Phoren return… alli re alli!

If anyone were to ask me - how does it feel to be back in the motherland after 2 years?

I would say – There is no home like the one you’ve got because that home belongs to you.

I was supposed to land on the 3rd of October but due to unforeseen circumstances, I landed two days later. I remember people telling me how awful things are supposedly in Mumbai, what with the pollution, the garbage and not to forget the crowd! I was also warned about the Mumbai smell that would welcome me when my plane was landing. Sorry guys, either my sense of smell was off because all I got was a whiff of cabin crew.

I remember sitting and waiting anxiously for the plane to touch base and tears entering my eyes as my mind went back to the day I was leaving. I remember all the people who came and helped relieve me of my excess clothes, jewelry and shoes. And let’s not forget those who helped me pack 22 years of my life in two suitcases which had to weigh 46 kgs in all. Do not ask how many times my bags popped open and how much they actually weighed at the airport.

With a jolt I came back to earth when I heard the plane had landed safely. After collecting my luggage, I had my first argument with a fellow Indian who was trying to wiggle through customs by breaking the line. I knew I was back in India but this time the old me was gone. I will not say living abroad did not do me any good, because one thing I learned – if you’re gonna go down, go down with a fight. So I went up and patting him on the back said, “Excuse me, do you think all these people including me are fools to wait in a line at 4 in the morning?” He apologized and went back and joined the line. While I felt liberated I was a little shaky after that.

Got home by six and barely slept because there was so much to experience. I mean seeing the watchman to the neighbourhood dog who still slept outside our home; things did not seem to have changed, although change seems to have been the mandate of the government these last two years.

Has anyone been to the airport recently? They definitely have made an effort to make it look spectacular and I for one laude their efforts. The next few days were just a whole unraveling process of me drinking in everything Mumbai had to offer. To begin with, it is still impossible to catch a Santosh Nagar bus at whatever time of the day and no one told me the Golkuldham bus doesn’t travel outside Gokuldham anymore. I waited for the bus for a good 45 minutes till I got fed up and travelled by rickshaw. After that the train ticket ka line was hilariously huge but I finally got a ticket and headed for the 9:31 Goregaon local. Since then I have learned that a booklet can save you time. With my jeans rolled up, my bag in front of me, I got ready to jump into a moving train. Mind you I am not only out of shape but out of practice as well. I don’t think I did badly – third seat mila re… Chalel ka????? Hahaha.

I love our Mumbai trains. Forget about the body smells, the crowd, there is just something about entering our trains which just gets me smiling all the time. There was a day I was coming back by a Borivali fast and was hanging outside. The train was horribly slow till Bandra and then it just ran like the wind till Goregaon. I think I literally looked like one of those dogs you see on TV who sticks its head out of a moving car. With the wind on my cheeks I was grinning like an idiot and did not care that people were giving me the ‘what is wrong with this girl’ look.
People have changed as well. All the kids I knew have grown vertically while I grew sideways. The hawkers may have diminished but malls selling what the hawkers would sell at double the cost are all around us. Bargaining is another thing I missed. It was amazing travelling through South Mumbai and visiting Fort, Crawford Market and the Queen’s Necklace.

Most of all it is a blessed feeling to be back to the place I call home and the people I call family. The memory of my last two Christmas’s has left me wanting more. So for me this Christmas is going to be extra special because I will be putting in the extra effort needed to make it spectacular. It will not be a material Christmas like the West makes it out to be, but a CHRIST filled Christmas.
I hope this Christmas is as special to you as it will be for me.

From my family to yours - A Happy and Joyful Christmas.


<3

One month

... has gone by. Weird in its own way. So many things have happened and so many changes have taken place. I do not even think I am ready for all these changes. I have 4 options...lol... never ever had that happening to me before. Still not interested. Getting down to putting ME first. MY feelings and MY needs before anyone else. Trying and thinking positive thoughts is easy now with so much of light, goodwill and sunshine radiating from like minded people.

Happy Happy Happy as can be.

Why are you then not here with me???

Come celebrate what we call Life... for it is Free.

Peace Out,

Chel-C

Of all the animals in the zoo, parley-vous, Of all the animals in the zoo...

PARLEY-VOUS!!!

Who doesn't love the zoo? OK Maria, I know you hate it because you'd have two children to look after, your daughter and husband BUT STILL!!!

Those who know me will remember my 20^th birthday where I accomplished my Mumbai Darshan by taking in a few of the sights and sounds of my beloved city, ending it with eating two huge meals at McDonald’s. Pure bliss I tell you! Unfortunately I have no written record of this adventurous experience which I regret but I will be making that journey again so will keep you posted!

Celebrating 2009 – Year of the Gorilla, the Toronto Zoo blew me out of my mind with everything – the geographical locations from where the animals came, the habitats prepared for them to settle in, the exhibits, the information and the animals themselves were a sight to behold. I mean I do not know who had a longer jaw, me or the gorillas; my mouth was open half the time absorbing all the animals that live on Mother Earth.

