Well it is 230am IST and I cannot sleep. So today,Sophia, it is dark outside. I will update you later concerning the forecast for the day.
It was a great day with Ashish, Rohit, Mukul, Vijeta, Amit, Shahbaaz and Prashant. We started at my apartment (except Prashant - we met him at the festival). We left for the Kala Ghoda Festival (Black Horse). This is an art festival using reusable trash as the centerpieces of the festival. I am getting ahead of myself...
It took over an hour to get to the other side of Mumbai. As Rohit was driving - I was praying. A LOT! not because his driving is bad it is everyone's driving is crazy. Anything that moves including people are on the roads. Instead of following lines and traffic lights, everyone honks, brakes and I pray. There are 3 lanes clearly UNMARKED (remember they drive on the other side of the road). Magically there are 4 or 5 lanes of vehicles trying to get to the front of the line. The lines of vehicles are not straight. They are jagged. If there are MARKED lanes, vehicles like to drive in 2 lanes instead of staying in the marked lane. This causes more honking. Then the big sign that reads - PLEASE NO HONKING - STOP NOISE POLLUTION! Can you believe it?
There are big red buses that do not know how to use blinkers and do not care if there is any other vehicle around it. They QUACK and all other vehicles and people get out of the way. Yes - I wrote QUACK. The bus is coming up on your car and the bus driver presses on the horn which sounds like a duck quacking. You know a duck's quack does not echo. This is the same for the bus horns. All the other vehicles' horns echo. The bus will stop momentarily to let people on and off in the middle of the road with other vehicles moving towards them. The passengers just put their hands out to stop the other vehicles.
We get to the the Kala Ghoda Festival. Mukul, Shahbaaz and I get out of the car to meet Prashant who has been waiting for us. Rohit and Amit went to park their cars. There were Art Vendors along the sidewalk to the Art Museum. Guess what I saw! Just Guess! If you know me, I saw elephant art everywhere. The first vendor wanted too much money, so I walked away. The second vendor was more reasonable in price, so Mukul bought me 3 pieces of art from him. 2 were elephants painted on a leaf and 1 of a beautiful sunset. (See below) It was so unique. I could have bought elephants scarves, stamps, tableclothes, skirts...anything, but I stopped. Yes Zareen I did.
We met up with Prashant and went into the Art Museum. There was the Picasso type art which I don't understand, so we rushed through it. The art that resembled Monet was beautiful. I would love to have a few pieces for my home. We finally get the call from Ashish telling us to go to the Main Gate to get inside.
Here is a unique detail. There is an entrance with metal detectors for Females and another for Males. Mukul and Prashant did not want to leave me alone in the Female line. Women were asking them if they were women. I told them I will be fine and I will meet them inside the gate. The women's line was very quick. I was waiting for the guys when Ashish, Amit, Rohit and Vijeta came from the other side to meet us. Now we are all in the festival.
There were people everywhere. I mean I could not move with bumping into a person. You have to comfortable with no personal space. There were vendors selling their crafts. It was expensive, but I did find one item and purchased it. I held onto Ashish's arm. Thank you Ashish for guiding me through the "sea of humanity". There were unique art made of discarded items (trash). Amazing what can be done with trash to make it beautiful art.
We went to Nariman Point and the Queen's Necklace at the Arabian Sea. It was beautiful. The night was great.
Rohit, Ashish, Prashant, Mukul and I in Rohit's car. The fun begins again with driving back to the Boomerang. Rohit is driving and I am posting on Facebook about praying. We drop Prashant off to go home. Rohit had to go home, so Ashish, Mukul and I went to eat at Banjarar Restaurant near the Boomerang. It was delicious. I was freezing because we sat across from the air conditioning. Again, they would not let me pay for the meal. Thank you Ashish and Mukul.
They escorted me to my apartment and left for the night. Neither of them had slept for more than one day. Ashish did made a wonderful comment about he never thought that he would be walking with me in the streets of Mumbai.
I had to begin my laundry. The first load took almost 2 hours to complete. I do not understand. There is no dryer in the apartment so my clothes are hanging all over with the ceiling fans on to dry them. I started a second load and went to sleep.
It is 8am IST. I am ready for the day, but very tired. Rohit and I will be going to Catholic Mass at 915am IST. We will go grocery shopping. I am ready for Family Day. I have my Indian Tradition outfit on . My jeans are not dry yet. I have the ceiling fans on full.
Sophia - I am happy to report today is a beautiful and sunny day with light wind blowing.
I am trying to upload my pictures from the day from my camera. It will take a little while, but I will add them to the blog soon.
