Sights seen in Mumbai...

I have some pictures from my time in Mumbai, India I wanted to share with everyone.

All the trucks in Mumbai have this on the back.  It is asking the drivers to HONK HORNS.  Interesting!

Paper is a luxury in Mumbai.  If you want a copy, just stop here on the side of the busy road and the JUMBO XEROX is available for a fee. 

Mount Mary's Basilica in Bandra.

There are NO LANES in Mumbai.  Say a Pray and drive!

The traffic does not change at night accept it is more frightening!

People walking in the traffic selling peanuts and anything else.

This is CRAZY!  The driver has a helmet.  The woman is sitting sideways holding a young child wearing sunglasses!  Sitting sideways...how is the motorcycle balancing?

30 Days have ended, but the memories made will be with me forever!

I woke up today in my own bed.  The temperature outside is 32 degrees F/0 degrees C.  This is a slight difference from my last post.  I no longer hear the honking horns, the jackhammers, the pigeons and crows and the pack of dogs. I hear the heater powering up to keep the house warm.  The view from the living room window has changed from sunshine and light breeze and the Boomerang to overcast skies and snow has high as my knee.

I ended yesterday's post about Mahesh Seafood Restaurant.  Shanawaz, Nitin, Amit and Amit (Hub Guy #2) and I went to Mahesh for my last dinner.  I went on my last auto rickshaw ride with Shanawaz.  I LOVE the auto rickshaw rides.  It is so much fun.  I understand when you have to use it all your life it is not as exciting.  The dinner was amazing because of the company and the food.  We had great conversation and Nitin spoke as well.  The last time we went to eat Shanawaz, Vijeta and I were so rude discussing Westboro and left Nitin out of the conversation.  This time we were talking about the past month and many other topics.  The food was delicious.  I had prawn and crab soup.  Yes - ME!  It did not taste like fish.  I had Pomfret filet with spices, Golden Prawns, chicken dish, roti and rice.  All of the food was delicious.   Thank you so much for the great food.  We took pictures outside the restaurant before taking the auto rickshaw back to work.

I want to start on the last Saturday morning in Mumbai.   Rohit and Ashish came to the apartment right after work.  Rohit had to drop off ALL the items he bought.  It was OVER 3 kg he promised.  I had to repack to accommodate the extra items.  Nothing was left behind.  We talked about the past month and what lies ahead in the future for both of them.  Ashish will begin off hours shift on Monday.  Taking a moment to evaluate life to plan the future is important for your success.  We said our goodbyes and I was in the apartment by myself.  I was going to see Ashish at the airport.
I had to repack to have the luggage under the weight limit.  I had to pull items in the put them in the bag to carry on.  My carrier suitcase was so heavy with Indian sweets.  I did not know how I was going to lift to the overhead luggage compartment.
The sun was up and Ritika came to the apartment after her shift.  She is a wonderful woman.  I love talking with her.  Shahbaaz came to the apartment to say goodbye as well.  I was happy to have people with me instead of feeling sad about leaving Mumbai and happy about being home with Manny and Max. A month ago I would not have felt the same.  I liked being alone. I have come to enjoy the company of others.  All of sudden Swapnil from Admin was ringing the doorbell and taking my luggage to the cab.  The last few hours went so quickly.  I took a moment to have my last look of a month's worth of memories.

We were off to the Mumbai Airport in the cab.  The traffic was at a stop, then after all the horns honking the traffic began to move.  We turned onto the road I had been on so many times.  I did not realize the airport so close to the apartment.  As we are driving and I see the airport sign, but the cab is pulling over and turning off the vehicle.  What!  Yes - the Mumbai Traffic police had pulled him over.  Is it me?  There were no flames on the side of the car like Shanawaz's car.  Swapnil jumped out of the cab to see what is taking so long.  There was a problem with his cab plate.  I was so concerned about getting to the airport. This stop took about 15 minutes.  Off we go to the airport which was a left turn from where we stopped.  The Mumbai airport is beautiful with palm trees and beautiful architecture.  The International Departures is all new.  There was no traffic when I was dropped off.  I gave hugs to Ritika and Swapnil.  Ashish has come to say good bye to Vijeta and I.  He gave me a rose (live) to remember him by.  (FYI...the rose is still alive.)

Ashish and I had time to talk about a lot of things.  We were laughing a lot.  A security guard came by asking Ashish if he was trying to take advantage of the "foreigner".  Does Ashish really look like a person who would be a criminal?  Vijeta came but she had to wait for her parents.  I decided to check in and get through Immigration.  My final farewell to Ashish with a hug and telling him to take care of himself and keep enjoying life.  I was in the airport.  I checked in and 3 bags checked.  The counter person let me check the 3rd bag for free.  I was so happy since it was so heavy.  I got through Immigration.  NOTE:  You need the address you stayed in India for Immigration.  Thank goodness I had kept the paper with the address.

I was waiting at the gate and decided I was hungry.  I had not eaten since dinner at Mahesh's.  I had some protein. I went shopping.  I bought 4 elephants and other items before getting on the airplane as well as a clothe bag with elephant print and purple lining and handles.  The airplane was running late but on I went and sat in the row with a gentleman from Newton, MA.  He asked me what I was doing in Mumbai for a month and where I worked.  He knows Girish Navani (CEO of eClinicalWorks).  The flight was full and the plane was crowded.  It was a 9.5 hour flight.  The gentleman sitting with me was told in Mumbai that he would not make the connection flight to Boston, so the British Airlines changed his ticket to Sunday at 4pm with a hotel stay.  I told him I was checked through to Boston.  As the plane was landing in Heathrow, the crew mentioned that the Boston connection can be made and all the people including the ones moved to Sunday were moved on it.  We were in Terminal B and had to go to Terminal C and through Security.  We all made it.  Thank goodness.  There was only 45 minutes between the flights.

The plane to Boston was wonderful.  The seats were wider and the newer.  I slept most of the 7.5 hours.  I had one serving of white wine for dinner.  The flight was not full so there was no one in the center seat.  There was more room in this plane.  The flight attendant carried my laptop bag and new elephant satchel.  I am very impressed with the crew of British Airways.

