Date: \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Monday, March 2, 1998<\/p>\n
Subject: \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Finally a Letter!<\/p>\n
Dear Family,<\/p>\n
First, we are here, happy, and safe.\u00a0\u00a0 Second, our home number is 011\u201191\u201122\u2011386\u20114444.\u00a0 You can reach us at it for about two weeks or so until we get into our permanent place.\u00a0 We are staying temporarily in a very nice two bedroom apartment and are waiting for a very nice three bedroom to be ready.\u00a0 Third, forgive me\/us for not getting something more substantive to you sooner.\u00a0 Getting access to e\u2011mail, and then getting the incredibly slow and overcrowded system here to let one in has been rough.\u00a0 I have attempted a message numerous times.\u00a0 Hopefully this will make it.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
And now for some tid-bits about our trip and about life in Bombay.\u00a0 The trip: considering we traveled halfway around the\u00a0 world with five people and 15 pieces of luggage (9\u00a0 check in, 6 carry on) made a two day stop in NY City where we stayed at a holiday inn in Chinatown (very interesting) and a one day stop in Frankfurt at a downtown bed and breakfast (and had nice visits with some of Nita’s friends), we had a trip with no mishaps.\u00a0 Our first exposure to Bombay was wild.\u00a0 The airport was fumey and full of PEOPLE!!\u00a0 There was no special diplomat line, but (par for the course in India) we were met and escorted.\u00a0 After retrieving our luggage, we stepped out into a VAST THRONG of humanity which was unnerving.\u00a0 The trip home was in the dark (we arrived at midnight) and that is probably good, since the Bombay airport is surrounded by the biggest slum in Asia.\u00a0 The kids were appalled and amazed to see people sleeping on the streets.<\/p>\n
Our life here: the kids attend the American School of Bombay.\u00a0 They are liking it so far.\u00a0 The classes are small and the teachers are dedicated.\u00a0 Our children will have the chance to learn everything from cricket, an obsession here, to conversational Hindi.\u00a0 Nita has been trying a number of different things.\u00a0 She has gone to several ladies club meetings, some she likes more than others, and she plays Mahjong every Tuesday with other diplomat or businessman wives.\u00a0 Our colleagues\u00a0at the Consulate have gone out of their way to make us feel welcome and help us get adjusted.\u00a0 We have a sponsoring family.\u00a0\u00a0 They made sure some food was in the fridge when we arrived, took us places we needed to go, and had an envelope of Rupees for us until we could get our own money changed.\u00a0\u00a0 The feel is that everyone has been through this before and so you have a happy obligation to smooth the way for the new folks.\u00a0 I look forward to being the sponsor in months to come.<\/p>\n
We are employers.\u00a0\u00a0 Our servant’s name is\u00a0 Muthiah.\u00a0\u00a0 He is from Tamil Nadu, a southern state in India.\u00a0\u00a0 He cooks, cleans, does washing and shops all for $80.00 per month.\u00a0\u00a0 We will probably raise\u00a0that to about $90.00 if he works out.\u00a0\u00a0 It is fun to have meals cooked\u00a0 and things done.\u00a0\u00a0 It is also a bit weird for us since we don’t always know what is appropriate and what is not.\u00a0\u00a0 But as people keep\u00a0telling us, “You’re the boss!”\u00a0 And so we are.\u00a0 Nita is madam (emphasis on the first syllable) and I am master.\u00a0 No kidding!\u00a0 Let me briefly mention money.\u00a0\u00a0 There are 40 rupees to a dollar.\u00a0\u00a0 We can get a fresh pineapple or papaya for 50 cents.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A banana\u00a0costs one rupee.\u00a0\u00a0 An orange\/tangerine\u00a0costs two rupees.\u00a0\u00a0 A jar of raspberry jam\u00a0is 40 rupees and a taxi drive to the consulate from where we live (10 minutes) for 10 rupees and one to downtown, 40.\u00a0\u00a0 The kids enjoy how far their dollar goes.<\/p>\n
I wish\u00a0you could ride in a taxi\u00a0with me or in a Consulate shuttle and take a drive here in Bombay where\u00a0traffic moves on the left side of the road.\u00a0 Intrepid drivers turn two lane roads into three and sometimes more, driving wherever there’s an opening.\u00a0 Honking is incessant\u00a0but considered polite here; it lets others know you are there.\u00a0\u00a0 In fact, on the back of\u00a0large trucks you often see “honk please” painted in large, colorful letters.\u00a0 The\u00a0traffic is heavy and wild.\u00a0\u00a0 People routinely cut in front of each other and pedestrians need to be VERY alert.\u00a0\u00a0 And when you are not watching the traffic you can watch the color along the side of the road: an oxcart here,\u00a0a Baskin Robbins there, beggars at the car window when you’re stopped at a red light and\u00a0designer clothing stores along many streets,\u00a0seemingly endless fruit and magazine stands and always, always, always lots and lots of people walking and sitting and talking and eating and doing whatever people do.\u00a0\u00a0 The ladies colorful garb here makes the whole scene really incredible.<\/p>\n
Much love to you all.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Date: \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Monday, March 2, 1998 Subject: \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Finally a Letter! Dear Family, First, we are here, happy, and safe.\u00a0\u00a0 Second, our home number is 011\u201191\u201122\u2011386\u20114444.\u00a0 You can reach us at it for about two weeks or so until we … Continue reading