In contrast to my last post where I described how happy I am living in Mumbai, today is a gloomy and sad day! We have been attacked, yet again!!! This is the third terrorist attack in Mumbai since I moved here six years ago. The first time it happened was in 2006. We were on a short vacation to Pune when we got the shocking news of the train bombings. I had quit my job just 10 days prior to that incident. I would have been in one of those trains had I been working on that day. It was the same route I took to reach home every day. After that tragedy, I avoided trains for quite some time but then trains are the lifeline of Mumbai. We have to travel by these local trains to reach our destinations. How much longer could I avoid them? Also the fact that my husband and many of my near and dear ones still traveled daily by these very trains made me resilient. Again, in 2008, when the terrorists attacked the Taj, the CST, the Oberoi etc., I didn't let my husband go to work for a day. But then how long can we stay cooped up? How long can we fear death and stop living? Living in Mumbai makes one resilient and ready for any eventuality. But every time terror strikes, it is shocking and scary! And every time we become more resilient! For a few days after such tragic incidents, we are all on our guards for suspicious people, suspicious objects, etc. Then life moves on...until the next strike. How many times will this repeat? How many times do we have to face death and uncertainty? Why are we not safe? Today, I think the only person feeling safe in Mumbai is Mr. Kasab who is protected by 50 commandos. It is ironic, isn't it that the person who unleashed terror on the people of Mumbai is today all safe and sound while the common man does not even know if he can reach back home safely tonight?
Today my thoughts are with the victims and their families whose lives have been changed forever, who have been wounded and scarred for life, whose dreams have been trashed, who did not live to see another day......
Showing posts with label mumbai. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mumbai. Show all posts
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Sunday, July 10, 2011
We are cheap!
According to a recent survey, Mumbai is the third cheapest city in the world based on cost of living!! Surprising, especially when buying a house (about 700-800 sq ft) here can easily set one back by a crore of rupees!!!
But there are many good things about Mumbai. When I moved to Mumbai post my marriage six years ago, I had been forewarned by my husband about the pollution and the population of Mumbai. He said if I could look beyond the two 'P's then I would love to live in Mumbai. He was right. Initially, I was overwhelmed by the population of Mumbai. At any time of the day or night, one can always see people rushing to their destinations. There are people everywhere!! Also Mumbai can be very very dirty especially during the rainy season. This was further proved by the deluge of 26th July 2005 when I had to wade through chest-deep water to reach home from work! It was barely a month and a half since I had stepped foot in Mumbai and hardly two weeks at my first job. Then there were the train bombings in 2006, terrorist attack in 2008, waterlogged roads almost every monsoon, so on and so forth. But despite all this, I LOVE Mumbai. The people here may not have time to look at each other, may be emotionally unattached, but will always help when asked. Another thing I like about this city is that one can never lose one's way around Mumbai and I can vouch for that! There have been times when I have had to travel to distant places alone, for work, but never faced any difficulty in reaching my destination. The best person to ask for directions is the Paan-wala.
Rickshaw drivers will NEVER cheat. They may refuse to ply to shorter distances, but never charge extra. At least in the last six years of my life here, I have never ever come across someone who did that to me.
Fruit and vegetable markets especially in places like Borivali (where we reside), Dadar, Vashi etc are so enticing because of the freshness and the low costs of the products. My Mom who is not very comfortable with the crowded Mumbai, would very happily visit the market any day! The markets are full of the best seasonal fruits and vegetables along with the regular ones. Exotic food products such as imported fruits and vegetables as well as some seasonal ones which are native to my hometown of Mangalore are galore. True, inflation is hitting us middle class very hard, but when fresh food products are available in abundance, it softens the blow.
It is very safe to travel, even at night, especially because of the local trains. There have been some instances of crime but then every city has its share of it. Nothing new in Mumbai. Every city has its pros and cons, so does Mumbai! But when we compare it to any other city in India, nothing matches to Mumbai!! Maybe it is the Mumbaikar in me speaking, but yes I am proud to be a Mumbaikar and proud to say, we are cheap!!
But there are many good things about Mumbai. When I moved to Mumbai post my marriage six years ago, I had been forewarned by my husband about the pollution and the population of Mumbai. He said if I could look beyond the two 'P's then I would love to live in Mumbai. He was right. Initially, I was overwhelmed by the population of Mumbai. At any time of the day or night, one can always see people rushing to their destinations. There are people everywhere!! Also Mumbai can be very very dirty especially during the rainy season. This was further proved by the deluge of 26th July 2005 when I had to wade through chest-deep water to reach home from work! It was barely a month and a half since I had stepped foot in Mumbai and hardly two weeks at my first job. Then there were the train bombings in 2006, terrorist attack in 2008, waterlogged roads almost every monsoon, so on and so forth. But despite all this, I LOVE Mumbai. The people here may not have time to look at each other, may be emotionally unattached, but will always help when asked. Another thing I like about this city is that one can never lose one's way around Mumbai and I can vouch for that! There have been times when I have had to travel to distant places alone, for work, but never faced any difficulty in reaching my destination. The best person to ask for directions is the Paan-wala.
Rickshaw drivers will NEVER cheat. They may refuse to ply to shorter distances, but never charge extra. At least in the last six years of my life here, I have never ever come across someone who did that to me.
Fruit and vegetable markets especially in places like Borivali (where we reside), Dadar, Vashi etc are so enticing because of the freshness and the low costs of the products. My Mom who is not very comfortable with the crowded Mumbai, would very happily visit the market any day! The markets are full of the best seasonal fruits and vegetables along with the regular ones. Exotic food products such as imported fruits and vegetables as well as some seasonal ones which are native to my hometown of Mangalore are galore. True, inflation is hitting us middle class very hard, but when fresh food products are available in abundance, it softens the blow.
It is very safe to travel, even at night, especially because of the local trains. There have been some instances of crime but then every city has its share of it. Nothing new in Mumbai. Every city has its pros and cons, so does Mumbai! But when we compare it to any other city in India, nothing matches to Mumbai!! Maybe it is the Mumbaikar in me speaking, but yes I am proud to be a Mumbaikar and proud to say, we are cheap!!
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