DEL sounds good..

Any financial heads on here? What do you think of the £ against the rupee? It's gone down in the last week by Re1. What are your thoughts? Up/Same/Lower in the coming couple of weeks.

Its expected to hover around 71. A couple of events to watch out would be Greece (mostly factored in) & ECB rate action.

Hello Chai Stall!

Does anyone know how many days it might take to renew a passport at the NYC INdian embassy?

Want to get a new one..even though my old one has two more years on it...the lamination is coming off....this is becoming a problem during issuing various visas.

Hopefully they will give me one (the rule says you can apply within one year of expiry.....but I am going for the "damaged" clause).

In SF consulate , it took 7 Days and I choose to get it delivered thru FedEx, right on 6 Day, it was dispatched and I have a new passport in hand at the 7th day.

Another guy from Sacramento was there to get it for Tatkal (Same day - 150+ USD more) - he has 4 passports and needed it for a trip back to India after 10 days, The Consulate Officer was insisting that he send it thru post (there is a USPS in next block - send it thru Priority) and collect it after a day in-person - to help him save 600 USDs - I wonder why Govt Officers are Nice when they are outside india ^

My brother too during his university years, got his renewed at Chicago (if i remember right) with minimal fuss. I only wish it was this easy for us folks back home..!!!

Thanks Whizkid and QuarryKing.
I might do this very soon through NYC embassy.

Interesting..... 70.92

Lets see which way it goes. I think it will hover around 71 too.

Here's hoping all the FTers based in or passing through BOM are safe and sound.

+1, hope nobody here lost anyone. My wife's colleague has several relatives in the Dadar area.

SFB checking in - thanks for the concern guys!

Could have been worse, as we have seen a lot of equipment (my BB too :( ) short out due to the heavy rains, possibly some unexploded ones lying elsewhere - hope they find them...

my wife & her mother were in mumbai yesterday....it was a scary 20 minutes for me as i couldn't get through to them but luckily they were nowhere near the blast areas....

How far was this from you? I really hate these cowards! :td:

I was at Nhava Sheva at the time, but one of our household help's bus was just 5 minutes behind the bus stop at Dadar, where one went off.

The bus driver received a radio/communication from the bus ahead, advising of the blast there.

The bus driver behind was so shaken, that he stopped the bus and everyone prayed inside - given that they were not hurt - but could have been, if they were 5 minutes ahead of schedule.

Luckily, nothing happened.

I don't know how someone can warrant killing innocent bystanders of which there could be kids.