Classical music - Indian style

On the wettest day of the wettest July in Mumbai for 50 years, Phil and I had booked tickets for an Indian classical music concert in Bandra, our first taste this genre of entertainment since arriving in India.

This seemed like bad planning at the time as the relentless rain flooded roads and generally left carnage in its wake, but the concert was a short walk from home so we pulled on our waterproofs (largely ineffective in the heaviest rain) and braved the elements. Naively, we had thought that the concert might be cancelled but we had forgotten that Bombay does not stop for the monsoon. When we arrived at the rather smart and modern venue, the reception hall was already a lively mix of the seasoned concert goers of Bombay (kitted out in their finery) and the young and trendy (we were neither of these, and the only foreigners to be seen) looking forward to some entertainment.

The music was performed by a group of musicians called "Classicool" although they were very firm that  "they are not a band but a concept".  The group included a drummer, tabla player (drums a bit like bongos), sitar player (Indian guitar, think The Beatles), flortist, violinist, bass guitarist and vocalist and the set included shortish pieces, each less than 10 minutes, involving some or all the instruments.

The aim of Classicool is to introduce Indian classical music to new listeners in an accessible way, in short, snappy pieces in a jazzy style on amped up instruments. The result was really good fun and the musicians were very talented; I would not have believed that a 10 minute tabla solo could be so enthralling before this performance. It did all sound a little similar to me, but I don't think my ear is yet attuned to the subtleties of the music. This might improve over time.

There were several notable differences to a western classical music concert. 

First, the start time. The ticket said 1930, although the doors weren't even open then. It was gone 2000 by the time the music began. We did though have a slides how of real estate adverts from one of the sponsors to keep us amused...

Second was the interval which was a classic. The leader of the group (sitar player) gave an informative description of the background to Classicool, followed by thanking what felt like everyone in the audience apart from us for their contribution to Classicool / Indian classical music / life in general. This was followed by inviting several particularly revered musicians up the stage when lots of feet touching ensued (for respect) and the exchange of various gift hampers completed the thanking process. This lasted ages, but offering thanks and not offending anyone must have been a necessary part of the proceedings.

Finally the coming and going of audience members was free flowing, though it was loud and dark so it didn't matter very much. It was all good fun.

Waiting for the show to start

The Classicool line-up

Lots of chat in the interval

All in all, I would definitely go again, though maybe not to a full length Indian classical music performance which go on for an age. Classicool was great and can be found on YouTube for those who would like a look (Mum, you'll love it; Dad, you won't, but you may become familiar with it if Mum uses it in her music lessons in the future:-))

Attitudes to women in India - An insight from the GoAir in-flightmagazine

I could write a thesis on attitudes to women in India, but I won't on the basis that it's rather more lighthearted to write about our travel, and it's difficult to know where to start on this topic.

I do though want to share a couple of snippets from the GoAir complimentary in-flight magazine, provided for my entertainment for our flight from Ahmedabad to Mumbai, on which I am writing this blog entry.

GoAir (one of India's several budget airlines of which I am a frequent customer), seems to have shunned the conservatism prevalent in India in favour of material which I assume it believes will cater to the modern Indian woman (and man).  Articles include "11 reasons to worship your body (and his)", with each reason conveniently aligned with a specific body part, "The Oomph factor", featuring lots of scantily clad footballers' wives in bikinis and "vows and visuals"' for the discerning bride to be struggling to find a suitable wedding photographer.

I won't share any more of these gems, but instead with a couple of letters from readers and an advert, both written without a trace of irony.

I assume that K Gandhi and W Sharma are Misters but, even if not, I'm pleased to hear that they enjoyed the inflight entertainment.

If there are any housewives out there revelling in this new opportunity to enter a beauty pageant then please do let me know.

One of my favourite in-flight magazine items is from the IndiGo magazine (excellent airline, great branding), advertising for cabin crew applicants who are "female, aged between 18 and 25, at least 5 foot 6 inches with weight in proportion to height and a clear complexion". Again, this is deadly serious, but you have to laugh about it.

A very Indian car accident

This week, Monday morning was a little more eventful than I had anticipated.  It was all going so well, we'd had a relaxing weekend and I'd enjoyed a successful run on the treadmill and was feeling ready for the working week ahead.