US Customs was quick and all my luggage made it to Boston.  One of Vijeta's pieces of luggage stayed in London.  I opened the doors to the main waiting area of Terminal E and there was Manny.  I was so happy to see him.  I have missed him more than I thought, but when I was in Mumbai no one allowed me to be sad because they had plans for me.  Max came home around 12 midnight.  Marian High School Drama team placed in the top 3 to move to the next round of competition in 2 weeks.  Max won 1st Place in set design as well.  I was so happy to see him.  He has a couple of tough weeks at school.  I will be speaking to Erika tonight

As we were driving home there was no traffic, no horns, no people crossing the busy roads and driving on the other side of the road.  I had my seat belt on and the air was cold.  It was so quiet.  This morning Manny, Max and I walked outside to get to my minivan to go to Mass.  I did not hear the pack of dogs, crows, pigeons, horns or jackhammers.  I heard beautiful song birds singing in the trees around my home.  It was so quiet.  The snow on the ground and the birds singing.  The air was crisp and cool.

I have finally unpacked everything.  Manny and Max liked my shirt collection.  We will be ordering more shirts from the Men's Store in Mumbai.  Sharmeen was a great person to go with for the men's shirts.  I was so happy they liked the shirts.

My kitchen is beautiful.  It should be finished by end of this week.  The painting will be done tomorrow. Please follow this link to check before and after.  Manny and Max did a great job making decisions during the process.  http://oreosdeepthought.blogspot.in

My final thoughts about this trip was summoned up at Mass today.  The reading from Isiah was about God's Love even though you may feel no one love's you.  I was worried about meeting all the people in Mumbai and what would they think of me.  Would the accept me for me?  I had felt the love and kindness from everyone.  Everyone I encountered made sure I had my needs met.
The Gospel from Matthew talked about not to worry about the basic needs such as food, shelter and clothing because God always provides for you.  I have been requesting to go to Mumbai for 2 years.  I have worried that I would never go even though I prayed to have this opportunity.  Once I had approval and the plans were being made I was so worried about living accommodations and food.  My apartment was beautiful.  The food was amazing.  The only item I did not like was a red candy with cumin in it. (Vance thank you for the candy.)   It was horrible.  My favorite food was chicken crispy.  I am thankful to everyone in Mumbai and in Westboro.

I will be going back to Mumbai in the future.  Thank you for great memories.  I loved everything.
Auto rickshaws, the terrace, the traffic, the horns, the crows and pigeons, the watchmen at the apartment finally waving and smiling at me, the people at work.  I know I missed items and people.  I did not mean to but there is so much to write.

THANK YOU for reading my blog.  I have enjoyed my 30 days in Mumbai.

Trying to remember everything

What can I say about Mumbai?  I can say that I have many coworkers who have become my dear friends.  I sit in the apartment A504 and look at the Boomerang 7th floor with the best thoughts.  I never dreaded going into work because the people made me apart of the family.  The sun is rising which I rarely saw since I would be sleeping by 7am IST.  The rooster already crowed.  The traffic is blazing with the horns warning other vehicles "Here I come and watch out!".  I have gotten used to the pack of dogs fighting in the dark and the crows and pigeons.  Mumbai is a place to find the most gracious people.  From the watchmen at the gate of the apartment who all smile and wave when I wave at them to eCW Mumbai family.  The watchmen wave and smile as I entered and left the apartment grounds.

I had forgotten to mention Siddhesh in my last post.  Also known as "Sophia's Sidd".  He sits quietly at the opposite end of the pod.  He is has a great smile and laugh.  Siddhesh is ready to assist anyone and can come back with a zinger.  I apologize for not mentioning you early.  I would watch him when the teasing would start.  He would sit back and laugh.  Keep the techs in line!  Always keep smiling.

The IPM team bought a cake and Ritika gave me an elephant.   Prasad asked me what my favorite part of the experience was.  The IPMs are a team.  They work and play together.  They are always talking to each other.  If someone is stuck, another IPM would be right there to help on calls and other issues.  All of them are hardworking but fun-loving.  They have given me a renewed breath of fresh air.  It was a pleasure to work with them in Mumbai.  I will always be available to them for anything.  I have enjoyed getting to know them.  I think they know me very well now.  Thank you for the delicious cake and the wonderful memories.  Good Luck to the list of candidates for the new TL positions.

Ritika is an amazing young women.  I will always remember her eyes.  She was beautiful eyes.

After 16 months working with Ashish we have parted ways.  I will miss him so much.  I would spark and call him every day asking about him.  He has become a wonderful friend.  I know he left me win at table tennis today.  Thank you!  Next time I will be better at it.  I know you will do well on the off hours shift.  Remember the following words - EXCUSE ME - PLEASE - THANK YOU - BE NICE.  I will miss working with you.  I have been spoiled and I have spoiled you.  Thank you Mom for the new Indian outfit.  It is beautiful.

Rohit is a good friend.  He was willing to go to Mass with me on Sundays.  He took me to his home to meet his family.  His mother and 2 grandmothers were gracious hostesses.  The food on that day and every day Rohit brought dinner was amazing.  Your sister, Rachna, is a beautiful young woman.  She will be a great success.  Rohit keep growing and always look for the good.

It has been great to meet the "real" Shanawaz.  I have always had great respect for him.  He is a great father and husband.  Now I realize he has a great sense of humor and will tease anyone.  He was teasing me.  I loved the auto Rickshaw rides.  Thank you for taking time to show me a great time.  We went to Mahesh for dinner.  It is a seafood restaurant with Amit (Hub Guy #2), Nitin and Amit T.  It was great time.  The meal was great. Shanawaz needs to take time to stop checking his emails on the blackberry, so do I.  Thank you for letting me into your life.

Noor is a quiet man.  He comes in and always tired.  He has a great sense of humor.  I know he will miss Ashish since they sat next to each other.  Noor knows everything about the Oscar's.  His knowledge of movies it astounding.  I have watched many movies because of his recommendations.  Noor is a man who wears his heart on his sleeve.  He will help anyone without hesitation.  He taught me Hindi with the assistance of others.  He is a great table tennis player.  You are a great friend.  Remember to watch "Mr. Holland's Opus" and the other great movies.  I hope to see you in Westboro this year.

Rushab is an unforgettable person.  He is Chicago Sri's tech.  I don't know why he wants to have other punch people, but I did punch (softly) Shanawaz and Rushab.  He is always smiling.  In an early post I had written he was "devilish".  I stand by this comment.  He works so hard, but has fun.  He is a better singles table tennis player than doubles.  He beat me many times.  Your smile will be a great memory.

Shahbaaz is Shahbaaz.  He is a very caring person.  I have enjoyed his company.  I wrote enough about Shahbaaz.  I am done!

It is getting tougher to focus!  I have been up since 1230pm IST yesterday.  It is 815am IST 1 March.

I will write one more post when I am awake.  I will tell you about Mahesh's Restaurant.

Off to the airport!

