist plucking the flowers.

Officially called Cassia fistula or the Indian Laburnum, Amaltas is found in abundance in India, Thailand, Myanmar and many other countries of South East Asia. Did you know it’s the national flower of Thailand (the yellow leaves symbolize Thai royalty) and the state flower of Kerala? In Kerala, the flower holds immense importance during the Vishu festival and women especially decorate their hair with the yellow flowers. Although I haven’t been there, I can imagine what a beautiful sight it would be when yellow blooms complement the joy of a new beginning!

The tree also has a special mention in the Ayurveda for its laxative properties though I was also surprised that excess consumption can be poisonous!

Whether Rain Gods oblige us with shower or not, the golden shower tree definitely makes summers a delight and I leave no opportunity to spend time exploring the blooms in my colony!

Me Wonderzzz...

The lovely Laburnum blooms

In several hearts making rooms

Showering their golden love

Amidst the cooing of koel and dove

The yellow carpet throughout the street

Makes my heart skip a beat!

The showers slowly reduce, exposing the leaves off hiding

Me watching the hide n seek, can’t stop smiling

Come monsoons and it’s time for the blooms to part

I wait for the next summer for a fresh yellow affair to start!