Repat trendsetting!

I thought I made up the term repat but apparently, it's real. NYT says about 100,000 repats like me will come to India in the next 5 years.

For more on the frustrating experience of being a repat, click here for the NYT article.

Living in a terrorist target

Having spent a lot of time in New York, you would think you'd get used to living a city considered a prime terrorist target..if there is getting used to something like that.

I had a very disquieting moment last night returning from work when I realized that today was the 1 year anniversary of the horrendous "26/11" (Nov 11, India style date) attacks here in South Bombay, walking distance from our office. Stuff was starting to make sense, my car was stopped and checked. The morning was eerie: uptown half of Marine Drive (think Mumbai's answer to Chicago's Lakeshore drive) was shutdown for a City Law enforcement show of force (think Mumbai's answer to a Soviet military rally). Traffic was re-routed everywhere to shutoff narrow/smaller streets. Good thing I decided to leave for work early!





The issue is that all this security is basically optics. Nothing has changed. All the people that were at fault during the debacle are all back in power. You can call it strong resilience or easy forgiveness on part of Mumbaikers, but the extraordinary apathy is shocking. Forget that Mumbai may or may not be prepared to stop a new type of attack, I doubt the city would do things differently if the exact same thing happened again.

I'm thinking twice about trekking crosstown for a Thanksgiving dinner tonight!

Clubbing in Bombay (yes, I'm alive!)

Sorry about the radio silence of the last few days, work has taken over my life more so than usual. This will continue to be so for a couple of more weeks I expect, but today I have some time breathe/blog.

Perhaps, some of you are wondering why I haven't written about going out in Mumbai yet (the above paragraph should give you some clue). Anyway, the clubbing I'm writing about today isn't the loud, crowded, flesh markets where some people go to drink. Bombay has a different "club scene" which includes places like the Cricket Club of India, Breach Candy Club, etc.

These clubs are essentially extremely exclusive Urban country clubs. The waitlist is over 5+ years and initiation fees are in the range of $100,000 to $200,000. Yes, you heard it right, those prices are in USD.

I went to one recently for dinner as a guest (a friend is a member). They have strict security generally requiring a membership card with photograph. The interesting news is that once you enter the places aren't really not that nice (certainly not when you consider the fees), but everything inside is hugely subsidized, food and drinks. So, yeah, when I figure out how to become a member and get all my friends in, I'm throwing a huge party at one of these clubs!

Refueling mission to New York was a success

Being in New York for the last few days was amazing, thank you all of you that made the time to hangout!

The real reason* for being in New York was a return to mothership to refuel. There are certain things that are either impossible to find or so difficult to find in Mumbai that it's easier for me to fly back to New York and buy them. The following items being the most critical:

(1) Chapstick: Living in Mumbai is like alternating between a stove and a fridge. Either 90 degrees and humid (outdoors) or 60 degrees and extremely dry (indoors). You never know exactly what temperature you're going to be it, all you can be certain of is that you will always be mildly comfortable. This sort of temperature shift wreaks havoc on one's body and it is beyond me how no one in Mumbai uses chapstick.

(2) Glade plugins: Another product impossible to find here. The only reason I need it is b/c my office always smells like a combination of pinesol + varnish + paint thinner. Not sure what the overnight cleaning staff is doing, but they are only making things worse.

(3) Street meat: This is actually something I can find in India: the only problem is that I'm allowed to eat it India. When one has a craving for Rafiqi's in Midtown, only Rafiqi's in Midtown will do.

* For those you paying attention, you know the real real reason I was in New York. And yes, I passed the citizenship test! This means I'm coming back to New York in December for the ceremony.

Halloween in Mumbai Part II -- The Pictures

As I mentioned, I went to a Halloween party at the US embassy last weekend. I was dressed up as Kanye. Alas, my friend who was supposed to be my better half--Taylor Swift--fell ill due to some bad meat (Mumbai always being unpredictable!). Anyway, good times were had. When I said pictures plural, I lied. Below is one of the publishable gems (if can't figure out the costumes, it's Kanye with Lady Gaga and Disco Trivolta). Some other pics are on facebook though for your entertainment.

Ciao Mumbai Taxis

The most popular taxi in "Town" --a term referring to South Mumbai, the "Manhattan" of the city of Mumbai --are 1960's Fiats locally assembled by Premier Padmini (Auto rickshaws are not allowed into Town).

If you thought a Chevy was "like a rock," these cars have been running around the city of Mumbai non-stop for the last 30+ years. They're indestructible. Alas, the city govt has finally decided to phase them out by end of 2009, a fact that even the New York Times is lamenting.

Many locals are outraged. I, for one, am ecstatic. You try riding this black metal box with top speed of 15 mph in 100 degree weather with no air conditioning in the polluted & extremely crowded streets of Mumbai and tell me you disagree!