Mumbai Meri jaan

'Taxi Nau do Gyaarah'...That was the title of the news article I read recently in the newspaper, wherein they were talking about how the taxis across Mumbai city have reduced and how they used to be the look of Mumbai at one point of time. Being a suburban girl myself, I have hardly ever traveled in taxis except when we used to go towards the extreme end of south Mumbai during college days and could afford a lavish spending on the transport.

This city means different things to different people and being a Mumbaikar all my life, it means lot of things to me too. As i sit looking out my balcony towards a view that once used to be the horizon of vashi Creek, now is blocked by the upcoming complex (apparently an 'address' to peace...???), I ponder over the things that the city is just not complete without.

Mumbai Monsoon:  I absolutely love the rains of Mumbai. No matter where I am, I completely relate monsoon to mumbai. I know people complain about the dirt, the traffic and the muddy roads during this season, but rains have always been special for me and I have always imagined myself walking on beaches, or empty roads getting drenched in the rain, and probably having Tea from the local vendor or the ones who sell them on their bicycles. Mumbai is completely a different scenario during this season and I would be anytime willing to ignore all the other setbacks these 3 months bring for the city.

Vada Pav: I know even the mention of this delicious mumbai treat is supposed to be bad for me (me being on a diet and all...Lol) but vada pav is something that is easily available on almost any busy part of mumbai. An easy snack for any person who isn't weight conscious, or who prefers a nice meal at a mere Rs 10-15. This dish was initially started as the most cheapest form of a meal for low income group, but due to its taste, this dish became so popular that many sophisticated hotels also have started dishing out this wonderful dish, at extra cost of course. However, this dish has still retained its charm as an evergreen dish, and many people have it at breakfast, lunch or even dinner as well. Vada pav can be easily included as a part of my walk in the rain section mentioned above. Tastes heavenly with a cup of tea.. :) Yummy....!!!!

Local Transport: Trains, Buses, Taxis, Rickshaws and a new addition to these old modes of transport are the cool cabs and private call-a-cabs....all add up to the look of mumbai, and the traffic that has become the identity of mumbai. The life-lines of mumbai is the right word for these vehicles, since even one day of strike or petrol-diesel-CNG problem can bring the fast moving pace of mumbai to a halt.

South Mumbai: This is a part of mumbai that every tourist, or a person coming to mumbai from a small town would want to visit, for the simple reason that south mumbai is the hub for the financial buzz in mumbai. For me, it has been the most memorable place to visit, when I saw south mumbai from the eyes of someone else. But that's another story... :P Some Places that make this part of mumbai the most prime location for activities would be:

• Share Markets (Bombay Stock Exchange,Reserve Bank of India,main offices of Bank of India, State Bank of India, etc), 
• Jewellery Markets (Jhaveri Bazaar), 
• Government office in Mantralaya, 
• Cooperage Sports Ground, Wankhede Stadium, Brabourne Stadium,
• Starting points of the Railway lines of Mumbai (Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus and Churchgate), 
• Defence colony of military and navy personnels - Navy Nagar,
• Prince of Wales Museum, now known as Chhatrapati Shivaji Vastu Sangrahalay.
• Nariman point & Marine Drive making the beautiful queen's necklace during the night time on the coastline of South Mumbai
• Dhobi Ghat, the famous open air Laundromat located at Mahalaxmi.
• The Mulji Jetha market in Mumbai is the largest textile market in Asia.

These places make south mumbai crucial for the financial, political, and commercial activities.

But lately Mumbai has been going through a lot of torment in the last decade with floods, bomb blasts, and terrorist activities on the rise. Even though for me the places and things that define the city are mentioned above, what makes the city what it is (in a good way or bad) are the people living in it...Mumbaikars, who are known for their never die spirit. However, with the recent events, I am forced to think whether its this Never say die spirit that is leading to the most deaths in the city. Is the reason behind repetitions of these activities the fact that we are not reacting and carrying on with our lives??? I sure hope not. Anyways, its a thought I can't seem to get out of my mind.

Anyhow.....I know I might have miss a lot of things, places and locations that might define mumbai for you, But I give you the chance to discover my city at your own leisure and then share with me your experience. Will wait for your comments..

Till then, adios...ciao.

Trip down memory lanes...in the rains

Hi all,

I know its been a long time since I posted something here, but life has been really busy lately and I have been literally feeling like on a roller coaster ride since last one year with so many things changing around and within me.

The sole reason for me to write this post today is the weather outside.I have always been a die-hard romantic, and monsoon just brings out the creative side of me. So I thought, what better time to write than the season of romance and beauty.

I know a lot of people crib about a traffic, mud, puddles, wet clothes, power cuts, and lots of other things that don't seem to work in this season, but no matter what happens, I can't seem to avoid enjoying this weather.

One thing that rainy season always reminds me of, is my childhood. We used to have a terrace flat with a wooden swing and pots of plants all around. Our terrace used to look out to a mountain with small huts on them (accessories in Mumbai that we call 'slums'). First few days of rains used to make that mountain filled with dwellings, look like a rain forest with drops of color smudged on them on purpose.

Its used to be a sight to see and If i was old enough to handle a camera, I would have definitely clicked pictures to capture every year's rain. It was some kind of family tradition to get drenched in the first rain all together and we all used to cherish those times together when it was raining heavily and wind was blowing and the family used to be all cuddled up under the roof that held the swing. The memories of those days still brings a smile on our faces and that location is closely associated with my memory of rainy season of initial years.

As I was growing up, the meaning of rain changed for me. During school days, heavy rains used to mean holidays for us, and the excitement of staying home, watching T.V. and playing with friends all day used to add to the fun element. We used to love in a neighborhood where children from all buildings used to be friends and we used to have a group that gathered on the society terrace for playing games like football and classic games like 'hide and seek' and 'catch me if you can'. I am sure that bruises in rains and catching cold during those days make a small part of every child's memory.

Unfortunately, as I got into college and career, job, friends, social life and obligations made me take rains for granted. the 5 years of BPO life somehow took me away from the day view of the rainy season. However, I still remember the day when heavy floods got us stuck in the office for 3 days. We had all slept in the office with 2 chair becoming our royal bed and the few foam beds giving comfort to our Oh-So-Special agents. Unlimited flow of tea, biscuits, and sandwiches was what we had to avoid dehydration of our agents with energy and thirst. It was a definite memorable rainy season of my adult life.

 

These days, rainy season has a new meaning for me, and that is something every girl who is newly in a relationship experiences. Even though the feeling is different from person to person, it's difficult to describe the effect that this season has on people in relationship. I now understand why rainy season is mostly associated with 'Romance' in Novels and Movies. I am still getting over the feeling of this season's monsoon, so maybe my photo-blog will have some clicks from the season this year. Do visit for sharing my view on the Monsoon in Mumbai.

I hope this post helps you re-collect some of your old memories of rainy season. Feel free to share in the comments anytime.

Hopefully see you soon with a new post.