We are currently sitting in Heathrow Terminal 5 with two hours to go before we'll be boarding our plane to Mumbai. As many of our friends and family will know, our India plans have been in the pipeline for some time, although it's only in the last few days that our move has become a reality.
The last fortnight has been a whirl of goodbye meals with friends (primarily curry-based for some reason), relocating our belongings and frantically putting together each piece of the logistical jigsaw required to get us to India. 48 hours ago I didn't have a passport (or visa), any packing completed (or started if I'm honest), flights booked or accommodation sorted for our arrival, but in a blaze of activity and hard work from lots of different people, everything has now fallen into place. This is great news and a relief for me and Phil, who is currently looking very relaxed with a glass of wine and big plate of tasty, smelly cheese, two things easy to come by in the BA lounge but that we may have less of in Mumbai...
Our little house in Cambridge is now empty after a formidable clearance effort by the relocation company yesterday, and a little help from our friends, and our furniture is now on its way overseas. It was very strange to leave our first home knowing that someone else will be living there for the next two years, but we hope that they enjoy it as much as we have.
I know that there will be so much happening setting up our life in Mumbai that we are unlikely to remember all the excellent events of the last few weeks unless we write it down! Goodbye highlights include:
- Weekend with friends and family in Yorkshire
- BBQ with Katherine, John and the twinlets
- Goodbye curry with friends at the Pipasha
- Goodbye post practice party at GSM
- Goodbye lunches, coffee and drinks at work
- Goodbye dinner with my brother (he took me to a "genuine authentic Bombay style cafe" in London called Dishoom. I really enjoyed it but will pass judgment once we've spent more time in India!)
- Last Cambridge Parkrun with the gang (with PBs for the two Phils!)
- Last peal at GSM (which nearly broke Phil)
- Last handbell peal, with much success at clearing the remaining contents of the wine rack afterwards.
- Annual Cambridge ringers rounders match - double success of an 8 - 0 Youths victory and us managing to distribute the contents of our spirits cupboards to the students (you can't take much alcohol to India...)
- Final evening in the UK chez Pipe with an excellent Cecilia curry and some traditional Tarantino viewing.
We're exhausted and we haven't left yet! Only joking. It's been a fantastic couple of weeks and reminds us of the great people we're leaving behind - so you better come and visit us! A couple of pics below...
Anyway, now we look ahead and are excitedly planning the coming weeks and months. We're awash with guidebooks, hints and tips from others, Hindi dictionaries and the enthusiasm to make the most of our time in India.
More updates will follow soon!
The last fortnight has been a whirl of goodbye meals with friends (primarily curry-based for some reason), relocating our belongings and frantically putting together each piece of the logistical jigsaw required to get us to India. 48 hours ago I didn't have a passport (or visa), any packing completed (or started if I'm honest), flights booked or accommodation sorted for our arrival, but in a blaze of activity and hard work from lots of different people, everything has now fallen into place. This is great news and a relief for me and Phil, who is currently looking very relaxed with a glass of wine and big plate of tasty, smelly cheese, two things easy to come by in the BA lounge but that we may have less of in Mumbai...
Our little house in Cambridge is now empty after a formidable clearance effort by the relocation company yesterday, and a little help from our friends, and our furniture is now on its way overseas. It was very strange to leave our first home knowing that someone else will be living there for the next two years, but we hope that they enjoy it as much as we have.
Very big lorry arrives
Lots of boxes
All gone
I know that there will be so much happening setting up our life in Mumbai that we are unlikely to remember all the excellent events of the last few weeks unless we write it down! Goodbye highlights include:
- Weekend with friends and family in Yorkshire
- BBQ with Katherine, John and the twinlets
- Goodbye curry with friends at the Pipasha
- Goodbye post practice party at GSM
- Goodbye lunches, coffee and drinks at work
- Goodbye dinner with my brother (he took me to a "genuine authentic Bombay style cafe" in London called Dishoom. I really enjoyed it but will pass judgment once we've spent more time in India!)
- Last Cambridge Parkrun with the gang (with PBs for the two Phils!)
- Last peal at GSM (which nearly broke Phil)
- Last handbell peal, with much success at clearing the remaining contents of the wine rack afterwards.
- Annual Cambridge ringers rounders match - double success of an 8 - 0 Youths victory and us managing to distribute the contents of our spirits cupboards to the students (you can't take much alcohol to India...)
- Final evening in the UK chez Pipe with an excellent Cecilia curry and some traditional Tarantino viewing.
We're exhausted and we haven't left yet! Only joking. It's been a fantastic couple of weeks and reminds us of the great people we're leaving behind - so you better come and visit us! A couple of pics below...
Post Parkrun
With Mum on Beamsley Beacon
Anyway, now we look ahead and are excitedly planning the coming weeks and months. We're awash with guidebooks, hints and tips from others, Hindi dictionaries and the enthusiasm to make the most of our time in India.
More updates will follow soon!
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