It was a great day with Ashish, Rohit, Mukul, Vijeta, Amit, Shahbaaz and Prashant. We started at my apartment (except Prashant - we met him at the festival). We left for the Kala Ghoda Festival (Black Horse). This is an art festival using reusable trash as the centerpieces of the festival. I am getting ahead of myself...
It took over an hour to get to the other side of Mumbai. As Rohit was driving - I was praying. A LOT! not because his driving is bad it is everyone's driving is crazy. Anything that moves including people are on the roads. Instead of following lines and traffic lights, everyone honks, brakes and I pray. There are 3 lanes clearly UNMARKED (remember they drive on the other side of the road). Magically there are 4 or 5 lanes of vehicles trying to get to the front of the line. The lines of vehicles are not straight. They are jagged. If there are MARKED lanes, vehicles like to drive in 2 lanes instead of staying in the marked lane. This causes more honking. Then the big sign that reads - PLEASE NO HONKING - STOP NOISE POLLUTION! Can you believe it?
There are big red buses that do not know how to use blinkers and do not care if there is any other vehicle around it. They QUACK and all other vehicles and people get out of the way. Yes - I wrote QUACK. The bus is coming up on your car and the bus driver presses on the horn which sounds like a duck quacking. You know a duck's quack does not echo. This is the same for the bus horns. All the other vehicles' horns echo. The bus will stop momentarily to let people on and off in the middle of the road with other vehicles moving towards them. The passengers just put their hands out to stop the other vehicles.
We get to the the Kala Ghoda Festival. Mukul, Shahbaaz and I get out of the car to meet Prashant who has been waiting for us. Rohit and Amit went to park their cars. There were Art Vendors along the sidewalk to the Art Museum. Guess what I saw! Just Guess! If you know me, I saw elephant art everywhere. The first vendor wanted too much money, so I walked away. The second vendor was more reasonable in price, so Mukul bought me 3 pieces of art from him. 2 were elephants painted on a leaf and 1 of a beautiful sunset. (See below) It was so unique. I could have bought elephants scarves, stamps, tableclothes, skirts...anything, but I stopped. Yes Zareen I did.
 |
| 2 more elephants added to my herd |
We met up with Prashant and went into the Art Museum. There was the Picasso type art which I don't understand, so we rushed through it. The art that resembled Monet was beautiful. I would love to have a few pieces for my home. We finally get the call from Ashish telling us to go to the Main Gate to get inside.
Here is a unique detail. There is an entrance with metal detectors for Females and another for Males. Mukul and Prashant did not want to leave me alone in the Female line. Women were asking them if they were women. I told them I will be fine and I will meet them inside the gate. The women's line was very quick. I was waiting for the guys when Ashish, Amit, Rohit and Vijeta came from the other side to meet us. Now we are all in the festival.
There were people everywhere. I mean I could not move with bumping into a person. You have to comfortable with no personal space. There were vendors selling their crafts. It was expensive, but I did find one item and purchased it. I held onto Ashish's arm. Thank you Ashish for guiding me through the "sea of humanity". There were unique art made of discarded items (trash). Amazing what can be done with trash to make it beautiful art.
We went to Nariman Point and the Queen's Necklace at the Arabian Sea. It was beautiful. The night was great.
Rohit, Ashish, Prashant, Mukul and I in Rohit's car. The fun begins again with driving back to the Boomerang. Rohit is driving and I am posting on Facebook about praying. We drop Prashant off to go home. Rohit had to go home, so Ashish, Mukul and I went to eat at Banjarar Restaurant near the Boomerang. It was delicious. I was freezing because we sat across from the air conditioning. Again, they would not let me pay for the meal. Thank you Ashish and Mukul.
They escorted me to my apartment and left for the night. Neither of them had slept for more than one day. Ashish did made a wonderful comment about he never thought that he would be walking with me in the streets of Mumbai.
I had to begin my laundry. The first load took almost 2 hours to complete. I do not understand. There is no dryer in the apartment so my clothes are hanging all over with the ceiling fans on to dry them. I started a second load and went to sleep.
It is 8am IST. I am ready for the day, but very tired. Rohit and I will be going to Catholic Mass at 915am IST. We will go grocery shopping. I am ready for Family Day. I have my Indian Tradition outfit on . My jeans are not dry yet. I have the ceiling fans on full.
Sophia - I am happy to report today is a beautiful and sunny day with light wind blowing.
I am trying to upload my pictures from the day from my camera. It will take a little while, but I will add them to the blog soon.
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