Diwali

It's the hottest holiday in the world right now. Barack Obama was the first US President to recognize it two years ago at the White House. The Festival of Lights celebrates the triumph of Light over Darkness and the Indian Diaspora is making it one of the biggest celebrations in the world. Today, the 26th of October is officially Diwali. It's another day determined by the lunar calendar so it is a different day every year. People began celebrating on the weekend by shooting off rockets and fireworks as soon as it got dark on Friday and continuing Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday night. Last night it went on pretty much continuously with a rocket from somewhere every 10 seconds of so from 830pm to about 11pm. Tonight, on Diwali proper, it started at 8pm and is still going strong at midnight. I'm talking about 4 or 5 audible booms per second for four hours and that's just what I can hear and see from where I am in my hotel, which is more or less random and not particularly near anywhere. The fireworks are private and everyone just buys as much boom as they can afford and starts shooting. If there's a municipal display somewhere it must be in South Mumbai, but really, it's not required. There are fireworks 360 degrees all the time at every distance. If like me, you never get tired of fireworks, come to Mumbai at Diwali. It never stops. The city is now shrouded in smoke and still it goes on and on and on.

Fireworks as seen from my hotel looking across Mumbai's Juhu district

The beach shrouded in smoke from the Diwali fireworks

In the offices and homes, the traditions of Diwali are little candles called diyas symbolizing the coming of light, offerings of food and fireworks, the hanging of lanterns and the creation of rangolis which are colorful sand paintings in traditional forms.

Here's the prep for the making of the rangolis (Photo by Naresh Paliwal)

and here's one of the results

Photo by Ahinsa Panya Patel

It's also a time for traditional dress. It is a custom to wear new clothes on Diwali. Last week I bought clothes for the occasion, nothing too fancy but Indian in style and with some nice stitching. I wore it Tuesday as that was the day that offices celebrate Diwali. I'm happy to say that was big hit with the folks at work. It was fun for me to see all the finery and learn about Diwali and share the day with all the people doing the hard work. Quite fun and lovely. 

The holiday continues through the weekend and as I will be traveling to Delhi tomorrow I may see how they do it up north as well.

Shopping!

I've been a few times to the shops now, not the malls, but other places. We were talking about laser pointers and other such techo-junk the other day and the guys said, "We have to go to Alfa!" so we hopped in the car and headed for a shopping district and the famous Alfa store. This store was like nothing I had ever been in. It had everything but not organized like you would expect in America. It seemed like one of those massive used book stores where it's built into some weird building with corridors and oddly shaped rooms where in one place it's Film and TV and in another The Occult, or Graphic Novels, only this place sold things not books. iPads, shavers, TVs, washing machines, watches, laser pointers, thumb drives, sewing machines, Pringles, jewelry, shampoo, ramen noodles, headphones, hard drives and CDs, among other things. Everything was behind counters. You told the guys what you wanted and they gave you a number and then some runner showed up and took the item down to the front. On your way out you tell them your number and they give you the bill and your stuff after you pay. That's how they control shop-lifting in such a weird space with back doors leading out everywhere. Some stuff like iPads and High-end shampoo is way more expensive than in the USA. Some laser pointers cost about the same, around US$30-50 but you can get green ones that are illegal in the US (You'll burn your eye out!) They also have some that are Rs 170. That's like four dollars! So I bought a few of those. Can't have too many four dollar laser pointers if you're a VFX Supervisor. 

$4 laser pointer! Shiiiiny!

While I was at it I got USB drive for about US$20 and… shampoo! Not the expensive stuff. Dove was Rs 150 a bottle, like US$3. Paul Mitchell was Rs 1600! (That's about US$35!) Crazy differences. Anyway, it's such an odd store. I don't know if any other in Mumbai is like it or it's just this weird one-off. Seems like the latter. I'll probably find out one day.

Last week I was also taken out Diwali shopping. I think I was supposed to buy gold jewelry for Susan on this trip, which is traditional for the Diwali holiday, along with new clothes. I couldn't quite work out the jewelry thing. We went into some shops that were so stacked with glitzy jewelry it was difficult to concentrate on what I was being shown. Anklets are a popular item in India and so a type of jewelry more or less unique to this area. The jewelry sets of necklaces, pendants and earrings are quite amazing, if a little overdone by western standards. Indian fashion remains one of sophisticated complication, but an aesthetic which does not shy away from super-saturated color and an abundance of "shiny," especially for weddings and for days like Diwali.

