This post is long over-due, almost two months over-due. I registered this blog hoping writing regularly about my experience in Mumbai will help me get through it. Turns out, Mumbai had other plans. It didn't give me time to write. It didn't give me time to form first impressions. By the time the first impression was about to register, it threw a completely different one at me, over and over again. I've almost been here for two months now and I still can't wrap my head about this metropolis the slightest bit. It feels like it chews you up and spits you out and then repeats the cycle. I feel like I've been through hell and back only to discover a new hell every time. It's not all bad though, the city has its beautiful moments, you just have to recognise them. Let me take a moment here, pause, compose my thoughts and go on:
The landscape:
Mumbai re-defines 'concrete jungle'. It sure has a lot of the concrete but it also has some of the jungle hidden away safely in nooks a corners. I live in quaint, almost village-like hole in Bandra, surrounded by trees and little or no cell phone reception at most times. It helps to feel cut off after a long day of work. It's easier when it's just me, all at sea. Speaking of the sea, where is it? I haven't seen it yet. It's everywhere surrounding this island but somehow doesn't make its presence known. I remember the sea at St Andrews, it drew you close. We'd battle through snow and wind to get to the beach and stare out at the water. It's difficult to stare at the water here when your vision is probably blocked by a (for the lack of a better word) working class couple making out or a hawker trying to sell you his ware. I'm not complaining, I'm just saying.
That's just one of the many facades of Mumbai though. I went to Mumbai CST the other day and discovered a whole new treasure to please my eyes. I wasn't aware that the station was a UNESCO World Heritage site. I was thus, pleasantly surprised upon seeing the beautiful Victorian architecture. Upon staring a little longer, I realised this wasn't the first time I'd admired its beauty. I remembered being there as a kid and finding it just as fascinating.
The commute:
If I wasn't complaining earlier, I sure as hell am complaining now. I can't stand the commute in Mumbai. It drains me everyday even though I only travel by cabs. I tried the train thing but my borderline agoraphobia set in to make sure I didn't do that again. I understand that getting around in a big city takes time but that doesn't mean I have to like it. Everyday, the commute is different. More than anything else, it's the cab drivers who determine whether I get home mildly tired or extemely furious. On good days, I get from A to B without too many hassles. On other days, things aren't s great. The cab guys try to take me the long way around or drive like they're auditioning for the next Fast and the Furious movie. And the traffic? Well, lets just say that it gives ubiquitous a whole new meaning!
The people:
The people in Mumbai are like people everywhere, they're all different. It's difficult to stereotype them. A lot of them do however have one thing in common, they're veiled. For some reason, it's a little difficult to assess them, I can't decide whether those smiles are welcoming or slippery. I've met some very genuine people here who astonish me with their niceness but I've also met some chameleons who have have made this flower child go 'whoa'. This is definitely not a flower child's city. This city is tough. Its people are tough. They're all here to make it, with or without you.
I have friends here from college who've been like guardian angles to me, helping me get through the grime. Other than them though, it's hard to trust people here. Ironically, it makes me pull out the same veil I've accused them of wearing.
The job:
What can I say about the job? It's new, it's different. I know it's something I should be grateful for and I am. I just need to know the people better, it all comes down to that. I need to know the people I'm working with to make work fun. I guess that task falls upon me, to get to know them better, in professional capacity of course. Cause I've learned one thing about work life, people want to know you from 9 to 5, after that, everyone's got their own thing to do, no one's looking for friends. If you happen to develop a friendship along the way, well and good, but no one's going to make a conscious effort to become your friend, at least not initially.
So where is all this going, what was my first impression? I have no idea. I came here to learn and that's what I'm doing. I never said it would be structured learning.
Till next time,
Anuja P.
