Mumbai Birthday

On the 22nd May, we'll have been in Bombay 6 months. It takes around that long to discover, that you've settled and have surrounded yourself with a group of like minded friends.
My first birthday in Bombay. The day started, as it usually does, (I wish) with a sumptuous breakfast, cooked by none other, Paprika, a chat to my parents on skype & to Jo Shaw, we then moved on to our new favourite game, Sing Star (Play Station).
Preetika and I have had 3 nights 'singing' until 5 am, belting out the only 3 songs that our voices will carry, coincidentally perfectly executed by 5.00am each time.
The Play Station was Mark's birthday present, something to do if we were caught (with electricity) inside for days in the Monsoon (didn't realise electricity, AC & fans may disappear with the sun).
We then moved on to the Marriott where I had a real massage (glorious gift from PP) and spent the afternoon by the Marriott pool, ate a club sandwich and corona for lunch, a real treat, thanks to Jason - the Ops manager and good friend.
The rickshaw ride to the restaurant - always a treat, especially with the subwoofer (is that what it's called?) blurting out Hindi classics, and finally, to the dinner party at 11 Echoes. We didn't actually end up ever sitting down to eat, drinks at the bar overtook the desire to eat, yet when the vision blurred, we ordered a stack of entrees. (Hmmm, not much changes in 10 years, I believe my 27th birthday was similar, although it's hard to remember that far & that many brain cells back).
Friends in the pix include Kavita, an Indo/Australian actress, cousin of Ash from BrisVegas who now lives here too. Vida, Miss Afghanistan's Miss World entrant, who is never allowed back into Afghanistan for wearing a swim suit and is now a model/hopeful actress here in Bombay. A polish yoga instructor who models on the side (hates the materialistic world of it) and her Indian boyfriend who is an architect (they have an Enfield too and they're taking us cruising out of Bombay, which we haven't yet done), Dazza a Sth Aussie photographer,come wine importer married to one of India's top models, Yogi & Rinky, a Jain who studied at Bond Uni, married to a Hindu, (interesting love marriage), (some friend of Vida's who bought us 3 bottles of Moet - bless - not cheap in this town), a salsa dancing television dude I met at Frames Film festival who'd lived in the States, Jason & Megan, our first friends, both from Australia and of course Preetika and my newly returned husband from Australia, Mark (hence all the loud singing 'til 5am the previous week) ....I can't remember who I've forgotten (sorry). Anyway, our common thread is living in this crazy town and happily surviving.
The young ones (me) headed off to the nightclub Enigma, conveniently located at the Marriott, where we were ushered into the VIP area (thanks again to Jason - the greatest friend alive) and joined the mass Bollywood dance off, it's an amazing view from our perch. Poor Preetika ripped her knee open, which was actually quite bad, as we realized when the ugly lights came on and we were kicked out. It didn't stop her and I belting more tunes back at home, not allowing anyone else to have a long turn.
Now for some rest, peace, tranquility and yoga.......