Lifts, buttons and thoughts of Mumbai

It is my last full day in Mumbai.  It is a beautiful Friday afternoon with the sun shining and a light breeze blowing the trees outside my living room window.  Again I am waiting for Ashish, but have heard from him.  He will not be coming.  I have to find something to eat since I only have oranges, coffee and Lichi juice left in the apartment.

I am packed.  The one suitcase is at the maximum weight.  The second one is almost there.  I have not packed my carry on suitcase yet.   I will not sleep until I am on the plane tomorrow afternoon at 2pm IST.  I should be landing in Boston on 1 March around 10pm EST.  I cannot wait to see Manny and Max.

For the past month I have watched the people at the lift bay.  It is so funny to watch them.  I have been working on the 7th floor of the Boomerang building.  As I enter the building, I put my purse, laptop bag and any other bags on the x-ray machine.  I walk through the metal detector and pick up my stuff.  Off we walk to the next security check.  The security guard uses his badge to open the gateway to get to the lifts.  At the lift bay there are 8 lifts, but we always have to wait.  I watch the people come and press the "UP" button and press it again and again and again.  Finally, an lift opens and we step in.  If we are lucky the lift door will close and stay closed, but most of the time it will open and reopen.  Finally we are on the way to the 7th floor sometimes with a stop at the 5th floor for some of the people.
Turn one way and you go to the terrace and the other way through the glass doors onto the floor.

When leaving it is so funny watching everyone.  Many of the people press the "UP" and "DOWN" buttons multiple times when we want to go "DOWN".  We stand and wait.  New people come to the lift bay and start the process all over. An lift door opens for "UP" we walk in and press "G" for Ground Level.  The door closes and opens again.  Now we are supposed to go down.  No!  Someone else pressed the down button so the door opens again.  This can occur multiple times before the lifts starts heading down.

This happens all over the world, but I think about people always in a hurry.  The people are rushing to get to the ground floor to get to the transportation waiting to drop them off at or near their homes.  They head to the back of the building and wait.  I see many people standing and waiting outside of the vehicles.  They are waiting.  There are groups of people standing and waiting, but everyone was in a hurry to get there.  I see it in the Mumbai traffic.  Everyone is honking and maneuvering around other vehicles to get to the next traffic jam.  Everyone is rushing to stop.  Then the traffic starts to move slowly and the maneuvering to be in front begins again.

When I was in the US Army, the one phrase said all the time was "Hurry up and Wait!"  The people of Mumbai live this to the fullest.

For Dinner I brought Shanawaz, Sameer, Amit, Noor, Vijeta, Ashish, Rohit and Shahbaaz to Mainland China.  The deal was everyone had to attempt to eat with chopsticks.  I eat with chopsticks every time I go a Chinese or Japanese restaurant.  I showed them how to use the chopsticks.  It was funny to see them try.  It was great to see them try.  There were pictures taken but no one has sent them to me so I will have to post later.
Eating with chopsticks causes people to slow down.  Everyone here eats so fast.  I showed them how to eat rice with chopsticks.  We had a great time laughing and talking.  I still eat slow compared the group.  Shanawaz made a comment that I become like the other in the group teasing others.  Yes!  I feel very comfortable with everyone in Mumbai.

Let's discuss Shahbaaz!  He is a very happy young man.  He is also an interesting young man.   I told him I was gong to bring some people to eat at a restaurant.    (Shahbaaz is very slim, but he eats A LOT.)  I kept telling him I do not plan anything.  I just go. Shahbaaz works the off-hour shift.  He is supposed to leave at 830am EST/7pm IST.  So, I told him that I want to go to Mainland China and I am paying.  Everyone has been paying for everything for me.  They kept telling me my money is not good here.  I wanted to treat them.  Shahbaaz stayed at work then came out with us.  I could not believe it.  We left the restaurant around 130pm EST/12 midnight IST.  He had to be ready to be picked up by transport in less than 5 hours.  His home is 1 hour from the restaurant.  My question is "Why would you wait for free food?".  He did this when the techs bought dinner for all of us.  Maybe he likes the people and wants to be with us.  I just do not understand why he would not want to go home and see his family and get some sleep.  Yet, I am glad he came, because I enjoy his company.

Shahbaaz - Thank you for the gift!  

The IPMs are so funny.  In my first week I would come in and sit at my "pod" space and the IPMs would say "Hi".  After my first training with the group they opened up and began talking to me.  I have enjoyed talking and laughing with all of them.  Ananth has been a great "secretary".  He is a great friend.  He has always been here to help me with anything I needed.  Prasad, Vinayak and Royson are great TLs.  I have enjoyed talking with them.

The IPMs are a great group of people.  They are always willing to assist one another.  It is so great to see the teamwork.  They work very hard.  They laugh!  I love the laughter and teasing between the people.  I have joined in as well.  Namrata and Ritika sit in front of me.  I have come to know them very well.  Maya is beautiful.  She is always dressed perfectly.  I  have had so much fun working with all of them.  I had a great time training while playing a game.  They are very competitive people.  They want to learn new things and I am so happy.  My deal with Ananth when I was training him is whatever I learn you will learn.  This deal is the same with all the IPMs.  Knowledge gives you strength.  In April the whole team will be on 1 floor again.  The company is growing.  The whole team will be together.

Vance and Ankit have the best seats.  They sit in the back and watch everything going on.

Thank you for accepting me into your group.  I had the best time.  I love the laughter!
I want to thank everyone who has made me food.  Imran, Franky, Rohit - Thank you.
For my vegetarian friend - Ritika - for ordering Butter Chicken for me.

Back to the techs...

Today is the last day Ashish and I are tagged as IPM and Tech.  We have been together for 16 months.  I have enjoyed our partnership.  He is the magician.  He can vanish and reappear in seconds.  He understands me and I understand him.  He is moving to off hours. I hope he enjoys the change and the new challenges.  As Shanawaz has told me many times - "Stop spoiling him."  I understand what he is saying now.
As of Monday, Madhura and I are tagged together.  Madhura has the best smile.  We have laugh together to the point I had tears in my eyes.  I know we will have a great time working together as a team.

The techs are amazing.  They work so hard and have time to enjoy each others company.  I have learned so much from all of them.  I am amazed watching them work on the HL7 interfaces.  As am IPM I attempt to explain the issue.  They have to take my explanation, understand my thought process and investigate the issue.  As many people who know me...many of my thoughts are not always in a logical sequence.  When I am tired or overwhelmed, they are down right confusing...even to me.

