Skin Colour Madness

I read this article in the Mumbai Mirror and had to share.

Most people in India are obsessed with the color of their skin.

This article is an example of the madness that has come over them.

On TV there are ads that convince you that you can have whiter skin by using this cream or that soap.


These young girls died because of a countries obsession with something they really cant have.


Now I know you will say that we in the west are obsessed with darker skin or not having any wrinkles.

I agree with you, but those things don't dictate who you will marry or what job you will get.

It is a shame that we are still trying to get things we don't have and don't appreciate ourselves for what we are. I am glad I am who I am.

The Trip to the Post Office - 3hrs later

Today I went to the post office to send Shante her birthday present.

3 hrs later I was heading home, exhasted and thirsty!

Here is what happened. Amelia and I headed out with our parcel and then caught a rickshaw to the post office, Amelia negotiated with them to see what we needed to do...............not being able to talk Hindi is a real draw back.

We needed to go to a dressmaker to get him to sew a cover for the parcel as they don't have parcel bags like in Australia. So off we went looking for someone. We finally found someone but he was at the post office doing his own mail....lol. So we waited about 15mins when someone at his shop gave him a call, he said he would be awhile and to come back.

So Emelia and I decided to go to Inorbit Mall to pick up bread (this is the only place that bake fresh and have bread regular size near us). While we were there I went to Cartridge World to re-ink my Dell cartridge............guess what you can't re-ink them and you cant even buy them here in India, even through Dell......agggghhhh!

So back into a rickshaw and back to the dressmaker.............he was there, so Emelia told him what we wanted and off to work he went. That is him in the picture.

After that we had to find a Xerox place to photo copy the paper work 3 times and then a stationery place to get a plastic sleeve to add to the parcel............a strange way to post a parcel.

Then is was back to the post office to wait in line again. Finally at the front of the line and Emelia once again does all the talking. We send it speed mail to get it there in 4 days (I wonder if that will happen), I pay my 767 rupees, which is $25 so I hope it does get there in 4 days.

Then we go home...........in a rickshaw.................tired and thirsty!

Here is the outfit I sent Shante for her 6th Birthday.

Emelia - The new housekeeper

I know, I haven't written for awhile and today I have published 3 items, oh well, that's the way it is I suppose..................I was a bit down, culture shock and adjustments and all. Feeling a bit better now, so back to it!!


This is Emelia, she is the Auntie of Nataline (the former housekeeper). She started just over a week ago, after Nataline finished. Nataline's son who is 5 was giving her lots of trouble so she finished up.

I love Emelia, even though Nataline was lovely, Emelia is a gentle soul, she diligently does her work and is proactive, which I love. She is a great cook too, Jason loves her chicken curry.

Emelia has worked for other Westerners and has even lived in Dubai and Switzerland. She has a 6 year old son who wants to be an engineer.

Subzi - Hindi for Vegetables

Every Monday and Thursday the Subzi Wala (vegetable man) comes to my home. There are three of them, a husband and wife, Ramesh and Rohini. They do all the selling and the other guy does the money transaction.

This is what I purchased today, it only cost me 580 rupees. Which in Australian money would be $18.83.

This is what I bought
3 cucumbers, 1 cauliflower, 1 kg peas, 2kg tomatoes, 2 capsicums (red and yellow), 1kg beans, 250g mushrooms, 2kg potatoes, 2kg onions, 1 large bunch of coriander, 4 corn, 6 apples, 4 pomegranates, 6 lemons, 1 egg plant, 1 pineapple (peeled), 12 ladyfinger bananas, 6 garlic, 3 ginger.

Australia Day

On Australia Day, Jason, Beth, Keira and I all went to a function put on by the a expat Australian and New Zealand group at the Four Seasons Hotel in Mumbai. We enjoyed ourselves immensely as we were in real need of a sanity break from India. It was good to talk to other aussies and token aussies.

Here is Jason and Keira in the gardens of the Four Season Hotel in Mumbai. I took this picture because of the disparity of the rich and poor in the picture, you can see by the background that there is an apartment that is quite poor (actually its relatively opulent compared to other accommodation), but the gardens of the Four Season's are lovely.

I will add some other pictures of the grounds for you to see.

Auto Rickshaw

This is an auto rickshaw that we get around in here in Mumbai. They are a very effective and cost efficient method of getting from point A to point B. There only down fall is that they only carry 3 passengers at the max. Although I have seen more than that in them, this is unusual. My family can only fit 3, but hey we are bigger than the average Indian.


When traveling in one of these contraptions you need to have your hair either tided up or you need to do something else to deal with the wind whipping through your hair. So here is a picture of my solution as I don't like to pull my hair up.

As you can see my hair that has escaped my shawl is whipping around. Thanks Pam for the lovely shawl you gave me from Cambodia, I am getting lots of use of it here.

Just For John

We attended church this morning in a place called Powai. The churches name is "The Church at Powai". Fairly simple hey!

I was better than a few other places we have been and I think it will become our home church while here in Mumbai. It takes us about 20-25 mins to get there by rickshaw. They have a youth group that the girls will check out over the next couple of weeks.

After church we went for lunch at KFC will all the other expats that attend the church, some work with Jason but not all. One guy has just started lecturing at IIT, which is like a uni, here I think anyway. Beth and Keira then went shopping with Ester, Krista and one other girl, cant remember her name right now. They were taking them clothes shopping and educating them how to barter.

After the girls left Jason and I went for a stroll around Powai. Powai is a planned suburb here in Mumbai so there is a little order to it compared with the rest of Mumbai anyway.

Papa Johns
While walking we found a little pizza restaurant that John will appreciate, cause this is the name the girls used to call him when they were little. Jason and I had a laugh about its name.

You will notice the pictures show both the english name and the name in Hindi. Might have lunch there next time we are in Powai and see if they are any good.