this is how i would describe sunday evening…

finished off with the training by 1530 hrs.. and then went to a small restaurant to have tea… boss was coming to mumbai to i had to go to the stations.. oops the airport to pick him up… and Anis had to to the airport as he was leaving for ahmedabad… so i thought i will leave with him.. and come back with boss….

we left from Lower Parel around 1645 hrs… and then went to the Linking Road. bandra…

oh my God !!! so many shops for only gurl’s footwear… what the heck !!!! and what crowd… quality quantity together… sahi hai baap !!! is this a high end version of Sarojini Nagar.. that is what i kept thinking all the time.. while trying to walk around… the kinda crowd we have in delhi at the trade fair… looks like mumbai lives with that amount of people per square metre of land !!!

khair.. Anis was getting late and i was not really sure if i wanted to hang around that place… there were too many missiles for gurls there to hurl at me if anyone felt bad about my existance in mumbai 😛

so we catch an auto.. and ask him to fly to the airport… well.. poor guy could not do anything about speed.. the traffic limits everything around.. so we reached the airport just about 20 minutes before anis had to leave.. i am sure the flight was delayed and i hope he had enough time to check in and all !!!!

what next.. Atul calls and tells me he has reached as well.. and i walk to the arrivals… met him… the cab came… first time sat in a honda city nai wali… very comfy car.. and then to his hotel…Hyatt Regency…

now you guys might be shocked but this was the first time i was in the room of a five star hotel.. first time i saw a wash basin made out of glass… first time i saw an ironing board in a hotel room… first time i saw at least 12 towels of various sizes in a hotel room… phew so many firsts… the view from the hotel room was beautiful too…

and then boss and me went to joohoo… i am not going to crib about the traffic any more now.. please assume that whenever i write i went anywhere i met loads and loads of traffic… juhu beach… woops.. so many shops serving.. Pao Bhaji, Jain Bhaji, Kala Khatta, Pani Puri ( Golgappe or Paani ke Batashe), Sev Poori, Bhel Poori, alaa Poori and Balaa Poori… and then some sand… and then i saw the sea the second time in my life… the small waves… the air… looked like a purr-fect place to be with someone special… sea side… ok.. back to the ground reality… i was with boss.. and he has stayed in mumbai for about 5 years… so he could tell me whats good where… i ate the green chane.. and then the pao bhaji.. and then some bhelpoori… to be frank.. the Bhelpoori was not really as i expected it would be.. i have eaten better stuff in Delhi !!!

why is the juhu beach dirty like hell.. more polybags and kachra then a waste pit… people should not do it… this is one place where a lot of outsiders would carry some impression from.. and when i notice that most of mumbai is pretty disciplined, this part should not have been neglected !!!

next i find myself in an auto for santa cruz station… a 4 rupee ticket again.. he he.. i somehow knew alredy the ticket is going to be 4 bucks !!! hehehe.. and then a seat to put my ass on in the local !!!! wow dream come true… it was 2215 hrs.. and trust me there was no dearth of people around… the city for sure never sleeps… i reach Dadar pretty quick. move out of the station.. swimming my way out of the ocean of people on the overbrige.. reach my hotel.. and find out that i have to change a room again in the morning.. this is twice now… anyway…. i keep my stuff in the room.. and rushed out to find out about how i can go to shirdi..

400 bucks for a volvo ticket…
6 hours drive..

not bad.. i might go with boss !!!

slept nice in the night… for some reason being alone is not pinching me.. i am kinda enjoying the time i get with myself these days… just doing nothing.. being with myself on my own…

woke up in the morning… and got ready with ease.. went to the station.. and went to the platform… the train came.. i was able to enter it just fine.. and then i noticed the compartment was kinda different then the usual ones so far..
no no no.. i was not in the ladies compartment.. but the first class one.. the cushioned seats.. the less crowd.. it was different really.. and i did not have that ticket for that compartment ofcourse.. so like a good citizen.. and to avoid a ticket and the free embarassment that comes with it in an new city i got down at the next station.. and got into the usually crowded one… ok.. this feels better… and i also intelligently made my way to the middle of the compartment where i could stand with ease…

and guess what..

there was nandita das in that train.. there was shooting going on in that compartment…

hehehe.. just kidding..

nothing big happened.. i got a seat again this time… this was as big a surprise as seeing nandita in person when you were least expecting it… i was looking at the rail map.. and counting the number of stations.. so that i know where to get down… intelligent me also knew how to get down from the train as well this time..

just stand in front of someone who has to get down on the station you have to get down on.. and make sure you have someone in front of you who looks ready to do anything to get down as soon as the station comes.. the trick worked.. and there was just out in a second.. smooth like jack daniels !!!!

the crowd in the mumbai local trains is like the strong wind.. is like the huge wave… is like that force of nature that does not let you stand in front.. you have to mind it.. have to move with it.. you would be intelligent if you face the side where the crowd is going and let this unnaturally natural force of nature do the rest for you !!!

a 25 minute drive in an auto after that.. and i reach mind-space.. the new age concrete jungle in mumbai… malad west is where this is… cewl.. the entire day in the office.. monday heat.. loads of work.. number of meetings… lotsa tool demos… and waiting for the day to get over…

i wanted to meet priya today.. but looks like i will be late.. i asked her if she could accompany me to marine drive… but looks like thats not possible… will meet her in dadar sometime later in the week.. thanks priya for being around in mumbai.. you’ve been a great help here !!!

i think i will be able to post this only on tuesday, that is 27-Dec… ta tu for the day today !!! will write something about the monday evening as well !!!

initiate post part II => tuesday…27th Dec’05 1100 hrs

so what did i write yesterday… thta i am not going to talk about traffic.. ok… well i think i cannot stay without writing about it.. left office around 1930 hrs… Malad(W) near the Iorbit Mall…. and reached Andher(W) in an hour and 15 minutes… smoke, traffic, uff !!!! sick !!!! and that looks like a normal traffic.. not because there was an accident or something like that… the traffic was just there.. not ready to move !!! anyway… took the local from Andheri to Dadar….got a seat again… and reached hotel around 2200 hrs…

morning started late… but it took less time to reach office today.. the train compartment i entered was kinda empty.. i could stand with ease… and then got a seat at the andheri station too… for some strange reason.. even though the seats in the compartment were empty people were not willing to sit… instead they were quite happy clogging the gates like hell !!! but then as i wrote last night.. i am wiser now.. i just need to stand in between two people who have to get down… make sure i do not loose my balance.. and getting out is a peice of cake…

in the office right now.. might go to the InORBIT mall tonight.. lets see what is so special about that too… i am not really keen to enter any malls coz i already have an overdose of malls in delhi.. gurgaon, delhi, and now kaushambi has more malls then i can handle !!! but lets see….

the next post would come in a li’il late… not sure when.. i guess when i am in banglore.. or if i get net access anywhere near Dadar.. and they allow me to use my laptop !!!