Desi News Corp - Index

Desi News Corp - Desi News - May 2009 - Index

going PLACES
The cacophony of horns
honking, people yelling,
and music blaring hangs
over a typical day in Mumbai,
one of the biggest and busiest
cities in India. The chirping of
birds one wakes up to is quickly
drowned by the loud blare of
car horns from the nearest
intersection only steps away.
So begins a typical day in the
city that never stops moving.
The scorching heat leaves
visitors gasping for air and
extremely dehydrated. This, however,
is no match for the neverending
symphony of noise.
Walking down the street jampacked
with bumper-to-bumper
traffic, roadside stalls with people
struggling to get a glimpse of
the merchandise, and yes, more
honking horns, leaves one feeling
like they’ve been caught in
the middle of a twister of chaos.
Amazingly, everyone appears
oblivious to the noise that
would temporarily deafen any
unsuspecting victim.
For many, getting to work
every morning involves braving
the public trains or buses. The
ability to get on either is somewhat
of an art form and both
are equally dangerous for one
not experienced in this area. As
they wait for barely 10 seconds
for passengers to get on, one
must hop on and stand in the
open doorway before inching
inside. Rising early to catch a
seat is no guarantee of actually
finding one.
A slightly more efficient way
is the autorickshaw – the threewheeler
that can get you through
any traffic jam or gridlock.
The skilled drivers can get you
from one district to another in
the span of an hour (and if you
have ever travelled in India that
is a miracle!). A ride, however,
is rarely a peaceful journey as
arguments invariably erupt,
whether it be over directions or
payment. No matter how many
16 Desi News May 2009
Bombay dreams!
times you tell the driver he is
going the wrong way, he will,
eventually, reach the intended
destination and no matter how
many times the driver argues
for the ‘appropriate’ fare, the
passenger will almost always
pay the fare he believes to be
correct. This is the way it is
done in India, and never mind
the arguments, the system
works just fine!
Despite the very obvious
distractions, there is a subtle
quality that makes any visitor to
Mumbai extremely welcome.
Whether you are the foreigner
in the crowd or the smartest
when it comes to everything
•
Seventeen-year-old Stephanie Divekar, a grade 11
student at Bishop Allen Academy in Etobicoke,
Ontario, was in Mumbai recently for her cousin’s
wedding. This was her first visit in eight years.
Mumbai, you cannot help but feel
welcomed by the calm, bubbly,
and always relaxed aura given off
by every citizen. This is not just
evident among the family and
relatives one visits but even with
complete strangers that you have
never met before and will likely
never meet again. There is a
sense of family when doing
everything from riding the bus to
shopping for groceries. Simple
conversations with the person
sitting next to you on the bus or
the owner of the grocery store
have you feeling you have known
them forever. The contentment
and sense of belonging is
overwhelming. Someone is
• LEFT: Stephanie takes an autorickshaw
with her cousin Praful
BELOW LEFT: A refuelling break
at McDonald’s in Thane.
always willing to lend a helping
hand, and people go out of their
way to assist others, whatever the
circumstances.
People here are not consumed
by an obsession for
material objects. Whatever their
financial situation, they appear
content. Although several do
possess the latest in technology,
their sense of what is important
is clear. This, I believe, is what
truly allows them to live life without
the stress that dominates
our lives. Our need for things we
may not really need comes in
the way of being satisfied with
what we have compared to the
Mumbaikar’s positive attitude
towards life.
Mumbai feels different, yet
strikingly familiar. Rising structures
near the waterfront bring
images of the Toronto harbour
to mind. Walking down the
street I am startled to here
Sasha Fierce’s, All the single
ladies followed by Pink’s So
what. I turn on the television
to the laughter and comedy of
Ellen DeGeneres. Shows such
as Brothers and Sisters and Heroes,
have me feeling I never left
Canada. In Mumbai, English is
more commonly spoken than
French is in Canada.
However, the new Bollywood
movie that I truly enjoyed
watching served to remind me
that the city will never completely
be like North America.
Not because it can’t, but because
of the strong sense of
culture. They may listen to the
latest Western music and watch
Hollywood movies, but the
powerful culture that India
possesses, and that I admire, is
forever.
India was, and will always be,
a place that fascinates me and
welcomes me.
And I return each time to a
new experience.
– STEPHANIE DIVEKAR