Mumbai
Mumbai....
Finally, the day has come to bid adieu to the city, which they say, never sleeps – Mumbai, whatever it is it’s the pulse of metro. Again, I am falling in the inevitable trap of comparing Delhi and Mumbai. I don’t have my allegiance to specific to any one of them but Delhi is home so no comparison.
Mumbai rocks, realization slides in when I am leaving this place. This place has vibrancy, youth, noise, life on a fast lane …stop me now.
The BIG GARBAGE BIN….Yeah, this was the thought I opined, when I landed here May, 05.. Chatrapati Shivaji Airport to Mahim – Rs 500 and it was no cool cab, was I duped? I was all spruced up for an interview and the sheer number of slums one gazes through while traveling down shocked me.
VOYAGE..
17th June when i started sailing in this city formally. Work was good but to my dismay there is a flourishing brothel in front of my new office building - That was my day one!!!First two months were real pain. Ah Dadar station- someone frisked my wallet and mobile ...fortunately i got back my mobile... I was finding myself all alone. I was sojourning at Shivaji Park, walking down the Shivaji Park and seeing the sheer number of people strolling unaware about the existence of other souls and absorbed in self sort of hit me. Coming from north India where every look pierces you and wallah... if you are a girl, you would have two companions – constant glares and lewd remarks. Mumbai was different it moves on and on and on …Time flies, I had company and it was not that bad…Was I liking the place……My learning curve reached the peak …I adjusted …watching movies alone was not anymore taboo for me but when first time I did so I went into major depression. But tell me honestly do you really need anyone to go to movie with you – crap…. guess not …
WILD CHASE..
Now the time came to explore the city ..Thanks to Wikipedia, I first learnt about it and than cruised on my the expedition...Café Mondegar, Café Leopold, Jazz by the Bay, Pizzeria, cold coffee at Taj (old sea longe) Delhi Durbar and to top it all …BADE MIYAN conquest to the sumptuous journey to tickle your salivary glands…HEAVEN .....Queen of Suburbs – Bandra ..it simply rocks, this is the heart of the city ..Toto’s, Boat Club, Hawaiian Shack the list goes on and on...Another destination was Phoenix Mills ……Sports Bar, Copper Chimney and Gazali all you can find under one roof!Many more to go ..Juhu Marriot …Cream Center, New Yorkers …stop me ppleasse
Yes, I started liking the place, I was no more a Loner…it’s the city that has something to offer everybody …I liked the Sea …guess it speaks ...
Now after completing 11 months the diktat was to pack my bags again and move to Pune...
Ahhhh Pune ...again out of comfort zone and resistance to change!!
But those were awesome days... getting totally drunk and than boarding the local... made some good frnds too!!!
...would like to come back again and this time not as a stranger!!!
Salaam Bombay!!!!
Finally, the day has come to bid adieu to the city, which they say, never sleeps – Mumbai, whatever it is it’s the pulse of metro. Again, I am falling in the inevitable trap of comparing Delhi and Mumbai. I don’t have my allegiance to specific to any one of them but Delhi is home so no comparison.
Mumbai rocks, realization slides in when I am leaving this place. This place has vibrancy, youth, noise, life on a fast lane …stop me now.
The BIG GARBAGE BIN….Yeah, this was the thought I opined, when I landed here May, 05.. Chatrapati Shivaji Airport to Mahim – Rs 500 and it was no cool cab, was I duped? I was all spruced up for an interview and the sheer number of slums one gazes through while traveling down shocked me.
VOYAGE..
17th June when i started sailing in this city formally. Work was good but to my dismay there is a flourishing brothel in front of my new office building - That was my day one!!!First two months were real pain. Ah Dadar station- someone frisked my wallet and mobile ...fortunately i got back my mobile... I was finding myself all alone. I was sojourning at Shivaji Park, walking down the Shivaji Park and seeing the sheer number of people strolling unaware about the existence of other souls and absorbed in self sort of hit me. Coming from north India where every look pierces you and wallah... if you are a girl, you would have two companions – constant glares and lewd remarks. Mumbai was different it moves on and on and on …Time flies, I had company and it was not that bad…Was I liking the place……My learning curve reached the peak …I adjusted …watching movies alone was not anymore taboo for me but when first time I did so I went into major depression. But tell me honestly do you really need anyone to go to movie with you – crap…. guess not …
WILD CHASE..
