Life is a Scary Roller Coaster of Thrills

Rosy's out!

I asked Ambrose to escort her and help her pack the very night I decided that I would no longer tolerate belligerence. A bright girl, Rosy has her own mind. Her own very stubborn mind. She decided she was angry at Madam. So Madam decided that she had enough of the pouting and the irritating deep breathes, the tantrums and long absences and hiding out in the maid's quarters. There is only so much I can take but bad behavior and rudeness I will not tolerate for very long. So, I am sure you are all familiar with this exercise. I have wasted two days of my life waiting for maids to interview. Unbeknownst to me there was a local festival which perhaps made commuting difficult so they just didn't bother to show up. I am an old hand at this, this is all part of the "game."

In the meantime, it is glorious singing in the house. I've prepared only simple meals so that intense kitchen work is not required. I've warned my housemate (guess who that might be) to be very careful with the bathrooms lest he ends up scrubbing them himself. For now, all is good as the reality of dust and dirt have not overcome me.

But wait, this roller coaster ride is not just about Rosy. In the past three weeks, I have been to Singapore, Switzerland, and Shimla. In the coming week I am looking at a few days at Sohna. What is it with all these S places in my life right now? I have been blessed with lots of traveling. Maybe a higher power knows that without these breaks, I myself might break and lose my dilliwaali cool.

It was very exciting for me to witness the first night time F1 race hosted by Singapore. We were at the Paddock Club right above the pit stop for Ferrari. I shot so many photographs (a fair amount of pavement, having missed the cars zooming by) but unfortunately missed the moment when the Ferrari zoomed off with the fuel line still on it. We were feted by champagne and wine and glorious food through the evening. Singapore hosted the event impeccably and the next day, congratulations for Singapore were aplenty having cited the almost clockwork arrangements made to accommodate the crowds.

More than than the F1, Singapore for me, is a lovely place to visit. A friend of mine said that he could not possibly see himself living here as things are just too darned orderly. He could never survive in such order being more used to the systematic chaos of Delhi. And my heart feels the exact opposite. Though David and I were surprised that buildings sprouted where there were none, still, my feet knew exactly where to go and I had enough connection with the city and friends to remind me how much I missed living in this sometimes called sterile city. We were booked at the St. Regis whose reputation as a very fine hotel is certainly deserved. We had a personal butler to pick up the pressing or finagle with the tv that somehow would not go on or make a cappuccino if you felt like one no matter the time of day. I met up with a couple of dear friends and we sat in our hotel room and were served our lattes and cappuccinos while we chatted. Ah the life!

How sophisticated it all sounds to go to Switzerland for the weekend. Well, that is exactly how sophisticated I was! We took an early morning direct flight into Zurich. We took a car to Lucerne to meet the President's Club winners. What a charming group of young couples. They have worked so hard to exceed all expectations in their respective groups and thus were rewarded with an all expense paid trip to Switzerland. With planning for this trip seemingly on again then off again, I wondered why it was that the winners insisted on Switzerland. I later discovered that it is every Indian's dream (well, you know what I mean) to travel to Lucerne to see the cable cars where most Bollywood action takes place: I can only imagine cable car chases peppered with some dancing and singing. We arrived at the hotel with an hour to spare before our trip to Mt. Titlis.

Mt. Titlis is a glacier paradise at 10,000 feet. To reach its summit, we made three or four transfers on to different cable cars, the most exciting of which was a bubble with a rotating floor so that 360 degree views of the mountain could be enjoyed. The snow was pure white, pure powder, pure wonder! David and I enjoyed walking through the glacier. We had lunch at the mountaintop Movenpick then headed back to the hotel for a quick rest before the evening's cruise and award ceremony.

As I had traveled all the way to Switzerland to join this awesome family of winners, I was given a task: I was to award the trophy after David congratulated the winner and awarded the certificate. I did my job well. In this family is a quiet and charming lady from Assam. Her husband was the top performer. She said that in Assam, they pay respect and goodwill to their elders and guests by placing a simple mantle over the shoulder. With simple and elegant movement, she folded the mantle, walked up to David and bestowed upon him the respect and gratitude that was in her heart. Then she took a few steps to me and did the same. There was no greater honor for us. In her simplicity and sincerity, she touched me deeply.

The group visited Lucerne the next morning. We walked around the town and of course snapped photographs of the charming Chapel Bridge on the Reuss River. I discovered several Catholic churches within short distances of each other. I later read that during Reformation after 1520, most cities became Protestant but Lucerne remained Catholic. We also visited the Lion Monument commemorating the hundreds of Swiss Guards who were massacred in 1792 during the French Revolution when the mob stormed the Tuileries Palace in Paris. It was too short a morning to explore Lucerne. We headed to Zurich.

The group decided to stay in and rest as they had another full day in Zurich. David & I were scheduled to fly early the next morning so we took the opportunity to see Zurich. I love traveling with David. It is like having a personal compass at all times! We took the train into the city and walked for hours. We started at Bahnhofstrasse and made stops at Grossmunster (built around 820 and declared by Charlemagne as imperial church) and Fraumunster (built 874 with a Romanesque choire from 1250) to marvel once again at Chagall's windows. We gazed at St. Peter's clock face reputed to be the largest in the world. We walked through parks with people busy with Boce ball and huge games of chess. We walked along the river. We just walked and walked, enjoying the river, the people, the city, the streets, just everything. I understand now why it is reported that Zurich gives one the best quality of life. Fresh air, fresh food, clean streets, wondrous surroundings, is this almost perfection?

Now back to the reality of India. Diwali's gift to us was a long weekend. Thursday morning I frenetically researched a weekend destination. Shimla it was! Nitin A, a photography buddy gave me loads of advice and in the end, David and I decided to splurge on a weekend at Wildflower Hall, a wonderful destination by itself. Ambrose drove all the way save for a long stretch where David rescued him while he got some zzzs. Our first day in Shimla was hazy; we had some mountain views but could only glean the Himalayas from afar. But the comfortable lounge chairs around the hot tub positioned to enjoy the mountains were inviting and I spent a good afternoon napping. In the evening we explored Mall road. The next day we woke up to the spectacular sight of the Himalayas peeking out from the distance. Between relaxing and reading and napping, we shot pictures of the awesome snow-capped Himalayas. In the evening, we ventured out to the helipad to take sunset photographs. We enjoyed a relaxed weekend at the Wildflower.

After these thrills, here I am faced with the scary prospect of the maid interviews. I've decided to change my strategy. Where I was once afraid of scaring them off with work, I will now be very specific that I only want someone who works hard. Someone who will do the work required whenever required. No more queen Marys for me, no more stubborn Rosys. I am very willing to pay the price--I just want someone who will work honestly to keep my house in order. Keep your fingers and toes crossed for me. Interviewing and searching for the elusive Mary Poppins will certainly be the roller coaster zooming to its deepest depths!