Mumbai in the eyes of a newcomer- A metamorphosis from fear to love

'Mumbai' pops up when most of the Indians think of, 'The city of dreams'.
For me, it was not.

My birth and phase of adolescence being in 'The Indian City of Joy', Kolkata (more precisely Northern part of Kolkata) I was very reluctant to even think of moving out of the city. 

Why reluctant?

There is a saying that inhabitants of North Kolkata are a step ahead when it comes to being 'conservative' and traditional in comparison to other parts of the city. And indeed, it was fact that we maintained our culture and tradition with high esteem. We have never allowed anyone or any situation to eliminate our rich culture.
So, being a part of a highly conservative society, I had never thought of going to Mumbai, the financial capital of India until someday I received a call for my promotion in job.

The intensity of the news was so high that it created a bi-headed impact.

1. Extreme happiness for getting promoted from pharmaceutical sales to marketing.
2. Too sad to leave my loved ones and my happy home city, Kolkata.

Change is the only constant in our lives, hence I accepted the proposal of shifting to Mumbai.

The fear of being in a 'new 'city-

Choosing a good and safe place to stay-

I came here as the new kid on the block  and was quite apprehensive about spending the second phase of my life in the 'new city', Mumbai.
A saying goes like this, 'If you manage to find a good abode at an affordable rate and convenient place for conveyance, then you will have a hassle free life in Mumbai'. According to me, home is where positive vibes reside, vibrant with energy and warmth. In this stressful work life, one deserves more than mere relaxation post-working hours. These were the determining factors behind a mind boggling task of choosing a rented flat/condominium.

Daily conveyance-

The total area of the 'new city; being 605 sq.km (approx), an emphasis on a fuss-free travelling within the city becomes compulsory. Having heard from my local colleagues, local trains are the indispensable transport in the city which connects all parts of Mumbai and they even convinced me (rather a consolation) saying that I will be soon used to it. Being a newcomer, an unknown fear got planted in my mind which was not ready to accept the real scenario.

Commuting by local train has never been a phenomenon in my life due to the thick fat crowd but this time, this fastest mode of travel was going to make an entrance.
For Mumbaikars (people of Mumbai), an app called 'm- indicator' is a virtual guide of the local train map. Once the app has been downloaded in your phone, it will act as a companion during traveling.

A snapshot of the app is given below-

It gives a complete view of the trains and buses along with the timings, routes and map. It is a savior for the daily commuters going to their workplaces, tourists who want to save time travelling from one end of the city to another and of course newcomers like me.

Language-

Language was never a barrier for me in Mumbai because watching Bollywood movies since my teenage days played a great role.In fact, my broker told me, "You are so fluent in Hindi (national language of India) that no one will be able to understand that you belong to Kolkata."

Gradually and eventually, I acclimatized myself to the fast-paced and cosmopolitan life of Mumbai.I could strongly feel that my acceptance will lead to a slow drift from fear to love for the 'new city'in due course of time and patience.

The process of metamorphosis from being the 'new city' to 'my city'-

Life in Mumbai is a new experience everyday. Mumbai never hibernates and it is so lively that even political strikes (Bandh in Hindi) cannot put a full stop to the mobility of daily commuters.
Thousands make an entry almost everyday to make their dreams possible and Mumbai never turns them down.

Local train runs at an interval of 5-7 minutes during the peak hours but people will never wait for the less crowded train. Everyone is in a hurry,if you are slow paced, its very likely that you will fall far behind. 
It is common to find groups of commuters singing their favourite songs or playing cards as they travel to their workplace. In the ladies compartment, many of them celebrate their birthdays by passing around cakes. Travelling in these trains has brought smile on my face and taught me to be more tolerant and patient (on account of dense crowd).

For Mumbaikars, friendship and love are the basics of life. They are hardworking, witty, smart, fashionable, trendy and cultural. For them, time is too precious and never to be wasted, so they indulge in some productive activities for earning money. Everyone is busy with their own life and hardly intervene in the life of others.

Mouth watering street food-

Mumbai is incomplete without talking of the palatable street side food. Although I am a hardcore lover of street food in Kolkata, Mumbai also did not fail to impress me with its varieties like Vada-Pav, Sev Puri, Pav Bhaji, Bhaajiya.

Vada-pav also known as the Mumbai vegetarian burger served with chillies and chutney which makes all the difference. This is the ideal snack and can be more relishing if taken with a cup of Masala Chai (hot spiced tea).

Vada pav in the making

Sev puri

Pav bhaji in the making

By the Bay- Marine drive, Juhu beach and Girgaon Chowpatty

These are three of my most favourite spots when it comes to spending quality time with the sea. Being a beach person, it becomes essential for me to create memories with the huge water body during weekends. Sunsets were the most mesmerizing when observed from one of the above spots (though sunrises have never been witnessed by me in Mumbai).

The most exhilarating moment with the setting sun is elaborated in my post, 'Sinking sun and the rising soul'. If interested, you may visit https://randoughts18.blogspot.com/2018/02/sinking-sun-and-rising-soul_13.html.

Sunset view-Juhu Beach

And it happened ultimately, I fell in love with the most romantic Indian city which pulled me back and made me stay for 7 years.

This is what Mumbai is!
It carries with it the charm that people develops a bond thereby falling in love with it.

So, if you are a visitor/tourist or a newcomer who is planning to spend quite a long span in Mumbai, do not give a second thought like me. It is a city which welcomes people from all demographics and compels them to make the city their own.

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