Bombay.

I have been meaning to write this from a very long time now. With almost just another week left for me in Mumbai (or Bombay; as I would like to call it, meaning no offence to anyone whatsoever), I sat down with my laptop today with the aim of completing this piece. Call it procrastination, laziness, or just a lack of will; I have delayed writing about my first actual experience in the City of Dreams by almost a week and a half. Although I did create mental notes as well as phone-notes about everything I wanted to write about, I just couldn’t do it. Writing is something that I love and I believe, am sufficiently okay at. But, it takes enormous amount of time, and patience, and a calm and peaceful place for me to organize all my scattered thoughts and make a meaningful piece out of those, which is why, most of my posts are either very late, or un-uploaded on the internet. But this one is rather special, and had to be shared with everyone.

Mumbai.

Marine Drive. 10pm.

My first visit to Bombay was a three-day trip with a bunch of friends, in the month of September this year, during the festival of Ganesh Chaturthi, when the city is decked up like a newly-wed with lights, flowers, sweets, crackers, music, dance, and faith – a perfect potpourri that defines the beauty and grandeur of Bombay. We visited almost all the touristy places, did things that every tourist in Mumbai does, and went back to Manipal with a bag full of memories made in every moment that we spent here. After everything I had heard about Bombay from numerous people, I was sure I would love the city. I went back with a promise of coming back again, this time, for a longer period, and alone.

Gleaming lights.

Artwork. Dance.

So, here I am now, for four weeks (three down, one to go) with an internship, friends scattered all over the city who I can hardly meet, and a strong desire to explore the city on my own. The first couple of days were spent in me trying to understand the local train system, and the routes to and from my workplace. Owing to a lack of sense of direction, and my negligence in the past, when I was being taken to several places and guided by a friend, I had to face countless situations like going into the wrong building, taking the wrong turn, getting into the wrong train, and getting down at wrong stations. I survived it all with the help and assistance of the dysfunctional GPS in my phone, fellow passengers on local trains, and passers-by on the road.

Workplace at night.

Churchgate Station.

Everyday struggle.

After I was comfortable with my usual route, I took baby steps towards exploring the city, like taking a longer route just to know all the exits and entrances to offices and stations, spending free evenings aimlessly walking around looking for a new place to eat at or putting my newly acquired camera to work, and eventually getting lost and taking a taxi back home.

Taxis.

Gleaming lights.

On off-days, I had the entire day to myself, so, on the first Sunday, I went out for a movie with friends followed by another one of those aimless walks on roads leading to nowhere. My personal favorite was the day I tried to go out shopping alone, to a totally different part of the city. It was annoying at first, but later, when I recounted the events of the day in my head as a part of my daily routine, I found it really hilarious. I tried to recollect everything I did the last time I went to this area, and tried doing the same again, and ended up reaching the wrong market after misguiding the autowala in addition to getting confused myself. That really was my worst day ever, with all the sun, heat, dust, futility and aimless wandering.

Starry.

After a really long week at work and with certain health issues, I chilled on the third Sunday with a quiet lunch at home, and met up with an old friend of mine from school. On one cool Saturday evening, I decided to go on a long walk to Marine Drive, sit along the sea face, enjoy the breeze and explore the locality. It turned out to be the most beautiful and serene evening for me in Bombay till date.

Rides.

Serenity.

I agree to everything that has ever been said to me about Bombay. Yes, like every other big city in this country, it is polluted and crowded. But, if you give it a thought, it is clear that it is the people, the crowd, that make the city what it is. I mean, which good thing on this planet does not come with a downside to it? At the end of the day, it is one’s perspective that matters.

The Taj at night.

Bombay is nothing like any other city I have ever been to, or lived in, or maybe the right way to put it is, no other city I have ever lived in is like Bombay. It is fast-paced and challenging, and welcoming and fun, all at the same time, and the best thing about it is, that being a metro city, it has not lost touch with its culture either. Malls and small scale industries, high rise buildings and old ones with British architecture, upcoming eateries and restaurants as old as the British rule in India, continental cuisine and vada pav, Bollywood superstars and struggling and aspiring actors, old school theatre and new age cinema – all these survive in the city without any complaints. I feel, the only other Indian metropolitan city that is even close to having the magic that Bombay does, is Calcutta (reasons behind this statement will be mentioned in later posts *winks*).

Solitude is bliss.
Photo credits : Swayam Gandhi

Bombay is like a routine in itself. It is like a machine with a soul, which works without a break. It takes you in, and makes you a part of the manufacturing process in no time, and no matter how much input you give, it won’t ever stop functioning at all. I was amazed with the perfection and precision with which every single activity in this city takes place every single day without fail. Just sitting at a bus stop and looking at people pass by, or walking along the streets with absolutely nothing to do, is enough for someone like me to grow fond of this city.