Unfortunately, we had a mishap whilst queuing at the traffic lights on my journey to the office.  Sagar and I were having a peaceful chat when there was a loud bang on the roof of the car.  Unaware of the cause, we then saw that the windscreen was covered in cracks (we were lucky it hadn't shattered) and were realised that we were the victim of a tearaway coconut!  Our suspicions were confirmed when the driver of the car behind us got out and nabbed the coconut.  We didn't even get to keep it for our trouble.

We completed the journey to work and Sagar took the car down to the local garage.  Another positive aspect of living in India is that a new windscreen and getting this fitted costs a grand total of £55, or less if your insurance covers it.  So it was a bit annoying, but could have been much worse.

Apparently, it's quite rare for coconuts to drop from trees onto things / people so we were unlucky in that respect, but also very fortunate that it hit the roof a few inches behind the windscreen rather than smashing through the windscreen itself.  We now have a shiny new windscreen and a dent in the roof which will stay there for a while.  Our car now blends in with the other dented cars in Mumbai at least. 

Sagar was keen to fix the dent through home-spun methods (trying to bash it out from the inside of the car...) but this doesn't seem to have worked so far.  We'll keep the dent for the moment as a reminder of our close call with a coconut.

Post-accident with dent and cracks.  The red cloth on the dashboard is Sagar's lucky Ganesh 

 Sagar on the case

Dent remaining after the new windscreen had been fitted.  The 46 is the number for Sagar's favourite motorbike driver - Valentino Rossi

Cracked windscreen 

Back to normal (almost)

It was Sagar's birthday this week too, although there was some confusion regarding the exact date (22nd or 24th), a very common problem in India as birth dates on official documents are often incorrect.  Sagar's driving licence says the 22nd, but he knew that he was born on a Friday, so by tracking back 22 years and consulting with his mother we worked out that he was born on the 24th after all.

We bought him a new shirt as a present which seemed to go down well as Sagar wore it for the day.

Modelling the new shirt - Sagar was happier with this than he looks!

Haleem

We are back in India!  My blogging hiatus is over as I returned to Mumbai from the UK last week and Phil arrived home at the weekend.  After a period of almost six weeks apart in different countries, it's excellent to be back at home and together again.

It's all change here though as Phil is no longer working in India and is currently adapting to his (very early) retirement.  Further, the monsoon is now in full flow which is atmospheric but extremely wet.  In only 24 hours this week, we had rainfall equal to 50% of the total rainfall in the UK last winter (a supposedly wet one).  This makes it a little harder to get around, but the drop in temperature to a bearable level relative to May more than makes up for it.

Last night, we had a mini culinary adventure at the Good Luck restaurant, a small Irani cafe featured in my treasured Savour Mumbai cookbook.  We are currently in Ramadan (a period in which Muslims fast during daylight) and wanted to find and try a dish called haleem; a thick, meaty stew made in this period.  Hyderabadi haleem is famous but we narrowly missed trying it last year by visiting Hyderabad shortly after Ramadan (called Ramzan here).  We were determined not to miss it again, so arrived at Good Luck at sunset to claim our table and place our order.

We supplemented the haleem with kheema beef (lightly spiced mince, meat source unknown though probably goat) and mopped it all up with sweet maska buns (soft white bread baked with mixed fruit peel). 

 Left to right; Haleem, maska buns and kheema

Haleem.  I'm not sure what the crunchy bits on top were but they tasted good and I'm not sick....yet

The meat was washed down with hot, sweet tea served in a good luck cup

 Enjoying my tea (despite the facial expression)

We usually eat vegetarian food in India but this meaty foray was a welcome and worthwhile exception.  Both the haleem and kheema was warming, yummy and perfect for a wet evening.

Now that we are back and settled in India for the foreseeable, further trips and holidays are firmly back on the agenda.

The Prithvi Theatre - Chai, the Circus and Real-life Cluedo

The Prithvi Theatre is a small independent theatre in Juhu, a few kilometres north of our home in Bandra.  It is nestled in a quiet leafy street close to the beach and shows a wide variety of English and Hindi language plays and shows.  It isn't big or fancy but is a haven and a world away from the brash modern Bollywood multiplex entertainment common in Mumbai.  It also has a great homely cafe, a good spot to relax after a trip to the theatre.  A lot of thought seems to go into the schedule which includes educational and family plays, as well as performances based at adult audiences.

Here are examples of some of the more unusual performances / events we have seen.