Now the time came to explore the city ..Thanks to Wikipedia, I first learnt about it and than cruised on my the expedition...Café Mondegar, Café Leopold, Jazz by the Bay, Pizzeria, cold coffee at Taj (old sea longe) Delhi Durbar and to top it all …BADE MIYAN conquest to the sumptuous journey to tickle your salivary glands…HEAVEN .....Queen of Suburbs – Bandra ..it simply rocks, this is the heart of the city ..Toto’s, Boat Club, Hawaiian Shack the list goes on and on...Another destination was Phoenix Mills ……Sports Bar, Copper Chimney and Gazali all you can find under one roof!Many more to go ..Juhu Marriot …Cream Center, New Yorkers …stop me ppleasse
Yes, I started liking the place, I was no more a Loner…it’s the city that has something to offer everybody …I liked the Sea …guess it speaks ...
Now after completing 11 months the diktat was to pack my bags again and move to Pune...
Ahhhh Pune ...again out of comfort zone and resistance to change!!
But those were awesome days... getting totally drunk and than boarding the local... made some good frnds too!!!
...would like to come back again and this time not as a stranger!!!
Salaam Bombay!!!!
posted by Ashish | 9:02 AM
4 Comments:
You could have mentioned that the stay in Mumbai was made more rocking with colourful, entertaining people like yours truly.
I will always rememeber the "bhookhe bhediye" times sitting at CCD, Barista and Mocha..
Raghu
Mumbai is one of those cities where when u lived all ur life some times the fast pace gets to u .. but u are so use to it t except for a vacation (where too u are edgy after a while )u tend not to be able to do without. I too have had an experience of both the cities (Delhi being my Native place and city I totally dislike, sorry and debates avoidable). Ur right about people living in their own life and not interfering in yours ..at times bothers u but in times of adversity they just stands united and becomes each others pillar of strength. It’s a display which is mind boggling. As for watching movies alone I share same sentiments ...I have watched many movies on my own ...did it in Bangalore too where I did feel alien. This city is surely a city of dreams ...u enjoy the corporate and professional life, the traffic jams, the heavy rains, the slums, the potholes on the roads that seem like u are driving on Moon, the festival celebrations, people still believing in miracles be it Ganesha drinking milk or sea water turning sweet, creating a park called Nana Nani park in the middle of the road due to lack of space he he he he ...contradictory it my sound but once lived here u fall in love with it ...
A proud Mumbaikar :-D
Payal
Mumbai is one of those cities where when u lived all ur life some times the fast pace gets to u .. but u are so use to it t except for a vacation (where too u are edgy after a while )u tend not to be able to do without. I too have had an experience of both the cities (Delhi being my Native place and city I totally dislike, sorry and debates avoidable). Ur right about people living in their own life and not interfering in yours ..at times bothers u but in times of adversity they just stands united and becomes each others pillar of strength. It’s a display which is mind boggling. As for watching movies alone I share same sentiments ...I have watched many movies on my own ...did it in Bangalore too where I did feel alien. This city is surely a city of dreams ...u enjoy the corporate and professional life, the traffic jams, the heavy rains, the slums, the potholes on the roads that seem like u are driving on Moon, the festival celebrations, people still believing in miracles be it Ganesha drinking milk or sea water turning sweet, creating a park called Nana Nani park in the middle of the road due to lack of space he he he he ...contradictory it my sound but once lived here u fall in love with it ...
A proud Mumbaikar :-D
Payal
i can't help but agree with kohli da...such had been my experience with the city...when i reached mumbai for the first time I was so excited as to finally moving into a city I have always dreamed of and the moment i got at VT the images of old mumbai flashed across my eyes....i was imagining amitabh running as a coolie there and dev anand having his "sutta"....but soon the realization sinked in ...that evening rush at dadar station,the running people and such a fast life was a shock to me after coming straight from the cool and calm environs of IIT campus but slowly i began to like it...i started exploring mumbai and the more i started mingling with it ,the greater the love starts building for it and soon i was in total love with it...those weekend trips to lonavala..the jetti rides...marine drive and colaba markets...it just keep on getting nostalgic...and now as I sit here in delhi i could feel that longing once again.
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