life changes....

there seems to be something in the air.. all of my friends seem to be going through some major life changes these days. my close friends in the US are dealing with lots of changes, good and bad, my lovely T in Paris is going through a rough spell. And the most close to home now is that two of my closest friends in India most likely will not be here 6 months from now. I know I shouldn't think about that now, so far in advance, but I can't help it. I can't imagine life here without them. But I guess I had a friend like that here before and I couldn't imagine life without her when she left, but somehow I've managed to keep on going here for 3+ years since and we've managed to stay close even with the distance. And I made other new friends in the meantime. but still... for the last 3 years most of my fun nights, great talks, camaraderie, etc have included either S or H.

I guess this means i will have to get out and about again and make new friends... but I'm so over that! That is one of the hardest things about living abroad is constantly feeling the need to make new friends! And when so many of them just come for short spells, its difficult to really open up fully and get close.

I guess I am just feeling sad, but i know that things happen for a reason and that it always works out best in the end. And I know that with whatever happens in my friends lives, my memories of India will always be mostly centered around V, S and H - well and of course folo. Now we just have to make sure that we spend the next few months living it up as best we all can!

busy doing nothing

For some reason I feel like I've been busy - but doing what I don't know! I have been researching about my upcoming trip to Russia, looking for an apartment, looking for a holiday apartment for Berlin this summer, reading on the summer rickshaw run, etc.

I'm perfectly happy doing all this - but then sometimes I feel like perhaps I should get out of the house and socialize a bit! But the problem is that I don't really want to - there are so few people here in Mumbai at the moment that I want to get out and socialize with. What happened to the social butterfly in me?

I also don't feel like taking photos at all anymore. Not sure if I am just bored with the Mumbai surroundings or if I'm just lazy. but i'm trying to find new places to visit and some reason to visit them so I can take photos.. just doesn't quite happen.

And.. those Japan photos... grr. still need to get through them, but it's so overwhelming. But I have to do it before my russia trip or else i'll be in big trouble with two trips of photos to go through!

The only other news here.. My friend Stacie will be moving in with us when she comes back from the States in July. it should be fun - although I am not sure how much time we'll actually overlap at the house since we both have too much travel coming up.

And the rickshaw run... gotta start thinking about that. we have our justgiving site up, but haven't sent it around yet. anyone want to be the first to donate??! www.justgiving.com/karmakab

guess thats it for now.. back to researching my adventures

pet peeves

I've been in India long enough now that I should really be used to how things are done here. But occasionally you have one of those days where things just really get on your nerves! I had one of those days the other day. I went to Chroma (kind of like our version of Best Buy - but no where as good!) to pick up some rechargeable batteries. I was fine just looking at all the options on offer when a sales assistant asked if he could help me. I said "Yes - can you tell me the difference in these batteries?" He just looked at me blankly and then walked off to get someone else to help me. So I went ahead and started reading the backs and trying to figure it out on my own.

Second sales assistant comes up and asks "Can I help you?" I wanted to say "I don't know CAN YOU?!" but I resisted the urge and just repeated my question. He said "the one in your hand is the best" Ok.. so can you tell me why? Do more customers buy this one? Have you tried any of these or received feedback on them? Etc. Of course he had no response to any of my questions, so I just went ahead and got the one that I thought would be best.

Then I get to the register and I see another charger just the same as mine but a bit bigger and much cheaper. So I make the mistake of asking the cashier if he knows the difference and why that other one is cheaper. He hasn't the slightest clue, but asks the guy next to him. This guy also has no clue but decides he wants to look smart so he reads the back - until I explain that I can read English and have already done that! Then he tells me that the cheaper one also charges 9 volt batteries.. Ok.. so it does more and is cheaper?!? That doesn't make sense. Then he goes off to get another sales person (probably the same incompetent one who tried to help earlier). By the time he comes back I have read further on the back and found that one charges in 8 hrs while the cheaper one charges in 16 hrs. Ok. decision made. Thanks.

But what gets me is why do they even ask if they can help you if they know full well that they really can't help you!??!?! Mumbai really seems to just hire just about anyone who 'looks' the part - rather than train them and make sure they know something about what they are selling!! Very annoying. And you know that these guys who work in these places for the most part couldn't even dream of buying most of the products on offer, so of course they have no real experience with them. Just very annoying this day for some reason!

loving it...

i'm loving these pre-monsoon thunderstorms and showers. today it rained in the middle of the day for about 4 minutes - but it was wonderful watching the rain sweep over Bandra starting with Mt Mary. I could see it coming.. Paul didn't believe me - I said it'll be here in less than a minute and it was!

Then the sun came out and gave some beautiful skies. And now it's raining again and thundering. I have the windows open, listening to the kids downstairs scream everytime it thunders. I really do love it. I talk about monsoon all year long, but then as it's approaching I wonder why I like it... this is what I like. The pre-monsoon showers, the excitment, the cooldown. I don't so much like the middle of monsoon when your clothes won't dry for days on end, and nothing you own smells clean! But i've got a while before then, so I'm enjoy it for now!

monsoon!

You forget living in Mumbai that weather changes on a daily basis in many parts of the world. Here we only get weather changes a few times a year and it's always so exciting and dramatic! Tonight I am sitting with all the windows open (which I've not done much since coming back from Japan as it's too hot!) letting the wind whip through the apartment, watching the lightening and listening for the thunder. And whoooho! it's started to rain! It's seriously one of the most exciting days in India - the arrival of the monsoon! You can hear people cheering and screaming with delight outside even though it's after 9 pm.

Today felt a bit different. We no longer had the big blue skies with white fluffy clouds - instead it was replaced with a very heavy feeling and very little sun. I went out for a bit this afternoon and took my umbrella as I just felt that it was coming soon.

Not sure that this is really the true beginning of monsoon. We often get a few false starts before it really starts in it's 3 month long deluge, but it'll be nice for as long as it lasts before the heat swells again and we anxiously await another downpour!