the.long.drift

a rolling journey of surreal adventures involving jugaad

[thelongdrift]

When it's time for a #nap, any place will do #sleep #Bangkok #labour #sweetdreams

[thelongdrift]

Not saying there's anything wrong with a post-meal #nap, but clearly #lunch was better than present company. Kudos to the chef and lady, you either need to work on your conversational skills or find another lunch date. #sleep (at Ari Soi 4)

[thelongdrift]

Different worlds, separated by just an alley #Bangkok #childhood #woman

[thelongdrift]

You hear them before you see them, that upbeat and peppy melody that promises a world of pleasure, especially on a sweltering afternoon like today. With an ice cream in your hand, the world is alright again. #Bangkok #icecream (at บางแสน จ.ชลบุรี)

[thelongdrift]

When the photographer becomes the photographed - these two insisted on taking a photo with me after I took some shots of them. Guess it's a fair exchange in some way :) (at Yaowarat Road)

[thelongdrift]

A long-time resident in a neighbourhood that has suddenly gone "hip" tries to understand why it took everyone else so long to reach this conclusion #yaowarat #Bangkok (at สถานีรถไฟหัวลำโพง : Hualampong Station : バンコク中央駅)

[thelongdrift]

Our latest display piece is definitely one of a kind and knows it too #catsofinstagram #cat #maew #Bangkok (at Baan Stinky, Aree)

[thelongdrift]

There are certain traditions that one has to upkeep, regardless of the location, circumstance or company. In my wife's case, it's a trip to the doctor. This time though she outdid herself with a visit on the second day of our move to #Bangkok. Guess everyone was so eager to welcome us, including the mystery insect which gave her such a great love bite that caused her right foot to swell up to twice it's normal size. #nurse #hospital #thailand

[thelongdrift]

This is Shabna, who runs a stall that sells eggciting treats such as freshly cooked omelettes, egg bhurji (scrambled eggs) and egg rolls. She's the only female among a collection of stalls but stands out because she always has a smile, offers homemade chutney and delivers quick and delicious dishes at very reasonable prices. She may work tirelessly from 8 in the morning till 10 at night but she always maintains a cheery disposition and that positive attitude comes across in her food too. Shabna often has relatives, young and old, stopping by to lend her a hand and also just to chat between the busy periods. It has been a joy to patronise her stall and support her entrepreneurial efforts. You can find her tucked away at the entrance of a small lane next to the Five Spice restaurant in Pali Naka in #bandra. #everydaymumbai #dailylifeindia #peopleinmyneighbourhood #woman #labour

[thelongdrift]

This is Mukhtar, a magician with the needle and thread. #Tailors are a dime a dozen in #mumbai but finding a trustworthy, reliable and talented one is harder than getting onto a Mumbai train at peak hour. I was told the reason I wasn't getting my clothes tailored on time (or at all, really) was because I wasn't aggressive and pushy enough as that's the only way things get done here. It's not the way we live and thankfully this Masterji proved that treating people with respect and kindness is still the best philosophy for us. He's always earnestly measuring up different materials, telling me "nothing is impossible" when it comes to design and alterations and giving me my clothing before the deadline. He recently moved from operating from the corridor of a shop to having his own place in #bandra. Testament to the kind of man that he is, there is no signboard but the customers keep coming. #everydaymumbai #dailylifeindia #peopleinmyneighbourhood #labour

[thelongdrift]

We have been so spoilt by the vast array of choices in #fruits and #vegetables in #mumbai - seasonal produce here at its peak is truly glorious. @vivpix is delirious that I've become more receptive to the idea of greens (the horror, I know) but honestly it's hard not to appreciate the flavours of good, locally sourced veggies. Here are some of our current favourites - incredibly ripe, sweet and juicy cherry #tomatoes and pungent and shiny red #onions. These ingredients shone through in the panzanella we made today for dinner.

[thelongdrift]

These are the boys of Mark's, a butcher's shop we patronise almost on a daily basis in #bandra. Every single person in the shop has shown us such kindness and given us fond memories to hold onto forever. The heart and soul of the operations is Nancy Aunty, the sweetest ladyboss ever, who found it in her heart to take this lost soul sari shopping in Dadar, exchanges recipes with @vivpix and exasperates her delivery boys as she takes her time to give them change while talking up a storm with customers. Her husband Clancy generously let me live on credit for two weeks when funds were low. And of course her amazing employees, who always leave us slack jawed with their cutting skills (slicing up a whole leg of lamb while chatting away on the phone) and indulging my silly game of Guess the Number in Hindi. Mark's gives off a warmth and affection that only family can and we have been privileged to be able to experience it. P. S. Amazingly we never noticed the tree trunk in the background, which is used for hacking huge chunks of meat, till our friend had a meltdown about it. We've never been ill and how much more organic can you get? #peopleinmyneighbourhood #mumbai #everydaymumbai

[thelongdrift]

As thelongdrift prepares to up and #move base, packing these wonderful #Rajasthani #trunks full of our belongings raises interesting questions. What do we keep, what do we throw away, what do we give away? What do we value as #junk and #treasure? If we have learned one thing, it's is that simplifying what you own makes life easier if you want to have no fixed address for a while. Keep the things of significance, but shed those that have no value to you. But the debate over what items fall into which category rage all day, all night, and sometimes have no resolution. #india #magnets #travel #moving

[thelongdrift]

As part of the "Choosing My Family Portrait" project done in collaboration with Muktangan, an education NGO, we were kindly invited into the homes of many families in #Prabhadevi in #mumbai. Wherever we went, us intruders were greeted with smiles, warmth and lots of fizzy drinks - there truly is nothing like Indian hospitality. We are eternally humbled and grateful. #everydaymumbai #dailylifeindia

[thelongdrift]

So proud of my partner-in-crime @vivpix for giving a voice to these wonderful students from Muktangan, an education NGO, in their collaboration "Choosing My Family Portrait". It's a departure from his usual newsy photos, but what a meaningful project to be part of. The exhibition of portraits, directed and composed by the students themselves and shot by Vivek, is ongoing along Rampart Row, outside the Jehangir Art Gallery, so pop by if you're free this month and in Mumbai. (at Jehangir Art Gallery)

[thelongdrift]

A man reads a #newspaper outside his flat in a #chawl (urban communal housing) in Prabhadevi, #mumbai. Chawls are traditionally where Mumbai's working class has lived while powering the city's many manufacturing industries. This gentleman looks pretty comfortable, like he's been there forever, almost as much the furniture as the bed he's sitting on. #everydaymumbai #dailylifeindia #reading (at Prabhadevi)

[thelongdrift]

Birthdays are for treating yourself well. Hope you enjoyed yourself at the dentist, my love! (at DentAppeal Multi-Speciality Dental Studio)