Benjamuna's Blog

We had a quiet morning before going to Aker Solutions. We went to the tailor (with the very appropriate name Smart and Hollywood) to pick up my kurta (the tailor work set me back 35 kroner – is it really possible??!??!). Anyway, in spite of the measurements, I was hardly able to put it over my head. These things can be very demanding when it’s hot…. -puh- So we agreed on some alterations, hopefully it will fit tomorrow!

The taxi came at 1 pm sharp, and it took one hour to get to Aker Solutions’ new premises. Girish and Mansi were there to greet us, and we really had a good couple of hours. I met friends from the 2006 Tampen group, new friends and colleagues from Stavanger: Arild Toft, Marit Bjørkhaug (who almost fainted when she saw me), Espen S Nilsen, Bente Kristensen. And Jens Smedegaard whos has come to stay for two years. The new offices were a great improvement from the old ones, nice to see!!! The HR manager took us to the management floor, and the course/training room – far better than ours!! (in Stavanger).

After some hrs spent, Girish took us to his home in his car. His daughter Gargi (3) was full of life, not a dull moment… she has the biggest eyes ever. And his beautiful wife Priya was there, of course.

We came back to the hotel at 8 pm as planned, picked up the other ones and went out for dinner. The restaurant was a bit funny, the guests were all men except from one woman. We had lots of food and beers and the price?? 50 kroner each.

When we walked back, we observed all the people who had gone to bed on the pavement. The only thing they have in life is a dirty rug. And there came we, newly fed and in high spirits – for 50 kroner. It’s difficult to digest.

We spent an hour at Leopold, a bit sad because this is our last night in Mumbai. Well not quite, our plane leaves at 3 30 tomorrow night/Saturday morning, and that means a very long day tomorrow. But I have been through some “negotiations” with the hotel so we will get a room for free tomorrow night in order to freshen up…. The Travel Manager can never rest….

By the way, I picked up my new reading glasses today. 600 kroner. Good value for moeny, and they look nice as well!

On Monday we had planned to go to Pench Jungle Camp in Madhya Pradesh. Our plane was schedules at 15 35, but was more than one hour delayed. Bad news…. we were early at the airport and now we had to wait even more – with only a snack bar as company! When we arrived in Nagpur, the driver was there to collect us. He seemed a bit shocked when he realised we were five people and five suitcases + a variety of rucksacks and bags. But one of the good things with India is that there is always a way out when the going gets tough! So there we were again, shifting the suitcases in and out of the car, up and down from the roof till we eventually found a suitable solution. When the driver told us it would take at least two hours tow Pench, morale sank…. And the continuos traffic jam out of Nagpur made things worse… In fact it lasted for miles and miles. But after nearly three hours we were there, a little before ten in the evening. The place was beautiful, even in the dark. And the silence a big relief. The only thing we could hear was the lovely sound of silence….

The big surprise was the temperature, it was freezing cold compared to Mumbai: + 8 degrees. Most of all we wanted to go to bed, but dinner was prepared for us in the dining room. The main house was fantastic; big rattan furniture, nice curtains, but cold everywhere.
The cottages were nice as well, and we jumped into bed before midninght because the safari was scheduled at six in the morning…..

We lay in bed and listened to the sounds of the jungle; birds and apes mostly. And the silence.

No problem really to get up in the morning, but it was cold. Only 6 degrees. We put on the warmest we had for the open jeep drive, we got blankets but it was very cold. It took some time for the sun to heat us up, when it arouse around 7 am. We didnt see any tigers, there are only 33 in that vast area. But we saw a lot of other animals, and it was great fun. We also saw several fresh tiger pug marks.

For the rest of the day we did absolutely nothing, we were simply enjoying the tranquility of the beautiful area. We sat around the pool, we were served lunch and dinner. The service was fantastic.

But again, we had to get up early, out plane was due at 8 30 in the morning so we had to start at 5. Settling the bill created a lot of locomotion. I had paid half the bill in advance, and now they couldn’t get any card machine to function… After a lot of “please sit down and wait”, I suggested we withdraw the money from an ATM in Nagpur the next morning to send back with the driver, so finally we could go to bed!

The early drive back to Nagpur next morning took less than 2 hrs. Traffic was sparse, but enough to wonder why lives aren’t lost all the time… The traffic system in India is beyond belief…

The plane back to Mumbai was half an hour late. It really was a shock to get out of the Mumbai airport to the honking horns and heat…. But the car was waiting and the driver was able to speak a little English so that I could get the recent updates on Indian politics and my “favourite” politician Lalu Prasad…

For the rest of the day there was rest…. we were all very tired and felt incredible hot, and I have started to fantasise about my home made pizza………………..

A deer in Pench!

Monkey business....

Yesterday, we were invited to my Indian friend Joan’s new flat in Borivali, one of the northern suburbs of Mumbai. She has finally managed to get away from her husband’s family and money from her mother’s sale of some land made it possible for her and her two sons to buy a new flat. The drive to Borivali took two hours, of course there comes a point where the driver has no clue about where to go. The mobile phone was, as usual, our lifeline!