I have so much fun getting to know all of them.  I work with Shanawaz and his team consisting of Ashish, Gaurav, Rushab, Madhura, Vishnu, Prashant, Sameer, Abhi, Shahbaaz and Amit.  In the past month I have had the best time with all of them.  They are a great time.  Rohit is kind person.  He has so much knowledge about PM interfaces.  He works so hard.  Mozzam and Faresh's teams are fantastic.  Prithvi is TL in training.  He will be a great TL.  In Westboro I rarely interact with them, but now I have great new friendships.  The Interface trainers are a band of 4.  Kavita, Sharmeen, Shubro (SHU - BRO) and Franky.  (Hey - you still need watch "Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit".)  I know where to go to get questions answered about the interfaces, since they train the practices daily.

I am honored to have been able to meet all of the people.  To have the people take time out of their busy schedules to take me out and show me Mumbai.  I feel part of the Mumbai family.  The people are so wonderful.  I will always remember Ritika's smiling eyes.  Sharmeen's beautiful smile.  Shanawaz's smile and the twinkle in his eyes when he is teasing someone.  Noor and his purple water bottle with so many plastic cups and his deep love for his grandmother.  Prashant, Vishnu and Gaurav are the quietest people.  They love to laugh!  The hub guys - Sameer, Amit, Abhi and Shahbaaz - are amazing.  Franky's hairstyle and now the men in the group are trying to copy him.

Joshna from the SAAS team is a beautiful young woman.  I was so excited to meet her.  She made me and others special treats.  I enjoy working with all the SAAS team and I am so happy to put a face to a name.

The Admin Team has been dealing with me since January.  Getting my plane tickets, the apartment and dealing with my questions.  Once I got here, they have picked up  and dropped me off every work day.  Whenever I have called the Admin team they are ready to assist me.  Nilesh, Sarvesh and Swapnil have been so wonderful and patient with me.  Thank you for every thing.

I know I will be missing mentioning so many people. I have enjoyed be getting to know all of them.

My thoughts of India before I had come here.

1. Mumbai is not a safe place.  Everyone kept telling me to be extra cautious.  Never go anywhere alone. - I have gone no where alone, but I am happy about this because I have enjoyed the people who have accompanied me.  I have never felt unsafe here.  Everyone has been so protective of me.

2. Mumbai is so overcrowded.  The only time I have felt overwhelmed with crowds is attending the Kala Ghoda Festival.  I had Ashish, Rohit, Mukul, Shahbaaz, Prashant, Amit and Vijeta always around me.  Mukul was going to wait with me in the female line to get into the festival.  I know people planned excursions when the crowds were less.  I have a fear with crowds since the car accident, but I had no fears in Mumbai.

3. Mumbai is dirty and polluted.  I had brought a prescription inhaler with me because I was told the air quality was so bad. At first I noticed the trash and pollution in Mumbai.  When you stop looking at the surface and begin seeing the beauty of the surroundings and people, the exterior does not matter.  I never used the inhaler.

4. Being loud and outspoken - I and others were concerned about my personality in Mumbai.  I was told by others that I will need to tone my personality down.  I have found that the people in Mumbai are as happy about living life as I am.  There was no change required.  I am who I am.

I will continue my thoughts before I leave for the Mumbai Airport...

KFC and other birds

It is a beautiful Thursday afternoon in Mumbai.  I am waiting for Ashish to come to the apartment to finish shopping before Saturday.  The sunshine and light breeze is still here.  I am enjoying a beef dish Franky (Interface Trainer with the deep voice) brought me for lunch today.  I am going to pause for a moment to taste the food.  Of course, there is a cup of coffee ready for me as well.

I just tasted the dish and it is wonderful.  The beef is so tender and the gravy tangy.  I had extra rice so I warmed it up together.  Thank you Franky for a great wake up dish.

For dinner Ashish, Sarvesh, Sameer (Hub Guy #1), Amit (Hub Guy #2), Noor and Bibind brought me to KFC.  I was so excited to meet Bibind George.  I had talked to Bibind when he worked at eCW.  We headed to KFC in Bibind's car.  The KFC has chicken and vegetarian dishes.  I had Popcorn Chicken, french fries and chicken strips.  The guys had a bucket of chicken.  I also tried the chicken and rice bowl.  It was not plain white rice that you would get in the US.  The rice had curry and masala with 6 pieces of popcorn chicken.  The food was great.  One comment about the guys - They eat A LOT of food!

While we were sitting at the tables a couple of the guys had their mobiles out.  I asked them to put them away to enjoy the conversation.  They listened unlike Anupam from the previous adventure at a restaurant. One of the KFC workers would bring out the customers food and he was staring at me.  The second time I said "Hello".  He nodded.  Before we left we asked the security guard to take a picture of us.  I motioned to the worker who kept staring to come over and be in the picture with us.  He came over.  I shook his hand and thanked him for the food and being in the picture.  Now I am waiting for Sameer and Sarvesh to send me the pictures taken.  *Hint*

I had a great time with all of the guys.  Thank you Bibind for the food.  Have a wonderful time in Paris.  Please remember me.

I have begun packing.  I have 1 suitcase done.  It weighs exactly 50 lbs/23 kg.  The other suitcase is almost empty.  I have a small carrier on suitcase as well.  I will have a travelling companion on the way back.  Vijeta will be on the same flight.  The British Airway plane is scheduled to depart Mumbai at 1350 on 1 March.

Some people want to send items back with me.  I have room to 23 kg.  Once it hits that magic number, nothing else will be taken.

I do not think Ashish is coming.  It is almost 3pm IST and he has not answered his mobile or responded to Whats App.

There were 2 male pigeons fighting on my terrace.  There was a female pigeon strutting her stuff as well.  The males were going crazy.  The female was watching off to the side.  The pigeons were jumping on each other and flapping their wings.  The males were perched side by side flapping their wings.  It does not matter the male species.  Females make males do crazy things.  After their "manly" display the female flew off leaving the males perched on the railing.

I have taken a few pictures of sights on my trek to work.  We take a left at the Petrol Station to go to the Boomerang.  There is a blue structure in the middle of the road with elephants statues at the top.  I have unable to get a picture of the blue structure since we turn left.  There is a blue marble building with has a sign that states "Pay before Services rendered".  I have only seen men go in one door and exit a door on the side of the building.  I have asked Shubro and Franky what services are being paid for.  Ananth told me it was a lavatory for men.

This is the Petrol Station with an auto rickshaw waiting.

People have asked me one of the best memories I have of Mumbai.  The first moments walking out of the airport waiting for Ananth, Royson, Ashish and Rohit.  I was standing with my luggage feeling so fortunate to be in Mumbai, India.  All the people were waiting for loved ones or guests to transport.  I was going to meet all of the people I have talked to in the past 7 years.  Rohit, Shanawaz, Ananth and Royson had been to the US.  I was so happy to see them again, but all of the others.  As the month has progressed I have gotten to know the IPMs and techs better. I am the luckiest person!   My first moment in Mumbai will always be the most exciting. I was waiting to be picked up to begin my adventure.  I could not stop smiling.