This shopping venture took place in an area called Santa Cruz. (I did not see any surfers or other alternative types in this area although the clothes in the shops are exactly what they wear in Santa Cruz CA now that I think about it.) This area is a combination of shops that seem more or less like shops we are familiar with, only crammed into corners and alleys so you need a guide to find anything. There are also these indoor markets where it's just one stall after another all piled next to each other like the souks in Morocco or the Victoria Market in Melbourne. There are also stalls all up and down the main street that are just open to the road.

I was  taken to a nice mens' shop where I found some Indian shirts that I can wear to holiday parties and if I feel like dressing Indian casual. I will be sporting one on Tuesday and Wednesday as that's Diwali proper and the day where everyone dresses up in new finery. 

It's a bit interesting to see that all the clothes I wore when I was in high school are really what people in India wear all the time, then and now. I think I was the only one really wearing that stuff in Ada, copies I guess from the pictures I saw of hippies. (Thanks, Mom for making me all those shirts!) With both the jewelry and the clothes, I was constantly seeing the famous paisley pattern. I was told, "Oh yes, the mango pattern is coming back into fashion." So that's what paisley is: mangos.  I guess I will stock up on that stuff while I'm here! I also went into some smaller shops looking for scarves and such. I did get some very nice scarves, so many of you now know what to expect for Christmas as well! 

We had some chai to take the chill out of what had turned out to be a stormy day and a great vegetarian panini from a stand on the street.  Street food is notorious in Mumbai. It's known to be simultaneously the best food in town and the fastest way to get really sick. I thought I'd give it a try after my Indian comrades said it was really great. I wasn't so sure after I ordered this sandwich and then they all begged off! They missed out though. It was delicious. Toasted bread with a kind of cabbage, tomato, pickle, shredded carrot and beets and some other sprouts and beans all mixed in. The sauce was sweet like a sweet mayonnaise. It was very tasty and no ill effects at all. I already have a bit of a reputation as an adventurous eater, but that really sealed it. (What I actually have is a fairly well-developed sense of what is OK and what is not.)

We then sampled a bunch of traditional sweetmeats from the shops along the street. They make some crazy stuff here. Some of it is very very tasty though!

So now I know a little about how to navigate the shops and will have another go soon with some other co-workers who want to take me out. I suspect soon I'll be back to the haggling which I learned to do in Morocco! The Indians were already impressed when I told them I didn't expect to buy anything from a street vendor without walking away at least twice! Just like buying a car in the USA.

More Kites! Is Mumbai really for the birds?

It's one of the coolest things about my office that I always have these big birds flying around. The view of Mumbai is very good also and in fact remarkable. Not many buildings are as high at the Lotus Business Park or face towards South Mumbai. So I try to appreciate it and am always trying to get some video of the kites when they are really flying or close to the building. Here's a little video:

Did I Say the Monsoon Was Fading?

Well, maybe not. After a few very nice days we are suddenly beset with dark clouds which have literally brought on darkness at 4pm followed by thunder, lightning and torrential rain which flooded the streets. Yikes! It's not nice to fool Mother Nature!

In fact there's a lot of interest here in global climate change, aka global warming. With air pollution a clear problem it is a lot easier to connect the dots. Also the monsoon itself is one of the more obvious examples of how a warmer atmosphere can dramatically change the weather. Warmer temperatures put more water into the air which increases the ferocity of the monsoon. As more water is poured down in India, more water is sucked out of the upper atmosphere from farther away due to convection and so less falls elsewhere. Hence, floods in the subcontinent and droughts in the Middle East.

Compared to the global climate crisis and the very real disasters that have plagued low-lying areas of southern Asia, the downpour and resulting flooded street which delayed my journey home this week is nothing, but it was an interesting ride.

The Monsoon Fades

Work is going along here in India. We did a test shoot with film and digital cameras a week ago so I got my feet wet on the stages of Bollywood. The stage was pretty shabby but what's behind the camera is unimportant anyway. It was OK. We'll survive. Not worse than Morocco or even some days in Australia or Canada. 

There was another Festival last week celebrating the Ultimate Victory of Good over Evil when on the tenth day of the festival the anniversary of Great God Rama defeating the Evil Demon Ravanna is remembered. Fireworks and singing and drumming and dancing on the beach as effigies of Ravanna are burned. The biggest holiday, Diwali is upcoming in a few weeks.

We also celebrated the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi on October 2nd, now known worldwide as the International Day of Non-violence. That was a Real Victory of Good over Evil.

