Mumbai Diary: Monday Dossier

Pic/Satej Shinde

Jamming in red

Two members of a brass band get ready for a performance outside Lokmanya Tilak Terminus in Kurla

A life outside of sport, too

Yohan Blake and (right) Sharon Cherop. Pics/Shadab Khan, Anurag Ahire

Top athletes are to be one-dimensional, extremely focused; sometimes, even tunnel-visioned in their quest for the ultimate in their sport. Yet, several champs have a life away from the sport even when competing at top level. There was Tata Mumbai Marathon ambassador, Yohan Blake, Olympian, sprinter, youngest 100m world champ ever. Jamaica's Blake was in Mumbai for the event, and when he was asked what he thought of when he crouched in the starting blocks next to the fastest men in the world he had said, "I think of my mother and the children I work for." The children he referred to are the kids at his YB Afraid Foundation he set up in Jamaica for disadvantaged children. "Something wonderful happens when those who can, do what they can, to help those who can't," he told us. The Foundation is involved in the educational, social, physical, and mental health needs of underprivileged youth. Also in Mumbai was Kenya's Sharon Cherop, who spoke at a conference prior to the race. Cherop was asked about her effort during Covid-19 downtime where she urged Kenyan athletes to get an education, concentrate on personal development and learn about financial management. "I have been teaching my fellow athletes that they have to cope with life outside of running. This is because after we retire, we can enjoy what we have worked so hard for." Life lessons and advice from the world's best.

Also Read: Mumbai Diary: Saturday Dossier

Eating like a true Mumbaikar

Alex Ellis on Makar Sankranti; Ellis digs into a grilled vegetable sandwich. Pics Courtesy/Twitter

Unique. That's what Alex Ellis, the British High Commissioner to India, said after having a few spoonfuls of chilli ice cream at Bachelorr's last week. ‘When in Mumbai, eat like a Mumbaikar' - this diarist believes the adage best describes Mumbai as the melting pot it is. And Ellis seems to be agreeing to that. Staffer Aslam Shaikh shared that the Englishman quite liked his picks from the popular eatery's menu. "He wanted to go easy on the spiciness so he ordered a medium-spicy grilled vegetable sandwich." Shaikh revealed that Ellis was keen to try out the distinctive combination of ice cream and green chillies. "His visit made our day special. It also delighted our customers." Before wrapping up his visit to the country, the official wished everyone on Makar Sankranti through a short video. As he bites into a tilgul ladoo, we wish him a sweet year ahead.

Slay it, Queen!

The city is forever alive with the sound of music. Mumbai's Bulli Bainbridge and Trichia Grace-Ann Rebello's latest independent track, The Queen, was aired on VH1 last Thursday. The song, along with a video directed by Meghna Bhalla, was released on December 2, 2022 on all streaming platforms, and was recognised by the network and aired twice on January 12, making it an achievement that gets our nod. This diarist caught up with Rebello who shared about the essence of the song, saying, "Queen is an emotion for everyone, not just for one person or gender. The main purpose behind this song was self-acceptance - flaws, power-points and all those things."

When local gets its due

The quaint Bandra-based cafe, The Village Shop, recently bagged The Wellbeing Chef of The Year award at The Restore Awards 2022. The honour that aims to recognise global initiatives in the fields of health, wellness and sustainability was awarded to the outpost for their organic food. After the win, chef Jennifer Mallick (below) shared, "A lot of work went into ensuring that the food we serve is good for the body, and is healthy and chemical-free. Our body doesn't understand chemicals." She added that the journey has been long; it started in 2011 when she used to bake cakes and breads for farmers' markets. Mallick later opened a café in 2013, where she trained the staff to unlearn using ingredients like margarine, white sugar and white maida usually used to make a dish palatable. When local trendsetters win, we give them a double thumbs up.