There are so many other memories as well.  My first auto rickshaw ride was so exciting.  I was with Ashish going to Mainland China restaurant.  The bump on the head reminded me to be more careful the next time.  The second time was as exciting with Shanawaz going to BBQNation. I did not bump my head the second time. I love the auto rickshaw.  I hope in the next 2 days I will have one more chance. If not, I will be back.

I am very excited about being home with Manny and Max. I have missed them both.  The kitchen is almost done.  I have been keeping up-to-date on the progress on Manny's blog and talking to him.  I have missed all of the snow storms in Massachusetts as well.  I love snow, but the weather in Mumbai in February was so much better.

The crow that visits almost every day has come again.  It sits on the terrace railing and caws.  I will miss the crows and pigeons flying.  They have become a part of my every day life in Mumbai.  The caws and cooing are sounds I have become accustomed to.  The pack of dogs barking in the distance was somewhat terrifying at the beginning of my stay, but I rarely notice it now.  There are so many homeless dogs and cats in Mumbai.  They are all over in the streets and on the sidewalks.  They climb the hill outside of the apartment.  They will move when a vehicle comes close to them.  I have seen the dogs rummaging in trash.  They need to eat since there is no one to care for them.

Noor and Sameer - You have to watch "Mr. Holland's Opus".  The movie is a beautiful story about a teacher and his love for his students.  It will make you cry at the end.

Well - Ashish was a "no show".  I will try to buy some Indian sweets at the airport.  Time to get ready for work.

Is there a theme? Guys get over it and watch with an open-mind!

My last Wednesday afternoon in Mumbai.  The rooster is crowing again.  It was crowing at 630am IST and now.  The weather is still beautiful with the sunshine and light breeze.  I hear the jackhammers and horns in the distance.  Gee - the rooster is still going on.  I will be heading back to the cold Massachusetts winter. I have been spoiled by the wonderful climate here.

Yesterday the Tech team celebrated Vishnu's birthday.  He looks like he is no older than 15 years old.  He has a very young face.  He has the biggest smile.  I believed he turned 22 or 23 years old. I forgot to ask.  The group bought a wonderful cake and sang "Happy Birthday".  The birthday boy cut a piece of cake a fed a bite to Vijeta (which she swallowed), then to Shanawaz (which he spit out).  I did not see why he did that, but it was funny.  Chunks of cake spewed on the table.  After this happened people began taking the frosting and painting it on Vishnu's face.  This is done for all the birthdays celebrated here.  I do not understand why!  Ashish came near me and was going to add more to Vishnu's face.  I grabbed Ashish and applied frosting on his face.  It was a farewell to our partnership.  We did eat the cake as well.  It was delicious.

Movies, Movies and more Movies.  I have not watched so many movies as I have this past month.  Noor, Sameer (Hub Guy #1), Ashish and others recommend the movies to watch.  I have watched some great movies "Shawshank Redemption", "Frozen", "Turbo", "Life is Beautiful", "Now You See Me", "Warm Bodies" and others on TV as well.  I have recommended the entire Tech group to watch a few great movies I have enjoyed in my lifetime.

The first movie I have recommended for everyone to watch is "The Rocky Horror Picture Show".  It is a Classic.  I saw it for the first time in 1981.  A group of college kids went at Midnight to the theater to view this movie.  It is best to watch with a group of people.  The music is very amusing.  Meatloaf (the singer) is part of the cast of characters.  Listen to songs by Meatloaf.  He has an amazing voice.  I do not understand why the "guys" are freaked out with the images.  I feel they are intimidated with the lead characters choice of clothing.  Could they pull this look off? Rocky Horror is a very funny movie.

**I have to take a moment to thank Imran and his wife for the wonderful Butter Chicken.  It was the perfect dish while typing my Blog.**

My second movie I have recommended is "The Bird Cage". I have watched it multiple times.  Robin Williams and Gene Hackman are fanastic in this flick.  It is about a "new age" couple's son engaged to a young woman whose father is a politician.   The comedy acting is the best.  I sit and laugh throughout this movie.  This is a "must see" for the group.  I love the character playing the cook.  I am laughing now with the images of this movie dancing in my head.

The final movie I recommended is "To Wong Foo - Thank you Very Much Julie Newmar".  Patrick Swayzee and Wesley Snipes were great in this comedy/drama.  It is a funny story about 3 men dressed like ladies on their way to a parade.  I have not seen this movie in a long time.  When I was talking to the group of guys, they reminded me of these 3 movies.

Of course almost anything with Antonio Banderas is great.  The 2 Zorro movies come to mind.  He was the voice of Puss in Shrek.  I have always loved the old white and black movies.  They were simple.  One that comes to mind is "The Egg and I" starring Fred MacMurray.  Most of the movies with Doris Day and Ma and Pa Kettle were great to watch.  "House Boat" is a favorite with Sophia Loren as Cynthia (Chin-see-a is the pronunciation in Italian) and Cary Grant.

Another movie I recommend is "Jesus Christ Superstar".  Great movie with great music.  The Roman Catholic Church banned the movie and play in the 1970's.  Boston would not allow the play or movie to be shown.  It was an up-to-date interpretation of Jesus' life.

See what is happening...more movies are coming to mind.  "Grease" with John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John.  "Oklahoma" and "Showboat" were great musicals.

My last Training with the IPMs was yesterday.  It was 2 hours of answering questions, learning and laughing.
The top team was DOLLY DOLLY (that is how I spell it!).  This team consisted of Mahesh, Avinash, Moses, Mujahid K, Mujahid S, Vineet and Sonali.  In 2nd place was Invinicibles (this was a different team from the day before).  Juliaa, Rohan, Rahul, Dishank, Himanshu and Dhiraj eagerly answered questions and always wanted more points.  They even tried to convince me they should get a point when they did not answer the question correctly.  The last 2 teams tied for 3rd or Last place depending on how you look at it.  Warriors consisted of Vishal, Pankaj, Ritika, Ajit, Surabh, and Sagar.  Finally the team named Contenders (I originally heard Containers.  I thought it was a bit odd.) with Indira, Chandan, Suhel, Manish and Sujit.  This group was the loudest.  I hope they all learned at least 1 new thing about interfaces and troubleshooting.  I feel the game was a great success.  I had the best time posing questions and going into detail about situations.

