I lived in Mumbai, India, from 2004-2006. During that time, I did a lot of traveling throughout the country. I also came to love so many aspects of life in India, from food to festivals. Here are a few snippets of writing from my life there as well as posts on the latest sights, sounds, and style from the subcontinent.
Bombay is extremely lucky. The rains finally started here on Saturday, albeit late. These rains were to start on June 10, then June 14. Then, mid-morning Saturday, a little thunder rolled in. And with it, a brief respite from the blazing sun. Can you believe that there hasn’t been any measurable daytime rain in the…
Looking online at the spring and summer offerings from the likes of The Gap, Banana Republic, Zara, H&M, etc., I’ve noticed that just about every store has something inspired by India. Embroidered or sequinned tops, cotton kurtas, long, full skirts, and paisley prints, appear to be – from this vantage point – all the rage…
All I have ever heard about the great Indian mango is true ? it is the ripest, freshest, and one of the most enjoyable fruits ever. Forget the scrawny, stringy tasteless Mexican mangoes that we have to settle for in the U.S. Mangoes are the real deal here ? and there?s more than one kind….
A week or so before the April 15 tax-filing deadline, I was on the phone with some financial planner guy who was trying to help me out with tax filings and the like. When I mentioned that he couldn?t courier something to me because I was living in India, he paused and said, ?That must…
It’s tough being an animal in Bombay, especially now as the sun stays out longer. Crows fight in mid-air over scraps of food. Cats shriek at night below my window. And dogs have that ever-more sleepy hang-dog look as they look for shadier places to doze. It has also been especially hard being a human…
A bout with jaundice – or even a little tummy ache now and again – certainly doesn’t encourage adventurous eating. But I am happy to say I am back to enjoying the interesting range of cuisines that Bombay has to offer. On the low end of things, the most exciting development has been mine and…
Bombay (Mumbai) makes the U.S. papers thrice in less than a month. Tale of 2 Cities: Mumbai? or Bombay? “Though the membrane between these two cities is permeable, there are plainly two realms, of Bombayites and Mumbaikars, where one name slips out more readily than the other…”[IHT.com] Mumbai to Midtown, Chaat Hits the Spot “Asking…
I have a love/hate affair with awards shows. I love watching them to see what people are wearing and who wins, but I usually can’t bear the acceptance speeches. Indeed, I love watching the Oscars, and I’ll definitely be tuning in on Monday morning (yep….they’ll be live at 6:30 a.m. in India) for a short…
I must say there is one upside to being sick in India: the drugs (and the doctor visits) are very cheap. Not sure if I mentioned before, but I had the best dental cleaning ever while here and it cost about $25. That’s not a co-pay amount. That’s the full fee. At any rate, I’m…
