MUMBAI STAR

Back in Singapore yesterday, 14 Nov at night. It was a smooth flight from Mumbai which I boarded at 11.50am (SQ421). As Tuesday was my my last day at Mumbai and SIS is still closed for Diwali, I managed to get the car to fetch me to a saloon for my hair-cut. A haircut and wash and set cost Rs230 which is less my usual 10-minute haircut at QB House or Speed! Then it was to Goregon Mall to get some titbits for my Singapore colleagues and friends, enough of the city I suppose. Then it was back to Thakur Mall to get the spices my wife wanted from Star Bazaar Supermarket. At SIS, Sid and I decided to catch the blockbuster film Om Shanti Om at FAME Cineplex in the evening.

THANKS to one and all !!


It was a great film with lots of fine songs and great dancing with a captivating storyline....as if I understood Hindi, haha. But one needed no Hindi to love this hit, lah. The star Shah Rukh Khan must have made the gals cry for more, not least, the guys too . The hit song where he gyrated to the beat showing his 6-pac abs was exhilirating. No wonder Sid has seen the movie three times earlier. If only I had a few more days in Mumbai, I would revisit this Diwali hit movie again. To me, it was a great end to my stay at Mumbai, having grown accustomed to the Bollywood movies and trailors on TV night after night in between blogging, reading the papers and msn-ing my folks and students back home....and what a HOME SWEET HOME it really is to be back in my Singapore, clean and green and fresh air! Goodness, the sight at Mumbai airport when I reached there to check in my luggage was a scene not to be forgotten. People and vehicles jammed packed the drive-way leading to the entrance into the passenger terminal. You literally have to fight your way in with your trolley. And I had a hard time looking for one as all available trolleys were loaded with what looked like bags of flour, queuing to get in. I really appreciate my SIS driver for plucking one from out of the blue...wonder really how he managed to get it.


Inside the terminal was a 2-hour wait after a very smooth checking in....kudos to the ground staff handling this SIA flight. On the dot at 11.50am we took off for Changi Airport and as I peered out of my window seat, I could see the slums around the airport perimeter and then I was struck with sadness really for leaving this city of contrasts and a wonderful learning and sharing experience in SIS Mumbai. I shall be posting my full report to MOE at a later date and will certainly make it a point to thank the very people who had made my PDL attachment here possible. Now that I am back in school with all the admin tasks and planning ahead for the new year, I will indeed find time to post also the procedure for any teacher who would like to follow my path to Mumbai, or for that matter, any PDL attachment overseas. I am sure this would help to smoothen the processes one has to put in place from deciding on the instituition to serve and learn from, to the completion of the PDL.


It leaves me now to close this blog and thank all who had spent time following my experiences and adventures in this city, especially to Greenview colleagues and students for sharing their comments in the blog and on msn.