Second Move in 8 Months

So, the title says it all. We have moved house yet another time, the second shifting in 8 months. Yesterday was the grand day.

After getting all kinds of reassurances from the owner that the house was in spick-and-span condition, we had a minor shock when we moved in. The house reeked of fresh paint, the floor was covered in a layer of dust, the calling bell wouldn’t work, the newly installed wash basin had a leak and neither our bedroom, nor the kitchen balcony had a lock.

Of course, we immediately got into touch with the owner and he agreed to reimburse the one-time cleaning charges for the house. ANd then we got to work, cleaning and scrubbing. Of course, Little One was completely bewildered. He was in an unknown place, and neither his Dad nor Mom seemed particularly interested in him, with a scolding every time he tried to explore a new shelf, cupboard or even the floor. Finally, irritated with everyone and everything around him, he decided to do what he knew best. He sat on the floor and started to bawl.

Of course, that got everyone’s attention and soon he was in my arms. And when he got bored with me, he would jump into his Dad’s arms.

To tell more about the house, it is on the fifth floor, just 5 minutes away from my office and is very bright and airy. It has four (!!!) balconies, where we have a very nice view of the road construction and get a great opportunity to inhale all that dust into our lungs. Here are some pics -

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In the 5 years of my marriage, I have lived in 4 different houses, with this being the fifth one. I hope the next move will be to a home of my own, and I finally can live a settled life after leading a nomadic existence for ages.

Discoveries in my Neighbourhood – Books and Malls

This weekend has been spent in discoveries around my neighbourhood. I have located my favourite place around my home – Crosswords bookstore right behind my home I haven’t set foot inside and I already know that it is going to be my favourite place. In addition, I saw them advertising an 80% off sale. Yum Yum:-)

Then, I discovered Total Mall – at 8 minutes’ walking distance from my home. It a cool place if you don’t mind traversing across all the 4 floors just to buy a kilo of green beans. All essentials (namely, staple foods, veggies and meat) have been placed at the topmost floors and at the farthest corners, so that you have to wade through all the other stuff before getting to the things you really need (Yes, I am referring to the things you have jotted down in that list and not the things you feel you will need).

You have to start your journey at the Ground floor, take the escalator up to each floor (I looked for the lift but it was broken down), then walk across the floor (in the meantime covering all items on the floor), and continue the process till you reach the floor you actually want (which in my case is usually the top-most floor where they carry the veggies). For instance, at the floor where they have the greens, the moment you step out of the escalator (they call them ‘Travelators’), you are greeted with the sight and scent of all kinds of baked goods and savouries, and unless you have real good self-control, it is a tad difficult to escape the clutches of the sugar monster. So, they tempt you with lots of the non-essential things and only then do they let you get to the actual things you need.

Actually, the store strategy is excellent – something all marketing guys ought to copy. Using the kind of floor layout described above, they make sure that customers breeze past all the wares at any visit, thus guaranteeing that shopping carts are filled with things that are not in the sacred List.

I know, because it happened to me too. I ended up buying a wall hook, a pack of pens, a writing pad and a memo pad, all because I went past that floor, and felt that I really really needed them.

A Bull Visits Homes and gets Hooves Cleaned

The other day, while on the balcony coaxing Baby to eat his food, I observed a curious sight.

A decorated bull with smoke coming out from its forehead (later I realised that it had agarbathi sticks stuck to its forehead) was being led by a man to all the houses. At each gate, the man would take out his nadaswaram and play filmi and religious tunes.

At one home, a lady came out and started a weird ritual. She came out with a platter of fruits, coconut, water, vermilion, turmeric and a lamp (at least that is all I could see from my vantage point). She started off washing the bull’s hooves with the water, applying the vermilion and turmeric on its legs, rump and forehead, and then she started waving the lamp in front of the bull and chanting something. Then fed something to it.

Does anyone have any idea what this is all about?

Finally…The Garden City

After a rather uneventful New Year and a journey across 2 states, we have reached our destination – The Garden City.

When we arrived 2 months ago for a spot visit, the place was freezing, and it was raining all the time. This time when we arrived, the weather was much better and it has actually been warm. However, during the past few days, the thermometer has been threatening to go downhill and it there is a cold breeze most of the time.

There was a very interesting incident the other day. We are staying with my cousin and his wife and they don’t have a parking spot for their car. So, they (and around half the neighbourhood) park their vehicles along the kerb in front of their apartments.

Now, this area is stuffed with people of a certain region, who are among the most affluent and powerful around here. In order to spare the feelings of any who belong to this group, I will call them simply by the code name – “The Rudes”.

A Rude family lives opposite our apartment and my cousin parked his car by their to the left of their home. the car was neither blocking their gate, nor was it bothering them in any other way. However, the Head Rude wanted the car to be removed, because, he claimed that the spot was his (as if the Government has given him the deed to the road) as all the surrounding area belonged to him. Therefore, he wanted the right to park anywhere that he chose. Cousin politely told him that he had no right to say that the road belonged to him. However, Cousin also said that he was willing to remove the vehicle if it bothered him so much.

But nooooooo, the Head Rude would not be pacified. He wanted a fight, and what followed was a one-sided slanging match. The Head Rude, in spite of being told that the car would be removed, persisted in threats to call the Police and have the car towed away. Fed up with the guy, Cousin walked away 3 or 4 times after telling him to stuff it and do whatsoever was in his power. Each time, he would call back Cousin with some other infuraiting comment. And the best part was that, Head Rude was standing in his balcony and shouting out the threats, and didn’t even deign to come down (he probably feared that he wouldn’t be able to go back in a single piece if he came down).

Things began to get out of hand when Head Rude started calling names, again, in spite of being told that the car would be removed (I wonder what on earth was bugging him!). The neighbours started entering the fray and siding with Cousin. Finally, some relatives of the Head Rude pulled him away from the scene and apologised and politely asked Cousin to remove to car.

Placated, Cousin decided to move the car and parked it elsewhere.

Epilogue: Later in the evening when Cousin and Hubby went out, Head Rude came down from his Tower, and uttered a single word – “Saaaarrrry”*

*meaning Sorry in local dialect

Last Day at Work…Yipppeeee :-)

Two more days and it will be the last day at my very first job……Then, we are moving to the Garden City. We are very apprehensive of how we will manage things, since we are moving  to a completely unknown city. We will need to find a place to stay, furniture for the new apartment (when we find it), transport stuff from our old place to the new one…and the biggest change of all, find someone to care for Baby while we are at work.

As mentioned in an earlier post, our current maid is half nuts, and has decided against moving with us (I am thanking my stars for that). But the flip-side is, we now have to find someone else who is trustworthy enough to care for Baby. We are both optimistic (well, actually Hubby is more optimistic, I tend to be the Devil’s advocate )  And as a friend once mentioned, our apartment and maid are waiting somewhere for us, we just need to reach them somehow  I think that is a nice way of putting that everything will fall in place when the time is right.

The New Year is going to bring in a new job, new location, new apartment, new stuff for the apartment.

And with that, I am signing off for the foreseeable future…Will post something as soon as I am settled in somewhere.