I was thinking about all the people I encounter often here in Mumbai and how it affects my day.
Jessie She comes on Tuesdays and Fridays to cook and clean - she can read English so she cooks
food out of my US cookbooks since I vomit often when I eat Indian food.
Salam Last year I hailed a random rickshaw and the guy noticed I was out at the same time each day. I pay him a little extra and he takes me to school nearly every day. I get to relax and not try to give directions to someone who doesn't speak English. We leave at 7:09 and get to school at 7:25. He doesn't speak much English but knows English numbers for time and knows "tomorrow, yesterday, and next week" so that is helpful for communication.
The Guards When I get to school, I am met by guards at the security gate. They say hello and check the rickshaw to make sure I don't leave anything in there. If it is pouring during monsoon,
they keep an umbrella over my head until I reach the door.
Prakash He is the copy guy. I always tell him he wouldn't have a job if I wasn't here. I keep him
busy copying math papers and laminating things - he tries to hide when he sees me!
Ramona she is the middle school secretary and we all know secretaries run the school. She is
indispensable!
Random Richshaw guy Going home from school, I just take whatever richshaw will pick me up.
they never want to drive to where I live! I get turned down a lot so I tip big hoping if they see me again they will pick me up. occasional one that has taken me home before will see me and pick me up because they know I will tip. I often get quiet guys who speak NO english and just spit constantly and stare at me in the mirror. Other times I will get someone who speaks no English but will babble to me in Hindi or whatever and I just smile. Rarely I will get one that speaks a little English and wants to ask me a lot of questions. It takes me a lot longer to get home than it does to get to school. Traffic is a lot worse in the afternoons and the drivers drive too fast and often drive in the wrong lane - I close my eyes a lot! Also there are a lot of beggars that bother me at the intersection of death.
Nilendra He's my trainer. I have a lot of bone density and muscle mass issues due to my
illnesses -and a lot of joint and movement problems. He makes me lift weights and do strength training and stretching to combat some of my problems. He makes me work, but if I tell him it
is too much or my body doesn't want to do what he's asking, he modifies it.
Tree Guy I encounter many homeless people every day, but tree guy is special. He keeps all his
stuff in a tree a block from my house. He rarely moves more than a few blocks in any direction
from his tree. He's mentally ill - talks to himself all the time. Has fights with the tree and the
fence. I don't even know his name - he's so out of it - I've never seen him speak to a person -
ever.
Wheelchair guys I give food to a few families that live on the sidewalk near my house and there
is a group of guys in wheelchair (very rough machine - not what 1st world countries think of as a
wheelchair) have a disability in Mumbai makes living in this tough city even tougher! There
is one guy who wheels all over my area so I see him in different places. He speaks English so
he's always telling me some crazy stories about how he fell out of his chair or something. He
rarely asks for money, but he is very time consuming!
Jessie She comes on Tuesdays and Fridays to cook and clean - she can read English so she cooks
food out of my US cookbooks since I vomit often when I eat Indian food.
Salam Last year I hailed a random rickshaw and the guy noticed I was out at the same time each day. I pay him a little extra and he takes me to school nearly every day. I get to relax and not try to give directions to someone who doesn't speak English. We leave at 7:09 and get to school at 7:25. He doesn't speak much English but knows English numbers for time and knows "tomorrow, yesterday, and next week" so that is helpful for communication.
The Guards When I get to school, I am met by guards at the security gate. They say hello and check the rickshaw to make sure I don't leave anything in there. If it is pouring during monsoon,
they keep an umbrella over my head until I reach the door.
Prakash He is the copy guy. I always tell him he wouldn't have a job if I wasn't here. I keep him
busy copying math papers and laminating things - he tries to hide when he sees me!
Ramona she is the middle school secretary and we all know secretaries run the school. She is
indispensable!
Random Richshaw guy Going home from school, I just take whatever richshaw will pick me up.
they never want to drive to where I live! I get turned down a lot so I tip big hoping if they see me again they will pick me up. occasional one that has taken me home before will see me and pick me up because they know I will tip. I often get quiet guys who speak NO english and just spit constantly and stare at me in the mirror. Other times I will get someone who speaks no English but will babble to me in Hindi or whatever and I just smile. Rarely I will get one that speaks a little English and wants to ask me a lot of questions. It takes me a lot longer to get home than it does to get to school. Traffic is a lot worse in the afternoons and the drivers drive too fast and often drive in the wrong lane - I close my eyes a lot! Also there are a lot of beggars that bother me at the intersection of death.
Nilendra He's my trainer. I have a lot of bone density and muscle mass issues due to my
illnesses -and a lot of joint and movement problems. He makes me lift weights and do strength training and stretching to combat some of my problems. He makes me work, but if I tell him it
is too much or my body doesn't want to do what he's asking, he modifies it.
Tree Guy I encounter many homeless people every day, but tree guy is special. He keeps all his
stuff in a tree a block from my house. He rarely moves more than a few blocks in any direction
from his tree. He's mentally ill - talks to himself all the time. Has fights with the tree and the
fence. I don't even know his name - he's so out of it - I've never seen him speak to a person -
ever.
Wheelchair guys I give food to a few families that live on the sidewalk near my house and there
is a group of guys in wheelchair (very rough machine - not what 1st world countries think of as a
wheelchair) have a disability in Mumbai makes living in this tough city even tougher! There
is one guy who wheels all over my area so I see him in different places. He speaks English so
he's always telling me some crazy stories about how he fell out of his chair or something. He
rarely asks for money, but he is very time consuming!
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