Get set for the ultimate spin!. Review on Mumbai

I first came to this great city because of the demands of my new job. While most of my colleagues were paranoid about Mumbai, I remember being visibly excited at the prospect of working and living in the “City of Dreams”. Mumbai was akin to the moon for me, I had heard so much about the “Financial Capital of India”, its people, work culture, standard of living and pace of life that I actually relished the opportunity of working here.

After alighting at the Santacruz domestic airport, I was hustled into a cab by a colleague who had come to receive me. Cut to the nearby Andheri local railway station and I had a tough time negotiating my huge suitcase up a winding staircase, an even more trying time making my through the huge sea of humanity and finally found myself standing in front of the local train that would take me to Virar – supposedly part of Mumbai but about 30 kms away from Andheri. I cast a relieved look at my friend at having successfully waded my way through the “obstacle course” and he told me that the Andheri station was but a child’s play. Dadar station was supposed to be so bad that even the dogs there have their tails perpendicular, instead of being parallel to the ground – it’s so cramped there!

That was my very first exposure to the hectic life of Mumbai and my enthusiasm for survival has only grown day by day. I have now been here for the last 4-5 years and made it a habit to jot down my experiences in a little diary from time to time. Here are a few excerpts:

Places to visit

Ask any Mumbaiyite and the first thing they recommend is the “Gateway of India”, a remnant of the colonial era. It was erected in 1924 to welcome Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth, the supreme monarch of India at that time. The Gateway looks grand but in the absence of a gate, it resembles more of a “windowless window” (pun intended). Exactly opposite this structure are the two “Taj Mahal” hotels of the Tata Group. While one has the old world feel about it (it was built in 1903), the other one is relatively new and is an extension of the original.

The Marine Drive is a huge promenade stretching from Nariman Point to the foot of the plush Malabar Hills locality. One can get a beautiful view of the sunset here but be prepared to see a lot of lovey-dovey couples sitting between rocks in “compromising positions” too! Close by is the famous Chowpatty Beach (excuse me, BEACH???). It’s nothing but a small piece of land jutting out into the sea and ideal for families to spend time in the evenings and weekends. Visitors please note – this is not a place for taking holy dips or indulging in sunbathing – strictly to catch the cool evening breeze in full uniform!

Places for Shopping

Another piece of advice – it’s best not to plan where to go before hand because every place is a tourist attraction. When it comes to fresh fruits and vegetables, Kalbadevi is the best place. Other places to do some shopping are Crawford market, Fashion Street (clothes) and “Chor Bazaar”. The last place is a virtual bonanza of treasures. One can buy anything here from paper clips to airplane parts at dirt-cheap prices. Just don’t place too much faith on the longevity of the product! For those who are “financially opulent”, there are the Shopper’s Stop, Globus, Crossroads and scores of other shopping malls.

Night Life

A city that never sleeps (it doesn’t have a big enough bed for that!), Mumbai is quite famous for it’s nightlife. There is no dearth of discotheques between Parel and Andheri. If you don’t have a pretty girl for company, it’s best to stand outside and ogle away to glory. The crowd is supposedly hip and happening and can be found in an assortment of clothes that range from “overly clad” to “barely there”. There are also many pubs/bars/restaurants that entertain customers late into the night. For those in pursuit of a more voyeuristic entertainment, there are the dance bars and the enjoyment one gets there is purely dependent on the money in one’s pocket.

How to get around

My intention is not to scare away would-be visitors to this Mahanagar but I have no choice either. It all boils down to Hobson’s choice actually – one either travels by road or by the local trains. Road travel is outstandingly nightmarish, thanks to the immense distances and tortuous traffic jams (with, without and in spite of the flyovers which are more of ornamental decorations). The only other choice are the local trains which take shorter time but commuting in them needs the speed of a Pentium IV, the reflexes of Spiderman and the survival instinct of a cockroach!

Weather

That’s pretty simple and uncomplicated here. Mumbai has only one season – Summer. March to May are hot summers, July to October are rainy summers and November to February are cool summers – as simple as that. The mild variations that affect the heat are as unpredictable as the notorious weather of London. Last January, we had alternating weeks of warm and cool summers, if you know what I mean!

Thus spake Cheeky

Ha..ha, the review is to be read in a light-hearted manner. Seriously speaking, Mumbai is a great place to live and work in. We don’t live in a Utopian world where everything is perfect and Mumbai does have it’s fair share of problems too. Poverty and opulence exist side-by-side, as is indicative in most developing countries but that doesn’t stop the residents from being warm, understanding and extremely helpful.

The pace of life is electric, hectic and addictive but there is a kind of unspoken joy and unblemished hope that the city unfailingly exudes. The work culture is utterly professional and holds no scope for compromises. Life in Mumbai is an interesting and engrossing journey (the local trains notwithstanding!) and I enthusiastically look forward to each day to enjoy a new experience…