Love to Hate Mumbai

I have loved so much about my summer here. I really have. But there is so much here that is insane. So as I prepare to leave Mumbai, here's my Love/Hate list. First, that hate:

1. Traffic (and transportation in general). I think it’s pretty clear at this point that I am extremely impatient when it comes to Mumbai traffic. It takes forever to get anywhere. Last weekend, I attempted to go exploring on Saturday while it was raining. And what usually takes me ten minutes to drive took me thirty minutes, so I just paid the cab driver and walked home. The traffic is unbelievable and the city is bursting at its seams. Tens of millions of people driving in this small space does not work, even though everyone does somehow manage to make it work. Once the monsoons started, the traffic became not just unmanageable but unbearable. No one can make me leave the house and get in a car to go somewhere during the monsoon. I have developed some bad backseat road rage, and it is embarrassing, but it is such a waste of time to sit in a car and do nothing. 
2. Luxury. So honestly, this is something people might find that they love about Mumbai. And I often find myself thinking, "Why wouldn't you live like this is you could?" I have visited ridiculously luxurious flats that are two stories high with amazing art and interior design. Some of these fancy places cost as much as $9 million. But the division of wealth is so extreme. People are driving you places, maids waiting on you 24-7,  someone doing your laundry and ironing your clothes. But honestly, I hate it. I hate that I feel awful for having them do stuff for me. I hate that I am not able to walk into the kitchen when I want to in order to do something for myself. I hate that I cannot wash my own clothes without the maids yelling. When I go to a restaurant for dinner, the cook in our house gets offended, and when I try to help the maid make my bed or change the sheets, she also yells at me and gets offended. Arnav always says, “Hannah, they came here and asked for work,” or “It’s just how India works.” I get so conflicted, but in the end I would just rather do without. And who knows how they feel about it. I haven’t asked them yet and probably never will. However, I did get invited to their villages. Maybe that will be my next trip. 

3. Little privacy: Most visitors hate India because they feel like there is no privacy. Mumbai takes that up a notch—there is like no privacy here. Everything is so crowded and claustrophobic. On the other hand, I am impressed by how people operate here and am fascinated by everyone’s patience with living on top of each other. This is the reason that my favorite part of the day is a cab ride and a trip to the park, because I can feel a little less crowded there.

4. Poor v. Rich. Slums surround the three massive buildings of $9 million flats. The blue tarp as roofs and the leftover billboards on top of the blue tarp. Kids playing cricket with a stick. And so it goes. You walk on to one of the many balconies in the nice apartments and see the slums everywhere. Then there's the sea. Beautiful view? That’s up for you to decide. But driving out of the apartment’s parking garage in an Audi, with a driver in the front seat, and then some malnourished kid starts begging at your window, is hard to digest.

5. America is just like India. The most tragic realization of them all: America is like India, maybe on a smaller scale, but it’s there. We, the fortunate classes, live our lives trying to make it the best it can be. Rarely do we venture to the parts of town where drugs and gunshots flow. Of course one thing that is different is the U.S.’s legal system, which ensures that abuse and child labor aren’t taking place in homes across the country. We also have a different attitude toward charity and have respect for those who donate and/or volunteer. But we still have our problems. 

6. Western World: I can get everything in Mumbai that I can get in the States. Sometimes I feel like I am not in India. I like the adventure and the experience of living without all of this Western materialism. I like immersing myself in the Indian culture but it is hard to do that when I feel like I am basically living how I live in the States.

Why I love Mumbai:

1. Western World: I might hate Mumbai because of it, but I also love Mumbai because of it. It’s fun to be able to get California Pizza Kitchen, or Dunkin’ Donuts or Starbucks. While in Guwahati I would often miss things like salads, American food, watching an American movie in a theatre, and the list goes on. But here you can get any of this no problem. Some of the western food is actually better than it is in the States.
2. Diversity: Mumbai has people from everywhere in India. Every single state is represented and the culture of every part of India is represented. You can get incredible clothing and food from every region imaginable. You can meet amazing people who come from every walk of life. 

   

   My favorite street food: paneer rolls.
   

   

   Cafe Madras: a historic southern Indian breakfast restaurant.
   

   

   Idli: A famous southern Indian breakfast.

   
   
   

   
   
3. The Sea: I love the ocean here. Although it might be brown and filled with garbage, it makes the city seem more relaxed. I often take long walks along Marine Drive and sit at the park to enjoy the wind and the sea.
   

   

   Marine Drive

   

   Marine Drive

                                    
4. I Do Not Stand Out Here: There are many foreigners living in Mumbai so I do not get as many stares, or people taking photos of me, or people asking if my blue eyes are real. Of course, in India people stare a lot anyway but it is not like what it was in Guwahati at all. Walking around at night with friends is no big deal and no one is shocked when I walk into a restaurant or a store.
5. Bollywood: I love Bollywood and the music and the culture is everywhere in Mumbai. All I listen to is Bollywood music and I really enjoy dancing with Arnav’s friends and family.

1. Things to see: There are so many things to see in this city. It's never ending. All types of religious and historic sties, the newest real estate hot spots to the old and historic homes. I am constantly amazed at how big this city is and how much Mumbai is expanding. 

Things to see: Spending time with one of the many statues in Mumbai (this one was built in 1890). 

Old british buildings all around the city.

                                    

 As my time in Mumbai comes to an end, I have had an amazing time seeing this side of India. Although the city might be too big for me, I have made great friends and have really enjoyed seeing what life is like in the Indian corporate world.

Sending love-hate relationships from India,

Hannah Dobie