Bombay is alive, and it makes everything and everyone in it, feel alive.

A Wishlist.

Being the travel aficionado that I am, I’ve always wanted to visit the most beautiful places in this world. I believe that there will come one day, when I would have visited the most beautiful, the most adventurous, the most picturesque, the most peaceful, as well as the most bustling places in the world.

This post enlists ten of the most beautiful cities in the world (in no particular order, of course), that I would want to visit someday.

1)      Bruges

Winters in Bruges are an experience to die for. This photogenic city takes life back to the middle ages.

2)      Florence

It is the birthplace of the Renaissance and home to many artistic treasures of the world. The sunsets here are described as magical.

3)      Lisbon

The capital city of Portugal has a mix of contemporary and old culture, and is said to be all year round destination.

4)      Paris

Sometimes referred to as the cultural capital of the world, Paris is like a dream come true. The art, the food, the culture, the museums, the streets, the nightlife – everything in Paris is perfect.

5)      Venice

Names like ‘the floating city’, ‘the city of canals’ and many more define Venice.

6)      Prague

A very vibrant city, Prague is full of art, music and culture, and when mirrored off the Vltava river, it is a breathtaking sight.

7)      Istanbul

Istanbul attracts me basically because of its towering minarets, Byzantine architecture, and underground cisterns.

8)      Rio de Janeiro

The dancing and merriment in the streets, the laidback beaches and the countless festivals all year round make this city worth a visit.

9)      Rome

This city interests me because this is where history exists at its finest. The Colosseum, The Vatican and The Sistine Chapel – every monument here has a story to it which dates back to time immemorial. It is considered one of the best Italian cities.

10)   Amsterdam

Considered as the Venice of the North, Amsterdam has a relaxing charm to it. I would go there to be away from the hustle and bustle of citylife.

Dance, Kids and Happiness.

The whole of last semester was spent in different engagements. I never expected such an experience to come by. One day, in the beginning of this semester, I heard some of my classmates discussing that some people are going for some kind of voluntary work. I immediately went and talked to them about it, and they agreed to let me join in. The following Monday, I accompanied everyone to the Yakshagana Kendra, and introduced myself to the two students allotted to me – Sujith and Deepak. They were 9

^{graders, probably 12 or 13 year olds, who, at first, were a little hesitant to talk to their new tutor. I was supposed to handle Mathematics, and enquired about the syllabus and other similar things on the first day.}

When I first thought of volunteering, I assumed it would be easy, and fun, and also because of my love for kids, I thought I’d get along well with my students. My lack of proper knowledge of Kannada, posed some problems, but we found out new ways to learn. And, because they were from a Kannada medium school, their course books, note books, and even mathematical terms were in Kannada. This was a very big challenge, for which the solution came in a book. A 9^th grade Maths text book in English with exactly the same contents as their course book. It proved to be an extremely helpful aid for teaching them. In most of the government schools, a lot of emphasis is not put on the fundamentals, leaving the kids with little or no knowledge of elementary concepts like Fractions, Decimals etc. This was another big challenge I faced during the course of these 2 months. There were days when they could only concentrate on playing, and wouldn’t want to study. Even after being a Maths lover, and a Maths student for so many years, I used to prepare for at least half an hour before the class started.

Sujith and Deepak, were very cheerful and jolly kids, who understood that I didn’t understand their language, and hence, they tried their best to help me in every way possible, and also to pay keen attention on whatever I was saying, so that they don’t miss out on anything important. English, Hindi, hand gestures, use of all kinds of things to demonstrate, and the assistance of some Kannada-speaking classmates of mine, are some things that made this easier for both, me and my kids.

I’m referring to Sujith and Deepak as my students again and again, because over time, I had developed a special bond with these two. On the days I couldn’t make it to the Kendra and others did, they used to ask for me. Similarly, on the days Deepak was injured and had gone home, I used to enquire about his health and family. We used to play mobile games after studies, or play the Catch Catch game with a ball. They also showed me some of their dance steps, and were very excited when I took a video of them dancing, and showed it to them. All the kids at the Kendra, used to gather at one place and say Bye to all of us collectively. That place gave a very homely feel to all of us. In a place like Manipal, where all of us are so far away from our homes, I found a place like Home.

This voluntary work started off by Nadia’s mother, and Nadia herself, has been a great great learning experience for me. More than what I could teach my kids, I learnt a lot from them. I used to look forward to the two evenings of the week I had to spend there, and used to come back to Manipal with a smile on my face, with a sense of satisfaction and contentment. I am sure that I am going to go back next semester.

(For those who don't know, Yakshagana is a theater form that combines dance, music, dialogue, costume, make-up, and stage techniques with a unique style and form. This theater style, resembling Western Opera, is mainly found in the coastal districts and the Malenadu region of Karnataka, India.)