Comparing weekends
Life in India was simpler, but often mundane. Now don't get me wrong. Before the chappals come flying, let me explain.
In Mumbai, people who work leave home by 6:30am (depending on which end of the city they live in) and rarely get home before 8 pm. This has got nothing to do with the long hours we work, but with the way the city is designed and the transport system. If we don't work Saturdays, then the weekend goes by doing routine things, catching up with the shopping or tending to the needs of the family.
In the UK, I have found weekends to be held on an entirely different plane altogether. They are sacred. Between now and December 31, there are 50 weekend days(Saturdays and Sundays). On my calendar,22 already have something pencilled in, including concerts (Proms/Opera), three trips, visits to friends (yea, have to be planned in advance!), The Duck Race and other things like trips into London for specific reasons. That leaves 28 days with nothing planned (as of now). I can safely predict that by the end of July/August, those weekends will also be full.
Life here is busy, yes. Weekends are full, but they are reserved for 'exciting' things whereas the shopping is usually relegated for weekdays. And the only reason this is possible is because we are able to be home at a 'decent' hour.
If I go back to work in India, I want to be able to work close to home, or work from home. This makes such an enormous difference to the quality of ones life, that it's impossible to describe. I know how hard travelling can be, especially in Mumbai, and I'm grateful not to be doing it.
One big reason that I'm working hard at my writing is that I want to be able to do it full-time someday - here or in India. It's not going to be easy, but I'm going to do everything in my power not to travel long distances for work.
Will I eat my words (literally)? We'll just have to see.
You are right that weekends are more sacred in the UK. And I love it. But I do find myself struggling with mundane home stuff here - much more than I ever did in Bombay. All my spare time in Bombay was spent having fun since even as a 23 year old I could afford to employ a cook, cleaner and ironing man.
ReplyDeleteThat's true! The joys of doing the dishes, washing clothes , and of course cooking, were all alien to me too during my lifetime in Mumbai. I miss all that and I miss my cobbler!
ReplyDeleteI try to get all the housework done during the week as much as possible. That's the best part of having a calendar and planning so much ahead - you know you have no excuse. The ironing can wait till Monday! :)