Sunset

A DIRTY MARTINI PEUT ETRE?

So we officially have our first guest in Mumbai. The PM arrived yesterday at the ungodly hour of 4am. I had initially planned a few martini's with a girlfriend on my balcony while we waited for his plane to land. But this being Mumbai and all- complications were to be had. He had unfortunately brought more than his quota of alcohol into the country. The 5 bottles of pineau and "St Emilion Grand Cru classe" did make it safely off the plane but were then picked up by airport control. By the time he arrived "HRH" and I were passed out on the bed after doing our very best to stay up and be 'festive'. C'mon it was 4:30 am and we ain't spring chickens any longer. So in PM's honor we hit AER bar for sunset cocktails last night. Completely lost count of numbers but there were well over 20 of us by 8pm and I'm sure the staff were getting annoyed at our ever increasing lounge area. (Should of just rented the place out of course!) Once again the place was crawling with designers, models and very good looking European gay men- in my opinion the perfect combination for late night antics of the Mumbai kind. Managed to crawl home at a respectable hour so as not to have the snoozing watchman break his sleep. One has to be respectful in these circumstances. My brain now feels overloaded with three languages buzzing around in my head. I keep switching from french to english to hindi- and it's all a little too much for me the morning after. I hadn't opened the french box in well over 3 months and now throwing it back into the mix is interesting to say the least. Serves me right. Those bloody dirty martini's were dangerous.

So this grandaddy is a bit of a DUDE...

Poor "HRH" just has no luck at the moment- he left his new credit card in a machine and it got destroyed. Now he has to re-order one from Australia and get it couriered over here and get the pin activated etc. etc. etc. As you can imagine he is slightly peeved. Well we could just pop down the road for some pani puri. That would lift his spirits...food always does the trick.
Right well I'm off to take the kids to this quicksilver event at the Ambani International school. Apparently Tony Hawke is skating. They've constructed a huge halp pipe looking thing. I suppose I could go take a squizz. I mean the man has to be a grandfather by now right? Wasn't he a champion skate boarder about 10 years ago? And doesn't he have a few of his own playstation games???? Yeah that's the one. Do grandfathers still skate? LOL I spose so. The things we do for our kids huh.

Queenie x

Dreams are free

Great mojito at Aurus today

So we went to Juhu today. The beach was packed (as per usual- where isn't in Mumbai right?) so we decided to hit Aurus bar for an afternoon cocktail. Was pretty impressed. I had a damn good mojito. Fresh limes and so thirst quenching... Obviously I had to have a few. It was just so hot. Like I mean sticky hot. It's weird though because it feels like a dry heat and yet the wet patches on your shirt tell you otherwise. Which made me realise I needed a new hat. It's just impossible to spend longer than ten minutes in the sun without wishing you had a hat on. So I'm getting a new one... that's that. I don't care that women don't really wear them here. I don't care if the locals stare at me like a skinny man in the States. I'm going to get one. Oh and while I'm at the hat store I might as well stop drinking, smoking and lose those extra ten pounds from last christmas. Yeah right baby. Dream on. Right I'm off to watch the "Graham Norton show" (my fave) he has Johnny Depp on this week. Ohhhh can't wait. Where's the remote. Ohhhh Ricky Gervais is on too. I might get a vino this looks like a goodie. Might just bring the whole bottle...that way I don't have to get up. Yoga tomorrow morning...stop smirking you lot.

Johnny we love you...

Queenie x

Playing by the rules is highly over rated

I don't believe in all that science mumbo jumbo- just love, good sex and of course MUSIC. And these beats tickle my fancy today. They're not exactly P.C... But wouldn't it be a boring world if we played it safe all of the time? Playing by the rules is highly over rated. So I warn you...all conservative types don't push play. And definetly don't play this song for your grandmother when she's over for scones and cream... Not unless you have the ambulance on speed dial. (And she's decided to cut you out of the will...) Chuckle. I'm just joking. Seriously.
And with that thought I leave you -I'm off to the gym for a yawn session. And then meeting up with friends to take the tiddly winks out for brunch at the Grand Hyatt. I love a good "oink oink" session. You never can eat too much in my books. And it doesn't really count if you have friends with you. It all get's gobbled up into the "I don't remember doing that" box. With the help of a few martini's of course.
The ever incorrigible Queenie x

Ordered Mayhem

A breakfast bloody mary? 

