GO(NE) WEST....


Hey hey hey ... me just back from a trip to Mumbai(actually landed a week back ;) ) had gone there to participate in a quiz and also got a chance to meet ma friends there....... was in mumbai for only 2 days and hence not too much "sightseeing"(its a funny phrase. obvously one can only see "sights " not sounds or tastes....)

a few points on ma visit(MA FIRST VISIT TO MUMBAI) (and on the city of mumbai.... .......biased i understand..........)

The flight i took was one that landed in Mumbai late at night and one thing i could see even at that time of the night...the Mumbai airport runway appears from outta nowhere right in between slums. the flight's descending during landing ..
descending.... descending into what appears to be a slum .... and then outta nowhere the runway appears...i did'nt know whether to laugh or to cry ....I am sure there must be a plane wreck or two hidden in those slums somewhere.

The hotel I stayed was one that was like 10 min from the airport... thank god it was close to the airport..... and i had a "ROOM WITH A (supposed)VIEW"............. what was in the view........... take a wild guess(for clue . refer to the "PREDOMINANTLY IMPLIED" idea in the previous paragraph.... IF SUCH A THING EXISTS....)
I just found out that more than 60% of mumbai's population lives in slums....... scary figure ( thats about 1.2 crores/12 million poeple)

Nyway movin on.. the venue that the quiz was held was fantabulous 5 Star hotel in mumbai. with extravagance written alll over the place .I loved the place but immediately hated it as well. for... in some small corner of ma heart; it made me appear/feel "small" (depending on ones self confidence levels ;) )...like i was (like all humans)an insignificant piece of s**t.....that its presence no longer comforting but intimidating . its like standing in front of a huge mountain ..... only this time with wall to wall carpeting,leather upholstery and extremely good looking concierges and stewards(and a swimming pool that opens out into the sea)

Met some of ma friends and also had a look (just a loook ) at the famed local train in mumbai. I just found out that any area is mumbai is divided into 2 halves, East and west and that the Railway line that runs thru the city is the dividing line ... ingenious........

i realised in those 2 days that mumbai.......... THE CITY NEVER SLEEPS the "room with a (supposed)view" mentioned earlier also had a flyover running from one end to the other. and all through the night, i mean from 11 pm to 7 am...........there was absolutely no change in the traffic density ....rush hour all thru the night .. across the flyover .I never knew that there were bikes and autorickshaws in mumbai,ma friends told me that there are bikes and autos only in suburban mumbai and not in the city...........another example of the power of unions

distances in mumbai are measured not in terms of kilometres but in terms of time
the local train takes a lot of credit for this) 25..30 kilometres traveling . not at all a problem .... Bangalore(sweet sweet bangalore) can take a few tips on urban transport from mumbai in this aspect aleast(probably ONLY)

At the airport on the way back to kolkata, me walks up to the counter to collect my boarding pass, the lady at the counter (yes she WAS pretty..... compounding my misery) and i had a conversation (more like a ...get outta my way u punk.... u are blocking the view)

ME: (in my broken english) Hi (yup...thats all i could muster),
SHE:have u checked in your hand baggage?
ME: i thought one need not check in one's hand baggage
SHE: no, people above 15 years of age need not check-in their hand baggage........ all kids should....it's the law
ME: (WTF!!) i am not below 15
SHE: oh you are not?? u look like you are ....
ME: stop!! stop!!! (here i was trying to play "WHOSE YOUR DADDY".........and she thought i was 15(or worse.... under 15).... no comment. LET ME WITHDRAW INTO MY SHELL WITH WHATEVER SHAME I HAVE LEFT )

More self-demeaning details later.................

Listening To : Bob Dylan: Blowin In The Wind
Reading: Freakonomics
Quote Until Next Blog:Caedite eos.Novit enim Dominus qui sunt eius.
Translation: "Slay them all. God will know his own.

P.S: yes yes the "check-in" counter episode has left me scarred for life... is there a phobia by that name?. check-in counter phobia?? if there was'nt...... there IS NOW....