sightings

I visited my wonderful friends Anil and Gayatri and their cute-as-a-button son Nikhil on Sunday. They live in a building right beside Shivaji Park ... a famous piece of land that has created many a cricket star (ok... yeah, it has a big historical and political past too... and is significant in the whole Shiv Sena arena I mentioned earlier but let's not dwell on them too much again - we're strictly left-wing live-and-let-live here at BNACGD Blog!) ... and each day you will find every inch of grass is covered with young people living the dream of one day playing cricket for team India. It's quite a magical place and the agreeable noise of bat against ball and the shouts of boys and men playing their favourite sport has something very comforting about it, especially later in the day as the sun gets low and kisses the dust in the air. It's a nice place to be.

After a fantastic lunch cooked by Gayatri and a lot of great conversation and music (some Pink Floyd to reminisce about the concert since we'd all gone) I visited Anil's CG business. It's a lovely office with mosaic tiles on the floors and brightly painted coloured walls. Nikhil was proud to show me every little detail... each bathroom included! Anil drove me part of the way home and I grabbed a snap of a crazy sight.... the photo really didn't come out but it sums up one of the truly unique things you'll see here in India.... an entire family on a motorbike! This was Dad, Mum and the kids..... *three* kids...... ... two in front of Dad on the petrol tank.... and one behind squished in between him and Mum. Amazing. I wish my photo wasn't blurry... but here you go.



Another snippet.... tonight I had the most wonderful visitor. In my kitchen... on the 17th floor.... a *beautiful* glassy green gecko! :) Very handsome... and BIG.... I tried to catch him to rescue him....but he was not having it. So gorgeous... I can't imagine how he got in... or will get out. I am a bit worried... I hope I can see him again though. I shall call him Pepe.