My 7 top Goa Monsoon Moments

Every time I have been to Goa, the sky has been blue. The sun has been shining and it has been filled up with tourists from all over. Hectic, busy, fun and a bit exhausting.

This week, when I went, the sky was grey. The clouds were dark and rain was pouring constantly. But you know what, dear reader: I totally loved it.

Back in Norway we say: "There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing" - so I put on my monsoon plastic shoes and headed off to explore monsoon Goa. These were my top favorite moments:

1. Nothing beats the vibrant colors and the freshness that the rain brings out. The coconut trees seems taller, the rice fields seems brighter and the nature comes to life again. And as I was strolling around in the fields, mesmerized by the green beauty, clicking away - I just hear my friends going: " - Oh, we are impressed Eli - see you walking around without fear for all the snakes and crocodiles." - Eeeeeeeeeeeeek....

2. Having Chicken Cafreal - and lots of other goodies at the local Florentines restaurant. I like the Goan cuisine for their smart use of spices. The restaurant is great: visited by locals, genuine and clean, cheap prices and most important: very tasty food:

3. Feeling the amazing and including atmosphere at The Miraculous Cross at the Holy Cross church in Bambolim:

4. Shopping the best cashew nuts (in the world ?)- in Sawantwadi. A long drive, but totally worth it. A beautiful place - and back in "my" state - Maharashtra.

5. Being the almost only (playful) tourist in a normally very crowded tourist area. How peaceful and calm to go for a stroll along the sea - feeling the breeze and rain at the beautiful Dona Paula beach area - famous for the myths of the Portugese lady Dona Paula and for shooting of the Bollywood films Ek Duuje Ke Linge and Singham. Usually packed with people, but not this week. Not even possible to buy the Fresh Lime Soda with Singham Masala  and Bombay Masala..:-) Hm - gotta come back here:-)  

6. Being invited to new friends' homes and feel happy when they show me their gardens with blooming flowers, the little birdie that they saved, their new kittens, the newly born calf or their old Portugese home which has been in the family for centuries and that they preserve with love, respect and pride.

7. Just sitting there, watching the rain pour down - feeling relaxed and happy - and knowing that the sun is waiting. Patiently. Because over the dark clouds, the sky is always blue..

Bye for now, dear Goa - see you again:-) 

Romance, love and violence at Times Literary Carnival

- Tread softly, Breathe peacefully, Laugh hysterically  (Nelson Mandela) 

The power of words can be immense, and as a symbol of that, Nelson Mandela was honored also here in Mumbai. You see, the Times Literary Carnival Festival is now on! That means 3 whole days of sessions, workshops, readings, lectures, book-launches, stalls, entertainment and cafes - all in the venue of Mehboob studios, Bandra. My friend Kiran and I spent the day, in company with fellow readers, writers and book-lovers, exploring different sides of Love, Romance and Violence - which are this year's themes. A great event for Mumbai, and a true inspiration for me personally. Indeed, what a powerful tool words can be!? Here are some moments from our day.

Writer and filmmaker Hanif Kureishi - (included by The Times in " The top 50 British writers since 1945") gave a lovely keynote. I enjoyed how he described how love can be the love from a writer to the story they are telling, and how a romance can be a romance between the reader and the current story they are reading:-) ( And oh crises- we all know what happens when the romance ends right?)  

The festival has several studios and a garden for the sessions. In the middle, there is a large open square - perfect for getting a cup of tea, a bite of something yummy, buying a book, or just hanging out chatting in between the different sessions. A very relaxed atmosphere:-)

The festival has a lot of sessions within a wide range of themes. Who would have thought I would learn so much about Bollywood in the -50's for example? Well, I did - by attending The Flawed Heroine session - on the book about one of the most prominent Hindi actresses Meena Kumari! What a life!

Panel on the Meena Kumari book: Author Vinod Mehta, in discussion with Rachel Dwyer and Mahmood Feroqui. 