Another observation of Mumbai...The city is NEVER quiet.  There is always different levels of noise.  There are always people and vehicles on the streets.  Even though everyone seems to be in a rush and no one will allow vehicles or people to merge in or cross in front, there seems to be respect.  The people know they have to wait or be hit.  The vehicles will honk the horns ALL THE TIME but slow down or swerve around or cut in front of you to keep moving forward.  The anger displayed in US for this actions is not seen here.  It is accepted.  Everyone does it so why get angry.

My living accommodations and thoughts

It is Tuesday afternoon in Mumbai.  The rooster is crowing at 3pm IST.  The sun is out and a light breeze is blowing.  I have been very fortunate to be in Mumbai in February.  The weather has been so perfect.  I have been told that in March through June or July it is the rainy season.  If you like mud and humidity, I was told you would love to be here during those months.  My experience in Mumbai is not about the weather.  It is about the people.  Everyone I have met during my stay has been great.  I will always have the best memories of everyone and great sights and the best food.

I have been living at a wonderful apartment - A504.  I finally have pictures to post of the place.  It is very spacious and perfect for 1 or 2 people.

When entering the apartment there are 2 doors.  The first is a metal ornate door which opens to a wooden door.  There are enough locks and a view hole. Safety is not an issue.

The hallway is dark, so the picture is from inside.

You walk into the living room and eating area.  The view from the living room is the Boomerang.  This is the building eClinicalWorks is located.  The living room has a large sofa and table.  There is a TV.  There are 2 ceiling fans and an air conditioner.  There are many switches on the wall.  There are many lights in this area.  It is very comfortable for relaxing.

3 views of the common living area.  Very spacious!

The first room on the left entering the hall is the kitchen which leads to the balcony/porch to the washing machine and clothes line for drying the clothes.  The kitchen comes with all the items required for cooking and eating.  There is a refrigerator as well.  There is a lot of cupboard space for storage.

2 views of the kitchen with the clothes hanging to dry on the balcony with the washer

Taking a left out of the kitchen then a right you come to the 1st bathroom (common area).  It has all of a sink, toilet and shower.

Main bathroom in the hallway

Taking a right into the hall then another right you are in the 2nd bedroom.  It has great closet space and a beautiful view of the front gate of the apartment complex.

The 2nd bedroom

View from the 2nd bedroom of the front gate

Leaving the 2nd bedroom walking a few steps straight ahead in the Master bedroom.  This is my room.  The bed is not made perfectly.  This is an issue from childhood - not making my bed.  It is a beautiful room with a view of the Boomerang.  There is ample closet space and the ceiling is nice.  There is a Master bathroom in this room.

The Master bedroom

The Master bathroom

This is the place I have been living for almost a month.  My time is almost up.  I am sad to leave, but I will be back to visit.  I want Manny to come and see Mumbai.  I know he would enjoy it here.  There are many similarities between the Indian and Filipino cultures.  

I love eating dinner on the Terrace at work.  Everyone comes together and shares the food.  There is a lot of laughter.  There is no talk of work at this time.  Of course, I have to watch the time because of calls.  I am so relaxed sitting with everyone.  We enjoy each others company.  In the US we bring food but rarely share.  It is not customary to do this.  When I was in Madrid, Spain, the people do the same thing.  There are many small dishes at the table and everyone shares.  It is a great way to build a bond with the people.

Note:  I want to go on 1 more auto rickshaw ride before I leave.

Many people would not talk to me at the beginning.  They were cautious.  I hope I have shown all of them I try to be me and nothing else.  I am not perfect, but I love to learn new things, experience life to its fullest and laugh.  I have not laughed so much as I have this past month.

Kavita, Shubro, Franky and Sharmeen are the best Interface Trainers.  I have listened to them training.  Shubro and I were on a call together.  He loves to learn new things about the product.  I have enjoyed working with them.  I know who I will be going to when I have questions about interfaces.

Yesterday was the second round of training with the Integration Project Managers.  This group was very quiet compared to the first group.  I hope they did learn.  I learned new things during this time.  The Invincible team (Manoj, Shibin, Vikas and Maya) came in 1st place.  Congrats to you.  Vance, Soheil, Prapti and Sahil were Sparta which came in 2nd place. The 3 Musketeers (which went to 2 when Ankit had to leave early) had Ankit, Pradnya and Dhanraj and was 3rd place.  Last but not least was Rangers with Rohan, Namrata and Punit.  I had a great time being the host of the game.

Today is the last training.  I believe this group will be the loudest.  More to come tomorrow.

A Car with flames and 200 Rupees less

The crazy rooster is crowing and it is 4pm IST.  Why does the rooster crow now?  Yes - it is time for the next shift to get up and ready.  I will be picked up within the next 2 hours to go to work.  This is my last week in Mumbai.  I have enjoyed everything about my stay.  WAIT!  I am not going there yet.

Back to the daily weather report.

As Massachusetts is getting ready for the next snow storm, Mumbai is a perfect 80 degrees F with a light breeze.  The sun and clouds are in the sky.  The birds are flying lazily in the sky searching for the next food source.  I hear the horns but not the crows.  The crows are quiet at this time.  Are they finally going to be quiet?  Really!

Yesterday afternoon Rohit with his mother and sister, Rachna, picked me up to meet up with Shanawaz, Sana and Yaamin at the Bandra Bandstand and Bandra Fort. While Rohit was driving to Bandra Bandstand he called Shanawaz 3 times to ask where he was.  If this was not enough (BUS-KAR), he stopped and asked directions 5 TIMES to 5 different people on the street.  The people would tell him to continuing STRAIGHT (SID - HE).  His next question to everyone was RIGHT or LEFT.  What!  Really!  The people would say STRAIGHT (SID - HE).  You know there is a GPS built into the cell or mobile phones. Also, Rachna was telling him the same thing in the backseat, but Rohit would not listen to his own sister.  He has to learn women know many things.   I know the area we were in because I had been there on Saturday with Khatija.  I told him he took a wrong turn and was heading to Mount St. Mary's Basilica.  So - the U-turn in the middle of the street and down we went.  Finally, we made it to the Bandstand and Fort and found Shanawaz and his family.  When is Straight not Straight?  When you are giving directions to Rohit!

