hi,

yes i am moving to mumbai. actually back to mumbai. this is a detail i forget often.

its been more than a year in chennai now.  the small n sleepy town has been a part of our life in its own ways. have picked up some slang, seri. daily and weekly chores have found ways in multiple food worlds, nilgiris, pazhamudir nilayam in mylapore.  after office khader nawaz khan road window shopping is a mode of entertainment.

i walk back home on the jewel studded cathedral road (bapalal diamonds, prince jewelry, moksha, surang et al.)…and then into poes garden. walk down the binny lane. amongst the quiet yet powerful houses within all the greenery,  somewhat noisy chai stall appears closer with lungi clad ‘anna-s’ (auto drivers, domestic helps from the houses around) and the tiny ‘annamalai departmental stores’ . they are our homely uncle aunty who understand marathi as they had spent close to 20 years in mumbai.  their shop is a respite in the area, as it is rightly a provision store for all everyone’s needs.

appurama, right panni… a couple of houses on either side, amma’s security post, and here – left panni. theres our  guest house, with a red iron gate and familiar welcome barking of kasturi from the distance..

generally work permits me to be here around 6.30 pm with an entire evening at my disposal. being a virgo wife, tidying the house comes first, readying dinner, reading etc and in no time anand is honking in the regular pattern  at the gate … that gets kasturi jumping  out of control.

yes my life is really chilled out.. with pros and cons of course. my opinions of chennai are due to whatever I have seen and wherever I have been to .

well, now a new mumbai chapter is about to begin. from next week.  someone said,  u know mumbai office is huge!  when you stand up on the floor you cannot possibly see the other end. theres largescale landscaping everywhere, the pantry is like a foodmall with different counters open all the time, a mall is closeby, travelling to and from your house will be like b’lore – lots (b’lore is more known to many chennaiites) .. you will have to adjust to all this… and instead of laughing it off, the thought  is actually lingering in my mind, will i get used to mumbai .. soon ?

ramya a team mate, the other day walked in and handed me 2 huge dairy milk bars.. ‘remember me da’ , i was touched! this simple girl, a team mate who was herself going through a lot, had the thing to bring in a momento..

my lunch group mahila mandal, a group of 7-8 in their mid thirties maybe, with kid stories n all… u can imagine the noise n the confusion when all get together! we went to palimar and had a three course lunch, and then the pan that everyone likes..

durga, the other day gifted me a pair of estelle earrings.. they are cute!! and so is she.. never knew i meant something to her.. i have made up my mind to fly down for her wedding in november…

small pleasures of life, tug at me affectionately.