The highlight for me was the book launch of "Women of pure wonder". With tears and laughter we listened to some amazing ladies who had very touching stories to tell. We listened to Laxmi, who at the age of 15 was attacked with acid and has now become the symbol of the fight against abuse and attacks on women. We heard the stories of the ex-sheriff of Mumbai, the professor, the sociologist, the top-leader - some of them making their path  - against all odds. And expat-in-India-me really enjoyed and learned a lot from following the debate and discussions on women empowerment. What does it take? Where do we go from here? How to do it? They could have gone on for hours, and I would have haaanged in there! Front row!

The launch of "Women of pure wonder! 

Nandini Sardesai, Priya Dutt, Zarine Screwwala and Indu Shahani.

After the wonder women session, we had to ease our excitement with some ice-tea and Indian sunshine, and then we enjoyed listening to the author Bapsi Sidhwa reading from her book Ice Candy Man (Cracking India) - and sharing anecdotes from the process of making it in to the Deepa Mehta film Earth.

Bombay, the city we lost! - ? well, we had to check out what that was about, right?

So, after Bachi Kakaria's book-launch, Charles Gorrea held a very interesting session, comparing Mumbai to other grand cities - regarding construction of new buildings, city plans, public transportation, parks, green lounges - or more or less - lack of such - and the impact that will have on the people living in the cities.

Charles Gorrea, Bachi Karkaria and Gyan Prakash. 

The festival has a lot of sponsors, and is therefore free of charge. If you are up for some love and romance (and violence - themes..?), and you are in Mumbai, you can still make it! It goes on all weekend! Today and tomorrow -  packed with interesting sessions! Check out the website for detailed schedule!  And if you are not in Mumbai, - well, then maybe next year?

I wish you a continuous wonderful weekend dear reader!

The Times of India Wall - the symbol of the festival:-) 

Spices for body & soul

Thali is for me India-on-a-plate. Those small bowls filled up with yummy stuff - each one with it's own flavor, color, taste and identity. And still complementing each other, making a balance, a wholeness. Spicy, bland, bitter, creamy, sweet and sour. It all comes together perfectly, and where would that thali be without spices?

Ah, those Indian spices, dear reader. I tell you, my taste buds have never been challenged this much anywhere else in the world! Tasting and eating. Cooking with spices in a whole new way. Shopping for spices at the markets. Chatting with the sellers, trying out something new, bringing home my favorites. Ginger, chili, turmeric, cinnamon, cumin, coriander and uncountable masalas'. The colors are vibrant: red, orange, yellow and green. And check the health benefits: spices may f.ex. help for depression, digestion and different aches&ouches around the body. At Indiaparenting you can find a list of the most common spices, their benefits and as an extra bonus for us never-giving-up-to-learn-Hindi-people - the name of the spice in both English and Hindi.

So, spices for body and soul, dear reader. Here are a few shots from shopping spices at stalls and markets:

Tasting new nuts

My garam masala being measured up

Pick and choose! 

And then conveniently enough - loads of fresh vegetables and herbs next door -
 just waiting eagerly to be added some spices:-)  

Spices for body and soul. Another important ingredient adding color, flavor and spice to my life is music. And like with the spices: I have my favorites, but I am more than open to try new stuff! And India has certainly introduced me to some new catchy rhythms! Once a week I meet with a group of ladies and a dance teacher - and we dance modern Indian music, and very often music from Bollywood - films. We have a lot of fun, and what a great feeling that music brings me! The catch is that very often the song is completely stuck with me for the rest of that day. Here we go again! Now, we are dancing to Balam Pichkari from the film Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani. Spice for body & soul - music and wellness. Have a look - catchy, eh? (PS: Reader outside India: The scenery is from the Holi-festival! And yes, we do throw colored powder and water at each other. And some do dance around like this:-) )Enjoy!

So, more spices in my everyday life? Well, for you with a taste for mystery, I can report that the mysterious wall outside our door, remember - has now vanished. Our new neighbors-to-be wanted to follow vastu -principles and had it built as a part of a new entrance complex. However, since it limited the access to the fire exits, cable-storage and common space - it went down again. So, now it looks like this.

Oh, well, some surprises kind of spice up our daily life, I guess:-) I hope you have a good Friday, dear reader, and I wish you a wonderful spicy weekend:-)
Ta ta!

My favorite-spices-on-a-plate  - love the size & flavor of those cinnamon sticks! 