There have been strikes off and on from the so-called auto drivers. These are the auto-rickshaws so prevalent on Mumbai's streets. The drivers are mad that the government is cracking down on them for having their meters tampered with to get higher fares, so they went on strike. Now they say all drivers must get electronic meters because they are harder to tamper with. Anyway every time they go on strike the traffic gets better for a bit because all the ricks are gone but then it gets way worse because all the rickshaws are replaced by cars and crowded busses.

Prithvi Theater Coffee Shop

I went out for another walk this weekend. I went into a small grocery store. I am starting to find the more normal places now that I am looking a little harder. I also visited the famous Prithvi Theatre which is just down the street and has a famous coffee shop. It was nice there under their canopy down a little quiet side street. The coffee was pretty good too so I think I will go back there in the future. It's nice to find a comfortable place to go beyond the confines of the hotel.

The hotel is still nice though. The weather has gotten better and after the walk I plopped down by the pool to watch the sun set. As these pictures show, when you look past the first layer (or ignore it) there are some very nice things here.

Sunset over the Arabian Sea 

Chillin' by the pool…

My Lovely Hotel

Well I am still at the Novotel in Mumbai. Actually I am totally OK with that. Moving into an apartment and all that will entail can wait as long as it needs to. I am very comfortable here actually. With the better weather I am hanging outside by the pool and by the ocean a bit more. They are slowly taking the wet weather roofing off the patios and opening the open air restaurants on the patio. I am using the gym and have had a nice massage from the spa. I eat every day in the main restaurant for both breakfast and dinner and never really get bored. They have a great variety and I'm not that picky. I am a bit famous here for having had coffee with the entirely famous director of the film, and because I am always at breakfast with a chess game running on my iPhone. (Hi Joel!) The chefs know my omelette is "ham, peppers, cheese and cilantro" and it comes before I can order it every morning at breakfast. The birds fly outside the window all the time and the view down the beach is nicer now that it has been cleaned up some and the weather is clearing. I never thought I'd be able to stand it in a hotel for weeks but this has been OK. I suspect I'll miss it when I go.

Photos from Week Six

So it's been six weeks since I first arrived here. Here's some snaps:

Coconut Water! It's what's for breakfast! 

Check out this crazy truck. Wooden doors.

Sunset at The Novotel. haven't seen many of these yet.

New shoes! Calf high suede and orange laces. Stylin'!

Testing the Red Camera at Filmistan

The Novotel seen from the pool

The Foreign Registry

When you get to India you have to register with the police as a foreigner residing in the country. This is really common if you're staying anywhere for any period of time. I'm not sure if I had to register in Australia but I'm pretty sure I did in New Zealand and I think in the UK as well. Obviously those processes were sufficiently painless that I do not remember them. I think it involved filling out a form and having someone stamp it.

In India I was given a guide (a godsend really) from HR at the company and my driver and early on a Saturday morning we headed off to the main police station in South Mumbai which houses the FRRO, Foreign Regional Registration Office. The guy from HR took me through security, handed me to Rs. 2000 (about US$40) "to pay the officer." Not sure what he meant by that exactly… I had this big folder filled with the same papers I needed for the visa.  The people at the desk wrote some inscrutable numbers on it and said I needed to watch for the counter inside. Then they sent me through a door that my handler said was for foreigners only and so he could not follow. He said I would find a computer and I should enter my information. 

I went in to this big room filled with folding chairs. and lots of people from all over. There were computers in the back. I sat down at one and answered all the questions, Passport number, visa number, type, where issued, airline I flew in on, (cripes, I left my iPhone™ in the car to avoid security hassles so I had to remember the best I could on a few things.) DoB, parents home, where I'm staying, airspeed of fully laden swallow, etc. I got done with that and figured out I needed to print it out. Did that. Took it over to the desk where this woman was taking money and stamping things. She pointed to the front of the room where there was an LED sign. At that point another officer intervened, looked at the aforementioned inscrutable numbers and said, "You must wait for 3 under 3 then go in the next room and they will help you. Right now there was a 1 under the 3, so I took a seat.

Did you ever see Beetlejuice? OK, then you have the picture. I left my entire bag in the car. I had my passport, my folder with the inscrutable numbers and the printout. What an idiot I was. I did have a little Nokia phone, but it was supposed to be off according to the signs everywhere, although these signs, like many in India were being widely ignored by everyone. Anyway, the games on the phone were lame and I was afraid I'd miss my number. I looked up to check. Still on 1.

