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Friday, March 26, 2010

Maximum City...





Before coming to Mumbai , it always intrigued me why people found this city so awesome. I always thought of Mumbai as a filthy, stinky, overpopulated place (still do), but this city has a charm of its own. Here are some of my initial observations and experiences in the "Maximum City"...










The Trains:

Move over WinZip ...the next breakthrough in compression technology is here!! Just one journey through the Mumbai locals during rush hour, and you'll know what I mean. What I’ve learnt is, that you don’t fight it; you just go with the flow. The crowd is like ocean currents, they will push you in, they will push you out at your station. All you have to do is stand on the platform, let go of all your inhibitions, and get ready for ride of your life. Every local train ticket here comes with a free complimentary massage included. You just have to travel at the peak hours to avail of the offer though. If you haven’t travelled in the Mumbai locals yet.. You are missing out on an experience of a lifetime!!


The Traffic:

Well, since I’ve been here ... I’ve almost got mowed down 3 times ( two rickshaws and one guy on a cycle . :-| ) . And this is probably the only place where a guy on a cycle actually manages to ride faster than a guy in a Merc. One great thing about traffic signals is... that they are unbiased. Doesn’t matter if you are driving a BMW, you still have to wait the same amount of time as the guy in a maruti 800 does. If you are a pedestrian here, you are shit outta luck!! It’s like every new day that you get is a god send for you... because you probably won’t survive till the next. Take your eyes off the road for one second, and you'll probably end up like that guy in the micromax phone advert. This is probably the only place where the news channels reach the scene before the police/ ambulance does...!!


The People:

It’s amazing to see how everyone is on a nonstop race against the clock. The way people try to squeeze 25 hours out of a 24 hour day. This is a city that never sleeps. Walk down the road at 4am, and you will still find rickshaw drivers ready to ferry you home, or the milk/newspaper delivery guys sorting out their wares. People in general are friendly here, but i really miss the whole "knowing everybody within 2 km radius" feel that I have in Goa. Over here, I don’t even know my next door neighbours name, let alone know what he does. It’s hectic and fast paced, but people have gotten used to the lifestyle… Sucked into the never ending vortex of work and more work. It’s a beautiful harmony of the different kegs required to keep this city rolling, right from the garbage picker, to the CEO of a MNC, everyone has their agenda for the day...And come what may it will not waver.



More to come....