My Saturday morning routine is that around eight me and group of my friends are taking bikes and heading down-town. I love the ride there during the early morning, when there is hardly traffic and air is fresh. Bubba, my friend is always driving me and we have time to chat on the way. Everything is peaceful and I can enjoy the wind on my hair.
My favorite Indian breakfast place here is Mylari. Their dosas are the best, which I have ever tasted. Indian breakfast is very heavy, so I can have it only once a week, but it’s so delicious. Our other favorite place is Secret Breakfast Place, which only certain people can find. That place is famous for its idlis, which are Indian pancakes served with coconut chutney. And chai on the side just makes this meal perfect. After breakfast our bellies are full and sugar high from the chai is guaranteed. Sharing a good meal in lovely company makes my day every time.
As a Western woman I often feel sorry for the Indian housewifes. They stay almoust all the time at home. Their task is take care of the home and children. And for me it seems that it’s extremely boring and exhausting. If they are using maids, they won’t have that much to do. And that creates a situation, where they are very bored.
In my building the family has two maids, but I am using my own maid Sakhi. Sakhi is a funny girl and brings a lot of joy for my days. But I have a feeling that the host family would prefer me to use their maids and that’s why, they are giving hard time for Sakhi. Maids know very well, what is going on in Mysore and it’s very useful to have a loyal maid. She can for example share information, if somebody comes to my place, when I won’t be at home or if Indian family is complaining about something, which they won’t say directly to me. Sometimes it really feels that Indian housewifes don’t have anything else to do than spy people and gossip. Or give hard time for their maids, because they really yell at them. I gave my maid extra days off and the host family (or their maids) seemed to be jealous because of that. Poor Indian maids, if they get anything extra, other people will get jealous.
I would love to take my maid to a local beauty parlour before I go home, but I don’t know, what kind of chaos that would create. Indian society is full of rules and as foreigner it’s hard to keep up with all of those. And sometimes I would like to rebel a little bit.
But luckily India is changing, too. I am looking forward to that someday I can wear my skirt without awful leggings and I don’t have to boil everyday wearing long-sleeves. Mumbai is already very different than Mysore and slowly slowly everything starts to loosen up here, too.
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