Christmas farewells - a tale of gratitude

Being an expat family having expat kids, naturally means that we meet other expat families - often in the school community. Our kids go to an amazing international school with pupils from over 50 countries, so their friends are from South-Africa, Malaysia, Sweden, India, USA, Korea - just to mention a few... So, naturally, we parents also get to know each other and start to hang out. This weekend we have been X-mas partying and X-mas lunching with many of these wonderful new friends. Many are going away for Christmas - most of them we'll see again after the holidays, but some of them are not coming back. Their time in Mumbai has come to an end, they are going "home" or the work has led them to a new location.

One of the first friends I made here, is not coming back after Christmas - after 2 years in Mumbai they are moving on.. And yes, it makes me sad.. Today I heard about this expat lady who after 8 different locations just wasn't interested to make friends anymore - because it was just too upsetting to say goodbye again and again. Being a brand new expat - hearing that made me sad, and I hope I will never get there! I am so grateful for each and one of the new friends I have made here, they have enriched my life. And also, when I miss my family and friends back home, I can always talk to some of my new friends here about it, because they know exactly what I am talking about! Like yesterday when we received a box with Christmas present from my sister and her family, and my sweet nephew had made drawings...Arrgg ...

Each person who comes in to your life, comes for a reason.- and I will continue to believe that and live by it. Cheers to all my family and friends, old and new - thanks for being in my life!


X-mas greeting from the best sister, brother-in-law, nephew and niece there is:-)

In Sari heaven

When we were going to India, there were 3 questions I often had:

• "What are you going to do there?"
• "Are you going to have this dot on your forhead?"
• "Will you wear Sari?" or more often: " You have to get a Sari!"

I was so lucky the other day to visit a Sari studio. Oh dear readers- if there is a Sari-heaven this is it!

Red wedding sari- often given to the bride after the wedding from her new parents-in law

Saris from the floor to the ceiling, from wall to wall: green, blue, yellow, orange, pink,with embroidery, with gold. We, the 6 usually very talkative ladies were for once speachless..

Pink party-sari

We were giving a nice presentation of Sari; history and tradition. Then they showed us samles of Saris from various areas of India. I have to admit: it was a bit hard to concentrate on what they were saying because I was so breathtaken with the fabrics that unfolded in front of me; Everyday saris, party saris, wedding saris, saris with sandalwood in it to make it smell divine.., saris with threads of real gold, see-through - saris, saris made of net (on fashion right now)...





Green and blue

Here you buy the fabric, and they can make the sari for you, including the blouse and the skirt you have underneath. We had a small discussion because in India you show your belly while wearing a Sari - at least if you are married- that is how it is made! But westerns are maybe not so comfortable with that! Well, they can make a longer blouse for you also. I kind of like the idea though - why not wear your belly with pride? Ha ha ha :-) We went to Roopam which was a great place:-)
We also saw ready-made- Saris - meaning that you will not have to wrap it on yourself, but buy what looks more like a sari-skirt. Putting on the many-meter-long Sari can be quite difficult, so many choose to "cheat" by getting one you just put on -just like that...
And then we had tea and admired each-other getting wrapped in theese beautiful fabrics...Ahhh Sari heaven:





Pick and choose- all the colours you can think of..

A culinary and social adventure: thali

Dear readers,
You may have noticed that I have been writing about both Norwegian Christmas food og Greek food lately. However, we are in a culinary paradise here in India - and the food is quite different than what I have tasted in various Indian restaurant outside India. And I mean that in a positive way.

I think so far, my favourite Indian dish is Thali, and that is for more than one reason. First you get this round large tray all to yourself. It has small bowls on, and they get quickly filled up with a selection of dishes - some of them quite new to my taste buds if I'll be honest. We started with bread and then the dishes just kept coming, one by one, again and again... Being new to India is was an amazing way to explore the variety in tastes - from curry to lemongrass to coconut, and then to something reeeally spicy and then to tomatoes with a hint of cloves and then to something sweet...And it is all in different colours- a sight for the eyes as well:-)

So, the tastes of thali is one thing, but for me, just as nice as the culinary journey we were doing with our trays, was the social dimension this kind of food has. It kind of reminds me of having meze in Greece - or tapas in Spain; You know when you gather around the table with friends or family, sitting there for hours and hours more: talking, eating, drinking and eating again - while the dishes just keep coming and coming and you are getting more and more stuffed and time flies. And you are having a wonderful time. That is thali -time for me here in India. It doesn't get better than that.

