Bye Bye Mumbai

Two more long days in the office and my Mumbai adventures was over. Time went by too fast and I had too little time to really experience Mumbai/India.

At least I had a rather relaxed last day in the office. My colleague Sushil took me out for lunch to an area called Thane which is a good deal away from the office. We took a motor riksha, since this was one of things I hadn't done yet and it was good fun and probably the best way to beat traffic if you're not on a motor bike. Those guys are pretty reckless and take any gap between cars possible. There is no seatbelt, no aircon and it's loud and windy since there are no windows. Loved it!

In Thane we got off at a large shopping area with countless small and big shops lined along the street. Went into a sweets shop first. Indians love sugar and the collection of sweets was quite overwhelming. I tried a few and we had both a piece of something that reminded me remotely of cheesecake, but it was lighter and had a nice mango cinnamon aroma.

Next was one of the oldest Hotels in Mumbai where we had lunch. I let him choose food as we sat down in the barely lit but air-conditioned back room. Very tasty indeed. Went back on a motor riksha again and again I regretted not having more time. I longed to just stroll along the street having a look into those shops not really in need for something but simply mingling with the crowd and browsing. This really felt like India proper. I also had halfway mastered the way of crossing a busy road so I actually felt quite comfortable although I was again the only Westener again, haha.

Bought some spices from the supermarket in our office building and a large pack of that Indian tea that I learned to love so much. Got instructions how to brew it from a colleague and left the office at 7:30pm after saying goodbye to everyone.

My colleagues are really a very nice bunch and I wished I understood a bit of Hindi to be able to participate more in their conversations. From Sushil I learned that there are more than 200 different languages in India and that's not really counting dialects in. Wow. So it is quite likely that two Indians from different regions wouldn't understand each other unless the both speak Hindi.

Sitting at the airport as I'm writing this I'm recapturing the last 9 days in my mind. India. Wow. I always wanted to go but didn't really persue the idea and the chance to go on a business trip was a fantastic chance to get exposed to this alien culture in a very smooth way. I wasn't thrown in straight away but had the chance to adjust and take it in bit by bit from behind the glass. It's a little like walking through a glass tube in an aquarium with water and fish all around you.

But I really wanted to be on the other side of the glass and swim with the fish. That's the only way to really get the feel and vibe. After the first shock of the dust, dirt and crumbling infrastructure and the realization that this wasn't a rough area but simply normal, I wanted to go out and walk amongst people. As a single female Westener this was simply not possible.

Apart from the hotel I was mainly amongst Indians and stuck out like a beacon with my height and fair skin. It felt really weird and people were staring at me time and again with mild interest. I was a bit uncomfortable and not understanding a word of the language certainly played a part in just feeling alien. Being in business dress added to that. I think with like dusty hiking clothes and a backpack and hat it would've been at least a bit different.

Now I know a little bit of how people feel who go or are forced to go to a different country. That feeling of misplacement and the joy of meeting someone from your own culture. Still after a couple of days I got quite used to it and felt a bit more comfortable.

Friendliness

In general Indians are very very friendly and go out of their way to help you. I don't know if this applies to Indians a general, but at least this is how I have experienced it. Especially at the hotel, every single person who worked their greeted me, personnel at the restaurants there remembered me the next day and knew what I ordered before. I was called "Ma'am" which made me feel old an honoured at the same time, haha.

Maybe it was just the policy of the hotel, but people in the office were very helpful as well and mentioned more than once how sorry they were when something didn't go as planned.

On the other hand the concept of queueing is totally unknown in India. It's the complete opposite. People are jumping queues and push and shove in a way where even I (being used to public transport in Berlin) think like "Woah, mate! What's YOUR problem?"

Security

After the incident in Mumbai in 2006 security measure where implemented in all public places. The hotel x-rayed my bags every time I entered the main entrance. The was a sniffer dog searching the car trunk and I had to walk through a metal detector. Every time I was checked with a handheld metal detector as well. They are really cautious.

Even the supermarket down in the office building had a metal detector. On the other hand security guards are a bit lax since they didn't even bother when it beeped, haha. If I had had a bag they would've probably searched it.

The airport x-rays hand luggage upon entering and passport and boarding pass are meticulously checked several times and being stamped. Never seen this before.

Food

I survived Indian food without any digestive problems, yeah! I really enjoyed the breakfast at the hotel which offered a choice of Indian dishes as well. I left the bread but tested pretty much everything else they offered. Some of it was really spicy and very much like a curry. This morning I had Bhaji which was so spicy that I know a couple of people who wouldn't even eat it for lunch or dinner, haha. I loved it! For breakfast, haha.

Even the hotel buffet which I enjoyed a few times was better than any Indian restaurant I've been to in Europe. Best way to put it, is that spices where just richer. Even in the mild curries.

Would've loved to taste much more, but didn't have time.

I loved the Indian tea as well and enjoyed going with my colleagues down to some street shop to get a small cuppa in the afternoon. Really refreshing and veeery different from the "Chai Latte" we get in Europe. Bought a pack at the supermarket and will see if I can get close to that taste back in the UK.

Traffic

To be honest, it's not as bad as I thought it would be. Any of those drivers would've been called absolutely crazy driving like that in the UK. There are hardly any traffic lights let alone lanes and everyone pretty much drives at will. A red light doesn't mean people are not crossing the road. On the other hand, I think this is what keeps the traffic flowing. Gaps are filled and there honking everywhere, not only to express impatience but also to tell lorries and other vehicles that you're behind/next to them.

Traffic is still heavy and therefore not really going fast. This way it's rather safe I think. Sitting behind the wheel myself would be a completely different story though.

Head Wiggling

Something I realized only after a few days is the head wiggling Indians do. I'm not really sure what it means and I think there are different meanings to it. I think in general it's just a gesture of listening closely to someone and acknowledging what that person says. Something on the lines of "Yeah, ok. I get it."

So my India adventure is over now and I genuinely enjoyed it. Again I can only say that I would've loved to have more time, but am glad that I could at least get a glimpse at this different culture. Would really like to come back and get a closer look and see some more, taste some more and feel some more.

Still, I'm looking forward to being back in the UK mostly for my quiet room, less buzz and traffic and a quiet walk through a park with the dog, haha.

Until we meet again, India!