Good morning Mumbai! I love mornings in India. It is the quietest, coolest most beautiful time of the day. As usual the sun is shining. Shop fronts are still closed. Chai wallas are making their way around for the people off to work. Dosas are sizzling away on the street corners. A couple of super sized green Indian ring neck parrots squabble on my balcony railing as I look down at the kids on their way to school. The girls shiny black plaits swing to and fro as they walk briskly through the school gates. I can hear them laughing and chatting amongst one another. This is Mumbai as I see, hear and smell it every morning. And little by little this is what I have become accustomed to. This is what I now call home. It has gone from being terrifyingly unfamiliar to now the seemingly tame almost reasonable workings of a city that bustles along with ordered mayhem. My home. Somehow Mumbai has reasoned with my judgement and lead me to believe that this....all of this going on around me makes every bit of sense. And with a blink of an eyelid the divide has been crossed. With each day I feel more and more...well local. If that can be possible. I now eat street food from my local favourite at least once a week. I barter in good humor with the same man 3 times a week for my bananas. The locals at the hardware store let the builder know I've arrived before I'm even in the door. It's this huge city that works and feels more like a country village during the day and then has the ability to be mysterious and exciting as soon as the sun goes down. It can be a thriving metropolis once you pop on a mini skirt and heels. This is home now. Wow. How the hell did that happen so quick? I need a drink just thinking about all that. A breakfast bloody mary will do just fine before yoga. Tomatoes are a super food and anti carcenagenic so they say. I'd say it's a perfectly healthy way to start the day. Oh put a sock in it I can hear you tutt tutting as I type. Plus it's thanksgiving holiday break. I'm celebrating in honor of all my darling American pals...

Just so beautiful

Thanks again for all the readers from Russia, South Korea, Norway, Canada, the U.K, the U.S of A and of course OZ and NZ. As for all my gorgeous readers in India thanks again yesterday saw you take over the U.S with the most readers for the day. Fabulous.
Queenie x

Thanksgiving

I'll have a Sangria....and keep them coming

Looked in the mirror this morning. Big mistake I must admit. The haggard old lady looking back at me seemed to answer to my name. Damn it. That really is me then. Oh stuff it. I'm going to have a whole box of chocolate and open a nice chilled bottle of chardonnay. Pre christmas diet begins tomorrow. Honest.
So we're not going anywhere for thanksgiving. Every man and his dog seems to be jetting off to an exotic location except us. But we have to be responsible and focus on landscape design for the property in Rajasthan. Ho hum- it doesn't cut the mustard though. The neighbours smiled smugly this evening as they walked through the lobby with their suitcases rolling behind them. I smiled and asked where they were off to (wish I bloody hadn't) because the response was: "Phuket- you know Thailand?" Yes of course I bloody know Thailand. Grumble grumble. White sandy beaches. Cocktails, delicious food. Yes I know bloody Thailand all right. Sorry, I know how spoilt I sound right now... Never mind. I don't even want to go to Thailand for the long weekend anyway. (I'M LYING RIGHT NOW IN CASE YOU COULDN"T TELL).
I'm going to have a top up on my vino though and sulk about it. Although there's heaps to do here over thanksgiving weekend. A nice long sunday brunch. Yes that'll do. Maybe Olive? With the non stop Sangria's....? Hmmmm could be worse. I might get a group together. Done.
Queenie -the horribly spoilt sounding Queen of the suburbs...I'm not though. Really.

Desi Boyz

Okay so the movie on every girls lips at the moment in Mumbai is Desi Boyz. And I wonder why? Being Bollywood of course there are scantily clad people but this time it's the buffed up John Abraham and Akshay Kumar showing all the skin... Throw in the gorgeous Deepika Padukone and some near naked european back up dancers and voila you have the next Bollywood hit. At the end of the day sex sells anywhere baby.... I must admit John Abraham's make up artist has worked wonders because the last time I saw him at "Saltwater Cafe" he looked like he'd just walked off a Clearasil advert. I must sympathise though- the climate in mumbai is the perfect breeding ground for oily skin. I mean you're constantly sweating (well you do when you're a chubby foreigner like moi) and apparently all the celebs wash their face at least 3 times during a day. I mean I'm just asking...who's got the time for that? I can now see a very good reason for using a Burka (finally) there are some days I think I should pop one on just to cover up "the face"...it'd be less expensive and less time consuming than using make up. Just saying...
Anyhoo another day is upon us. I'm going to push myself to make it to the gym before I head off to visit the centre that works for mothers and infants in the south. Must focus and concentrate on hitting that treadmill. C'mon Queenie christmas is nearly upon us love. Good God. How am I meant to loose all those extra pounds from last year before this year is up? I need a bloody drink just thinking about it!
Queenie x

Lost all sense of direction?

