Monday, April 07, 2008

Blame it on a Mercury retrograde. Two trips into town for one pair of specs, because the opticians forgot one minor measure. Its rather hot already, even with the fast trains the commute is one hour minimum including a fifteen minute trudge through shortcut lanes, but ok, if that’s on the cards, so it is. Did find a new way to reach Crawford market though, a walk that involved some nifty turns past old shops and derelict heritage buildings. Later learnt some personal history- I’d trudged past the now dilapidated office where an uncle once started out in life with shared table space only-law practice; yes, this is the city where anything can happen, anytime.

And for once I have shoes that are not Bata relics.

14 comments:

soleil said...

yay @ non-bata relics. i want new shoes. and new flip flops. and new heels. the list goes on. its a new thing! ;)

GhostOfTomJoad said...

Ah, a trip to Crawford Market! To repeat that old question then...did you have falooda at Badshah's? :-)

Anonymous said...

Hi Aust,
An hour travelling to pickup glasses!!! Bangalore's infamous traffic seems pleasant now!

But the two days spent at Mumbai, it came across as an awesome place... ofcourse as you would live there, you would know the troubles and travails of the place :)


Sathya

quin browne said...

i watched 'the darjeeling express' this weekend, whetting my desire to see a land i first read of though the words of kipling and an odd little novel by mm kaye when i was 11 or so.

i am going to start collecting cans and bottles, fighting off the toothless lady, to save up.

eventually, you will have a house guest, who will spend her days and nights nattering on about the scents and sights and colours until she's pitched out the door...

...still nattering.

Anonymous said...

Shoes to walk, glasses to see, history to discover. Call yourself lucky.

Jay said...

Lovely post, I love to discover.

AmitL said...

Hehe to the Mercury retrogade..I remember the Mumbai summer-and,if you're in a local-ARGHH!!It doesn't make 'scent's to travel.

Why'd you make such a long trip to get a pair of glasses?Is he a pet optician,like people have pet barbers from whom only they get hair cut?Isn't there any optician in your area???*muses*Or,perhaps you just enjoy the journey.

Hey,must've felt nice to pass those heritage buildings and remember having passed that route someday long back.

Try some 'New Balance' shoes,one of these days,if you like walking/jogging so much..Bat(t)a(er) than a Bata,in many ways.

austere said...

Soleil- these are from METRO and CITYWALK, so go green! The metro ones are nice squishy leather for office wear, very comfortable. I also saw some lovely purses being sold by roadside vendors and the kanjoos I am, I didn’t buy, you want?

Mr Ghost! Alas and alack NO Badshaah and NO Kayanis, feasts to be looked at, perchance a whiff smelled, but not partaken of, haay zindagi. :)

Sathya; auto from home to local station, edging yourself in front of the queue for a 1st class return ticket battling angry stares and cusses from everyone standing for a second class ticket; climbing up and down the stairs to platform 4, realizing trains on the other platform seem more frequent so nother up and down, then getting into a train thanking the lord one is a woman cause the men in the 1stclass compartment are hanging far out grabbing the railing space only, disembarking at marine lines walking 15 min one way through those lanes- ONE HOUR APPROX. Its an amazing place.

Quin- come on over. Homemade Gujju food, one 85 yr old , and a spare room await. The country has a good heart, we are broke in places and often in pocket, very poor, hot and dusty and grimy, but you’ll find a surprise every corner, that I guarantee.

Mago- completely lucky. I was ok with the to and fro, no temper tantrum, no cribbing, nothing.

Hey Jay! Welcome! Will add your Kill the goat page, that’s the main one, right?

Amit- Homi and Baliwala, the BESTEST guys in this town. In the ladies first there is standing room space on a Saturday, in the other first they were hanging out by the door and all crushed and its still first class. A new balance shoe? What it is, some expensive pair all pricey from adidas or nike or some such fancy and all they want is to separate me from my hard earned monies. With the sun bright overhead the appreciation of things fine heritage was rather limited.

Anonymous said...

I too have a tendency for going distances to get such things taken care of. Once I am accustomed to a person or a place for such services, I hate to change even if it is a short commute. With less time soon, I will have no choice.

-P

AmitL said...

Nah,New Balance is less pricey than Nike and Adidas,and,just right for walking/jogging/Mumbai/Dubai weather!!:)I read that they have an India outlet now,in Mumbai,definitely..perhaps at Shoppers Stop??They have this unique foot pad you walk on,it detects your pressure points on the feet and recommends two-three choices of shoes..been using them since 4 years now!Last long!

austere said...

They do? But ten thousand bucks or something I'm not spending. Who makes these?

proxima- :) funny thing this sense of loyalty, isn't it?

AmitL said...

Heehee...not 10 thousand...they'd be between 800-1500 bucks there,I'd say!:)

Portia said...

I love personal histories, like putting puzzle pieces together.

austere said...

But which kind are these if not Nike or adidas, which shop do I go to? BATA I'd say, default option. :)

yup, portia, since the current location in life is quite distant from that shared table space. :)