When you read Bandstand what do you think of?  American Bandstand with Dick Clark for the people born in the early 1970's and earlier (Google it everyone else) or a raised structure in the middle of a grassy area where a band plays.  The Bandra Bandstand is neither.of these.  Bandra Fort was built in the 1500's by the Portuguese explorers. The Bandra Bandstand came later.  It is now located in one of the most affluent areas of Mumbai.  There is a beautiful garden area with trees,  bushes and flowers.  There are benches which are occupied by couples holding each other. It is wonderful to see so many people "in love". There is a grassy area with families standing and sitting.  The young children are playing and running in this area.  The pier extends out to the Arabian Sea.  There is a beachfront and jagged rocks.  We climbed the staircase to get a better view of the Arabian Sea..  By this time Shahbaaz appeared.  He is such a sweet young man.  (Sorry I teased him so much last night.  I am becoming the techs.)  The stairs were not of equal height, so Shahbaaz and Shanawaz assisted me.  When we were at the top I turned and saw the beautiful Arabian Sea all the way to the horizon.  The sea shimmered blue with the rays of sun dancing on the surface.  The light waves were pushing towards the pier and beach.  The waves were gently slapping the sand and rocks.  There was a light breeze blowing.  The gate to the garden area was locked at the top of the steps, so we headed down.  Again Shahbaaz was there for me.  There were people sitting on the walls on either side of the stairs.  They were reading, talking or admiring the beautiful view of the sea and how endless and peaceful it looked.

When we made it to the bottom (were we started) there was a man selling spicy cornflakes with sweet onions, lemon juice and a sauce squirted on it.  It was delicious.  I have to ask the name of the snack. Unique combination to have corn flakes and spice.  The man had small pieces of paper which he quickly made into a cone and put the mixture into it.  I was amazed at the sight.  The spice of the corn flake with the sweetness of the onion was a perfect combination.  One observation about eating style in Mumbai.  Everyone eats so fast.  I am halfway through my meal and most everyone is done.  I hope the people feel I do not like the food.  I have learned to eat slowly to enjoy the food and company.

We headed back to Rohit's and Shanawaz's cars.  Shanawaz took the lead.  Rohit came up to the side of Shanawaz's car and to my surprise I see detailing on the side of his car.  Shanawaz!  Wow!  I am learning more and more about this man.  The detailing was flames.  They were on either side of the car.  It is a family car with the notion of being a "hot rod".  He told me that it came with the car when he bought it.  We were heading towards the Gateway of India.  It was about 1 hour from Bandra. So off we went.  Rohit had lost Shanawaz a couple times, so what happened next.  Rohit stopped and asked for directions.  Guess what the word was - Straight.  And his response Right or Left.  He stopped only twice.  We caught up to Shanawaz's blue car with flames on the side.  (Still makes me laugh!)

We were at a traffic light waiting to take a left.  All of a sudden, the police flags Shanawaz over to the side.  Oh my goodness!  What is happening?  Rohit pulls into a parking lot down the street.  We were waiting.  I told Rohit not to call.  It took a little while .  Why Shanawaz and not anyone else taking same left.  I had asked him what the offense was.  He was told by the police office that he took a left turn from the wrong lane.  I am thinking - "What lanes?".  There were many vehicles doing the same thing, but Shanawaz with his rebel flame decals on the side of the car was pulled over.  He had to either surrender his license or pay the officer 100 Rupees.  100 Rupees less in the wallet and off we are again to the Gateway of India.

We are waiting to enter through the metal detector and Yaamin (15 months old) finally allowed me to hold him.  He is the sweetest little boy.  He loves cars and anything that moves.  He is so inquisitive.  He wants to see the entire world around him.  He was playing Peek-a-Boo with me.  He is Papa's little boy.  He loves being with his Papa.  It is so wonderful the bond between Shanawaz and Yaamin.  Shanawaz shows his love for his son and wife, Sana, to everyone who takes time to notice it.  I told Sana that children see their Mothers as the strict one and Fathers as the fun one.  Fathers come home after work and play with the children while Mothers have keep the house and children.

The Gateway of India is a beautiful structure on the Arabian Sea.  It was not completely lit up but it was still amazing.  The British built this structure.  All of us went on a ferry ride around the Arabian Sea.  We had to go down even steps to get on the boat.  At that point I had to get on the boat which was fine.  I had to walk a narrow passage to get to the front of the ferry.  Let me point out my right ankle is fused, so I have no range of motion to easily climb or walk on uneven surfaces.  I had to take my pant leg and lift it up the little wall to get to the front of the ferry and sit down.  I am extremely stubborn and prideful.  I was told by the ferry crew that I had to go to the front.  I took a moment and surveyed the options.  Lifting my foot/leg with my left hand to get over the little wall was the best option.  I hate (truly hate) causing anyone else not to do something because of the my limitation.  We are sitting on the ferry and it takes us out in the Arabian Sea. The cool night air is lightly blowing around us.  The lights of Mumbai are all around us.  It was so peaceful.    The music was playing and Yaamin was dancing.  It is wonderful that the young will dance with their hearts.  The older dance using their minds and are aware of everyone around them.  The latter is me.

Now the ferry is docked and it is time for all of us to get off.  I had not thought that far ahead and now it was time.  The ferry is next to the steps we had get off.  Everyone is jumping from the ferry onto the steps.  Now the wooden benches on the ferry were knee high.  I had to lift my right foot with my hand again to get to stand on the wooden benches.  The next thing was to bend or duck not to hit your head to get to the step.  I had the plan for the bench, but did not have a plan for exiting the ferry gracefully.  I get very frustrated with myself when I cannot figure the next step.  I always try to think ahead and know the plan before I get there.  I had no confidence in myself to take the step from the bench to the steps which was slightly higher than knee high.  After the first try I told everyone to wait and I had to think.  A few seconds later Shanawaz is extending his hand to me with Yaamin in his other arm.  I cannot remember if it was Sana or Shanawaz but I grabbed a hand and I was off the ferry.  Just 1 bruise.  I admit now I was embarrassed because I had to ask for assistance.

We walked to the Gateway to look at it close up.  There were statues of 2 prominent men.  I cannot remember their names.  After this we starting heading back to the entrance.  Rohit and Shsnawaz went to get the cars.  Sana and I had a chance to talk.  Shanawaz is a lucky man to have a wonderful woman.  She is a great person.  At this point Rohit and his family were heading home, so I gave a hug to Rohit's Mom and off they went.  I went with Shahbaaz in Shanawaz's flame car.

We went to eat at a really nice restaurant.  Shanawaz ordered the food.  There was a lamb sausage which was delicious.  Chicken dishes and a sizzler plate.  To me Sizzler brings me back to my childhood (again).  It was a very inexpensive steak restaurant.  It no longer is in business. The waiter brings a sizzling plate and serves all of us. Now I have eaten a Sizzler.  Thank you Shanawaz and Shahbaaz.  We had Roti and chicken biryani as well.  Oh - there was another chicken dish with sauce.  Little Yaamin is getting restless at this point.  He is a strong-willed person.  Shanawaz was able to complete his dinner and he took Yaamin so Sana could finish hers.  I remember those days with the children and working as a team to accomplish a family dinner.  They work great as a team.