We were surprised to see the flat, it was modern, a hall/dining room, modern kitchen, two bath rooms (one with western toilet) and two spacious bed rooms. We were tremendously happy on her behalf.  We had been to FabIndia to buy her a present, a nice single bedspread. She said it must have been costly, to us shockingly inexpensive.
Her sisters and husbands + mother started to arrive; June, Jackeline, Jessica and mother Mary.  We were quite a few people and everybody was talking – + the teenagers going in and out. Joan had ordered food from a catering company, when he arrived he had been stuck in the traffic for 2 hrs…

It was a lively “party”, and it also included a priest (!) who came to bless the house (they are catholics). Quite unfamiliar to us….
We wanted to go home at 10 30 pm, thinking of the long drive, but everybody convinced us that due to less traffic and if we chose the new Worli Sealink, it might take us only 40 minutes, maybe less…. Ha ha. Anyway, we were not close to two hours, and traffic was running smoothly.

When we came back to the hotel, my new outfit had been deliveres from the tailor. My designer kurta (tunika), churidar (trousers) and dupatta (shawl). I don’t really know how to wear the dupatta, but Iæm sure it will work very well as curtains….

And tonight is Rohan’s wedding!

Joan and me at the Taj on my birthday!

Designer Geeta Hardasani and her daughter Jharna.

We came back to Mumbai yesterday. Took almost 4 hrs from Pune, felt like most of them were spent in the Mumbai traffic jam. But at least it is entertaining! We had lunch right away, and me – of all people – had to guide my flock through the menu….ha ha. But I have stopped eating only butter nan, I’m now able to eat Indian food in a normal way and I even have a favourite or two. The three ladies have managed to do some shopping, the two men are in despair….

This morning we went to the famous Cafe Leopold that were hit on last November 26. TV cameras and journalist were all over the place, I guess we will appera both in the newspapers and on TV because we sat at a table in front of all the open doors. Or, maybe they came for my birthday, who knows 😉

We just came back from a wine shop now. There is no beer in the mini bar so we got some directions to the nearest shop. It was in a back lane and the stank of urine was so strong I was hardly able to perform my wish; ten bottles of Kingfisher. The shop was a hole in the wall, hardly any light. Next in the queue was an alchoholic with stained teeth, those who were left.

Tonight is the celebration at the Taj. Asbjørn has forgotten his “Sunday shoes” and a white shirt. So it has to be his Adidas shoes tonight. Well, shoes are kept under the table!

Oh my VISA card stopped working when I arrived in India, just great. After some phone calls to the bank I managed to get into the net bank and transfer money to another account. Lesson learned….. And it’s good to have a computer handy!

Tuesday was another day with Childrens Future India and Sandeep. We were, among other things, to meet with our sponsored child Vrushali (10) – actually for the third time in three years. Her mum is a widow with two daughters and a foster child + her mother in the house. Well house, a sort of shed of approx 15 sq m. We we re taken ro one of CFI’s soup kitchens, where needy children get one hot meal pr day. It was good to see the family. Last year we gave them money to get a new roof and other maintenance on the house and we were glad to see that they house looked better. We took Vrushali and her mother, along with the social workers to a hotel for lunch – which was a really big thing for them. Afterwards we took Vrushali to a department store in order to buy her a new dress, and we also went to the Pune Fort. She probably had the day of her life, so far, coming from the slums and not really able to get anywhere.

In the evening everybody just longed for the bed. We had thought it wouild be a day without so much driving, still it was a lot of in and out of the car. Also we were ready for a different taste, so Pizza Hut was the sole option after a full Indian meal and several Kingfiskers the evening before….

This might be a very busy holiday, although it cant be worse than Delhi ++ in Feb?!!? Yesterday was a rat race in Mumbai. Some sightseeing with Sandeep from Childrens Future India CFI in the morning (Juhu Beach, Bandra). Then head over heels to Mansi’s place in the afternoon. Of course one must allow 60-70 minutes for transport which makes every outing a small expedition.

The small flat was filled to the brim with mothers and fathers, grandparents, uncle, aunts – the usual Indian crowd. I left my flock in the sofa and headed for the women’s room where Mansi was in the middle of her make up and hair sesson. When she was all finished and dressed up she looked…. stunning! Myself, well I was dressed up by the grandmother, and the sari felt comfortable in the way a BUNAD feels comfy and just right for every occasion. Even more so, because most of the time the bunad makes you suffocate whereas the saree hangs loose around the boody and makes you breathe freely 🙂

The ceremony, the engagement party of Mansi and Kirang was an interesting experience. We met a lot of great people, among them Mansi’s mother and aunts, and some of my colleagues in Aker Solutions, Gaute among them.

But we were dead tired from the journey and lack of sleep made me call for our car at 9 30 pm. We drove over the new Worli Sea link, an impressive brand new bridge over the waters. Actually it took less than an hour to get home to, well, put on the alarm bell at 06 45 the nxt morning. Hello holiday!