Stuck at Bandra station junction

The little hump-backed urchin… an outsider even among outsiders, stood peering into my rickshaw stuck in traffic near Bandra Station for twenty minutes already. His grubby hand extended listlessly, his eyes morose and down-cast. “I’m not your bloody aunty… Smile you bugger. What gives you the right to just give up and stand there waiting on pity.” He looks up he doesn’t understand but he is encouraged with my talking so with much more guttural gusto gives it an encore, “Aaaaaaaaahnteeeeee.” Then he turns down his mouth and pecks at his stomach and mouth with his hand.

It was my fault really. I should’ve shut up. The rickshaw stopped ten minutes from the station. Technically ten minutes. With the traffic and the people and the cows and the traffic it would have taken at least an hour to navigate through. With my convent schooled, soft excuse me…sorry.. please excuse me… one minute please.. thank-you, thank-yous… And the heat was baking my brains into custard anyway. Where the hell were the rains? It was bloody July already. So I sat. This is why we take so long to progress. Who can do anything in this heat? I lit a cigarette aimlessly and leaned my head to rest against the wall of the rickshaw.

Suddenly the richshaw’s driver tittered.

I looked and my eyes rested on Quasimodo. His hump oddly compelling and no one could see me so I looked. The children were poking him… taunting him. One went to bite his leg. That’s when it burst out involuntarily. “Stoppit!” Within seconds the little tormentors swarmed my rickshaw. I turned blind eyed and thin lipped. They gave up within five minutes. The heat was too much even for them and they scattered listlessly meandering and converged without words like lab rats on the hump-backed boy, whispering. I wiped the sweat from my upper lip and…

Then… this. “Aunty naaaaa..” He turns down his mouth so far a laugh bubbles up from inside me. His eyes look up at me and for one minute he is just a little boy… not a guilt I have to pay to go away, not society’s nagging shame… not a problem. “Smile” I try not barking this time. And he does. His broken, twisted cruel joke of a body defied. “Wait… No… no paisa…” I reach into my bag and pull out a bottle of cold water. Well cool. And a small bag of peppermints.

Out of the corner of my eye I see the other children crane their necks and squawk. He puts the sweets in his pocket and takes the water and drinks a little before carefully capping it. He looks at me. No thank you. I nod. He nods. Then swaggers back to his friends and begins doling out the sweets like a little don…doling out a couple of kicks for good measure now and then. But the water… the water he keeps out of reach. The rickshaw clatters alive and they’re gone.

Two weeks later and I’m stuck in traffic again. The rains have come. It is pouring. Why is it so bloody wet? Nothing is moving. This is why we take so long to progress. Who can do anything in these rains? I light a cigarette, leaning back and inching towards the middle of the seat. A cool, fine spray mists everything… Then I see him… Quasimodo. He is traipsing barefoot blithely, hopping from the island to the puddles below then back up… His little ugly, mistaken body dancing in the rains with the joy of birds… He is alone this time… no friends, no shirt. But he still has the bottle… And it is full.

– Una D’Cunah

Out of the corner of my eye I see the other children crane their necks and squawk. He puts the sweets in his pocket and takes the water and drinks a little before carefully capping it. He looks at me. No thank you. I nod. He nods. Then swaggers back to his friends and begins doling out the sweets like a little don…doling out a couple of kicks for good measure now and then. But the water… the water he keeps out of reach. The rickshaw clatters alive and they’re gone.

Two weeks later and I’m stuck in traffic again. The rains have come. It is pouring. Why is it so bloody wet? Nothing is moving. This is why we take so long to progress. Who can do anything in these rains? I light a cigarette, leaning back and inching towards the middle of the seat. A cool, fine spray mists everything… Then I see him… Quasimodo. He is traipsing barefoot blithely, hopping from the island to the puddles below then back up… His little ugly, mistaken body dancing in the rains with the joy of birds… He is alone this time… no friends, no shirt. But he still has the bottle… And it is full.

Rainy Day Feature

Monsoon mane and style tips

The rains are here so you can finally have an official culprit for your bad hair days. But, if you’re mane worry is your hair; we suggest you follow these tips from Rohit Daya, expert stylist from L’Oreal, on how to tame your hair this monsoon. Rohit says, “If your hair gets wet in the rains it’s not necessary to wash it, since it won’t get damaged. But if you feel it’s gotten dirty then try to, because the rains are the perfect time for nits and lice to flourish.” Rick Roy also gives us some style tips.

FOR LONG HAIR:

Hair is super frizzy this time of year so make sure to use some product to tame the fly always and frizz. You should use a light mousse as well as a shine serum. Rohit recommends you try: Lisse Ultime. If all else fails tie it up and use a hairband.

