Missing Mumbai

I miss Mumbai. Most people will say I'm crazy because I have been lucky enough to move to a beautiful country like Australia. I especially feel homesick when I browse through my phone directory. 90% of all the names and numbers are from people we know from Mumbai and these names sound so familiar. In Mumbai, I knew exactly where to go. Of course, it's a lot easier here. I can go to the Woolworths and buy everything I like in dozens of varieties. In Sydney, I don't have to look for places where I can buy meat or where I can get dough for a quiche.

Last night I went to the Woolworths for some late night grocery shopping and I felt at home. Really. At night, there are mostly Indians at work. They speak Hindi and they use the familiar words. They must wonder why this tall western woman was looking at them the whole time.

This morning I was very happy because I could send Julia to school wearing her Indian outfit instead of her Aussie school uniform. Today it was 'Harmony day' at school to celebrate the different cultures in Australia. Except for some beautiful Japanese and Chinese costumes, most children didn't look any different than usual. I guess that's the reason why I miss India.