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So many of my friends have written to ask if I have moved out of the hotel yet and found a flat so this is an update blog for those concerned for my welfare.

I am out of the hotel and here it is. The balcony of my dreams. On the 22nd floor of an apartment block in a neighbourhood of Mumbai called Powai I have found a place to call home for the next few months.

It was a flat I saw in the first week of searching and which I set my heart on from the moment I saw it. It is a bright airy flat with tasteful furniture which is an anomaly here as Indians prefer their furniture big, bold and luxe. And it had this, the most glorious balcony with views out over the gardens of Hiranandani to the lake. The lake with at least 18 crocodiles (18 unique crocodiles have been formally identified but there could be loads more lurking about).

Whilst technically this is a furnished flat it is missing everything that makes a house a home. Wooden spoons, bath mats, soap dispensers, mugs, glasses, crockery, ironing board, a colander, a grater, bedside lamps, patio furniture, plants, the list goes on. Everyday I am stopped in my tracks as I realise I haven't got a particular item. But between Blinkit and IKEA I am slowly getting the flat into a livable state and whilst I can get most things, including an ironing board in 15 mins, I had to get my sister to bring me some egg cups because I haven't found them here.

It's like being a student but one that hasn't prioritised beers over household items. I am applying the MoSCoW prioritisation technique used for system requirements to the household requirements, as I have to spread the cost of purchasing all these items over the months. The coffee machine was a Must-have whereas the Chai machine is probably a Could-have. Plants and patio furniture were on the Should-have list but given that the weather is only going to get hotter I felt I needed to make the most of my balcony in these next few weeks so I bumped them up the list. Although it may be nice during the monsoons to sit and watch the rain from there so plenty of time to enjoy the balcony.

I went to Amardeeps Plant Shop at the weekend for the plants and was disappointed to find they were almost as expensive as buying plants at home. Or maybe Amardeep just saw me coming! But I bought 4 indoor, 4 outdoor standing and 4 outdoor hanging plants plus pots for all of them, and Amardeep's men delivered them and set them up in my flat so for me that's money well spent. And the joy of the plants is priceless. It has also pushed watering can up the list to a Must-Have.

I am justifying the prioritsation of plant life because I had 3 things on my list to do when in Mumbai and plants were top of the list. My wish was to grow plants I can't grow in London and with the Bougainvilla on my balcony now that's the first list item done.

The second was to join a neighbourhood book club and although I haven't managed that yet I did join a reading club one Sunday where I sat and read my book communally with other readers. We read until 10:30 and then laid out all our books so people could see what was being read and could ask for recommendations

It was actually a nice idea and I might try and introduce it to my hood in London.

Another item on my list is to buy a sari and learn how to fold and drape it. I need to make a friend who will shop with me and help me purchase the right fabric to make this task as simple as possible.

I would also like to volunteer in some sort of facility for girls and young women. I need to give that some thought as what I have imagined is going to be quite a challenge with my poor Hindi as more deprived communities do not speak or understand English. I don't think there is much need for an assistant who can only smile at people no matter how broad and cheery the smile!

And my smile is broad and cheery at the moment. I have a home now so people are able to come and visit. I had a lovely visit from my sister, the first of family to come and stay and my sons are arriving this weekend. The next couple of months will be busy with visitors before the monsoon season starts, and assuming this wretched war doesn't escalate.