Wednesday Morning ---
Our shipment arrived yesterday, and almost all is intact. So, we are pleased and feeling a bit more at home in our apartment. (We finally have coffee mugs!)
Of course, we didn't send much furniture, or at least not much practical, usable furniture for sitting or sleeping. Hence, we have been doing a lot of shopping - furniture and otherwise. In the States, the shopping is fairly straight-forward - you head to any number of shopping malls, plazas, large supermarkets, and you buy what you need. It's not quite that simple here. Part of the difference is really just due to this being a large city: it's not as easy to get around NYC to go furniture shopping as it is Framingham/Natick. However, a large part of the complication around here is not just the traffic, but the driving directions and addresses.
Almost all addresses are given as
Place
Building #1
Street Name, only sometimes a block number or letter
Opp Building name #2 (meaning opposite building #2)
Region of Mumbai
But, this is not enough to get you to many of the places. You also need to know another landmark as well as the two or possible three phone numbers attached with the place. (Most people have 2 mobile numbers and most businesses seem to have 2 landlines - I guess due to coverage issues.) In one area, the local landmark is the "KFC Corner". Well, i don't know what happens when Kentucky Fried is no longer popular here... Our landmark for our 2 towers (tallest buildings in Mumbai in 2011 - which you would think would be landmark enough) is A/C Market. It's not because they sell A/Cs there, but i was told it was because it was an air-conditioned market - and advertised that way.
But if landmarks are enough, keep those 2 or 3 phone numbers handy because if your driver can't find the building by its name and street and landmark, then the shop owner will usually ask to speak to your driver to give him directions. Often it takes 2 or 3 calls to finally find the little alley or road that you drive down to find the furniture shop in the basement of the building. Some places even advertise their directions as "when you get to X spot, call xxx and we will give directions to your driver". When you go to coffee at another person's home, quite often they will say "have your driver call my driver to find out where we are".
Thus, me, the map reader, is completely reliant on my driver to get me to many of the tucked-away places where I have enjoyed looking at furniture. Thank goodness he is a patient and kind man!
We are really enjoying our time here; there has been plenty to experience!
Our shipment arrived yesterday, and almost all is intact. So, we are pleased and feeling a bit more at home in our apartment. (We finally have coffee mugs!)
Of course, we didn't send much furniture, or at least not much practical, usable furniture for sitting or sleeping. Hence, we have been doing a lot of shopping - furniture and otherwise. In the States, the shopping is fairly straight-forward - you head to any number of shopping malls, plazas, large supermarkets, and you buy what you need. It's not quite that simple here. Part of the difference is really just due to this being a large city: it's not as easy to get around NYC to go furniture shopping as it is Framingham/Natick. However, a large part of the complication around here is not just the traffic, but the driving directions and addresses.
Almost all addresses are given as
Place
Building #1
Street Name, only sometimes a block number or letter
Opp Building name #2 (meaning opposite building #2)
Region of Mumbai
But, this is not enough to get you to many of the places. You also need to know another landmark as well as the two or possible three phone numbers attached with the place. (Most people have 2 mobile numbers and most businesses seem to have 2 landlines - I guess due to coverage issues.) In one area, the local landmark is the "KFC Corner". Well, i don't know what happens when Kentucky Fried is no longer popular here... Our landmark for our 2 towers (tallest buildings in Mumbai in 2011 - which you would think would be landmark enough) is A/C Market. It's not because they sell A/Cs there, but i was told it was because it was an air-conditioned market - and advertised that way.
But if landmarks are enough, keep those 2 or 3 phone numbers handy because if your driver can't find the building by its name and street and landmark, then the shop owner will usually ask to speak to your driver to give him directions. Often it takes 2 or 3 calls to finally find the little alley or road that you drive down to find the furniture shop in the basement of the building. Some places even advertise their directions as "when you get to X spot, call xxx and we will give directions to your driver". When you go to coffee at another person's home, quite often they will say "have your driver call my driver to find out where we are".
Thus, me, the map reader, is completely reliant on my driver to get me to many of the tucked-away places where I have enjoyed looking at furniture. Thank goodness he is a patient and kind man!
We are really enjoying our time here; there has been plenty to experience!
I am really enjoying your blog posts! Such interesting "slices of life" in India!
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