Evening Stroll

The cricket floodlights are still on, this is the view back across the bay in Mumbai after a memorable match where I thought the Royals had no chance, until Yusuf Pathan started slogging and victory seemed assured, then he was unfortunately run out and by the last ball a 6 was required from the Hampshire pair (Warne and Mascarenas with Dimitri on strike).

I ended up with a cricket based friendship with a very nice man who seemed to appreciate cricket for crickets sake, and whose only English was based on cricket terms like wide, non striker, six etc. etc. I couldn't respond in Hindi since I only know the words for veg and spices. He was much better than the other youths - who were stunned that I could want Rajasthan to win, that I was supporting a team with an Australian in (this after they determined I was not Australian), and not a huge Sachin fan. I did actually go into this game excited about seeing Sachin play but these guys totally put me off him. I clapped when Dimitri got him out, which did not go down at all well. During the Mumbai innings Yusuf was fielding in front of us for part of the time and he got a lot of stick, I'm so glad he got them back. Also Shaun Tait got a lot of stick - there have been beatings of Indians in Australia so I suppose I can understand that.

I also identified the guy who was trying to pick my pocket, he got the zip undone, then went away - when he came back and went away and came back again I was pretty sure what he was up to. Then he tried it with someone else, so we pointed at him for a while and he went away for good.

My friend's friend took us to a bar, I guessed there was gonna be trouble when the doormen shook my hand on entry. Into the cool air conditioned and very loud music bar that appears to be packed by standing Indian women (in Sari's), and then we are on the way out. I'm guessing it was a men's entertainment bar. The others said that you paid the woman to get your drink and dance for you.

So we found another bar.