Mumbai Tales – Welcome to Amchi Mumbai

Metros fascinate people from other towns and every metro has its own identity which pulls you to visit that place one day. I don’t know why but I really wanted to work once in Mumbai and see the life here, so when I got a chance to relocate I thought why not Mumbai? This city welcomes everyone with the open hands, and literally it was true for me when I landed and had to pay some money to the customs people when they opened their hand, Lol!!! Anyways that was a funny encounter where I bluffed and got out of a big trouble or I would have ended up paying much more than what I paid. 

One thing I have noticed in most of the metros is the people, from different regions, castes, creed, colors, different languages and all in one place busy with their lives. But in Mumbai busy means, busier than the bees collecting honey or the Ants transporting their Ration to their nests. If you look at it from above you will call it crowded but I won’t call that crowded because I am one of that crowd who came to this city to find something interesting.

It’s my 2^nd day in the place and I have loved the local train rides. The best part is that you don’t have to do much of the effort most of the times, just be in the way and they will push you in and out of the trains. Once inside everyone is doing something when they are travelling to kill the time and enjoy the daily journey which turns to boring when done on daily basis. As per my observation majority is for the people listening to radio or music on their devices, followed by the love birds that are busy making their spouses happy over the phone, updating them everything including whom they are sitting with at that moment ;-), some people become friends and discuss global issues while some sing devotional songs. The life is busy but they still take out time for the stuff that has to happen.

I had a chance to interact with the Dabbawalaas (tiffin suppliers) who became so famous when Mr. Clinton was in town and was amazed with the way these guys (who for our information are not MBA’s) manage their business. I had gone to Andheri for an interview and saw a pack of men standing and many Dabba (tiffin boxes) placed around outside Andheri staition. To my surprise they had a process and at that time distribution for each area was happening and there was a responsible person assigned for each dabba and location. I was enquiring about the process and was amazed with the way this all works. Well I stopped enquiring much as they misunderstood me as an reporter and asked me that which paper their picture will come. So I took off from there before they realize that I was just wasting their time like I was doing for myself. :-P

Like I said I didn’t have much to do other than wait for interview calls, I thought to show my spouse some parts of Mumbai. So yesterday after the interview, I went to andheri station instead of buying a ticket to my station I went to Mumbai CST with my camera. Well till yesterday I used to think it was Central Street, but I was corrected when I went there. Chatrapati Shivaji Terminal, previously known as VT is one place which will tell you the history of Mumbai. You come out of the station and you feel like you have come to era of Britishers. The old buildings stand there and tell their own story. Story of being there and witnessing the change, the pace of Mumbai and what it was and it is now. Well we both had great time clicking pictures of the buildings and keeping them in for memory.

Well I am just a day old and I am blabbering so much about the place, and I think I am going to stay here for some time. Looking forward to make friends and explore more of this amazing city. Like my cousin says “If you get the taste of this city, no matter what you do, you will keep on coming back to this place”

Let’s see what in store for me and if I will like the taste of this CITY called Mumbai. Will be back with more Mumbai tales, till then TATAS and BIRLAS… :P