A-Z of Mumbai: I is for Iranian Cafes

Back in May, PJ and I signed up for a Mumbai cycling tour, which resulted in us waking up at 5am to be in South Mumbai at 6:30am for an early Sunday morning cycle. 

South Mumbai is where most of the city's businesses are located. It is also home to some of the most beautiful architecture built during the British years. On any working day, South Mumbai is a driver's (and in this context, a cyclist's) nightmare with congested streets and crawling traffic. But at 6:30am on a Sunday, the roads are peaceful and quiet, making South Mumbai stunning and fascinating. You can almost imagine how gorgeous Mumbai used to be; before the cars, traffic and pollution ruined. 

Anyway, I digressed. This entry is about "I is for Iranian Cafes".

According to Wikipedia, Iranian cafes were originally opened by Persian immigrants to India in the 19th century. Today, Mumbai boasts the largest number of Irani cafes, which are very popular for Irani chai (tea). 

As part of the cycling tour, we were brought to what is supposedly "an Iranian bakery that is at least a hundred years old" - Yazdani Restaurant & Bakery. Tucked into a tiny lane in the Fort Area, we would have completely missed it, if not for the bike tour. 

The exterior of the bakery 

Quirky & somewhat endearing quotes 

Old school everything 

It was head-scratching - pictures of bodybuilders? 

I later found out that Yazdani was actually established in 1951 (making it 51 years old) but the building/place it was housed in was indeed really, really old (early 20th century building). 

This Iranian restaurant started out serving staple Iranian fare but later focused on being a bakery. We had the maksa (butter) pav (pronounced as "pao", which means bun), which is kind of like a toasted white bread bun drowned in Amul butter (a popular local brand) and the chai; both of which are so good that I'm going to make this a "must-go" place for any friend who is visiting Mumbai. :) 

The fantastic brun maska and chai. Ginger biscuits were really not so good though. 

a cup. or two. and maybe three. or four. :)

My 6-months mark in Mumbai

It's been close to 6 months since I joined PJ in Mumbai. A colleague who is now in town, said to me last night, "Okay lah, India is not so bad hor?" To which I have to agree. It is really not as bad as most people would imagine; nor as bad as some of the Singaporeans who stay here make it out to be. But then again, another Singaporean told me recently, "The first 6 months - I love it. Now? I hate it."

*bites nails*

Whenever someone asks me how I find India, I will always reply with a neutral "It's Okay".  And that's really it for me. For now. I don't hate it. I don't love it. Well, some parts I do love; some parts I do dislike. So I guess it all balances out.

Some things I love:

1. People are generally friendly and helpful here.  
2. I live in a great neighbourhood that is relatively peaceful (save for 3:30pm-4:00pm when the kids get off from the nearby school and the line of cars to pick them up creates a huge hooting scene - literally) and with basic amenities within walking distance. 
3. Cost of living is generally lower. Books, magazines, cable TV, fresh flowers, public transport are some of the things that are much more affordable and readily available here.  
4. Many retailers charge for plastic bags. Whilst it's just a few cents, it changes my behaviour and I've started carrying a reusable bag around. Sure, I still "buy" plastic bags on the occasion for our trash; but I reckon my plastic bag usage has cut down by about 30-40%. Our Singapore government simply do not have the balls to implement a similar policy whilst some of our citizens are too negative to see that this is a green initiative and not something to profit corporations further. 

Some things that still bug me: 

1. Dirty, bumpy roads and the lack of pavements (where there are pavements, people still walk on the roads).
2. Incessant use of car horns. Mumbai drivers honk when they're coming towards or behind you to warn you (good); honk the moment the traffic lights turn green (bad); honk when they're in a jam (bad); honk when they are turning at a bend (quite good) i.e., they honk at every opportunity.  
3. LACK OF GOOD CHINESE, JAPANESE AND KOREAN FOOD. Sigh. 

Some things I've accomplished (in my mind, these ARE small wins and accomplishments): 

1. Working with 2 non-profit organisations  
2. Being able to walk around on my own and crossing the roads safely and (relatively) calmly 
3. Knowing where to get my kang kong :D 
4. Bargaining (though I'm still not very good at it) 

So here's my mini "report card" at my 6 months mark. Let's see how it goes from here. For better or for worse, I'll (tryyyyy to) keep calm and carry on (not that I have much of a choice!). :) 

Leaving Singapore...

...this morning was somewhat depressing. Not because I was saying goodbye to my family and friends (again), but really because 2 incidents caused me to reflect on the state of affairs in Singapore.

First, the taxi uncle who drove me to the airport was telling me how his shift that day was from 5:30am to 9pm (wtf!?) and he had to do so in order to make ends meet. If he had a choice, he would not be driving a cab (for 11 years). He felt that the government today is simply concerned with profit-making and have left many citizens behind. Uncle was not angry and disgruntled like many other cabbies, but he just sounded tired and resigned to the way of life. He also shared that he was from the Chinese stream in Changkat Changi Secondary School but in secondary 3 (in the '70s), the curriculum suddenly switched to English. As a result of this, he got an 'O' in all his subjects. The second time he took his exams, he got 5 'O's. An improvement, but still not good enough to pass. His is a generation of Chinese educated citizens who got left behind in our push for economic growth in the 1970s...

Second, when I reached the airport and was waiting for the lady at the counter to prompt me to deposit my luggage on the belt, a very old uncle (probably in his seventies) came by quietly and started to lift my bag. I stopped him, only to be dismissed by him that it's his job and he's not asking for money. Very quickly, he lifted and dropped my 20+ kg bag on the belt and walked away. :( 

 What is Singapore becoming - a society where old folks need to clean tables at hawker centres and take up work that is equivalent to manual labour, albeit in an air-conditioned place? The cleaning lady at my workplace has been advised by her doctor to undergo a surgery to remove the corn in her feet and to take rest for 6 months. Not working for 6 months is something inconceivable to her. So, she's been putting it off and bears with the pain as she hobbles around.

As much as we want to believe that the quality of life in Singapore is good or good enough, there is a group that has been left behind or has fallen through the cracks. To me, they are the elderly who hold a job and are considered financially independent enough to not be provided with the extra support that might make a significant different in the quality of their life. If you know someone who falls into this category, why not reach out to them and see how you can help him/her in your own little way. A little help might go a long way for some of them.