The Ever loyal Bai: who turned up everyday come rain or shine....each time I put in a load of laundry into the washing machine or pull out the bulky vacuum cleaner from the closet, I remember how pampered I was...
The Neighbourhood delivery boys: that brought you all your heavy supermarket shopping home, even your fifty rupees order and gave a happy salaam if you tipped them a tenner..
The Sadistic Kachrawali ( Politically incorrect): who took inordinate pleasure in ringing the doorbell early Sunday morning, to ask a bleary eyed you with a smirk ' Kal party tha kya?' before clearing out your bins neatly.
The Annas of Udupi: who tortured my South indian tastebuds with their sweetened sambar, but always ensured I had a sasta, tikao, kaam chalau option to order out for
The Rickshawalahs: who always gave you a cheaper option to public transport, taking only the meter charge. How I regret fighting with them, when I count out the pounds to a haughty bus driver who does not even entertain me by discussing UP's caste politics...
The Samaritans: Now that Im in the country where there are 'miles to go before I sleep' and accents that make me wonder if I follow English, I yearn for my friendly Mumbaikar, who not only stops to give me directions, but also tells me distance in train stops with an instantaneous comparison with taxi fares and bus fares....
The Chatwala Bhaiyas: outside every apartment who always comes up with the right change for your hundred and also gives you spicy homilies as you slurp the panipuris down....
I also miss some who add masala to Mumbai's madness...
The Cosmopolitan Conversationalists: that have entertained me in coffee shops and pubs who instantly switch to a South Mumbai accent, only to visibly relax their guts as they suss out your more humbler northern suburb leanings...
The Cosmopolitan Conversationalists: that have entertained me in coffee shops and pubs who instantly switch to a South Mumbai accent, only to visibly relax their guts as they suss out your more humbler northern suburb leanings...
The Chronic Cribbers: for whom travelling from Virar to Nariman Point on work days seem hardly any distance, but crossing the bridge from East to West on a weekend is next to sacrilege..
The Bargain Hunters: who hold their nose in disgust as they trek through the filth and muck of Dharavi, but come up with leather goodies that are to die for...I now know where they derive their sense of bargain, when I see the goods here tagged nearly double their worth with a made in India tag on it..
The Ten Rupee Train Marketers : Who sell you everything under the sun for just ten rupees,now when you run to the Poundland, their competitive pricing seems unbeatable...
The Parsi Aunties: on the train who loved to narrate their tales of woe to their train friends of 25 years and more about how the rents in Cusrow Baug have been unfairly increased for Rs 150 to Rs 300 from this month....
Hey Dips, what are you complaining so much about.. I thought you wanted to desperately get out of this country:-)
ReplyDeleteNot at all Jenz...I wanted a change from what I was doing, not from where I was doing...:) U got me wrong there, my friend...Just didnt want to jump from the frying pan into the fire before relocating into another frying pan...Thats the truth, my friend...
ReplyDeleteBy the way, keep the comments coming...this blog is going to be more active now...
Well-written!:)
ReplyDeleteI also empathize. I felt the same way when I was in London. I missed the friendly banter with neighbours, the maid, the electrician who'd come in and help with odd jobs, etc etc! However, the tube was always the most interesting place, coz quite often we'd hear people talk in malayalam or hindi. We were also quite close the Indian areas, and the stores with their masalas, pickles, and samosas helped us deal with any homesickness!:)