dailygratitude

 Got really warm hugs from my nephew today. Worked on a hard code problem. Sat by the aloe and poinsettia plants in the afternoon with a gentle breeze coupled with warm sun. Met D at night for a small cup of hot chocolate at Starbucks. Walked all around Fort under beautiful moonlight.

I had a lovely work session at the garden this morning, from 9.30 - noon. Found a bright yellow bench under deep shade, with the ocean to my left and a massive banyan tree to my right. Ate the most delicious strawberry dark chocolate mousse. It was rich and dark and very pleasurable.

I went cycling this morning, by the ocean. Met a friend in the evening after ages. We had a super fun time, but the bastard made a video of me imitating another friend's "fuckall walk" and shared it with him. Now I must plot my revenge :)

Met work colleagues after four years. We had filter coffee and pau bhaji at Shiv Sagar. We strolled past the Barringtonia trees on Marine Drive, stopped in the shade below a Banyan tree, and ate a quick ice cream at Natural's. 'A' noticed a long metal plaque nailed to the footpath, with drawings of some of the buildings flanking Marine Drive, including Parijat and Kulsum Terrace. Which reminded me of how my school friend and I would sneak up buildings in Marine Drive, searching for a glass terrace on the roof. And the sheer pleasure and sense of accomplishment when we found it. E told me how he used to cycle around the streets of NY, all the way to ground zero that fateful year in the early aughts. We took a cab to Bandra and strolled along Bazaar Road, Waroda Road and Chapel Road. Passed some beautiful old shops with decade-old signages. The feeling of Christmas was woven through the streets, with massive cribs at crossings, snowmen, handmade stars with personal messages o...

Met the moms' group at the garden. Met A after ages and caught up. S dropped by and gave me a wonderful New Year's gift - her paintings in a calendar for 2023. The themes are nature, Bombay, and the skyline. It's a large calendar with lovely typography and I can't wait to have it up on a wall.

Started the new year at Love, Poetry and Cheescake. Ate a lovely breakfast of watermelon orange juice, fresh fruit and a bread basket with a croissants, a slice of multigrain loaf, a soft bun, a chocolate Danish and a cookie. Read a few poems of Rumi from a book on the shelf. Walked around town by myself for a couple of hours. Spoke to my wonderful cousin, K, after ages and had a wonderful chat. He recommended a new seafood restaurant called Maasli Seafood at Worli, so I'll go try it out one of these days.