Shahbaaz took a cab back to his family's home, so the 4 of us are off in the blue car with flame detailing on the sides.

Shanawaz was driving and all of a sudden the traffic came to a stop.  This is nothing new for Mumbai.  This was a police check point.  Guess who got pulled over - Yes Shanawaz.  Really twice in 4 hours.  He was not speeding and there was not left turns to be in the wrong lane.  He had to get out of the car.  Yaamin was sleeping on Sana's lap (there is no such thing as child car seats in India) and I am in the backseat.  The police officer and Shanawaz are standing in the front of the car and the police office points at something.  They begin to walk around the car.  Sana and I are talking in the car while this is going on.  It was taking a long time, but Shanawaz comes back to the car with flames 100 Rupees less in his wallet.  There is a number missing on the license plate.  He knew this but did not realize it was a police offense.  Now we all know!  What is the lesson here everyone?  Make sure your license plate is perfect or you will have 100 less Rupees in your wallet.

Let us take a moment and figure this out...For him to take his family out with me it has cost him 200 Rupees in traffic fines.  The first one with to the office the second one he got a receipt.  You need to have a lot of Rupees in your wallet when driving through Mumbai.  Always be prepared.

Sana and I were teasing Shanawaz that his face must not be so innocent.  I believe it was the flames on the sides of the car.  Does Shanawaz really have a criminal face?  Women can cry and flash their eyes at an office (at least in the US), but men have no recourse.  As we are driving towards my apartment, there was another Police checkpoint.  Guess who got stopped again.  Yes!  Shanawaz.  Really did he have a sign on his car telling the police to pull me over.  He rolled his window down.  The police office asked him his name. He said "Shanawaz, sir." and the office said ok.  That was close.  We were allowed to go on.
I always thought the soft-spoken easy-going Shanawaz had an innocent face.  Last night, I found the Mumbai police did not agree with me.

We made it back to my apartment without any other interactions with the Mumbai police force.  The afternoon and night were a great adventure.  I want to thank Rohit and his family, Shanawaz and his family and Shahbaaz for taking their Sunday and making my last Sunday in Mumbai a great one.

Food and Friends - A great time

It is Sunday afternoon in Mumbai.  The sun is out with the crows and pigeons flying in the sky.  I saw a yellow butterfly outside the living room window this morning.  With the birds flying around the butterfly is taking chances flying around here.  I have the ceiling fans running because it is so beautiful outside.  The temperature and humidity is comfortable.

I wrote about the dinner with the techs on Satruday.  I had forgotten to descibe the food I had tried.  We started with Masala Papad.  This was great.  I believe it was a fried flat Roti or some type of bread with chopped tomatoes, purple onions and cilantro.  For those who know me, yes I ate raw tomatoes.  I would eat this again in this dish.  They did not taste like tomatoes.  The Chicken Soup came.  The broth is brown instead of clear.  The waiter brought crispy noodles to add to the broth.  It was hot and delicious.  The brown broth is thicker than the clear broth variety.  The flavor of the salt and chicken with the crispy noodles was great.  As we finished the soup the Chicken Crispy was brought to the table.  I love this dish. It is boneless chicken that is crispy.  Not like fried chicken.  It is just CRISPY.  Fresh Roti was delivered to the table.  Murg Musallam is a chicken dish with bones dish in a gravy (sauce).  This was good.  The sauce was great.  The chicken was very good as well.   The food was even better because of the people around the table.

Yesterday I went out with Khatija, her daughters - Kaytan and Afreen, and cousin, Kamin.  They brought me to Mount St. Mary's Basilica in Bandra.  It is a beautiful church.  This parish began in 1573.  The church was rebuilt 3 times.  It is high atop the city of Mumbai.  Across the street is a stairway people climb to the top to view the statue of St. Mary.  When you walk into a new church you make a wish.  I made my wish and prayed.  We walked around the Basilica.  There was a Priest hearing Confessions.  The Confessional is open to everyone.  It is not a room like the one in St. Luke's Catholic Church.  Everyone can see you.  There is a screen between the Priest and the person confessing his/her sins.  The paintings on the walls are scenes from the Bible.  The people were walking up the Pulpit and touching the foot of Christ on the Cross.  It was an wonderful experience.

http://mountmarybasilicabandra.in/architecture

We went a few places in Bandra and I bought some gifts for friends and family.  We headed to the Oberoi Mall.  The girls and I were hungry.  On the 3 Floor of the mall was the Food Court.  There were so many restaurants to checkout.  There was Taco Bell and a place selling Gelato.  Khatija bought Butter Chicken, Poori, Roti, some chicken with bones and many other items to eat.  We had a great time talking and eating.  Kaytan kept telling me to try different foods, but she would not try it herself.  How do you think that makes me feel?  Afreen eats almost everything.  After eating off we went to shop.  Kamin is a taylor by trade, so he knows quality.  As we were going to walk into the department store, there was  Toy Store to the right of us.  Afreen and I wanted to go the toy store first.  I kept asking Khatija "Can we go, can we go to the toy store?".  We went to the toy store.  Age has its privileges.

The toy store is not like the Toys R Us in the US.  It has a limited variety of toys.  If the children want to play on the equipment in the store, the parents have to pay for the time.  I have never heard of paying to play in a toy store.  With nothing exciting to buy it this store, we left for the department store. Decisions were made and items were put into the shopping bag.  The girls were looking at jewelry and clothes for their mother.  The store was getting ready to close, so we had to find the Cash Counter.  This process takes a little while because every item has an electronic tag that has to be removed.  I have found there is very little trust when entering stores. They assume everyone is going to steal.  The lights were being turned off throughout the store and the air conditioning was off.  It was becoming darker and darker and hotter and hotter and we were still in line to check out.  Finally the transaction was completed, money taken and off we went to leave the store.  Before leaving the store, there is a security guard that checks the receipt to the items purchased.  We made through checkpoint and headed to the basement to get to the car.

I had a wonderful night with Khatija, the girls and Kamin.  I am so blessed to finally meet Khatija and her family.  I have talked to her for years at eCW.  I have watched her girls grow.  The girls are typical sisters.  They fight and argue, but they love each other.  Khatija is a wonderful Mom.  I had a great time.  Thank you so much.

Now I am going off with Rohit and others to see more of Mumbai.  This is my last weekend here.  Tomorrow is another round of IPM trainings.