Work in the Time of Monsoon

Work in the time of monsoon: it doesn't happen. At least not for me! We have had continuous rains since last Thursday, and luckily yesterday there was a pause in the downpour that was long enough for me to finish my shopping and other errands. I was also able to focus a little bit on work and not worry so much about whether the trains were operating or whether they had been stopped because water had flooded the tracks…or when the electricity was going to go out again…or whether I would have to wade through at least half of a foot of water again to get to work. Aaah, if only I could adequately convey the pleasures of being drenched to my very bones. I can't remember the last time I was completely dry. On Sunday I went to a restaurant and I was half afraid that they would throw me out because I left a puddle of water around my chair. (They didn't, probably because they were having too much fun laughing at me and my "funny" accent. Someone asked me: "Madam, which village are you from?" implying that I was from a region so backwards that I couldn't even speak Hindi with the proper accent.) I have been at a basal level of dampness for so long that when the rain stopped today I wanted to dance to celebrate finally being dry.

Work at the NIRRH is pretty much the same, rather bland. So I've adopted a fully hedonistic philosophy and have decided to do things that will not only make me happy but enable me to fully understand Mumbai culture. All of you know me well enough (and have read enough of my emails from my year of travel) to know that for me, understanding a culture occurs mostly through my stomach.

Let's start with Bollywood so it doesn't seem as though I'm eating my way through Mumbai. I saw THE best Bollywood movie last Saturday. Very cute, called "Jaane tu…ya Jaane na" (literally, Either you know or you don't). I highly recommend it and will try to get my hands on a (pirated) copy to bring home. It has been the talk of the town since its release three weeks ago and was instantly a huge hit and propelled its cast into eternal fame.

Does paan have any nutritional value? Since I've been eating paan quite frequently, I've decided that the leaf in which all the sweet cocunut and other dried fruits is wrapped in has some nutritional value just because it happens to be green and a leaf. I must justify my addiction somehow! I've also decided to eat off every street cart I come to because they are just so good!!! I've had the best lassi from this tiny shop. I ate an entire pomegranate on the street and didn't even mind the funny looks I was getting. I found this great tea place. These two guys have just set up shop on the sidewalk, and they have a cart from which they sell freshly made ginger flavored chai, and my goodness, that is the best cup of tea I've ever had. I have indulged a little too often in what is fondly known as "the poor man's lunch": vada pav because it's so filling and so cheap (about 8 cents). It consists of potatoes mashed with spices, covered in dough, then fried and stuffed into a bun (pav) that is lathered in spicy sauces. I've had all sorts of snacks from the sidewalk, ranging from caramel and honey covered peanuts to bhel puri, this conglomeration of dried rice and fried bits of bread, onions, and chutney, to freshly made sugar cane juice. The food here is so so good, and people love to eat, which makes me very happy because that is exactly my attitude.

On a serious note, this past weekend in Mumbai was a bit tense. After the multiple bombings in Bangalore and Ahmedabad, all of India was on alert for terrorist attacks, and although thank God nothing has happened in Mumbai, I was a little bit worried this weekend. More people have died in terrorist attacks in India since 2004 than anywhere else in the world except for Iraq, which should give you an idea of how dire the situation is here. Yet I have to admire the people for continuing on with their lives and striving to retain an air of normalcy.

August 6th is my last day of work, and then I fly to Delhi to vacation with my brother, which should be very exciting. I am very much looking forward to next week and then to coming home!