A touch of the colonial past

Today was the day to nurture my cultural side:-) No! Watching Bollywood films, listening to "Driving home for Christmas" or reading "The Skinner" is just not enough! India is blooming with historical and cultural sights - just waiting for me, and my city Mumbai is no exception.   

If you want to get a feeling of the British Colonial India - South Mumbai is the place to go! Monumental buildings all around and in one of the largest we ended up today - at the formerly named Prince of Wales Museum of Western India, now named Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalay. It was the coming King George V (at that time Prince of Wales) who laid down the foundation stone of the museum in 1905.

The museum is surrrounded by a lovely large park with green grass, palm trees and flowers.

In company with Indian school kids and American cruise-tourists we explored all the exibitions on all the floors - Indian in the permanent ones and Egyptian art in the temporary one. Well done to us! Some impressed more than others, I have to admit. My hightlights from the visit are:

One happy dude!

1. The statue of the God for amusement and joy in life. Funny guy!
2. In the coin room (Yawn, Pia:-) ) - Indo-Greek section on Alexander the Great. Yeah!  
3. The Golden Buddist statues - gorgeous.
4. All the school children who were smiling, greeting and waiving and then when one started to shake hands with my dear friend Pia, they all wanted to shake hands!

Indo Greek on Alexander the Great

So, my cultural needs are fed  -  for now that is...:-)

You can find more info on the museum here

Julelunsj - in Mumbai

When I talk to other expats it turns out that I am not alone. This time of the year can be a bit emotional for us expats. Being far away from our family and friends, and then we see all these emotional films where the hero is fighting his way -  through thunders and snowstorms - all to be home with his family on Christmas. Of course he makes it!

I don't think it is unusual to feel this attraction to the roots these days. So Oh Joy - today we gathered - us Norwegian ladies in Mumbai for a Christmas lunch. We ate and drank and chatted and laughed and drank and ate some more: kransekake, roastbeef, gingerbread, rullekake - Yes, even the brunost made its appearance - and all of that with "En stjerne skinner i natt", "A Fairytale of New York", "Driving home for Christmas" and other emotional goodies on high volume in the background... Thank you ladies - it was wonderful:-)

You could aaalmost believe that it was a real Norwegian julebord if it hadn't been for 3 factors:

• The drinks
• The 35 degrees, blue sky and sun outside
• Our kakemenn - they are of course with bindi on their forehead:-)

"All I want for Christmas - is shoes.."

The new flower on my balcony

"The best things in life are free"- right ? It can be a beautiful sunset, a nice flower, a friendly smile. But sometimes life is complicated and it has made me think about life quality and what we want to make out of our lifes and our dreams.



93 shampoos for 93 kids

Here in India, some people can dream about having an education, of just not be hungry that day or of a new pair of shoes. In an orphanage we support, we were asked not to waist money on toys for the kids, but instead buy them shampoo-bottles, some pencils and books for school or just new shoes...
One of my biggest challenges in India has been how to deal with the poverty and human sufferings I see. I have chosen to spend quite a lot of my time working for NGO's. You can read more about that  here.

New funny shoes: the left shoe is identical to the right shoe:-)

Yes, some of the best things in life are free - so live in the moment! Feel joy for the new flower, for the smile given you, for things you can do for others. That being said - sometimes things happen to me which brings extra joy or shall we say spice to my everyday life. Like yesterday when the X-mas packet arrived from my parents, and some small xtra x-mas stuff was in there, or like wearing the new funny shoes .
Do you also dream of new shoes for Christmas?

An X-mas greeting from my homeland:-)

In COD heaven

I have an Indian cell phone. It took me a while to get it, and another while to make it work, but that is another story. New cell phone and new country means new contact numbers right? Well, today I was checking out my contact list on my new cell. In addition to the numbers of new friends, my new contacts have names like " Food-delivery place" , "Meat-delivery- nice one", " tailor", "window-cleaner-dude " and not to forget "booze-delivery" .

