My trip here is over. Where did the time go? This truly was a work trip and I had very little time to get around. I only had tea at the Taj the one time, and didn't even do the full tea. No caves, no Crawford Market; I guess I will have to come again. This time I will try to tack on some personal travel days. It is truly a country worth seeing.
I think one of the things I enjoy the most is that it really is a feast for the eyes, both good and bad. There is an interesting picture around every corner. It's very common that if a man has to pee, he pulls over and goes for a pee. It used to shock me, but then became a bit of a game that on the way to and from work, how many men would be peeing? Six was the most and that's a pretty impressive number considering the drive to work is perhaps five kilometres at best. (And to be clear, that is part of the "bad")
The good is all over the place. The little markets with carts of neatly arranged fruits and vegetables, the moldering buildings, my constant amazement of what can be delivered on a bike, or the two guys last night on a motorcycle, one driving and his passengers holding two enormous branches of bananas. I particularly love the women in their brightly coloured saris and never get tired of looking at them. Even the everyday ones that I see are gorgeous and they are very flattering on all sorts of body shapes. The women just look graceful and dressed up, even though it's just daily wear clothing.
In the mornings seeing the kids in their uniforms on their wait to school also made me smile. The girls tended to wear these rather shapeless sort of dresses, but almost all of them wear their very long hair in long braids and then looped up and tied with huge, brightly coloured ribbons. They are so cute looking and already true Mumbaikars as they somehow navigate themselves and their small siblings through the crazy traffic.
On the weekend, I often see flower bedecked cars that are bringing either a bride or groom to their wedding. This past Sunday, on the way to lunch at the home of one of my colleagues (which was delicious and a lot of fun), my cab got stuck in a traffic jam. As we made it past the blockage, I saw a young groom getting out of the car and everyone crowding around him. It was colourful, loud, and a total pleasure to see.
As much as I'm looking forward to home, bed, family and friends, I will miss this place. Because this was the second time around, it was much less "scary" and that much more easy to navigate. It doesn't take long to establish a routine and with the odd exception, pretty much ate Indian food for a lot of the trip. My one "treat" for western food was, strangely enough, McDonalds. I think that was because I discovered their spicy paneer sandwich and that they have my beloved Thums Up cola as one of their fountain drinks. Their paneer sandwich was basically a square of deep fried paneer, lettuce and a spicy, creamy sauce. Seriously good and so cheap. The meal deal with fries and a drink is about $2.50.
I play this silly game with myself when I travel of "Could I live here?" and for some strange reason, Mumbai gets a yes. Perhaps not forever, but if I had to for an extended period of time, it would be do-able. I've even picked out my neighbourhood. :)
Of course, that everyone I've met here is so gracious and helpful makes that question easier to answer. I have never met a group of people more generous. I am in everyone's debt and even though they won't hear of it, I am eternally grateful.
And just to close, some pictures that I like. The dog is "my" dog. She's the one that was pregnant when I was here last August and actually remembered me the first time our paths crossed again. I was so pleased, I bought some dog treats for her at the grocery store, which she happily gobbled up. Sorry, no peeing men pictures. :)
I think one of the things I enjoy the most is that it really is a feast for the eyes, both good and bad. There is an interesting picture around every corner. It's very common that if a man has to pee, he pulls over and goes for a pee. It used to shock me, but then became a bit of a game that on the way to and from work, how many men would be peeing? Six was the most and that's a pretty impressive number considering the drive to work is perhaps five kilometres at best. (And to be clear, that is part of the "bad")
The good is all over the place. The little markets with carts of neatly arranged fruits and vegetables, the moldering buildings, my constant amazement of what can be delivered on a bike, or the two guys last night on a motorcycle, one driving and his passengers holding two enormous branches of bananas. I particularly love the women in their brightly coloured saris and never get tired of looking at them. Even the everyday ones that I see are gorgeous and they are very flattering on all sorts of body shapes. The women just look graceful and dressed up, even though it's just daily wear clothing.
In the mornings seeing the kids in their uniforms on their wait to school also made me smile. The girls tended to wear these rather shapeless sort of dresses, but almost all of them wear their very long hair in long braids and then looped up and tied with huge, brightly coloured ribbons. They are so cute looking and already true Mumbaikars as they somehow navigate themselves and their small siblings through the crazy traffic.
On the weekend, I often see flower bedecked cars that are bringing either a bride or groom to their wedding. This past Sunday, on the way to lunch at the home of one of my colleagues (which was delicious and a lot of fun), my cab got stuck in a traffic jam. As we made it past the blockage, I saw a young groom getting out of the car and everyone crowding around him. It was colourful, loud, and a total pleasure to see.
As much as I'm looking forward to home, bed, family and friends, I will miss this place. Because this was the second time around, it was much less "scary" and that much more easy to navigate. It doesn't take long to establish a routine and with the odd exception, pretty much ate Indian food for a lot of the trip. My one "treat" for western food was, strangely enough, McDonalds. I think that was because I discovered their spicy paneer sandwich and that they have my beloved Thums Up cola as one of their fountain drinks. Their paneer sandwich was basically a square of deep fried paneer, lettuce and a spicy, creamy sauce. Seriously good and so cheap. The meal deal with fries and a drink is about $2.50.
I play this silly game with myself when I travel of "Could I live here?" and for some strange reason, Mumbai gets a yes. Perhaps not forever, but if I had to for an extended period of time, it would be do-able. I've even picked out my neighbourhood. :)
Of course, that everyone I've met here is so gracious and helpful makes that question easier to answer. I have never met a group of people more generous. I am in everyone's debt and even though they won't hear of it, I am eternally grateful.
And just to close, some pictures that I like. The dog is "my" dog. She's the one that was pregnant when I was here last August and actually remembered me the first time our paths crossed again. I was so pleased, I bought some dog treats for her at the grocery store, which she happily gobbled up. Sorry, no peeing men pictures. :)