1)  Chai and Why

Our first trip to the Prithvi was shortly after we moved to Mumbai, to see a science talk held once a month called "Chai and Why". The idea is that an expert comes to give an accessible talk about an area of maths or science, everyone has chai, then the audience can ask lots of questions.  This is completely free and both the talks I've seen (on comets and geometry) were really good (as was the chai).

The downside to these talks is the "questions" part.  Whereas in England, people tend to have inhibitions about asking too many or silly questions, at Chai in Why in Mumbai there can be 1.5 hours of questions, some of which are quite testing if you have any understanding of the subject.  Don't get me wrong, it's fantastic that there is an opportunity to ask and learn after the talk, but it's all a bit much for me on a Sunday morning!  I prefer talk and chai, then skipping the "why" bit.

Phil and I have been asked to do a Chai and Why ourselves, on bell ringing!  A date has not been fixed yet, but watch this space...

2)  The Travelling Circus

Our second notable trip was on Good Friday, with the Pipe Family, to see a travelling circus.  The stage is only small so the show was structured accordingly with one act using the stage at a time.  The acts included acrobats, a tightrope walker, a lady balancing a large stack of crockery on her head whilst riding a unicycle, hula-a-hooping, clowns and other such traditional circus acts.

It was, however, the final  act which will stay in my memory for a very long time.  Following a stream of lean, lithe athletes, a pot-bellied moustached middle-aged man and his smaller female (but equally pot-bellied) assistant walked onto the stage in spangly suits that had seen better days. 

Their only props were a bucket and cup, from which the man started drinking cup after cup of water.  The audience looked on, bemused, as he drank and drank and drank, and a plastic mat was laid out in front of him.  Litres later, he faced the audience and projected the water out in front of him like a fountain, where it splashed down onto the mat.  The force, volume and duration of this fountain was incredible, we were amazed!  But there was more to come...

The somewhat weary looking assistant returned to the stage with a large glass jug of water....in which three live goldfish were swimming around happily.  Oh dear.  We watched as he, again, loaded up with water from the bucket, then preceded to drink from the jug until all the goldfish had been swallowed too.  If that wasn't enough, he then managed to regurgitate them one by one, live, and put them back in the jug to swim around as before.  From what we saw, it looked like he definitely swallowed them, and the fish seemed to be swimming just as enthusiastically after the ordeal.

These first two tricks were both impressive and grotesque, but plausible.  It was the third trick that stunned me.  The assistant brought out two new jugs of water, but this time one was bright orange and the other bright green.  The water-man stocked up on normal water again, then drank one of the coloured jugs, then the other.  He then regurgitated a jug of orange water, before separately spitting out a jug of green water.  Unbelievable.  I was appalled and seriously impressed in equal measure at this performance.

3)  Real Life Cluedo

Today, I went alone to the theatre, as Phil is away, to see a real life play of the game Cluedo, where the audience has to guess who the murderer is. How exciting!  I read about this in the newspaper and, although it did seemed to be aimed more at children, I booked my ticket immediately.

This was really good fun and very like the game up until the end of the play when the final clues basically told you what the answers were ("I have a new clue for you...the weapon is a sharp, pointy, metal item!") which was a bit disappointed (though I understand meant to keep the children happy).  The characters were the same as British Cluedo, with the exception of Rev. Green being replaced by Mr Green, the slimy businessman.  The theatre was packed full with over-excited children (and adults) which contributed to a great atmosphere.  The whole show was well done.

Here are some pics from my trip:
 

 Looking down at the stage.  The background music was a live guitarist, and the stage shows a kitchen, ballroom, study, lounge, billiard room and conservatory.

 Before

During

Welcome to the Prithvi

Tree planting in Mumbai - Doing my bit for the environment

Yesterday morning, I participated in a campaign to plant 500 trees in Maharashtra Nature Park, one of the few green spaces left in Mumbai, which was organised by the NGO (charity) United Way.  United Way arranges events to bring volunteers together to clean up the city (for example after big, messy festivals) and generally tries to preserve what little nature remains in Mumbai.  One of my work colleagues heard about the work of this NGO and put our names forward for the event.

The Maharashtra Nature Park used to be a dumping ground although today is feels green, tranquil and a world away from the chaos elsewhere in the city.  Evidence of its past remains and we found all sorts of rubbish when digging the holes for the trees, but it is fantastic that this land has been reclaimed for good use for the people of Mumbai.  It is located only a 15 minute drive from where we live, and sits between the large Dharavi slum area, and the river which separates Bandra and the northern suburbs from the southern city area.

