I really don't understand how this city functions. The thousands of taxi cabs are like bumper cars. The traffic lights are few, and where they are to be found they are largely ignored. Sanitation is... severely lacking. I cannot even find a store to buy soap. In fact, I have yet to see any soap in India.
Basically, I figured a city this populous would have to have some similarities to Western cities - i.e. Rome or Barcelona. Those were the two comparisons I had in my mind before I arrived. I imagined Rome with more pollution and poverty and a little less order. Such a comparison cannot be made. Mumbai is unique. It is a sprawling, crawling mass of humanity with seemingly little regard for organization.
I'm going out in search of food. And, maybe a new hotel.
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Yo, dear! Have you asked your hotel staff where to buy soap? I'd also consider checking out a more upscale neighborhood of the city, like Dhobi Talao. I believe that's where the Prince of Wales Museum and the Gateway to India are located- my guess is there may be some good English language bookshops, decent cafes, and practical places to shop around there. I can see you having a blast in the Prince of Wales Museum- I know they have a pretty large collection of Indus valley artifacts, Mughal miniatures, and Tibetan/Nepali art. Might cheer you up a bit;)
ReplyDeleteYou've described Mumbai as a throbbing cacophony of cars, noise, and people. I guess that's to be expected of the world's most populous city. Istanbul, the most populous city I've visited, ranks as third. It has about 12 million people as opposed to India's 13.5 million, but they're spread out over an area more than twice the size of Mumbai. I really can't imagine the level of population density you're dealing with right now, haha... sounds exhilarating and suffocating at the same time.
If you decide it's ultimately more suffocating than exhilarating (as it seems you might have already), it could be time to move onto a more chilled-out region of the country. From what my brown posse has told me, Mumbai isn't the most relaxing place to vacation- most of them recommend high tailing it to the north or southern coastal areas.
I really hope you're using that new camera, and your now chemically-tested uber-turbo MP3 player. I remember puttering around the streets of Dar es Salaam blasting blues music through my ear-buds in ill-fated attempts to drown out the sounds of yelping harassers and honking cars. Having that music really mellowed me out in potentially stressful situations. I've read that Iraqi vets have had the same experience, hahah. Loved the bit about the Frankfurt airport- never imagined that innocuous little MP3 player could be a potential security threat:)
As Amy mentioned, Roberts thoroughly bungled the oath. When we watched the inauguration at the airport I really didn't catch that- the sound was muffled or perhaps I was just distracted. I watched the ceremony a second time on CSPAN Tuesday night (unsurprising, I know) and was like, "Woah- Roberts sabotaged the oath of office!" Hahah, I'd swear the schmuck did it on purpose. Just kidding. At any rate, they did an anal-retentive little "The Oath of Office, Take 2" on Wednesday in the White House.
You also missed the BEST part of the entire inauguration ceremony, which was, unequivocally, the Benediction as delivered by Dr. Joseph Lowery (renowned lion of the civil rights movement). PLEASE watch it on YouTube when you get the chance- it's an absolute trip. This precious Black preacher delivered a rhyming prayer that literally included the lines, "when brown can stick around, when yellow can be mellow, when the red man can get ahead, man." Stellar! John Stewart later added "when chartreuse can be set loose," which made me erupt in shoulder-shaking laughter.
Take care of yourself, and get a phone already! I can call you through Skype for really cheap, which may also ease the isolation.
Keep posting!
-Monica
Bonjour, Jacob,
ReplyDeleteYou'll hopefully hear from your mom on here. We're on the phone and both are online as I am guiding her toward your webpage. She is eager to communicate a short missive, so I'm helping her. In any case, hope you've followed Monica's published sagacity and found better digs in another part of the city. Good luck finding soap!
Namaste! Dearest Jacob,
ReplyDeleteI made it in thanks to AMY! O.K., now to share with you my thinking of AH HA Jacob thinks India is as dirty as I tried to tell him. However, I don't want to rub that in, I'm
just thankful you are SAFE! My prayers and St.
Luke's entire congregation last Sunday as well as prayers of my Austin Single's Ministry last
evening have been going to God on your behalf. Thank you for your kind words and now to tell you of first-class mail from: P.O. Box 64; Faison, NC and KT'S Restaurant.
I LOVE YOU AND MISS YOU! Be careful!!! Mother
عزيزي يوسف-
ReplyDeleteThe folks back home are clamoring for more posts- get off your adventurous bum and patter out a few sentences, already! Jeez- what are you doing? Exploring an entirely new country or something? Your grandmother called, by the way- she was characteristically cordial, very sweet. She wanted me to remind you (a) to stay safe and (b) that she loves you.
Eager to hear more about the unhinged Western travelers you've encountered in Mumbai. I'm imagining this wonderfully stereotypical gaggle of granola-yoga types, bindhied (yes, I made bindhi a verb) and be-dreadlocked, reeking of backpackerly stench.
Also, it seems that your initial impressions of Mumbai have been echoed by many a seasoned traveler. I quote Rough Guide:
"First impressions of Mumbai tend to be dominated by its chronic shortage of space... Being swept along broad boulevards by endless streams of commuters, or jostled by coolies and hand-cart pullers in the teeming bazaars, you'll continually feel as if Mumbai is about to burst at the seams... Travelers tend to regard time spent here as a rite of passage to be survived rather than savored... Whether or not you find the experience enjoyable will depend largely on how well you handle the heat, humidity, hassle, traffic fumes, relentless crowds, and appalling poverty of India's most dynamic westernized city."
Woah- pretty intense disclaimer, right? Despite all that, it sounds like you're having some pretty singular experiences. Can't wait to hear more.
Missed you at my birthday- the Thai coconut cream pie and unduly competitive games of Trivial Pursuit were to die for:)
-Monica