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.