Ten things you didn't know about Queenie:


1. Favourite hindu god is Ganesha
2. Ashamedly ate 250g of pistachio barfi last night on her own
3. Loves to sing and dance to "Chamak Challo" when no one is watching as she gets ready
4. Eats chilli with pretty much every meal like a good Indian girl would
5.Waves to a wee man every morning after school drop off as he takes his morning dump. He's always there and smiles and waves...this is NOT right I know. But he now seems to wait for this morning ritual to occur. God help me...
6. Loves the deep colours of the sunsets in Mumbai
7. Hasn't had breakfast once at home yet since august (shameful fact)
8. Hasn't been to Disneyland in California yet...what can I say?
9. Didn't touch a drop of  alcohol all weekend (hmmmm seem to have a bit catching up to do this week)
10. Went to Good Earth and spent over $300 on cushions in Juhu yesterday.
11. One extra for good measure... laughed like a kid at Happy feet 2 last night with the kids...what is happening to me? Some serious bar hopping needs to be planned asap. Must speed dial "M".


And just quickly to let you all know that I FINALLY have a facebook account so please come say hello to me... I am under Queenie Suburbs and Mumbai is obviously the current city. Let's talk soon everyone. Much to do today.
Queenie x

Start small. Really small if you have to...

What's happening to me? Where's my cocktail?

Sometimes you wonder what the meaning to all of this is? I mean we are here for such a brief moment in time in the scheme of things and yet we get so caught up with such silly insignificant things... Does the wallpaper match the floor tiles? Is my dress the right colour? Did I buy her an appropriate gift? Does my butt look too big? Will we get a bigger house? Does the vase match the coffee table? Seriously none of all this actually matters. But yet.... it seems so god damned important to us at the time. All of this I suppose we create around ourselves to entertain and fill up our time while we're here. But before what? Before the great big divide of nothingness envelops us? That... I just don't know and I don't suppose you do either. Hindu's certainly don't believe that. They believe in reincarnation. Which is a nice way to think about it I must agree. Christians believe in heaven. That paradise up there somewhere waiting to welcome the deserving. I wonder just exactly what I believe in? Well the jury's still out on that one darling. I'll put it in the same cupboard as "do I believe in Ghosts?" and "does the Yeti truly exist?" Or perhaps this should go in the "What the hell is India doing to me?" cupboard...

How could you not WANT to help?

On Friday I arrived horribly late to a meeting to discuss a foundation being run in Mumbai. The chairperson herself is a gorgeous lady who is passionate about revamping and creating more funding for the foundation which assists young mothers and their infants/toddlers. A very simple idea (that most of us take for granted in our own countries) of having a community based health care worker available to give advice on health, nutrition and early childhood education for women and their young children. The foundation needs to build awareness and define a distinct profile in Mumbai and abroad. This one centre has already had over 850 families pass through it's doors and have had some wonderful success stories but it needs help. The community rooms they use are very small, the one doctor who volunteers to give free health checks is over burdened and the "mommy and me" educative classes to teach young mothers about early education and the benefit of "play" for infants is tired-to say the least.

The smile is too much

My heart immeadiately began to beat a little faster when the discussion began. And two hours later I felt compelled to assist in any way I could . But perhaps to begin with- develop a functional programme for the educative classes, some more stimulating activities and inject a little energy and enthusiasm in training some of the volunteers. I really do believe in educating the next generation. It seems the only logical way forward. And education has to begin as an infant. Teaching the mothers themselves about nutrition so they can enable their babies to grow into healthy children- is crucial for India's advancement. Over 50% of India's 1.2 billion people are under the age of 25 years. An amazing statistic...they have a huge productive workforce on the rise. But...65% of that population needs to be helped to maintain good health, nutrition and be educated. It is a huge task that has to start somewhere. And lot's of small things build together to make something bigger. Step by step. The goal would be to open these centres in as many areas of need around Mumbai and then who knows? Perhaps further. So, this Tuesday you won't find me at Sancho's sipping on a cocktail (unfortunately though it does sound really good) but I will be down in the south visiting this centre. I'm pretty nervous about getting upset but also pretty damn excited to get involved. There's something about beautiful babies that just makes my heart melt. But it's the really sick ones that I worry about. And even though it's small steps to make a difference every little advancement HAS to help. Will keep you all posted. Thanks for reading again everyone. The amount of interest from you all in the U.S is just phenomenal and of course to you all in India I say THANK YOU.

Who wouldn't melt?

Queenie x