The not-so-secret diary

The title of this post says it all. Is it every decade that you end up in a work environment that provides daily moments of utter panic interspersed with colleagues deciding on an impromptu ‘Bollywood singathon’ and serious discussions about the best mango farms in a 100 km radius? I think it’s probably once a lifetime thing. Therefore fortunate are ye all who have experienced the pinnacle of whacky working in this western city of India :D A far cry from the very ‘propah’ British office, each day it is a mystery whether I will be greeted by a new bespoke song, a breakfast order of “omelette pao”, or everyone suddenly clapping as you enter. You guessed it - my local colleagues were winding me up with the clapping. There was raucous laughter as I looked totally confused. I looked over my shoulder to check if someone important had come in. Then rolled my eyes and grinned. I had picked the short straw that day. I have woefully accepted that it can’t be a “jalebi day” every day. I...

A few weeks after rambling around Patagonia and Puerto Natales I found myself more than 10,000 miles away in Pune, a city in western India. With utter self-control I have decided not to write about the traffic and cityscape that characterise a bustling Indian city. Well at least not in this post! I usually start with food but this time it's worth describing the sights. My first ever visit and an extended stay in Pune city, located about 150 km east of Mumbai, has thrown up interesting surprises. There is history aplenty associated with this medium-sized town. As with hundreds of other places in India that are jostling their way up the economic ladder, the past seems largely forgotten. Joined by a couple more intrepid souls from across India and overseas, I have managed to see several landmarks. One of my favourite places in the city is the Aga Khan Palace and grounds. Reminiscent of any old ‘haveli’-style palace, Gandhi was imprisoned here for some time before independen...