FOR SHORTER HAIR:

Opt for a cream that offers some control and a serum to tame the stubborn frizz. Use a lot of clips to keep it in shape. Wetter, lighter, unkempt looks are in.

STRICTLY AVOID:

Any sort of chemical treatment. This is the worst time to bond or perm your hair.

BEAUTY TIPS:

Celebrity stylist Rick Roy gives us some tips beauty essentials for the rains. For women, waterproof mascara is a must. Don’t buy smaller brands as they aren’t as effective. Try L’Oreal or MAC. Keep your face properly cleansed as this is perfect time for fungal infections, use a good face wash- try the Indian brands as they are better suited. Avoid dolling up too much because make up will run. Instead, keep it fresh and clean.

In terms of clothes and footwear opt for bright colours to contrast with the gloom.

AVOID:

White! It’s just a bad idea. Flip flops are a no-no because they will stain any outfit with muck.

The Perfect Rainy Day recipe

Pali Market has a glut of ‘thai’ ingredients. In addition to karfir lemons (very similar to Bengali lemons) there’s new types of mushrooms, crisp snow peas and asparagus and lots of bright new greens. So we put a bunch of aromatics to make a lovely rainy day soup.

‘HOW GREEN IS MY SOUP’ INGREDIENTS:

1 kafir lime (zest grated and juice), 3/4 sprigs of fresh lemongrass 4/5 kafir lime leaves, 2 bird chilie, a few scrapes of galangal or ginger abt a tsp baby corn, asparagus, button mushrooms, shiitake & oyster (soaked in boiling water for a bit and then squeezed out), onion or spring onion – cut into about 1cm bits, basil (about 10 leaves), coriander… small bunch celery couple of stalks with some of the leaves, all finely chopped

In a heavy pot with a heavy lid sautee the star anise, onion and celery till translucent. Then add boiling water or stock. Turn it down to simmer and chuck all your ingredients in except the corn, asparagus, basil and coriander leaves. Don’t add salt.

Bring it down to a low low simmer and let all the flavours meld. About 10 minutes later, throw in the corn.

This would be the time you’d throw in some finely sliced chicken as well if you’re non-veggie. Splash some soy sauce in

and taste for ‘salt’. Bring it to brisk bubble but not a violent boil. Throw in your asparagus (or prawns), torn basil and coriander leaves. Test for salt one more time and take a call on whether it could do with a little more soy. Turn off the heat. Shut the lid and leave it until the asparagus is cooked but has bite. (about 5 mins)
Eat plain or on top of a few noodles.

OPTIONAL: (you can add fresh shrimp to this soup… or throw in a chicken stock cube and add some chicken as well…)

– Glutton dressed as lamb

The Best Raw Deals in Bandra

After receiving a couple of mails asking us about places where you can get sushi in Bandra, we do the needful….

GLOBAL FUSION: Global Fusion by far, gets the most number of votes. They have sashimi and sushi rolls as well as a surprisingly good vegetarian counter. Regular Shivani Kagit says, “I have taken non-sushi people there and they have had at least two helpings.” The best part is that the sushi won’t leave a hole in your pocket at Rs. 800 for the buffet inclusive of soft drinks and taxes.

VISTA AT TAJ LANDS END: A little on the high end, there is a vegetarian as well as non-vegetarian sushi counter which has at least 6 varieties each. The tricky thing is that they don’t always have sushi so if you are planning a brunch check in advance. Brunch will set you back Rs. 2000 (inclusive of taxes). Contact: 66681234

SANTE: The deli sells it per tray. Asparagus/ avocado sushi is Rs.180 for a pack of 6 and salmon, tuna, crab or shrimp sushi is approximately Rs. 210 per tray. Regulars at the deli say that the portions are quite small, so the pricing is a bit steep. Sushi is only available on Friday’s at Saturdays.

Contact: 26402126

TABLE OF CONTENTS: We love that TOC will let you pick up even just a single piece of sushi. The vegetarian variety (peppers, avocado etc) is Rs.24 per piece while the non-vegetarian kind with salmon, tuna or chicken costs Rs.28. Sushi lovers say that the flavour is average to pretty authentic but it definitely scores in the value-for-money category. TOC owner says, “Sushi is just catching on here and people come here to try it out.” Contact: 67308914

OTHER PLACES:
Candies: Initially the sushi used to be quite but it has improved drastically.

Patel Stores: Nicely styled but it’s always vegetarian and that’s no fun. Best avoided.

