Divali day

We started off having a calm day, visiting all the neighbours and saying Happy Divali and having plenty of phone calls. Across the road there is Mahalakshmi temple (Lakshmi being the goddess of wealth and prosperity). The queue to get into the temple stretched for miles even at 8:00, a load of men had brought handkerchiefs to cover their heads but otherwise it was baking sunlight, and they were no way near the temple. We were invited to fireworks along the seaface, by an uncle so all the family gathered there. Everyone was there, the street was sooo crowded but we managed to squeeze a place. Absolutely anyone was lighting fireworks where ever they wanted, including the middle of the road! you had to watch along the stretch where you were lighting for rockets that were about to go off. It was great though cause the bay is curved enough that you could see loads of other peoples fireworks. my cousin and i perfected our firework photo skills whilst my other cousin practised running away from fireworks with me, whilst however desperately trying to catch the parachutes from the fireworks. We finished off with a 1000 cartridge fire cracker reel, it was sooo long so they decided to light it from both ends. We all hid behind a bench to watch it. Unfortunately my uncle, who is obsessed with fireworks and was the one to get us all there, got hit in the eye. But phoning around we found out another eye doctor uncle was in a restuarant just around the corner, and just so happened to have all his stuff with him and so fixed him up! despite the 10:00 firework ban and the no car horns ban it is insanely noisy and everyone is still busing with excitement!

Dhan Teras

Radhika and I dressed up to go for her office Pooja. I borrowed a sari off my aunt and everyone in the house was fussing round me to help me get ready, Devika offered me her blouse, her earings, her necklace and bhindi, so I wasn't short of any kindness.

On returning, we went round the flats giving sweets to the friends of my grandmother. Each lot invited us in and we spent ages chatting, the last time we did it was 16 years ago! We spent the evening doing more rangoli outside the apartment. Devika did one extremely fast and I just stood there in amazement. When it was mine and Radhika's turn we decided simple and then kept adding another border here, another triangle there, we ended up outside most of the evening!

Devika's Radhika's and mine

not so far from home

here was me thinking i was in india and going into my cousins work this is what i spy maybe I'm not so far from home!

Divali is nearing

WOW... Divali (Hindu festival of light and the Hindu new year) here is so much more than Christmas in Kingston! I can't remember what it was like last time I was here for it. There are fairy lights covering soooooo many buildings and many fireworks already, (divali isn't until Tuesday, new year is on wednesday). Yesterday I went to my cousin's 'Mumbai International Boat Show' office (very very western style with massive foyer and fountain in the middle). Whilst helping her out with some work a colleague came in and told us to go out into the foyer of the building. Loads of people had come out of office for a bit to decorate the floor with rangoli patterns made from flowers, grass, lentils and other pulses, gorgeously designed.

At the end of the day the boys in our office decided they didn't like the pattern they'd started and so my cousin (Radhika), her friend (Alpa) and I sat about designing and making our own pattern, using coloured powder. Alpa wanted to do a traditional pattern, but Radhika was set on doing a boat themed design. (But the pic is coming up sideways and i can't turn it round :(...) By the time we were leaving someone had gone round and put tinsel and divas (little clay tealights) all around the foyer and the fountain was sparkling. Today the sweets that my grandmother ordered have arrived, my cousin and I will follow tradition and go out delivering them to all her neighbours and friends. Later we will go out and by traditional clothes for this and when we do office Pooja (prayers) tomorrow. Tomorrow is, Dhan Teras (Dhan-wealth, Teras-13th). It is the 13th in the Hindu calendar which is an auspicious day, so we pray for good fortune in the coming year.

ok so I've got here - Mumbai

Finally set up a blog thanks to Barry!!! so I can fill you all in on the fantastic adventures I'm having. I've arrived to the worst weather they get in this area cause it's soooo hot and humid but it just won't rain. but I'm not complaining, gorgeous sun streaming in through my window every morning just alleviates home sickness! Despite a good few nights I'm covered with mosquito bites! As I've been to Mumbai quite a few times before, I'm not planning on going to all the touristy places and have been exploring the 'real' side to Mumbai. I've been going into this fantastic school, which is particularly attended by less well-off Muslim families. The reason it's so fantastic is, contrary to the general education here, this school is really focused on learning through experience and exploration. The children are teaching the teachers as well as each other and so they feel quite relaxed about coming up with extraordinary statements and theories. Ok well I've been holding on to this post in order to fill you up on all I've been doing until now and just haven't had a chance to...and tooo daunting now! So I'll just leave it as I'm having a fantastic time here and am not jealous one bit of the weather I've been hearing about over there :P!