Don't dare say "Bombay"

hii folks,

The summer this year has brought me to the financial capital of India. And here I am developing a marketing strategy for a well known private life insurer. Never known how it feels when you don't know what to do or when you don't have much work to do, but now I have been having more than my share of such experiences which I don't deserve. Nevertheless, on a brighter note I have traveled quite a bit here and explored new places, beaches and interacted with many people. Meeting people can be quite a nice experience, but also in some rare cases be horrible!! But you do learn how to face different personalities which is what I am up to these days.

Coming to Mumbai, it is a city of contrasts. It is very rare that you find a slum besides a skyscraper. People are either very nice or very rude. My first solo experience was one amongst my worst ever experiences with a taxi driver taking me for a ride. That is when you realise the importance of knowing a city well before you come and settle down. People here are fast paced and the slower ones are brushed aside. Buses are jam packed at peak hours, so much that you have to stand on one foot in the bus. Hire a taxi, only when you know where you want to go, because there are inevitably many routes to a given place. Don't dare say "Bombay" when you are in a crowd, because there is every possibility that the crowd will stare and castigate you the very next moment!!

The problem with Mumbai is it is surrounded by sea. And with the population rapidly growing more because of migration of labourers than natural reasons, the tree cover is coming down. On my way to Gorai Beach, which is an island beach, I witnessed how mangroves are being cut down to make space for realty. Though south Mumbai is awesome (British Legacy), the central region and the suburbs are pathetically planned. Mumbai for sure, will be one of the first cities to be submerged under the sea. I might sound utterly pessimistic and even I hope that doesn't happen, but people rarely acknowledge the bitter truth.

I was walking down the Marine Drive with my friends, when one of my friends commented on how the sea behaves violently here, come Monsoon. During Monsoon, you will find the entire Marine Drive wet. Nothing new in that. But, what's interesting to observe is the increase in the height of the sea levels over the years and Mumbaikars will vouch for that. People will never forget the Mumbai floods in 2005. I have heard some gory stories of people missing from that day onwards.

Mumbai might be a city full of resilience. It has faced all calamities and terror acts and yet shown an amazing restraint, rarely found anywhere. After the 26/11 attacks, contrary to what I thought there were no riots. Mumbai has the capacity to accommodate anybody from the world. But there's always an end to anything and everything.

I was shopping near Dadar railway station and bought a track suit for myself at a roadside stall. Polythene carry bags are banned in Mumbai and one isn't supposed to use them. But what the stall owner did was quite shocking. He uncovered a small jute bag and from it unleashed the CHOKER, read the polythene bags that do nothing but choke the earth's soil. Of course thankfully, I had brought my own bag so I refused to take that carry bag. He stared at me as if I have refused to take GOLD from him!!.

Now unless people stop doing such things, Mumbai's future looks bleak. Mumbai is a city I admire and I am pretty sure a lot of you also do, but then what future does Mumbai hold for itself when roads are dug incessantly to make way for MonoRail and then not covered off immediately, when manholes are opened at night and when you fail to find a single Trash at some of the Local stations here!! Point to ponder I guess.

Regards,

taureansandy