Basilico: Nice variety here. They have pickled vegetables, asparagus cream cheese, spicy tuna, salmon and chicken sushi all priced at Rs.450-650 for 8-9 pieces. Home delivery available.
Contact: 67039999

Sushi King: They home deliver sushi and tempura

Contact: 9833650503

– Glynda Alves

Steaming momos, hot fudge brownie and more

Carter Road has got a mini food court which we think is perfect for the rainy weather. The sheltered area currently has five stalls with the two newest additions being Momo Station and Bombay Likes. The other stalls are the well established Brownie Cottage, Gogola and Tibbs Frankie Stall.

Momo Station serves steaming momo’s in vegetarian and non-vegetarian. They’re nicely priced at Rs.70 for a plate of 6 and are super value for money. The combination of hot momo’s and rainy weather saw many people stop by for a plate… but service still remained prompt. Their spicy chicken momo’s were soft, fluffy and generously filled. Momo Station also serves nuggets, fries and other side dishes. Opt for their combo meal for Rs.140 which includes a side dish, a plate of momo’s and a soft drink.

Bombay Likes serves fast food: burgers (Rs. 35- 75), pizzas (Rs.120-150), sandwiches (Rs.35-70), juices, “cleansers”, healthy (sounding) salads and more. Their 10 inch spicy chicken pizza for Rs.120 was nice (not enough spicy chicken though), but we feel that this stall is a little over priced.

This mini food court will probably be a bigger hit with drive-through customers due to the lack of seating (only about 12 chairs). Overall, a nice place to drop by for some hot food on a rainy day.

Jazz, Rap and Hip Hop for kids

Dance classes seem to becoming popular these days, but with so many popping up all over its hard to know who’s is good and who’s isn’t. We found someone who’s been taking dance classes for over 17 years but what we love about his dance classes are that he has a special batch for those aged 4yrs and  above. Brian says, “Kids at this age pick up moves fast, I teach them the basics in Jazz, Rap and Hip Hop and then if they want further their interest, I also have intermediate courses.These classes instill a feeling of self worth, confidence,integrity and allows children to be children, as it should be,” says Brian. So if you have toddlers who want to learn dance then here’s the place to send them. Where: Brian’s Academy of Dance, Saisa, Pali naka,
Contact: 9820010100, http://dancebrian.com

The Write Way

Mark Twain said, “The time to begin writing an article is when you have finished it to your satisfaction. By that time you begin to clearly and logically perceive what it is you really want to say.” If this quote of his makes sense to you then you’re a writer, if not then Sapna Sawanc is here to help you. She conducts writing workshops where you can learn how to write articles for newspapers and magazines focusing on self editing, structure, narrative and descriptive writing, interviewing skills and script writing. “I conduct 10 sessions over 5 days,” says Sapna. Sapna has been in the media field for 21yrs and has written for Times of India, DNA, Magna publications, etc.

For more details on batches: Contact her on 9820119421, Cost of the course: Rs.5,000

Soccer Challenge

The rains are here and you know what that means, it’s football time! This Sunday Bandra will host one of the biggest rink football tournaments which will see teams from all over Mumbai play. Organised by Synchronicity Promotions, this tournament has over 50 teams competing and from Bandra it looks like Companeros, Bandra Packers, Celebrity and Chimbai will be participating. Organiser Ashley Burroughs says, “This is the first time we are having an event with so many teams participating and it’s going to be a lot of fun. We also plan to make it an annual event.” Winners get a cool Rs.10,000 and runners up get Rs.7,000. This Sunday is the first round with the finals on the 5th of July, so take a walk down and watch the teams battle it out.
Where: St. Andrews Quadrangle, When: Sunday 28th 8am to 6pm

Frozen Yoghurt at Cocoberry

‘Indians are natural yogurt eaters,” says Sumit Suneja, retailer for Cocoberry. But if yogurt as a dessert option raises a few eyebrows we’re sure you’ll be converted once you give it a try. Because Cocoberry berry berry nice. This is Mumbai’s first outlet and already it’s doing pretty well, in spite of the rains. They serve the original yogurt as flavoured yogurt with the option of adding toppings. These include the “Exotic” blueberries, raspberries, kiwi etc and “Regular” consisting of chocolate chips, caramel and seasonal fruit. Cocoberry also serve pita sandwiches, jumbo sandwiches (Rs.129-169), smoothies and hot drinks. The yogurt is delicious, and combined with toppings is a tart and sweet delight. And the best part is… it’s 100% fat free.

Where: Opp Gold’s Gym, Pali Road, Cost: Rs.79 for a small cup onward