We arrived on schedule at 830am to find a throng of volunteers, over 100 in total from various companies and colleges, who were geared up for some serious planting.  As is traditional at these events, we didn't start planting until nearly 10am as every man, women and dog who was involved with the NGO or the park itself made a speech (mainly with the aim of thanking or showing respect to someone else), and we were given our planting instructions.  There was also a short speech from the "celebrity" who had turned up to support the event.  This was a very well preened young Bollywood star, who none of us had heard of, but was introduced as "being voted one of the 50 sexiest men in Bollywood".  Wow.  This accolade seemed to give him the credentials to talk about how much he loves the environment for five minutes, and with that over with, we were allowed to proceed to the planting area.

Before we could start planting trees, we were carefully split into 10 different groups, each of which had an NGO and Nature Park leader.  That process completed, everyone went and did what they wanted with no regard for the group structure whatsoever.  The basic idea was that we had 500 trees and 500 mud pits, which first need filling with fresh soil before the trees could be planted and watered.  So before we even got to the trees, there was a lot of mud carrying to be done.

The mud carrying was fun, and very hot and sweaty given the monsoon conditions, although we were lucky that the rain held off for the planting session.  I was soon dripping and muddy, but enjoying myself and meeting other volunteers working together outdoors, not something you do every day in Mumbai. 

Once we had carried lots of mud about, we got stuck into some serious planting, which was rather more strenuous than the planting I've done in the past.  My previous planting experience involved 100 12-inch tall trees being planted in Ashleworth in December.  These trees were 9 feet tall and a lot heavier!  With a bit of team work, we got a few in the ground (under the eagle-eyed supervision of the Nature Park Manager) and were pleased that our job was done.

 Carrying mud.  I am proud to say that I carried the bowls of mud on my own, but was a bit too nervous to do this on my head, Indian style.

 My colleague Banashree enjoying the morning

Me modelling the tracksuit bottoms, bright shirt and rubber gloves look

My colleague Abhimanyu stamping - an important part of the planting process

Abhimanyu, Megha's Mum, Banashree and me.  Job done.

Despite my comments about the "celebrity" earlier, there was actually a real Bollywood celebrity there (definition - someone I have heard of) although she just kept her head down and wanted to be treated like any other volunteer.  This in mind, I didn't take a photograph, but these events do seem to attract the great and good of the city.

Overall, I had a great morning and will definitely do this again.  Our next challenge is cleaning up the beaches after the Ganpati festival in August.  I'll be there.

Retail Therapy

Phil is currently away in the UK for three and a half weeks before I travel there to join him for ten days in July, after which we will both be returning to India.  I therefore have had three full weekends in the city in which to entertain myself.

Last weekend, my first without Phil, I visited several shops which I had seen recommended online and was keen to explore.  My system of shopping usually involves looking at every item in a shop, then going round everything again making a shortlist, then deliberating for ages before deciding what to buy.  I quite enjoy this, but it isn't compatible with Phil at all!  It is far better for me to scout out what's available on my own, then visit again together when he gets back to India.

I visited four places in total, all of which were brilliant discoveries.  Three of the four shops were in the old Fort area of South Mumbai, and so were packed with character, and the fourth was in Worli; a little south of Bandra at the other end of the sealink bridge.

If you are expecting a Christmas present from us then it's quite likely to come from one of the shops listed below.  This is a warning before you read on!

So here is where I went and what I bought:

1)  Chimanlals sells beautiful handmade stationary at incredibly cheap prices.  As soon as I walked into the shop I was excited (I know that's a bit sad) by the incredible range of colours and products on offer.  I piled my basket high with cards, writing paper, wrapping papers, gift tags and card gift boxes and envelopes.  I've done a quick audit and think I bought 150 - 200 individual items, all of which are delightful, and managed to spend £13.

Gift envelopes.  These are used a lot in India, in particular when giving any kind of money gift to someone else.  I would love to learn how these items are designed, printed and produced for the shop.

The huge array of cards are displayed on the back wall, and the wrapping paper rack on the right of the picture is one of four stands of paper from which you can choose.  In the centre, there are many varieties of card gift boxes that you can construct yourselves, along with ribbons and other pretty things.

