The Channy Cricket who Played all Summer

Mobile phone: 1!
Hours spent on getting it: 4
hours spent on Law school applications this week: eight hundred
hours spent sitting on my ass this summer when should be doing above applications: eight billion
Number of sisters soon to be Police Inspector: one!

Let's see what's new....... Law School applications! Fun fun fun! NOOOOOOT.
I do have a cell phone now, after the nightmare of getting it sorted out - Feel free to call or text :D
The weekend was fantastic, went dancing with some girls and their local friends, and saw the Ganpati festivities at Mahim Beach, pretty insane.
I had a chance to visit Dharavi, the biggest slum in Bombay housing about one million people. But its not that scary. Being the biggest slum also means its the best slum, the most developed slum. It's like its own little town with shops and temples and schools and everything. My visit was short, and the meeting I attended was conducted in Marathi, so I took in very little, but it was still interesting. Anyway, uper tired right now, will post more soon.

Being a Mumbaiker

Mobile phones: 1
Mobile phone chargers: 0

The adjustment process happens gradually, but today I found myself floating swiftly through the traffic of people and vehicles. Gone are the days when I jerk suddenly to dodge the oncoming cab/bike/rickshaw/cow/dog. I have mastered the critical Mumbaiker ability to move gracefully through the tiny openings which appear out of nowhere at the final moment. I also find myself wagging my head at every stranger and to every question: what can I say? The head waggle is key.

Yesterday afternoon, we had to make a trip to the co-operative registrar and co-operative board to submit some documents. The train ride to VT station was rather unsettling. On my compartment, there was a woman beggar whose face was grotesquely disfigured: her lower lip melted into her chin, which melted into her neck, I tried hard not to stare. Then there was a one legged girl on crutches, carrying trays of little nik-naks to sell in the compartments. And of course at a time when I need it most, I found myself with absolutely no change smaller than a one hundred rupee note…

Anyway, upon arrival at the co-operative board, we were informed that "rules" got changed in August. We now need 750 members instead of 500 (which took long enough to gather) and the start up capital of 10 lakh rather than 1 lakh (one lakh = 100,000). And so instead of starting the capacity building process next week, we have to see if we can still proceed with forming the credit co-op, and how we can go about doing so. It’s a bit frustrating and discouraging, to finally have some work to start on (the capacity building part) and now it looks like I will have to wait. Patience is my Achilles’ heel…..

PS. Found another thing I love about Indians. As we were queuing for train tickets, some dude tried to rape the line… and I swear, before I even realized it happened, every man, woman and child yelled at him until he unwilling joined the end of the queue. Indians forever, Line rapists never, Down with Line Raping!!!

Picnic photos

Right, I know you are all *dying* to see photos of my crazy work picnic, enjoy!

top to bottom:
1. My boss
2. me taking photo
3. fully clothed
4. indians can't swim
5. street food
6. water sliding
7. dancing, you gotta love it!

Fabindia is truly Fabulous

Weekend count:

Trips to Pune:0
Expat parties attended: 1
Big bottles of Kingfishers consumed: 2, maybe 3
Shopping Sprees: 1
Hours spent at Fabindia: 3
Items tried on at Fabindia: 20 and beyond
Items purchased at Fabindia: 5
Rupees spent at Fabindia: too many
Children who danced with me on the street: about a dozen
Foreigners randomly joining the Ganpati procession on Linking Road: 1
Nose bleeds per day: at least one (wait, is that too much information?)
Progress made on LS Applications: 0

You haven't lived in Bombay unless you live through the monsoon season. It was pissing it down Friday and Saturday, and as my 20 minute bus ride turned into a one hour bus ride, I watched the low lying areas flood with a couple inches of water. People just waded through it like no big deal. I wanted to snap some photos, but it just seemed entirely inappropriate and intrusive. My neighbourhood was not affected, but my coworkers from the northern suburbs waded through water to get to work. I guess I can no longer take drainage systems for granted anymore.

The rest of the weekend was mostly spent shopping for appropriate attire for this hot and humid weather. First I went to the shopping district in Phoenix Mills, a very modern and upscale mall, with really nice things at moderate North American prices, but definitely not stuff I would wear here… So I’ll be back there in February for a major shopping spree: shoes and pretty shirts and pearls, o my! Met more American/Canadian/British expats/travelers at a party on Saturday night, which was a really nice time.

Then came my first visit to Fabindia, the shop for trendy traditional Indian clothing, (or maybe traditional trendy Indian clothing, if that makes any sense). When the shopkeeper said, "We take Visa", I knew I was in serious trouble…oi… Three hours later, I managed to limit my purchases to 3 shirts and 2 pairs of trousers. I think I did well.
As I walked down Linking Road to find my bus, I was invited to join the Ganpati parade on the street, and somehow became the main attraction for all the children. The men played the drums, the women pointed and laughed and the boys threw red powder all over me. It was really fun and funny at the same time. I guess you just had to be there.

PS. it seems like a lot of people aren’t familiar with the term "expats"… An expatriate is a person who "takes up residence in a foreign country"… it can also be used a verb, like "I was expatriated to India".

Happy Ganpati!

This week’s count:
Tarot card reading: 1
Fellow McGill graduates of 2005 in Bombay: 3
Unidentified blood trail leading up the steps to my office: 1
Overnight work retreats on beach resort: 1
Indians who can swim: none
Women who "swim" fully clothed: All
Mobile phone: 0
Law school applications to be completed: 5
Law school applications completed: 0

The 10-day Ganpati festival, which centres around the Hindu god with an elephant head symbolizing wisdom, began on Wednesday. On the first day, an idol of Ganesh is brought into the home with a procession of singing, dancing, and firecrackers in the streets. I spent my one day holiday meeting up with other expats in the Bombay area, some are here for only 2 months while others have been here for 4 years, a really fun crowd nonetheless. I attended a pooja, a religious ceremony where I met 2 girls who actually lived in McConnell when I was in Gardner, what a small world! I’ve been wanting to take Hindi classes but couldn’t find a place that offered them, but through the expat network, I will be joining a group of Canadian/American kids with their private Hindi instructor. Well this Sunday I am taking a day trip to Pune, which is a rapidly developing city a few hours outside Bombay. There are some nice temples which I’m hoping to check out, and I’m looking forward to get away from the heat and humidity of Bombay in monsoon season.
Also, I’m currently working on Law School applications – if anyone reading this is in the same process, drop me an email, I have this feeling that I’ll forget to do something on ouac or lsdas or whatever and my application won’t go through……..

New home, new friends, what a lucky girl!

Today’s count:
New foreign friends: two and counting…
Dead cockroaches in my room: one
Commuters on my bus to work: o thousands!!

Okay, blogging less is a good sign, it means I actually have something else to do besides updating my blog. Boring entries are also good signs, it means I have more interesting things to think on. So now that you are prepared, here is a brief update of the past week:
On Tuesday I moved into another apartment, as a paying guest with an Indian lady (just like in a fine balance!); it’s a much better area and much closer to work; no more scary train rides with people picking their nose and wiping it on me, hooray!
Managed to meet some other expats in the Bombay area, whom I will be meeting up with this weekend and in the coming week, for dinner/drinks/board games/book club. (Yes I will be nerd no matter where I go!)
O there is a new intern at the office, an AIESECer from Germany. Also, there is an overnight work retreat at a "beach resort" today, I was told not to bring a bathing suit because most Indians can’t swim and prefer to go into the pool fully dressed… should be interesting…