India - discover your inner Divas!

Moving far away from my homeland to a new country on the other side of the world, meant moving out of my comfort sone. Living in India has opened up new challenges, new choices, and I have also discovered some new sides of myself that I had NO idea existed - before I came to India. Some not so pleasant sides, and some quuuuite pleasant and interesting sides - which are the ones we want to nurture, right?

For example - WHO could have known that I had a Designer Diva within me? Well, India brought her out! Tempted by all the colors, fabrics, glitter and glam, I guess! Designing my own clothes, dear reader, how cool is that? I did not do that in my pre-Indian life! And my wonderful partner in crime: my sweet tailor- remember I mentioned her before? When I go a bit wild she will shake her head: - No, that will not look nice! - No, that is too Bollywood! - and then with a supporting smile: - Yes, that will look nice! - Yes, that will be good- very Bollywood! And small kind suggestions: - Maybe green instead, and not bright orange AGAIN? - Maybe not gold lace with that one too?!

You see, my inner Designer Diva gets quite carried away now and then - thrilled to be set free, I guess - so she is very generous about bling bling, glitter and glam! Well, let's go with the flow- we are in India right?!

My sweet tailor has her own business- which she started - against all odds, and she was running on pure will power in the beginning. It is small and nothing fancy, but she works with her big passion in life, and that really shines through in her clothes. Oh, dear reader, she can do magic - you should see how she transfers my high-flying glittery ideas in to wonderful outfits. And she laughs with me when I tell her:  - You know, I was wearing the blue kurta you made yesterday, and a woman asked me - Oh, that is a nice top, where did you get it? I smiled and say: - Oh, it's tailor made! Not to be bought anywhere- sorry!

One of a kind, my lady, one of a kind - made by the Design Diva and her allies:-)  

New creations waiting to be picked up

And some fabric for the I-do-not-want-to-blend-in people out there - add one of these on the front of your dress:

Wonderful fabrics, - just waiting to be discovered by your inner Designer Diva:

Another-I-do-not-want-to-be-just-one-in-the-crowd-dress:

And her Guru, Ganesha and other Hindu Gods are present in her shop - always close by:

So, nope, no more ready-made for me I think - and homeland:  watch out for a more bling-bling version of me the next time I see you:-)

All the best, dear reader!
Ta ta from Mumbai!

My Mary Murphy Moment

So there I was, placed on a plastic chair behind a desk, in company with the 2 other jugdes: a drawing teacher and a social worker. Our task was given to us: we should decide who should win (and come 2' and 3') in the dancing competition we had at the NGO summer party. -You must take notes, the drawing teacher instructed me, pointing at the paper in front of me - to decide who is the best!  I nodded, sensing already that this was going to a hard task to complete... What if I wanted them all to win? 

And on stage they went, an endless stream of excited girls and boys in their best clothes. Shiny colorful clothes. Some of the kids looked serious but most were sooo cheerful - giggling their way through the dance. Modern dance and traditional dance. Dances from a long row of Bollywood films. Slow rhythms and quick rhythms. 6 year olds and 17 year olds. So much laughter and happiness! And the crowd went crazy eeevery time: applauding, singing, cheering, standing up and dancing along! A very enthusiastic audience and a very happy expat! And there was my Mary Murphy moment - You know- The So You Think You Can Dance - judge, known for regularly holding up her hands and screaming enthusiastically as a form of praise, along with giggling constantly during performances she enjoys. I was sooooo there, dear reader! And as I had suspected: I just loved every single performance, every dance and every single child who just gave it all.

See what I mean? And I sighed to my co- judges: - Oh, it is going to be so hard to decide, they are so different. Maybe we can give them all a small award? Hopeless, I know, but you see, they were all so great! How to choose? - You must pick a winner. They expect that. And so we did, but by the sound of it, none of the contestants will give up their dance passion just because they didn't win. Not a chance. 

They still do think they can dance, and then so do I! 

Good evening from Mumbai dear reader! 

Cinemaing in India - first class!

