8.3.2008

Mumbai is happening

I can't believe this, I haven't even been in this city for 5 hours and so much has happened. After the updating my blog I went for a walk in town. I was so excited to see the Leopold's Bar, the famous Shantaram hang out place. It is buzzing with tourists eating in but looked really vibrant. I did debate going in for a drink but I think I'll wait for Judith to do that. There was high human noise in the bar and I wasn't quite sure if I wanted to sit in that space yet.

As I continued walking I came across a junction where two children had put up a robe between two lamp posts and were walking on the rope with some metal pot-like looking object balancing on their head.

Then I felt hungry and made it my mission to find café Churchill which was recommended on lonely planet website. After 5 months of Indian food I'm currently seeking something more non-indian. I had the address with me and as I walking on Causeway (to be honest probably going the wrong way), a 35 year old Indian man started to talk to me. The usual "where are you from" etc etc. He said I needed at least 5-7days in Mumbai to see everything. He worked as a jewellery salesman so I just had the cautious alarm in my head "watch out for this one" but no sales tactics were used. He just wanted to practice his English. It only took 2 minutes for the personal questions to follow "how old are, are you married". I lied; I said I was 32 and married. Then he asked if I had children and so on. But then he started to comment on his girlfriend. That she is my age, and she is fat! How flattering?? He was complimenting at the same time "but look at you, you are so thin. "How do you stay thin?". I gave him the whole run down on yoga. It's amazing that more westerners do yoga than the Indians, even though they are blessed with such rich background of it. His next questions made me giggle, "What is your favourite colour?" I guess this is a chat up line. I told him it was pink, and then he said "hmm, my girlfriend wears black all the time. Even at night time". I seriously didn't know where this was all going and noticed that I was walking more and more away from my hotel so I had to disappoint him and say goodbye as I turned around. He looked so sad "but why don't you walk to the park with me?"…Aaargh, well, I don't see anyone who would agree to that especially when the conversation is so dry and he is some unknown stranger to me. So this time I said a firm goodbye and walked back.

Within two metres of walking back I saw one of those huge balloon people. I mean they are at least one metre long. I asked him "who buys this stuff? And what do they do with it?" He said that people buy it for their children. I told him that I wrote about these balloons and I would like to take a picture but when he asked 500rps for a photo I told him to get real and walked off again. I think the balloon would cost 10rps maximum, although I wouldn't have the lungs to blow that huge thing up.

Anyhow after doing a few circles it was nearing 6pm and I came back to my hotel. I changed my room 3 times already as I couldn't make up my mind about which room I would be most comfortable in. One was right outside the reception and since my experience in Delhi I try to stay clear of reception rooms. Then the next one stunk of cigarettes so I settled for the room near the reception again. But the poor boys have been carrying my bags backwards and forwards, so I kept smiling at them apologetically and lightened their weight by asking if they had a roof terrace.

And that was the last crazy experience, one of the boys said "yes madam we have terrace, come and see". I had seen a few hotels with roof terrace restaurants today, some overlooking the sea so I was expecting something just as spectacular. But it turned out that 7 boys are sleeping upstairs on the terrace. They had all gathered around having their break, sipping chai, a young boy maybe not more that 14 was making chapattis on the stove for the staff, mattresses laid everywhere. I felt a little uncomfortable but at the same time I didn't want to offend them by not seeing their palace. What a palace it was though, it actually looked straight on to a beautiful palace, the Taj Hotel. They were all so excited for me to visit their roof and gathered in a big group for me to take lots of photos of them. They come from all over India, Gujarat, Assam, a few even from Nepal. All I kept thinking about was their lifestyle.

They had to work hard to earn money in this monstrous city, and sleep outside on the roof. Are they happy? I don't think I could answer that, they smile a lot but perhaps in their eyes there is a little envy of us westerners and what opportunities we have, yet maybe we don't appreciate so much.

It's now 7pm, all I hear is the noise street outside and the noisy air-con unit inside. Cities aren't good for me, I know that but it is only for one more night that I stay in Mumbai and not return until 3 weeks time when I welcome my mum and brother.