Mumbai, meri jaan!

Welcome dear readers, time certainly flies - and how! As I near Diwali, I feel obliged to share my experience of living in Mumbai - I've spent almost 3 months here and it all so feels like yesterday that I was packing my bags and getting ready to bid adieu to Calcutta. The festive environment in the office today, on account of several people going home for Diwali vacation, made me take a look at the happenings in my life in the time goneby. Starting off on the work front, I am slowly easing into my job and the unpredictable nature at which things shape up here -- also the delay in delivering targets on time is becoming a daily routine -- or maybe the Project Managers just plan things that way! Anywhich way, I am enjoying my job at the moment.

Coming back to the city, well I am disappointed to some extent. Frankly, I'd come to Mumbai expecting, anticipating the rush that this place gives you. But one look at the roads in the morning - either the traffic jams or the long line of people waiting for autos - and I wonder how this city can continue running smoothly with so much chaos all around. And oh, say nothing about this city being the city that never sleeps - visit bandstand / carter road or marine drive after 1 in the night and you will probably be asked by the police to pack your bags and push off home. Most restaurants/bars/pubs here close at 1 am, so whatever justifies the tag "the city that never sleeps"? Well, I can only propose (as a way of explanation) that probably the exhaustion caught up with the city and now it has decided that a few hours of sleep needs to be built into its itenary too! I can only ask them to take some inspiration from a metro like Kolkata where people party harder - and longer - than Mumbai!

But you know the most amazing part - everyone here has a story to tell. Be it the autowalla or the small-time shopkeeper, people have loads of stories and time to share with strangers like me! And interestingly, even Maharastrians can't do without their afternoon nap - who said that only Bengalis are the lazy sorts?? I'll love to share a bit more of my experience but I got to rush to office too! And before pushing off to bed, I need to wash the dishes and sweep my flat! Talk of multitasking guys!

Oh, how sorely I miss Calcutta's Park St and Barista's coffee and the apple cake!!

Ordeals of an Ordinary Man!

"Living in Mumbai is a lifetime experience"

Whoever said the above thing must be a genius.. I mean just imagine what all I suffered today and for what -- so that the rickshaw drivers and the taxiwallas can keep their 25-year old taxis on the roads!! Think nothing of the safety of the poor passengers, my dear readers but atleast spare a thought for the driver of that 25-year old wreck - doesn't he deserve to benefit from the advents of globalization? But anyways, why bother about them when I got plenty on my plate!

Was a fight getting to office in the morning today -- had to hang literally from a bus to reach office! And to think I'd left all this when I left Calcutta -- kuch yaadein or cheezen kabhi saath nahi chodti, kyun??

Anyways, I am not in the mood to ramble on for too long.. The sinking stock market and my ever expanding hunger-pangs are leaving in my mind little room for wishful thoughts! So here is wishing you all a lovely good night! Please pray that my dinner arrives soon and I wake up tomorrow to find the world turned around for the better -- if this is not posssible, then just pray that the Autos are back where they belong - back on these bloddy dirt roads!!

A snapshot on Mumbai - meri Jaan!

It's been ages or to be more precise, over a month since I last scribbled in this space.. I pick up the baton again to try and be more regular in this space and share the latest happenings in my life with you, my treasured readers! Well, as I am writing this, a lot of worries are doing the rounds in my head.. some of the near ones are concerning my shift to my new flat with my buddy, Vikash Khandelwal - a lot of logistics need to be solved and somehow I got to find a way to fit an AC in that flat and at the same time, keep Vikash and the landlord off my back! :-) Oh, never mind that I need to quit my midnight-clothes-washing spree and seriously hunt down a househelp who can wash dishes, sweep the house and wash my clothes every day.. And now that Vikash too will be here, I seriously need to ensure that I pass on my home management skills to him else I'm sure he'll be doomed! Mumbai has been so-so so far with me -- while I've grown out of my love for coffee (blame it on the lack of company or on the absence of any barista nearby), I am falling more and more in love with sitting on the rocks in Bandra well past midnight, even on normal weekdays! Such a thing would have been impossible in Calcutta but some how, given our more hectic lifestyles here, I believe it is fully justified -- sitting on the seaside, enjoying the lovely breeze, watching the waves and listening to the crowd (and boy, is there a crowd on Carter Road at 1 am in the night!! They sure can teach you a couple of dance steps!!)! I've really tried on a lot of restaurants here -- from Red Box in Bandra (Amazing Mexican Italian dishes, great rock music and fantastic red decor) to Sheesha Mezbaan (the one in Carter Road as well as the one on Mega Mall, roof top), 5 Spice (the one beside Mega Mall - best chinese food I've had to date, not to mention the complementary salad and the Chinese herbal tea), Just Round the Corner (best place for buffett - just stock up on their salad plate guys), Mocha (Juhu, Powei, Churchgate), Pritam da Dhaba (Dadar TT Junction, great authetic ambience, good food), Sagar Restaurant (I liked the ambience, rest all is just so-so), Prithvi Theatre's cafe (hats off to their chai-pakode and the Irish Coffee), Grill Cottage (kya chaas ka glass hai yahan!), Gloria Jeans (I am in love with their decor), Chawla Dhaba (nice food, rajasthani style), Machan, Zaffran (good arabic food again) et cetera et cetera!

Movie Review: WANTED

Not since Iron Man came out earlier this year have we seen such kickass action - I am certainly not taking into account The Dark Knight which came out a couple pf months ago!

If you thought only Bollywood could think up weird storylines, then you need to watch WANTED where the storyline is staler than the morbid Bollywood script we have become so familiar with.. But what stands out in the movie (apart from Angelina Jolie's butts ;-) ) is the sheer graphics and action sequences which leave you gasping for breath! The standout moment was obviously the car chase in the beginning of the movie when Angelina manages to beat the crap out of her sports car!!

Don't worry, I am not going to give much away, just don't go looking for a svelte story line guys — because there ain't one!! But Hollywood being Hollywood, the cool cats easily blindside the audience with tattoos all over AJolie's lithe body; it's a good flick where they trace how our hero has to undergo the rigorous of trainings to find what he was born for (I am growing kinda bored of this type of a storyline) ... The movie somehow reminded me of Jumper though I'm still trying all feasible permutations and combinations to connect the two movies!

Go catch this movie if like me, you too couldn't get tickets for Rock On!! Even if you do get the tickets for Rock On, take out a couple of hours and watch this great flick!