...and fly

I feel like my eyes are the lens of a camera most of the time here in Bombay. Snippets of little precious moments that I wish I was recording.. but I need them in full sensurround 3D-imax smellovison to really let you know what I'm on about. Just snippets of beauty.

The ride to work on the bike in the mornings with Kaustubh. Along Carter Rd in Bandra by the sea - the median strip is raised with some vegetation and a group of loose and unclaimed donkeys chew away at the grass ignored by the cars and bikes going by.. ignored by everyone except me. 'Donkeys!'

Further along.... past the preschool and catholic girl's school... cars and auto rickshaws stream in to bring all the kids in their tidy uniforms to school. Parents dropping them off on scooters.. and autos with up to 8 tiny kids bundled into the back (where we would squeeze in 3 adults)... everyone with uniforms pressed and hair tied into pigtails or braids. Even though I never want to be a parent... I like all the smiling faces and the sweet way a father gently grabs the hand of a tiny kid to cross the street amidst the chaos. If we are a few minutes late to work... the road past the school is abandoned... the chaos is gone as if it never happened... and you know the kids are settling in to another boring day at school.

At night we wind through tiny streets in Bandra that I just love. Houses and store fronts open straight on to the street... the tiniest shops you've ever seen... some basically the size of a human, just enough for someone to stand or sit in, and sell a few little things. At dusk everything lights up... and people are walking and talking in amongst the cars and motorbikes and ricks driving on a road only as wide as one car.... everything squeeeeezes through. It's mad fun and I love it.

There is one place where an outdoor shaving stand is set up... there is no light. Just the light of passing cars in the darkness. A mirror hangs on the fence. A tall stool where the victim sits and faces the mirror he can't really see.. his face is liberally lathered up... and the straight razor comes out... lickety split :) Awesome... all in the dark!

We pass a wall that has a plaque on it... small, tiled... and every time I see it I smile so much. It says "Myrtle D'Souza and Fly". Now years ago I worked on Babe:Pig in the City... and my favourite shots to work on were with the lovely border collie Fly :) So... I saw this and .. well.. who is Fly? ..could it be a dog? I just really liked the images it put in my head :) That this woman loved her dog so much she put his name on the wall with hers ;) ok .. ok... so, the bubble was burst when it was pointed out to me that 'fly' means 'family'... but I'll carry on with my little fantasy thankyouverymuch.