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Pink by Ruchi – Bombay Dreams

written by Parita 2 Comments

Ruchi’s back, and this month she’s sharing about her trip to Bombay (Mumbai)!  Thanks for stopping by, Ruch – happy to read that you had a blast with your sister and the kiddos!

* * * * *

Malad & Ghatkopar – that’s pretty much the extent of my Bombay trips.  It’s been the case since I was a little girl visiting India during summer breaks.

One of my Masis (Mom’s sister) lives in Malad and the other in Ghatkopar.  It was always easy for the entire family to get together in one place, eat meals together, shop in that area and spend time with my grandparents rather than going back and forth in the crazy traffic.

Saint

Mandir

Both married into pretty religious families, so temple and Saint visits happen quite often when I’m there, especially when my grandfather is around.

Now that I’m living in India, Bombay doesn’t happen as often as I’d like, but this year, my sister really wanted her kids to spend time with the rest of the extended family.  As important as it is for them to spend time with Jai and me, it’s equally important for them to interact with their great-grandfather, grand-masis, cousin mamas (maternal uncle) and masis and last but not least their second cousins.

AutoSelfie

Rickshaw selfie with the kiddos!

So, before I get into this, keep in mind, when I go to Bombay, I’m pretty much stuck in a one-mile radius of either of the suburbs I mentioned above – there’s not much of the Taj Gateway or Marine Drive happening around here!

Airport2

Airport

Well, I did end up at the new international airport to receive my mom, sister and the kids – it’s beautiful!

In a way, it’s nice though – we now have our little, local shops we visit, the owners know us (moreso my Mom than us, but still), we can walk around a lot more (which is rare for me in Kolkata), we get to enjoy short and quick auto rickshaw rides (again, a rarity in my world) and I get the occasional American fix (with Bombay being about 10 years ahead of Kolkata, a lot of the chains have already popped up and are quite close to both of the areas I stay in).

Market

Local shopping – the best!

TB

TBHindi

 You bet I did!

KrispyKreme

DD

Woohoo!

I do wish I was a bit gutsier – you’d think after living here for 5 years I would be, but I still don’t really venture out on my own in Bombay – it’s super intimidating, and even though I can confidently speak Hindi now, I just seem to close-up a bit when I’m there.  I guess I feel like my cousins and masis will handle it all and take care of me (which they do – I’m totally spoiled!) 🙂

gujjufood

Maakhan

PavBhaji

Some examples of how I’m spoiled – traditional Gujarati food (some of my favorites), pure, homemade butter, and I guess an Indian vegetarian version of sloppy joes?!  YUM!

One thing I have noticed though, I have no issues bargaining and speaking up when someone asks me where I’m from.  Dude, I know I have ‘I’m not originally from here’ stamped across my head, but I love the fact that I can now say, ‘I am from here, I live in Kolkata, so don’t try to tell me I don’t know the prices of things!’  What a liberating feeling!  I love it!  (insert evil laugh – he he he).

I had a list of the most random things I wanted to buy during this trip, and believe it or not, I managed to find them all – crazy how a city you visit for one week allows you to purchase a mixed list of items while the city you live in makes you feel like you’ve created a never ending wish list!  I do suppose something about vacation versus work and life has something to do with it 😉

The week went by in a flash, and I guess the common saying stands true once again – time flies when you’re having fun!  Bombay never disappoints, and I do hope to explore more of the city next time I go.  If you plan on being in Malad or Ghatkopar anytime soon, I’m happy to pass on all my spots!

As always, thanks for stopping by!!

Have you ever traveled to India?  I’ve been several times but have yet to explore Bombay for more than a few hours.  It’s now officially on my to visit list thanks to Ruchi!

Written on December 30, 2015 Related:guest post, Indian culture, Pink By Ruchi

Indian couple at their engagement pooja ceremony

Ruchi’s Work-Life Balance

written by Parita 9 Comments

Today we have another guest post from Ruchi that is all about how she balances (or tries her hardest to) her life as a wife, a daughter-in-law, the Head of HR for the family company, and the owner of her own company – Pink by Ruchi.  Phew!  I’m tired just thinking about all of that!

Please welcome my friend Ruchi!

* * * * *

In preparing for this post, the title I chose has really tested its meaning.  Because I’ll be guest posting over here, it is forcing me to get even more organized and hit deadlines.  Yes, I have goals and lists and tasks I try to accomplish on a daily basis, but when you’re running your own business, there’s a lot of flexibility AND a lot of room to get nothing done.  Throw in living with other people, and you’ve really gotta learn how to balance everything and wear multiple hats.

