Bombay Dreams
The city of dreams for some, to me it is an immense breath of fresh air... taking me back to who I have been (narcissistic pleasures never quite end). The sultriness may not share the crispness of the Bangalore's air, but it only adds to the city's overall charm.
At the (newly built and rather impressive) airport, I was received by the very same person all these years of traveling to Mumbai. While little else has been constant, he has been. As we spoke in the car, I was moved by his expression of his work, and how dedicated he was to it. He said something that will stay with me (not only for the words, also the sentiments that lay beneath them) - "I only try my best to help... so that I can get blessings from everyone."
As I traveled to A's place, I was struck by a desire to capture everything along the way - the sights, but also the sounds, and the smells - those pleasant and not so pleasant - to capture and lock them into a treasure trove. And G's words came back to me then, from when I'd said that there was so much I'd read last month that I'd have liked to share on my blog, but found entirely infeasible to do. He'd given me a fitting analogy - of how there is so much I see that I'm unable to photograph. I'd like to think that none of it is lost, but finds its way out in indirect ways. I share by being a changed me as a result.
I wondered why I kept my window down, as we passed through some of the overwhelming stenches of town, and realized that the window-down reality for me was the unqualified reality for many. In trying to scale the distance between that and this, maybe the effort itself counted some?
The monsoons have indeed hit Mumbai, and rain-talk fills the radio stations. On my part, I soak in the 14th floor view from A's place, of Andheri in its fullness, despite the immense clouds that hang above. The star attraction has been, of course, A's little baby Krishna, who fulfills his 24x7 job of charming everyone around him with great devotion :). If the rains will allow, I'd love to step out and experience Mumbai in its monsoon glory. If not, I'll experience it in the clouded view of the city from up here. There is certainly nothing lacking in the precious spending of time at home with an old, cherished friend, listening to the radio play my favorite songs, and watching the city wash itself out. Over and out.
At the (newly built and rather impressive) airport, I was received by the very same person all these years of traveling to Mumbai. While little else has been constant, he has been. As we spoke in the car, I was moved by his expression of his work, and how dedicated he was to it. He said something that will stay with me (not only for the words, also the sentiments that lay beneath them) - "I only try my best to help... so that I can get blessings from everyone."
As I traveled to A's place, I was struck by a desire to capture everything along the way - the sights, but also the sounds, and the smells - those pleasant and not so pleasant - to capture and lock them into a treasure trove. And G's words came back to me then, from when I'd said that there was so much I'd read last month that I'd have liked to share on my blog, but found entirely infeasible to do. He'd given me a fitting analogy - of how there is so much I see that I'm unable to photograph. I'd like to think that none of it is lost, but finds its way out in indirect ways. I share by being a changed me as a result.
I wondered why I kept my window down, as we passed through some of the overwhelming stenches of town, and realized that the window-down reality for me was the unqualified reality for many. In trying to scale the distance between that and this, maybe the effort itself counted some?
The monsoons have indeed hit Mumbai, and rain-talk fills the radio stations. On my part, I soak in the 14th floor view from A's place, of Andheri in its fullness, despite the immense clouds that hang above. The star attraction has been, of course, A's little baby Krishna, who fulfills his 24x7 job of charming everyone around him with great devotion :). If the rains will allow, I'd love to step out and experience Mumbai in its monsoon glory. If not, I'll experience it in the clouded view of the city from up here. There is certainly nothing lacking in the precious spending of time at home with an old, cherished friend, listening to the radio play my favorite songs, and watching the city wash itself out. Over and out.
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