Oh, how I love to go to the movies in India! The atmosphere, the people, the engagement, the cheering, and then there is the Cinema Business Class. Yes, Gold class; the place where the seats turn into beds, where the glasses are made of - well - glass and an army of waiters (oh yes) is waiting to take your pop-corn order, if you still feel like going with the pop corn( and not Champagne&oysters)  - but hey guys - after all: it is cinema, even though a posh one.

Don't get me wrong! In general, cinemaing in India is a joyful thing - first class or not. And whether you choose to go for a Bollywood film or a "foreign" film, and in Hindi or English it is a really fun experience. I wrote about Bollywood memories before, and considering Bollywood makes 3 times as many films as Hollywood, there are a lot of films to choose from. And just for the atmosphere, a Hindi film is fun!

If you have kids/teens, a tip is- if  you buy your tickets online-  to be sure to check the age limit - it might be different than how they rate the film elsewhere...! With the tickets in your hand you can now enter, but there are some checkpoints. Security check, and ticket- check a couple of times. At the first one, I had to remove the battery for my camera as it was not allowed to bring inside. (They kept in at the security check and I could pick it up again after the film.) (= blurry pics from Inside...)

The waiting room (or should we say lounge) at the cinema (the Gold one) :-) 

If you got safely through the security check and have your age-correct tickets with you, you are now in the waiting area - looking more like a posh salon really. After the waiting room you proceed to usually another check point where - whether you like it or not (if you are a huge fan of finding your own seat) - someone will check you ticket and show you to your seat. At the Cinema Business Class where your seat is made of leather, and a panel on the side can switch your chair to a bed in no time, there are waiters who will take your order, you will have a drink (we got pineapple juice) and a bottle of water, and you are now ready to kick off your shoes and curl up in the chair/bed under a soft blanket.

Complimentary water bottle waiting for you

Wait! Do not get too comfy under the blanket too soon! You see, it all starts with the Indian National Hymn, so up you go, find your shoes you kicked off somewhere,  and stand for the Hymn. Then there will probably be some commercial, most probably anti-smoking ones, and the film starts. Know also that there will be a break in the middle of the film, enough time to visit the washroom, giggle with your mates and curl up again in the bed.

Here I have stretched out under the blanket, enjoying my complimentary drink and the movie:-) 

Oh, how am I ever going to go back to a "normal" cinema after this?

After the film, wake up your fellow mates- if needed,  it is tempting to just wanna hang on to this place, and remember to get your camera-battery/lighter or other confiscated items back from security.

Enjoy the movie everyone!

Bollywood in Greece and Norway?

Yes, yes, yes...I knoow, dear reader - Bollywood is of course in neither of theese places, but right here with us in Mumbai! Only the largest film producer in India and one of the largest film production centres in the whole world, right. I just enjoy so much to discover links between my 3 countries: India, Norway and Greece.

Did you for example know that scenes in the film Maattrraan, directed by K.V. Anand was filmed in Bergen and West-Norway? Oh yes. Surrounded by waterfalls, fjords and mountains, the very essence of what Mother Norway can offer, to our Bollywood stars. And the Norwegians were obviously veeery satisfied, hoping this would be the start of a Bollywood - boom maybe? I think that they also hoped it will attract more Indian tourists to Norway. Yes, just have a look here.


From filmweb.no

A prospective Indian tourist? Have a look at the northern lights and the midnight sun here. Any Bollywood directors out there who was intrigued by this? There is also the Western Norway Film Commision (WNFC) which can assist you!


Trolltunga. From wnfc.no

And now we are moving on from the Mother Nature (man-alone-on-the-cliff) to Bolly-Sing-and Dance. Oh how I enjoy the rhythm, colors and energy in Bollywood films! I remember being at a Bollywood festival in Oslo in the early 90-. I'll never forget the audience: laughing, singing, clapping! I think the whole Indian community had gathered up, and were having a blast. And now here in India - I love going to the movies!

Well, just as much as I like the Bolly-style - so does apparently also the Greek singer Eleni Foureira. In her latest song Pio Erotas Pethaineis- she is all around ... in her Sari... I am so curious what my Indian friends will think about this. Do you like it? You can watch it at youtube here

Eleni Foureira as an Indian?

 So, we can conclude: Bollywood is all around! Have a wonderful day all, and stay tune!