It was HCI’s day out on 20th March 2024. An evening for coffee and conversations, for burgers and banter, for frappes and fun! No prizes for guessing that the meet was at McDonalds!
But it wasn’t just any McDonalds outlet. It was the one at Linking Road, Bandra, Mumbai.
Why is that special?
Well, the place has a historical context in more ways than one. It was the first ever outlet of McDonalds in India. This was also the same place where a bunch of LGBT people met one eventful evening in 1998 and were eventually asked to leave by the store management, as they could not be allowed to occupy the space for long hours on a Sunday evening. That is when one member offered to host the meet at his aunt’s house and it led to the birth of GayBombay. Umang, being the founder of both GayBombay and HCI was present on both the evenings, 26 years apart!
Sharing our stories
The evening started off with an ice-breaking round of two word introductions with each one calling out their names and what they do for a living. We then played a few word games like calling out each other’s names and associating them with a food item (talk about whetting the appetite!). Once we were stuffed with burgers, coffee and coke, a bit of the serious stuff started. Everyone shared one life event of theirs which led them to learn or stumble upon a life lesson. That was eye opening as stories poured out that gave insights to people’s lives and how they overcame issues. The discussion was open, frank and no holds barred. We also had a few people who had travelled the world and came from abroad. They also shared their insights from their travels and how they adjusted to foreign lands having different cultural sensitivities.
Hugs and Smiles
The evening ended with smiles and hugs all around, the clicking of cameras and a promise to keep meeting regularly to keep the kettle of friendships and bonding ever bubbling. How serendipitous that 20 March was also the International day of Happiness. What a delightful coincidence!
– Written by Amit Rai
– Edited by Mahrukh