Basically you do not have to leave your home in India. You can order anything and have it delivered at your door-step. Last Sunday morning I was out of eggs- I called my supplier (:-)) - and within 10 minutes there was a guy at my door with the eggs. And not to mention if you run out of wine on a cosy Saturday night- just call your local supplier!

You can have anything delivered; books, clothes, shoes, food! " Not this one Madam? - I will bring you another one at your house tomorrow- COD."

I think COD could be my new middle name if I didnt watch out! COD means Cash On Delivery for you guys out there! But - that would be a boring life wouldnt it?! But sometimes - it's just woooonderful!!

Powai explorers and our leading star

Ever since I arrived in July I wanted to "explore" this city. I have now realised that that will take me a lifetime.

When to explore Mumbai you do not really know how and where to start. Ok - Gateway of India and the Taj and then..?

In our adventurous and marvellous Powai Explorers group we are many who are new to this city. Luckily we teamed up with the amazing Manasi. She has been our leading star this autumn and has shown us parts of the city we would never have found on our own.

We have been to temples, churches, small alleyways, busy roads, bazaars, on the train, in Dhobi Ghat, seen the Dhabbawallas and the cows in Panjrapol, Bhuleshwar market, old parts, new parts, shops, saris-studios.... You name it!


Manasi has taught us Hindi during an intense and hilarious crash-course. She has enlightened us on culture, history, architecture and customs and has patiently answered all our strange questions.

Our last tour for 2012 is coming up in a few days! Thank you so much Manasi - you have done an amazing job. The way you have introduced Mumbai to a newcomer like me is just wonderful. 

Manasi has her company The Indian Perspective and offers tours in Mumbai. I will really recommend her. She can be contacted at: the.indian.perspective@gmail.com

See you Manasi!!!!

Driving Miss Daisy

"It is like you are living in a film, Eli " one of my best friends in Norway exclaimed when I told her about my everyday life in Mumbai and of all the things I see while driving around in the car. I do spend an enormous amount of time in the car - the traffic is heavy in this city! It takes a looong time to get wherever you are going. Since we have a driver I can't really do anything but sit and be patient

Yes, I have to pinch my arm sometimes - because it IS like I am in a film. This busy city, people everywhere, small shops, goats, an elephant. Even when I travel the same distance as the day before, the scenery is completely different. And then the people: hard working, carrying, shoveling, pushing, walking, begging, laughing, smiling. The contrasts are huge- from small huts to new fancy skyscrapers. From 5stars hotel to people living on the street. Driving around in Mumbai can be a challenge for us expats. So far I am like a nice Miss Daisy - driving around being overwhelmed by the colourful, vibrant scenery that opens up outside my car window - love it!

Dining with Greek Gods in Goa

"When you are in Rome, do as the Romans " - right? Well, when it comes to the culinary field - partly right for me... Yes, I love Indian food, but I told you about my acute crave for Norwegian X-mas food and I have to admit: sometimes I dream about those Greek tavernas with souvlaki, kalamarakia, xtapodi, tirosalata...

SO - when we went to Goa we went searching for this Greek restaurant we had heard about. And what a paradise we found! Placed on the edge of the cliffs overlooking Little Vagator beach with a stunning ocean-view,  the Greek lady Mariketty has created the most wonderful place. She offers small cottages for rent where the upper floors are small roof gardens- so you can relax only in company with the stars and maybe feel the presence of the Greek Gods the cottages are named after?
 
We came just in time for sunset and it was breathtaking from this taverna Thalassa (= the sea). The staff was friendly and attentive, the food was great and the scenery awesome. We enjoyed talking to Mariketty who left the Greek island of Corfu 22 years ago and has created this little Greece in Goa.

Oh, dear readers, we were sitting there-  enjoying our kalamari, souvlaki, tzatziki, chatting with the owner while the sun set in the ocean in front of us. A moment to remember. When we left it was dark, we were stuffed, and a small alleyway with lamps showed us the way. Dear Mariketty: we will be back:-)  You can read more here: About Marikettys place in WhatsupGoa