Mumbai Meri Jaan: a city that will make you fall in love with itself. The feel of the city and the people is something you would always cherish. The speed with which people live their life and the way they conduct their work and personal life make the city the city that never sleeps. Something that i learnt: Mumbaikars use the word SORT way too much, like usually to end a conversation one might say cool or okay, here people end the dialogue with a sort or a sort sort.
Following is a list of things which are particular to Mumbai.
1) Gender: gender in language drastically changes coz everything seems to become masculinein Mumbai like taxi kab aayega?
tum khaega? Tum jayega?
Hum laega?
Tum kab aayega Etc.
and women seem to talk like :main aati, main jaati etc. To an outsider the way people converse in Bombay might seem irregular but then people here have their own set of rules in the way they speak Hindi.
2) Safety: the city that never sleeps is actually very safe. Safer to an extent where even if a group of girls wish to travel alone at 2:00 am they can do that plus they will easily be able to find a cab from almost any place in Mumbai.
3) Pace: life in sapno ki nagariya is fast, sorry correction super fast. Even if you actually fall while boarding or de-boarding the locals, your fall wouldn’t really catch an eye’s attention. People prefer minding their own attention and speedily completing their day to day chores.
4) Food (serves): unlike what happens in Punjab or Delhi that you’ll be served with starters, then the main course meal which includes about 2-4 dishes and then the deserts. In Bombay however, you’ll be served with one main course dish again and again till it fills your tummy. (In no means I imply that the food served is not good, its sumptuous to be precise), but we Punjabi’s are used to having variety in our food.
5) Monsoon: usually Bombay monsoon can be compared to showers of blessings because they make this city seem so magical. But in case of really heavy downpour (which happens pretty often) a ruckus is created which hampers smooth daily functioning for a long time. Monsoon is the only possible mechanism which tends to slow the speed with which things happen in the city and lives of the people.
6) Local train: typical to Mubai, you’ll find people singing, playing music and even selling various commodities in the local. Locals cannot be compared to the luxurious metros, but they have a charm of their own. However it becomes really inconvenient to travel using local at peak rush hours.
7) Taxis: taxis are available 24*7which make travelling at any time very comfortable and convenient. The roads are full of the famous yellow and black cabs throughout Mumbai. Apart from these non air conditioned taxis, Meru cabs are available at very reasonable prices.
8) Street food: many times when one hears the word Mumbai, the first thing that pops up is Wada Pav, and one thing I have realised after visiting Mumbai, the love for Wada Pav is not hyped. The famous Wada Pav’s are easily available at every nook and corner; they are not just tasty but also light on the pocket. If you visit Mumbai, having a wada pav is a must. Other things on your list should be eating frankies, pani puri’s and sev puri’s.
9) Architecture: if you visit the town side, you will fall in love with the Victorian architecture. Especially if you visit various colleges in the same location, architecture especially in St Xaviers College catches a tourist’s attention. The vintage look, the carvings, the beautifully designed windows, all is one of a kind.
10) Places to visit: sitting at marine drive, listening to the sea waves, eating Bhutta and if you are lucky enough to visit marine drive late at night, you can admire the beauty of the queens necklace. It is a sight worth withholding .If you own a car or you can hire a cab and travel through the sea link, its just peaceful. There are other areas as well where one should visit, like carters, the gateway of India, town side- Colaba, also about a 100 kilometres away from Mumbai there is Lonavala that can be visited. For shopaholics Mumbai has 3-4 markets that you must visit, these include, causeway, fashion street and linking road.
11) Film city: film city and various studios are exclusive to this city, a visit to the film city is a very tiring one but totally worth the efforts, you can find sets of various films and tv shows. The film city is opened for 2 days a week when the public is allowed to enter and see the sets, on other days shootings take place.