*Fun fact – Did you know Gorillas are the third closest relative to humans after Bonobos and Chimpanzees?

Many animals at the Toronto Zoo are on the endangered animals list. Yet the treatment meted out to them is as close to VIP as you can get. Staff and volunteers are very close to these kindred spirits and the feeling is mutual. The Toronto Zoo celebrating 35 years since its inception has some fauna that have been with them for a very long time.

So where do I begin? I guess from the beginning of my journey – I left at 7 am. How long was the journey you ask? Bus + bus + subway + subway + bus = Toronto Zoo. About three hours. Since I was alone, the journey pleasant since I had my music, my camera and my eyes to observe all that Toronto has to showcase.

I got off the bus and the first thing I notice is a Canadian goose at the gate welcoming everyone by squawking and nipping at anyone who got too close. While observing her I moved on to stand in line to get a ticket. They gave me a map and instructions on what attractions the zoo had to offer. It brought back fond memories of school Esselworld trips and the map we’d get at the entrance. So I walk in and I see three lanes – left, straight and right – which way???

Finally, I decided to go straight since I heard a kid shout - ELEPHANT! *like I haven’t seen any before*

I will not give you a blow by blow account of every step I took at the zoo – but there were a couple of things I found fascinating and really touching at this humane and naturally peaceful place.

I noticed families, groups from schools and kindergarten kids, people with physical disabilities – all were welcome and treated with courtesy and respect. Then there were the animals and all this huge open land for them to walk around carefree – I mean they were in an enclosure but a huge one so as to not feel claustrophobic. I think the giraffe had a better joint than my place. He he he.

I also figured that I no longer feel the need to go to Australia or the North Pole – I mean I saw the kangaroos and the polar bear – the natives usually come to India so I don’t think I am missing anything huge!

They also had a lovely animal show where a couple of them performed. The audience I have to say was amazing and uttered the OOOHHHHHSsssss and AAAHHHHHHHSssss in all the right places. They had ferrets, a falcon, a donkey, a parrot and even a skunk who did some cool tricks and there was this bird (don’t remember the name unfortunately) who did a small skit on recycling plastic. All in all it was a stellar performance.

Oh and I have to end with me saying I touched like a MILLION stingray! They were cute and had soft skin and just adorable. They had their stings cut, very similar it seems to how we cut our nails.

*Fun fact – If you cut the sting of the stingray – it takes about six months to grow back!

That was their special exhibit along with the sharks. There were four of the latter but only one was sporty enough to let us touch him/her. I was one of the lucky few – Touched it three times too and yet hear I am – alive to tell the tale… Chelsea – the Shark Toucher! :D

Hinky-dinky, parlez-vous!

p.s: I will be posting more videos of my trip to the zoo... keep checking!

Happy Birthday Beautiful...

Dear Beauty,

I have known you since time began to count. I have seen you in good times and in bad and yet till date you have never disappointed me. You are true to your self, and no matter the amount of bad advice I have given you - you have chosen the right way, the bigger person way. I can only look up to you and admire you from afar because I cannot take the chances that you take. Call me Chicken :)

You have been in my room since the day I landed in this forlorn country- right next to Christ and my family.

I see you as the bright star that you really are, who always has some wisdom to share when I look outside my window late at night, trying to find some peace.

Now I know I have not been the best of sisters, I do know this because besides you I have received a million other complaints from millions of others. Somehow you get through to me. But I do push you to test our friendship to the limit - blame Hollywood and the "stick by your friend" messages that have been shoved in my face for God knows how long.

I do not deserve your patience nor your forgiveness as to the way I have treated you these two years - like a random nobody. You are a somebody to me. A very close someone who matters a great deal and some.

You gave me SMILE :D - I have it with me in Canada and it has healed a very down heart often.

I know you and me have gone round the bend a couple of times, always somehow putting on a facade because that is what everyone expects of us. I am tired of it honestly hence I quit the race. By that I do not mean I am anti-social it's just that I have a lot of things to sort out in my closest and I beseech you to give me this space to get my life back on track so that I may be a better person to myself and to you when you come home.

I hope the UK experience is everything you could have ever wanted and even more.

I end with the best wishes I could give you from the depths of my being - wishing you to make the right choices, to be the best that God made you to be and to add value to your life by fulfilling your destiny and by choosing your own path in life no matter where it leads you.

Happy Birthday.

I miss you, more than you ever care to know.

From a lost and lonely soul,

The Beast.


"You were my strength when I was weak
You were my voice when I couldn't speak
You were my eyes when I couldn't see
You saw the best there was in me
Lifted me up when I couldn't reach
You gave me faith 'coz you believed
I'm everything I am
Because you loved me"