From 4 posts a day I have come down to 0 posts in 4 days!! But it's not because I have been lazy, it's because I had been having fun in Mumbai!!
Writing this post reminds me about Aisha of 'Wake Up Sid' who spent a whole night in her bathroom to come up with that perfect article to show what she truly felt about the city and how it grew on her! I will be a little more spontaneous and quicker, I am not a writer after all. But the purpose remains the same, what is it about that city that even makes me want to write about it!
Mumbai always makes me feel romantic and liberated. This was my third visit to the city and each trip has made me fall in a little more love with the city! The sea takes my breath away and the fashion quotient of the city makes my head turn innumerable times!
Freedom to Wear What You Want to: Don't get me wrong, I love Delhi, but we all know that no woman can roam around in a short skirt on the road at 12 in the night. Only Mumbai girls can! Be it a high-end pub or a small eating joint, you can wear (or not wear) whatever you want to and noone gives those lecherous looks. I am a bit jealous, I must say.
The Liveliness: Can't say that the 'City Never Sleeps', but it sleeps pretty late. There is so much happening almost all night long.
Writing this post reminds me about Aisha of 'Wake Up Sid' who spent a whole night in her bathroom to come up with that perfect article to show what she truly felt about the city and how it grew on her! I will be a little more spontaneous and quicker, I am not a writer after all. But the purpose remains the same, what is it about that city that even makes me want to write about it!
Mumbai always makes me feel romantic and liberated. This was my third visit to the city and each trip has made me fall in a little more love with the city! The sea takes my breath away and the fashion quotient of the city makes my head turn innumerable times!
What I Love about the City
Freedom to Wear What You Want to: Don't get me wrong, I love Delhi, but we all know that no woman can roam around in a short skirt on the road at 12 in the night. Only Mumbai girls can! Be it a high-end pub or a small eating joint, you can wear (or not wear) whatever you want to and noone gives those lecherous looks. I am a bit jealous, I must say.
The Liveliness: Can't say that the 'City Never Sleeps', but it sleeps pretty late. There is so much happening almost all night long.
The Style Quotient: Delhi and some other metros have seen a significant change in the way women dress in the past couple of years, but Mumbai still remains ahead of any other city in terms of the fashion quotient. Delhi women can give a close competition but Mumbai will remain a winner for a while to come!
Simple Set-up but Amazing Ambience: The 'Most Famous Hangouts' are not necessarily the 'Most Expensive' ones too, be it Candies at Pali Hill or Pizza by the Bay on Marine Drive. These are cool hangouts with affordable prices, yet amazing ambience.
What I find Amusing about the City
The Coexistence of Slums and Skyscrapers: Slums and high-rises coexist on two sides of the same road. Probably the way I live between complicated SQL queries and bubbly beauty blogs!
The Call for a Passenger: The way the autowala's call a passenger is something!! I don't know how to describe it but they make a sound to call you that in Delhi is called 'Eve Teasing'! I got seriously offended as well as scared the first time!
The Call for a Passenger: The way the autowala's call a passenger is something!! I don't know how to describe it but they make a sound to call you that in Delhi is called 'Eve Teasing'! I got seriously offended as well as scared the first time!
PDA Lanes: They have roads that people think are meant for public display of affection- Band-stand, Bandra reclamation amongst others! I know every city has a few, Victoria in Kolkata and Lodhi Garden/ Garden of Five senses in Delhi. But in Mumbai people don't even hide behind a bush. They can just stop the vehicle on a flyover and get started!!
Glamorous Horse Carts:
What I can't understand about the City
National Anthem in the Theater: Why do we have sing our national anthem in the theater before the start of every movie? There are many ways to show that you love your country!!
No Helmets: Wonder why people don't care to wear helmets!
I want to write a lot more about this trip, the places I visited, the things that I bought, the things I ate. I will have these in my upcoming posts. Tell me what you think of this one!
Here are some of my favourite pics from Juhu..
Fun and Food at Juhu Beach
Wow! Looks like you had an amazing trip!
ReplyDeleteI'm from Pakistan, but it's my dream to go to India one day (and visit Delhi and Mumbai!).
And you took some amazing pictures!
I love this post, seriously! I've never been to India, I only know it from documentary reports on TV, Bollywood films & from looking at photos that people who took while they were there.
ReplyDeleteThat's why I so enjoyed reeading your post & looking at the photos. I'm really interested in everything about India & am looking forward to your next posts about your time in Mumbai :-)
@Zainab: Yup, the trip was nice indeed. I hope you visit us soon! And thanks for your compliment.
ReplyDelete@Tabatha: I am glad you liked this post. I will put up the next post real soon!
we hv national anthem in d theatres in delhi too! :P
ReplyDelete@Vanity: which theater?? I dint know!
ReplyDeleteLovely Pics!!! esp the 1st one.
ReplyDeleteI hope u used all the tips from ur "BEACH VACATION" blog..! :-)
p.s. The national anthem is played in theatres in Cal as well. It's Supposed to forge 'unity' before public gatherings..Many ppl go in late to avoid it.
Thank you AD! Well I need to go to another beach vacation to use all the tips :)
ReplyDeleteSomehow I was not aware of the national anthem thing in Cal!
For PDA, they also have special cabs with disco lighting - also referred to as make-out cabs!!
ReplyDeletethe horse cart rides r real fun...
and just a small connection..since u mention wake up sid and pizza by the bay in ur article, one of the scenes in wake up sid was indeed shot at Not Just Jazz by the Bay!
-P
Man, that sure is some interesting info!! Keep visiting for some more stuff on Mumbai!
ReplyDeleteNice pics...specially like the ones with all the colored bottles...it made me miss mumbai...
ReplyDeletethsoe colored rickshaws near marine drive cost SUCHG a bomb!!!! They rip you off but its all fun.....iv always said...delhi is the city of comfort, mumbai is the city of fun!!!!..it has that quality to it that always pulls you back.....sigh..now i wanna go!!!!
You definitely enjoyed the maximum city to the maximum...and also managed to cause a storm in the sea of emotion of readers...even those who have never visited Mumbai...waiting for the next one :)
ReplyDeleteHi. I have been away for a while. Its insanely good post Debaleena. The pictures are way too good.
ReplyDeleteHave you ever considered entering an exhibition?
@PeachesnBlush: Yup even I think Mumbai is the weekend city but Delhi is the place to stay!
ReplyDelete@Nivedita: I am really really flattered by your comment. Never entered any competition, but I have so many good photographers in my family and friend circle that I know I stand no chance :)
Nevertheless, thanks so much for your compliment!
The photos have come out so good. And you were lucky that the autowallahs called out to you :) because these days they just refuse to ply if the destination doesn't suit their whims.
ReplyDeleteI can't understand the need of national anthem before a movie viewing. Why does someone who is watching a move need to feel extra patriotic and not others.
Debaleena, you deserve all the compliments in your own right. But you should seriously give this a thought and I'm pretty serious
ReplyDeleteAgree with the comment above about the autowallahs/taxiwallahs completely ignoring u rather than calling out to u...most of them drive around as if they r in the last lap of an F1 race and can't stop and hear whr u want to go...and the ones who do stop to hear u will give u such a displeased look that u will start wondering why u r going to ur destination!!
ReplyDelete-P
all said and done, can't believe Mumbai autowalas can be worse than the Delhi ones!!
ReplyDeleteawww great!!!!!! where in mumbai are you from?
ReplyDeletelovely post!
ReplyDeleteAsta
http://cactusandcucumber.blogspot.com/