Sunny side down
This was in Manchester. A guided tour of the cricket stadium was on and a certain Sunil Gavaskar happened to be there at that time. Some of the visitors being Indians, possibility was high that he would be requested for selfies. So the natural recourse for him was to leave the place. But he sat where he was, pulled his cap lower so that it hid his face and kept typing out something on his phone without looking up. The visitors were at handshaking distance, but none noticed this short fella, who rates a knock of 101 at this ground in 1974 among his favourites.
An umbrella please
What is the most sought after item for the Indian media contingent in England? Other than news, what they have been looking for are umbrellas. Rain has followed them everywhere and many have had to make a dash to the market to secure the need of the hour. They don’t come cheap. Starting from around £12, it goes up to £40. But then, it has to be done because the other alternative is unpleasant. For many, the chill is bad enough. Getting wet on top of that is a recipe for disaster.
Gaining in currency
Abdul Latif runs an Afghani restaurant in Southampton. If you are walking up to the cash counter to make a payment, you are bound to see his collection of currency notes. He makes it a point to request his customers to part with a note of the country they are from. Then, he places them under a plate of glass on the counter for display. Over the years, he has collected nearly a hundred. An old Rs 50 note is among them. He is aware that in India the look of notes has changed. “Ahhhh,” he lets out a cry of grief on being told that a certain visitor from India isn’t carrying any of those.