Newsletter #9
Tamrin Has Gone to Mumbai (via Switzerland)
Hello Everyone!
Happy New Year! And welcome back! Or maybe I should welcome myself back to your inboxes. Oh well, it’s all the same. I have come to you with harrowing details of my wondrous travels! To make this as digestible as possible, here was my trip to India in itinerated form:
Mumbai: Dec 27th – Jan 2nd
Chennai: Jan 2nd – Jan 6th
New Delhi: Jan 6th – Jan 10th
Mumbai: Jan 10th – Jan 12th
This newsletter will only hit my first Mumbai leg, because so much has been happening that I need to break the trip up into sections, or this newsletter will be FAR too long. The other two will be out shortly. I know you were all worried.
After a wonderful Christmas, Mom, Dad, and I headed to JFK to drop me off for my Boxing Day journey! A snowstorm was supposed to hit NYC around 4:30 pm, and my flight was moved up to beat it—all the flights scheduled after mine were canceled. My first leg of travel was from JFK to Zurich, and I was supposed to sleep. Safe to say that didn't happen; instead, I ended up watching TV and chatting with the dad sitting next to me. He and his family were heading to the Alps to ski, and I learned that one of his kids goes to Williams! Small small world.
Then came my layover in Zurich! It was remarkably uneventful. All the stores were closed (it was around 6 am), and I managed to get some Swiss chocolate from the only vendor open. I was also very sleep-deprived and slightly delirious, which was unfortunate. The one thing I have found about solo travel is that you make so many acquaintances! I was approached by two women while waiting to board the plane, and we had such lovely conversations.
The flight from Zurich to Mumbai was when I slept, which I wasn’t supposed to do, but I was SO tired. And then I landed in Mumbai at 10 pm local time! Immigration took all of 5 minutes, which was awesome, and then I got some money exchanged while waiting for my bags to show up. India has removed its 2,000-rupee note from circulation (I learned this from Uma when I got to Chennai), so its highest denomination is the 500-rupee note. I exchanged $200 USD for 15,000 INR in 500-rupee notes. My wallet would not close.
Once I got my bags, I went to find Aratrika and her dad! The Mumbai airport is a magical place, and it did not take long to locate them. Our drive back to Aratrika’s house was insane. Mumbai driving has made all other driving seem like child's play. I will NEVER complain about driving through Boston again. People were swerving in and out of lanes, making U-turns where no one should ever make one, and generally driving so close to one another that I was surprised I did not witness a single crash.
Once Aratrika and I made it back to her apartment, I showered, and then we went to a party. Because I was still on EST, it was very much morning in my head, so going out did not feel like a terrible idea. So, I went to a house party, drank some drinks, talked to some people I had never seen before, and learned a vast number of Hindi curse words! We stayed at the party until very late, finally leaving around 3:30. We then got Indian street food. We ate these chicken-cheese rolls, and they were by far some of the best food I’ve ever eaten, though my perception may have been VERY skewed due to my lack of sleep and the time of day (and maybe the partying). Finally, we went to sleep around 4 am.
Day 1:
I slept until 5 pm the next day. When I finally awoke from my slumber, Aratrika and I figured we should go outside, so we got dressed and took a rickshaw through Bandra to go to a cafe. The first place we went was beautifully decorated for Christmas, but it had an hour-and-a-half wait, so we left. The second cafe was less busy, so we got a table and sat down. The ceilings were SO short, and I had to duck everywhere, but otherwise it was an excellent spot. My stomach was a little upset from the traveling and the partying, so I took it easy on the food. Then we returned home and chilled until bedtime!
My second day in Mumbai was very exciting. Aratrika and I had big plans to go to SoBo (South Bombay). I’m going to start bullet-pointing things because this newsletter is getting long.
Day 2:
On our way to SoBo, we stopped at the Palladium Mall, which was very, very large
We went shopping and bowling and got Japanese food for lunch (YUM)
Then we drove the rest of the way to SoBo and drove on the Marine Drive to Colaba
Once in Colaba, we saw the Gateway of India and the Taj Hotel
We went street shopping behind the hotel, and I was told to tell Aratrika what I liked, but then to keep my mouth shut while she bargained for a lower price (towards the end, I think the shopkeepers caught on to our scheme)
After shopping, we stopped for snacks and got momos. I had never had momos before, but thanks to Denzel and Aratrika, they are now my new favorite food.
Then we drove home!
Day 3:
We woke up, got ready, and went to meet Aratrika’s friend, Tia
We got coffee and then went to a place called Benne’s for dosa, idlis, and filter coffee
Unfortunately, my stomach was still upset, so I didn’t eat much
After dosas, we went to Hill Road to street shop, but Aratrika somehow fell into a puddle? And we went home to change
We took a break after that to do some work and rest, then went out again that night to a board-game cafe/craft brewery
We tried to play Clue, but half of the cards were missing, so it was a little more difficult than it would have been
After Aratrika won at Clue, we went to a karaoke bar!
There was a woman there who sang “Feeling Good” by Nina Simone and absolutely killed it, in a way I didn't think was possible.
Aratrika and I sang "Dancing Queen"
Then I went home because my stomach STILL was not feeling good
Day 4:
Aratrika and I got up and went to Tanjor Tiffin Room and got SUCH good food
They give you a whole plate of all of the curries you could order, and once you’ve tried them all, you can decide what you want to order.
After that delicious brunch, we went to get our hair, nails, and eyebrows done.
Then went shopping for NYE outfits because somehow neither of us had one
Then we got ready and went to a NYE party at one of Aratrika’s friends' houses
I chose not to drink because my stomach still wasn’t feeling the best, and as a result, I got tired at like 1:30
We were there until 3:30, but I once again met so many people I would never have encountered, and they were all so lovely!
Day 5:
We woke up at 12 and went to brunch with Aratrika’s family, which was wonderful
Then hung out a bit at home and did work
Then ate dinner made by her grandmother – mutton curry and poori YUM
And Aratrika and I watched part of a Bollywood movie, but it was dubbed in Tamil? And I packed for my trip to Chennai and Delhi.
Thus ended the first leg of my trip to India. I woke up the next morning and went to the airport, and you’ll read the next bit of the adventure in maybe a day or so! I only have a couple more days in the country, but if any of you have any last-minute recommendations, I’ll try to fit them in! In the meantime, Happy New Year!! I hope you are all happy and healthy, and I wish you all a wonderful 2026.
All my love, and a couple of momos for the road,
Tamrin
Timmy Two Shoes
