memorial

Yesterday I had to go to town to run some errands, so I paid a visit to the Taj for the first time since the attacks. It is still completely cordoned off, but there are tons of people milling about trying to see any damage.. just as we were. One new addition is the security checkpoint to walk through towards the gateway of India. Of course we walked through with big shopping bags and the machine beeped like crazy, but the police officer didn't even look twice at us! Perhaps b/c we are white?

We also paid a visit to Indigo Deli..where we were searched regardless of being white. Good that they are trying.

We also attended a memorial service for the 6 Americans who were killed in the attacks. It was really nice of the US consulate to set it up and it was nice to attend and show our support. I was a bit sad though that not many people turned up for it.

After the memorial service we decided to pay a visit to Leopolds - another site of the attacks. It was packed as usual and everyone seemed cheery. It was sad to see the bullet holes in the mirrors and walls. But i think it's good that it's still there.. it serves as a constant reminder to the lives that were lost. At one point, a balloon popped and it caused a little tingle through me. People shouldn't be allowed balloons in former terrorist attack sites!

It was sort of an emotional day, but also good to see that life in Colaba is back to normal now. People are drawn to it even more I think.

Oh.. and when we were in Pune last weekend, we were driving in our rental car to get some coffee down the street when we heard a loud bang. It scared the daylights out of us! Turns out.. it was someone throwing a rock at our car. It caused a huge dent in the side. We were a bit freaked out thinking they were aiming it at us because we were foreigners, but the locals said it was just a crazy man. but that was a bit freaky as well. Even though we haven't felt too affected by the attacks, it seems that some fear does reside down inside even if we aren't aware of it.

blood and gore in the new hood

Tuesday was Bakri Id. I usually don't notice Id too much except that I see all of the goats being carted in the rickshaws to their temporary home before being sacrificed. But this year with our new apartment I overlook what is aparently a muslim area. So as the days lead up to Id, i saw the number of goats on the roof opposite mine increase. I was having a hard time dealing with them up there to be honest. I kept worrying about them falling off or getting caught up in the rope they were tied up with. And they were also not happy.. they were bleating and moaning for the first day. :(

Then came Id... I was so scared they might slaughter them on the roof where I could see/hear/smell everything. Thankfully they did not. However I did watch them slowly disappear one by one and a few times I could hear the ferocious scream as they were being killed. Oh so sad!

And lucky for me, I had to go to town for a meeting. Urgh.. I wish i didn't go out. The roads had puddles of blood draining down them - all over the place! And as I got closer to Central Mumbai i could see the blood spots out in front of apartment buildings where they must have done the sacrifice. And seeing all the men walking around in their white kurta's splattered with blood. Oh you can tell it was not my favorite day in the neighborhood! haha.

To top the day off, on my way home from town I saw a dead cow's head sticking out of a dumpster with it's legs hanging out of a second dump. YUCK! not sure what happened there. but i guess they couldn't really leave a huge dead cow lying on the roadside. I had just never thought about what they do with them!

And last night... i heard a big crash and ran out on the balcony to see what was going on. By the time I got there ( 10 seconds maximum!) there was already a crowd of at least 100 milling about. They were screaming, yelling, pulling people aside, etc. I still have no real clue what happened. I think perhaps a bicycle, motorcycle and a rickshaw were involved. And I know that two limp bloody bodies were put in separate rickshaws to be taken to the hospital. I can still see the blood stains on the road. But this is Mumbai.. you are never alone and there will be hundreds there to help within seconds! It's really amazing to be honest.

So it seems that our new neighborhood has much more to offer than our past one where all we saw was the rich and famous honk their way into Olive!

quiet day in the neighborhood

Last night I went with my friends to a party in Colaba, a few streets from the Taj. As soon as we got off the main road on the sea right before the Oberoi/Trident, the roads were absolutely empty. Friday night in Mumbai and the roads are dead quiet. It was crazy to see. Even though it feels that Bandra is pretty much back to normal, I guess life really isn't back to normal. I haven't been out of the house or the neighborhood much at all for the last week due to the move and dealing with issues/workers/etc at the new apartment.

It was really eerie down there though with it so quiet. All of the roads around the Taj are still blocked and closed, the Oberoi was all dark and people were no where to be seen. The party itself was even this way.. very subdued. People were leaving and heading home by 11 pm. Most parties in Mumbai don't even kick off until then! On the way home, the roads were busier - only because the celebrations/mourning for Dr. Ambedkar had begun. People were lined up for kilometers near Shivaji park to pay their respects to Dr. Ambedkar.

Besides that though, no one was out. The normally bustling and busy Bandra was quiet and empty. It could be still from last week's attacks or the many warnings being put out about attacks this weekend. Today, Dec 6th is the anniversary of the destruction of a muslim temple in North India, so it is always a tense day and it also is the birthday of Dr. Ambedkar.

We are out and about today trying to buy a few items for our new flat.. dining table, sheets, rugs, etc. we'll see how it goes.