I'm currently sitting in Leopold's Cafe, a staple of the Mumbai scene, with Sarah. I'm sitting in the air conditioned bar upstairs because we wanted to see the bullet marks left by the terrorist attack on this place in 2008, and we'll be working on our ISPs during lunch and for the next few hours. I'll probably order a draught beer in a little bit, and I might go for the fish and chips.
This is a pretty good indicator of how I've been spending my time these days. It's been full of good food, good people and a new city. Mumbai is wonderful, and it's even more wonderful to be here with friends from the program. It's a nice mix of relaxation, of touring, of schoolwork. A friend from Tufts came from Pune on Tuesday, and we went biking in the national park in the north of the city. Last night was a friend's 21st birthday, so we went to a restaurant that looked like Mars 2112 but classier, like the dinner lounge of the future. Yesterday, we were approached by a Bollywood casting agent who was looking for "European-looking" girls to be extras in a film, and we might go tomorrow.
The British influence here is palpable. It sounds a little naïve, but I occasionally forgot that India was dominated by the British in Delhi. It's hard to tell unless you're in certain parts of the city because the buildings are all very boxy. Here, the architecture is unmistakably European. The train stations look like the ones I've travelled through in France and in England, with broad arches and stone details.
Moral of the story is that I like this city, but I'm still very ready to go home. This time in two weeks, I expect to be nomming on a bagel from the Bagel Emporium while watching the episodes of "30 Rock" that I know have been recorded on our DVR. (Take notes, Mom and Dad. If you meet me at the airport with a plain bagel with chive cream cheese, I might break down and cry with tears of joy.) It's nice to be wrapping up this program on a high note though, and I think it can only get better over the next two weeks. I just need to finish this paper.
This is a pretty good indicator of how I've been spending my time these days. It's been full of good food, good people and a new city. Mumbai is wonderful, and it's even more wonderful to be here with friends from the program. It's a nice mix of relaxation, of touring, of schoolwork. A friend from Tufts came from Pune on Tuesday, and we went biking in the national park in the north of the city. Last night was a friend's 21st birthday, so we went to a restaurant that looked like Mars 2112 but classier, like the dinner lounge of the future. Yesterday, we were approached by a Bollywood casting agent who was looking for "European-looking" girls to be extras in a film, and we might go tomorrow.
The British influence here is palpable. It sounds a little naïve, but I occasionally forgot that India was dominated by the British in Delhi. It's hard to tell unless you're in certain parts of the city because the buildings are all very boxy. Here, the architecture is unmistakably European. The train stations look like the ones I've travelled through in France and in England, with broad arches and stone details.
Moral of the story is that I like this city, but I'm still very ready to go home. This time in two weeks, I expect to be nomming on a bagel from the Bagel Emporium while watching the episodes of "30 Rock" that I know have been recorded on our DVR. (Take notes, Mom and Dad. If you meet me at the airport with a plain bagel with chive cream cheese, I might break down and cry with tears of joy.) It's nice to be wrapping up this program on a high note though, and I think it can only get better over the next two weeks. I just need to finish this paper.
hey maxine! sweet blog, enjoy leopold cafe (have you read Shantaram?), and travel safe these last few weeks! I totally commiserate on the bagel haha. but I just wanted to say careful about the bollywood movie - a lot of events get billed that way to draw girls in and then you actually end up waiting tables at a wedding (there is a trend for rich indian couples to have american/european girls as waitresses/greeters). it sounds like it might be fun but for your own safety you do want to end up being trucked somewhere you don't want to go! run it and the guy's name by azimji...
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