This post was written by Sujatha’s late daughter, Minnie, who also enjoyed to write! In honor of her birthday, we’d like to share these short excerpts from her first few weeks in Mumbai

Week 1

I know you have been asking how I feel after this big move. Honestly it has not sunk in, but slowly and surely, as I look out of the window on the drive to work, I do realize that it is a big change. The honking cars and slow traffic are definitely designed to keep the ‘less patient’ ones on edge. My first lesson therefore is, “be patient and be cool – all in good time,” something I need to learn anyway!

Next one is Food – plenty of it and all the time! Indian hospitality is based on food and the endless cups of “chai.” I am so happy that I have migrated to a “green tea” regime. Already my clothes have got tight and I see a horrific 4 kgs more on the scale. Of course, they have all piled up over the last few months and so Mumbai is not to blame I guess!

Next has been the great office hierarchy experience. I am slowly beginning to enjoy that the pecking order is clearly established by who you are. However ‘private’ the organization is the VP jumps when president calls and my GM jumps when I call. He is truly surprised when I use phrases like “do you think you can help me?” He was aghast. He said, “of course – it is my pleasure” and then they use archaic English terms like “can you grace the occasion?” etc. I was amused initially but now beginning to revel in it! I am enjoying my secretary’s (Regina D’Souza’s) query on whether I want tea or coffee every morning. Then is the endless list of helpers, from security guard to watchman to IT help desk, who keep whispering to each other that the “Head of IT has joined” and then flash me an ingratiating smile. I try hard not to be pleasant and friendly. I have been told “familiarity breeds contempt“ !

As much as I enjoy it, I realize I have to do the same and so when I met the President and my boss, Mr  Jain, I quickly switched to Hindi, established some connections on Jaipur, etc. Asked him whether he can join Arvind and myself for a drink and flashed as ingratiating a smile as well as I could! In any case, “When in Rome… “ So far.. so good.

Best of all is the proximity to family. It’s great to be able to talk to Sadhana, Uma, every day. Not to mention Appa who I speak to a couple of times and meet almost daily!

3 days in Mumbai has been tiring, difficult but equally – if one can be a bit relaxed about it – enjoyable and great to be back to the world of privileges and family ties!

Week 2

As  the days pass, the euphoria wears off and gives way to realities of Mumbai life. With Appa needing constant medical care, what stands out in memory are the hospital and doctor visits.

The private doc visit started off innocuously enough with an appointment. True to Dubai form, I planned enough time for traffic, picked up Appa and was there 15 min before scheduled time. OMG, that was mistake #1! The receptionist smiled and said “first time – eh?” and I nodded eagerly. However all that smile meant was “poor you – actually the doc won’t show up for an hour”! We then tried to squeeze into the pokey little waiting room which served 4 docs (whose nameplate did not match the doc as they are shared rooms). The receptionist cum admin assistant was desperately trying to change one of the nameplates which was stuck! She gave up and it did not seem to matter to the straggly crowd of 5!

My father, being the fidgety and chatty sort, tried to strike up a conversation with the receptionist with some age old references. It soon fizzled out as neither could remember whom they were talking about to begin with.  Then my father moved onto the next waiting patient.  She was a young girl waiting for the dentist.  Minutes ticked by slowly – the waiting rooms do not boast of reading material of any sort! The only  comic relief being Appa. When he was not talking, he wanted water. When he was not drinking water or chatting, he wanted to pee! Boy – this was not at all what I had bargained for! 

Finally, the doc arrived and Appa being Appa loudly announced that he looked too fat and what kind of a doctor does not look after himself? I was a bit mortified. After all, he had been recommended by a friend  and I did not want to jeopardize the consultation.  We were told to follow him and so we did. But he was fat! Ge got into his room sideways. His size and the small rooms just did not match. In approximately 5 minutes, while my father did most of the talking, he wrote out a battery of tests! Both of us felt cheated – 90 minutes of waiting and all we got were a list of tests. Then my father he insisted he do something for the pain. “What pain?” he said. Apparently he had not heard any of my father’s tirade!

He quickly wrote out some painkillers and we left, only to realize we had started a chain of events – visits and tests which have not yet ended.

I cannot end without describing the hospital experience. OMG – private medical care is something, but the hospital is another ball game. There are tokens to be taken early morning for the afternoon visit –never ending waits for less than 120 seconds of an actual doctor’s time!

All in all probably the beginning of fun times in Mumbai…