Later I looked up again. The 1 changed to a 2. Some people came out of the room. Some people went in. Some other numbers changed, some more people shuffled. Some came out, went back in, came out again, went back in. Still 2.

There's an American looking fellow across the room with woman who looks like his mother and big dufflish kind of carry-all. He keeps checking on it. Then it begins to cry. OK, it's a baby carrier. Odd. I go over to talk this guy as I am really getting bored out of my tiny skull. He's Canadian. From Ottawa. We chat about my relatives in Ottawa a bit. He asks why I'm here and I tell him. I ask him why he's here and he says, "We just came over for the baby." I think (densely) "Who comes to India from Canada to have a baby?" Oh… to get  a baby. Right. I wasn't really thinking about it that way. 

I look up. 4. What!!! Wait a minute! I was a little distracted, but not for that long! What the heck happened to 3? I go into the room to find out. I go up to a desk that says Counter 3 and say, "Wait a minute! I'm number 3. Why did you skip me?" The woman at the desk looks at the inscrutable numbers and says, "I am Counter 3. You need the woman who sits here at Counter 3A," and gestures at the empty chair next to her. I say, "but there's no sign at all for 3A outside so how do I know when I can come in?" She says, "She will come and get you. Please wait some time outside." Great. I love that phrase, "Please wait some time."

Back to the folding chairs. I sit where I can see Counter 3A through the door. The woman returns. Some one comes into the room, goes into the door and sits right down. Business proceeds with them. They get up. They come out. The woman leaves. She comes back. The same person goes back in. Business proceeds. The Nokia phone has finally coerced me into a game of solitaire. The interface is painful. The woman from 3A comes into the waiting room. She looks around. I lean forward. She sees someone across the room and beckons them into the other room. Did I mention that the chairs are not that comfortable? Why oh why did I leave my bag in the car with the iPhone and water bottle and my book. What was I thinking? Answer: I was thinking that this is all very strange and so I made a poor choice. It's gonna happen when you're in a new place. Oh well.

Finally after a few more entries and exits the woman from 3A comes looking for me. Yay! I sit down and she looks at my paperwork. She reviews my printout and my passport. She reads my contract. She looks at me and says, "This rate says per week. Is that correct? What do you do?" I tell her. She is suitably impressed by my connections but I can tell that tonight she'll be incredulously telling her friends that she interviewed this American who is making more money in a week than she makes in six months. Now who's taking advantage of opportunities in the Third World, Mr. Smartypants?

She takes all my stuff and gives me a slip of paper. She says, "Go outside, pay the woman at the desk 150 rupees. She will give you a book. Fill out the six pages of the book and then come back." OK. I feel like I'm in an adventure game now:

"You are in a room full of folding chairs and people of all ages and races. There is a woman here."

% inventory

"You have a slip of paper and 2000 rupees."

% give paper to woman

"She demands 150 rupees"

% give woman 150 rupees

"The woman gives you a small black book and says 'Please fill out six pages.'

% need pen

"here is a pen"

% take pen

The book has exactly all the same questions that I answered at the computer two hours ago and printed out. I realize that the information I entered at the computer was probably not actually saved but only used to make the printout and so to avoid additional bureaucracy I am now doing the paperwork myself. Now I know all the answers so I get through it and head back in to see 3A. 

"Done already! That was fast!" I've been writing with a pen all my life, miss.

"Now you must wait some time." Of course.

Some time passes. 3A comes out hands me my little black book and says, "You are done. You may go now." Cool! I rush out to the hallway and find my guy. He is shocked to see me so soon. Only 2 1/2 hours! What luck! He takes my book, looks at it, says "Wait here." and disappears into the room he said he couldn't go into. Now what? I could take that for about 30 seconds, then I get up and follow him. He says, "Why are you here?" I say, "Why are you here?" He says, "I'm photocopying your book for our records because I can get them to do it here as part of the process. Have a seat." OK. Geez, how am I supposed to know what is happening around here?

So that gets done and we leave. The HR guy is thrilled. It's only 1230pm and he thought it would be at least 4pm before we got done. Plus he gets 1850 rupees back which I think he never expected to see again. I think he expected that they would tell me that they could expedite if I paid more, but they didn't do that and it was expedited anyway. Bonus! The spirits have done everything in one night!

So that was done and now I have my little black book that identifies me as a legal foreign resident of India. Apparently this is an important document in some circumstances which I hope not to find myself in. Or maybe I just need it to ride the train. Possibly I can wave it at shopkeepers who charge me the Tourist Rate and get the local price instead. Haven't had to try that yet.