Mumbai Masala
I love India, no matter what you say, no matter what they say, no matter what I myself sometimes say…
There is a soul here that no other places can claim. I’ve missed soulful places, with a character, with a strong spirit.
Yes, there is the baffling poverty, dirt, pollution, endless noise, crooks and rats.
Then there is kindness, colourful people, energy, music, food. Oh the food. I could barely get up from the first breakfast from having too many idlis, uttapams and 2 masala teas. I love watching TV commercials in a country as they are your 101 into people’s unique psyche of a country. There are 60 sec (expensive!) and 30 sec TVCs for men’s underwear, one called Macho, the other Bigboss.
The Hindi movie last night was the best although I should have checked about the subtitles first… The couple next to me gave me a quick synopsis every 15 min. It was not necessary but important to them.
To escape the heat and pollution, I went hiding to the Hanging Gardens at Mulabar Hill but found the park disappointing and not shaded. Instead, the Asiatic Library has become my daily refuge; with access to 15,000 books including Dante’s Divine Comedy, you sit in an amazing building built in 1830 with fans cutting the air to a tolerable heat. My little brain got all confused and greedy, where do I start?! After having selected 10 books, I was escorted to the Ladies’ Section. All Men’s Section was all looky looking now, 200 eyes surfacing from behind 100 books. It must be the curry they eat here.
The YMCA where I’m staying is the best place you can stay in the soulful Colaba. Just a stone throw away from Leopald’s which got famous through Shantaram, which I truly recommend to read before you visit India as it’s the best prep-book ever. The YMCA folks are the kindest folks you meet at a hostel and will keep you entertained with antics like endless paperwork, no girls in the gym, insist you have a tea at 7am (picture) and play pingpong with the girls after 6pm. I obliged to all but the gym as the Secretary General of the YMCA has given his kind permission for me to partake. A tiny gym equipped in 1968 with little changes, today with 12 dudes, 3 fans, lots of sweat and even more looky looking.
It must be the curry.