Okay, I’ll start with the first hat.  I’m a wife.  Now, don’t get me wrong – Jai doesn’t really have many demands.  But, there are still the daily expectations that come along with being in this role.  Does he want his lunch packed or is he going to come home?  Picking up after him and honestly myself.  Handling the few things he’s asked me to take care of.  Making sure we’re getting enough alone time and fulfilling our family and social obligations.

ruchi jai eng ganesh puja
Jai and me during one of our engagement events!

This leads perfectly into my second hat.  I’m a daughter and a sister.  When you live in a joint family, you have to be respectful of everyone’s time, space, and likes/dislikes.  Besides Jai and me, there are 4 other people – my grandmother-in-law (Maa), my father-in-law (Dad), my mother-in-law (Mom) and my sister-in-law (Didi).  So, what I’m trying to get at is we’re dealing with many ages (me being the youngest), personalities and schedules.  It is so nice living in a big family – the support, the full feeling of a home, the traditions, all of it.  Along with this though come quite a few distractions.  Either, I’m helping Mom with house chores (which is a whole other topic in this type of set-up) OR I’ve found myself trying to spend time with Dadi OR we’re stopping everything because Dad and Jai come home for lunch (at different times everyday) OR we have a random visitor OR an artisan shows up – you get the point, right?  And, each day is totally different and unexpected (so it’s difficult to stick to your plan, and I’m a huge planner).

Well, this is a great time for my third hat.  I’m the owner of Pink by Ruchi.  This means I need time to sketch designs, purchase fabric, work on current orders, create my new season line, meet with tailors (who are very unpredictable), be active on social media – once again, you get the point, right?  It’s crazy!  And, as many lists as I have going on, other things always pop up.  And, I know I’m not alone in this – every woman, everywhere in the world deals with this.  WE can ALL relate.

Fabric Shop
Deciding on fabric at a local shop!

Finally, my fourth hat.  I’m the Head of Human Resources for the family business (we grow and manufacture tea).  Jai needed someone part-time who could help him organize and implement certain processes in the company, and with my background from the States, I was the perfect fit in his opinion.  So, I had to figure out when to fit this role in as well.

I decided I would spend the first half of the day at home (splitting up house chores and meeting with tailors, running to fabric stores, etc.), and then the second half would be dedicated to the office (with mainly HR and some Pink by Ruchi work mixed in).  Perfect, right?  I wish.  But, it works ohhhhh, half of the time.  Ha!  Throw in our crazy travel schedule, weekly weddings, monthly pujas (rituals performed in the house on auspicious days), committee meetings and other random things, and I’m lucky if one list actually gets completed!  Hehe, I’m being a little dramatic.

I’m still figuring it all out and learning how to balance my personal needs with my professional ones, and I may not ever have it completely sorted out, but it will work in my little world.  It’s exciting that I get to wear so many hats, and some days I just want to throw them all in the closet, but hey, that’s normal, right?

Side note (because I just can’t help myself):  People in Kolkata refer to the day in 2 parts – either first half or second half.  No one ever wants to give a specific time.  It’s literally like pulling teeth to get an exact meeting time from someone.  The conversation usually goes (I have translated from Hindi):

Me:  What time?
Random Person:  Uhhh, Wednesday.
Me:  What time on Wednesday?
RP:  Uhhh, second half?
Me:  What time in the second half?
RP:  You will be there in the second half?
Me:  Yes, that’s why I asked you ‘what time’?
RP:  Uhhhh, second half, madam.
Me:  I need an exact time.  I have other work.  I am not sitting around for only you.
RP:  Oh, right, right, of course not madam.  Uhhhh, between 2&4?
Me:  That is a two-hour gap.  Will it be 2 or 4 or 3?
RP:  Okay, okay, we will keep it for 4.
Me: OK.  Please call when you are on the way.
Day of, approaching 4:00pm…
RP:  Madam, I am on the way.
Me:  You’re only on the way now?!  You were supposed to be here at 4!
RP:  Madam, I had some problems.  I will be there as soon as possible.
Me:  Okay, fine.  CLICK.

Now, try planning your day!  Well, at least he called!  ‘Til next time!  Thanks for tuning in!  And feel free to follow along on my blog.

* * * * *

Great post, Ruch!  And I think it’s safe to say that you are not alone in your quest to find balance.  I think that’s something all of us are striving for!

Written on May 20, 2015 Related:Uncategorized

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