Germany visits India

Brigitte, Saru, Shambhu and Gisela

Finally, after months of planning and email exchanges Gisela and her friend Brigitte turned up in Bombay early on the 14th morning. Gisela being Gisela was up and about shortly after I myself had got going in the morning - no sign of jet lag, no tiredness, even less need to rest than I had (I always need a small nap) and raring to go. We spent a couple of hours on the balcony catching up on news about her daughters Ebba and Tessa and her granddaughters and various other typical family things before lunch. After which she and Brigitte set out on a round of the neighbourhood.

The five days the "girls" were here have gone by in a haze. They would vanish after breakfast in the morning and return in the evening - in fact one day they weren't back till shortly before 10 at night, leaving me wondering whether I should start to worry. But before I could bite my fingernails they pranced back in, laden with shopping bags and faces beaming, all set for a tot of rum (or gin and tonic - Brigitte's favourite drink).
Chocolate mousse at Gaylords

We spent yesterday evening at "Gaylords" which I was visiting after ages, which gave me a chance to remember what a nice place it is to hang out in, and the fact that they serve pretty good food as well. The chocolate mousse was a fitting end to a riotous women's evening out during which we sent Gisela's husband Werner one of those "wish you were here" sms's. Now am considering making a trip back to the restaurant just for another mouthful of that rich and extremely sinful dessert.

Publish Post

2009 is here!

Hardly a few years ago the twenty first century seemed like a time zone out of science fiction. Well we've not only arrived but we're nine years down the line! 2009? Huh? Who the hell gobbles up all the years?!

It was a real quiet New Years eve here, with S and me watching some show or other on TV. These days all that I watch are either Marathi soaps or Marathi reality shows. There are two of them, one a dance programme to showcase young talent, the other a programme to showcase kids singing talent. The musical show is actually pretty good, because kids as young as eight or nine take part, sounding like grown ups, managing the highs and lows, the intricacies of the melody like professionals. Nothing like when we grew up and at age eight were still singing Old Mac Donalds or something.

The biggest change in our lives is possibly Shambhu's arrival. With his loud raucous mew and his goofy face and behaviour, he has unwittingly turned an apartment into a home. Shambhu is growing up fast and at times disappears for one and a half days. Right now he's been home pretty much, following S (the love of his life), crouching under the gas stove for warmth, or huddled up on the sofa.

This is also the season for guests and the first of the lot this year will be my friend Gisela who introduced me to Germany many years ago - actually in 1987, when I visited her in Bremen and later in Leverkusen (near Cologne). It's been a long and winding road since then but essentially the same road along which I got to know and work with Samuel. Hope that those of you in Bombay will get to meet G. during the six days or so that she is with me.