2)  Contemporary Art and Crafts is a homeware shop which is both Indian and modern, and packed full of colourful quirky gifts and fresh, original designs.  I could have bought a lot in this shop but ended up a bit bamboozled by choice, so took away lots of ideas and will certainly return to buy more in the future.

The highlights for me were the beautiful colourful quilts and interesting kitchenware, though in the end my purchases were a framed Indian-style picture, a tea cosy and matching tray cloth (probably as a gift) and, my favourite, two metal tumblers covered in bright yellow / green Kashmiri glass.  Anyone who has lived in India knows that metal crockery is everywhere, and these tumblers have the best of both worlds.  Classic metal but bright and colourful too.

Padded quilts.  These are very common in India instead of duvets.  We are still using our UK duvets at the moment but may well switch soon.

A huge variety of quilts, in different styles from different parts of India, designed to be the top cover on top of other blankets / sheets on the bed.

3)  Kitab Khana is a bookshop in an old building in South Mumbai.  It is antithesis of online book shopping and bland chains which, whilst they will sell you a book, do nothing for the soul.  Kitab Khana is in a classic old colonial building in the Fort area, on a street crowded with stalls and hawkers selling their wares, but is an oasis of calm once you step inside.  The walls are lined with tall wooden bookselves, the ceiling is double height and it is made for happily whiling away an hour or two.

Unfortunately, I neglected to take any photographs which I attribute to hunger as it was well past my lunchtime when I arrived.  I sated my hunger quickly with a trip to the excellent independent cafe at the back of the shop which had a delicious selection of vegetarian food including homemade sandwiches, salads, bigger meals and cakes.  I eschewed the sensible savoury option in favour of a big slab of pear and walnut cake with icecream.  This was plenty to set me up for more shopping in the afternoon.

I left the shop with three books, which I didn't really need, but I liked Kitab Khana so much that I felt compulsed to buy.

For those who would like to see a photograph or read more, the website link is below:

http://kitabkhana.in/

4)  Magnolia Home Store was our last, and my favourite shop of the day.  We almost didn't go as, although it was on the way home, the traffic was terrible and I was feeling a bit too hot and grumpy as we approached it (and Sagar took an unfortunate wrong turn, which added 30 minutes to the journey!).

I am, however, very glad that we did as this shop put me in great mood as it is frankly brilliant.  This is essentially a furniture shop but with lots of accessories, lamps, rugs and other trinkets too.  The furniture is fantastic, designed by the owners and made from teak to look like old products, but without the antique tag (which is complex from an exporting / customs perspective).  There are also lots of brass items and metal used in the furniture.  Everything is high quality, sturdy and looks great.  Further, each item is individual and personal, and you can change and tailor upholstery and other details of the design where you choose to.

My photos don't really do justice to the full selection in the shop as I haven't yet mastered taking shots on my ipad without my finger over the lense, so the photos below are simply those which are finger free!

Writing desk with metal legs.  I bought one of the brass pen holders sitting on top.

This photograph isn't great, but this is a large metal lamp studded with glass beads and it looks amazing.  This is high on my list of things to buy in the future.

Stools with metal legs and colourful seats.

 A classic Indian chest and brass lantern / pot (I can't remember which)

 I really liked this chair, but when I went back a week later it had been sold:-(

Nested wooden tables, now sitting in our living room

I bought the tables above, which were polished up for me and I collected a week later.  They are heavy and robust - Sagar and I had to carry them up to the apartment between us!  I also bought a brass pot and other metal ornament, just because I liked it.

I would compare the prices to a value range at John Lewis or M&S, whereas the quality would be at the top of the range for those shops, and with an additional quirky and personal touch.  A large teak side dresser or chest of drawers, for example, is around £300, which is a lot by Indian standards but very good for the quality that you get.

I must have been excited by my purchases as I managed to leave my debit card there, which I only realised when trying to buy something the day after my trip.  The shop owners had kept it safe for me and Sagar was able to pick it up the next day - another good example of customer service.

The picture below shows my total shopping haul for the day, excluding the tables above.

My purchases:  One framed picture, three books, 8 sheets of wrapping paper, oodles of cards, writing paper, tags, gift boxes, a tea cosy and matching tray cloth, two Kashmiri glass tumblers, a brass pen holder, and a metal ornament.

This might seem decadent, but the total cost of everything shown above was around £75.  I hope to go for another shopping trip very soon!