Like every other average Indian who is reasonably affected by ideas sold by the Indian films and television industry, Mumbai was my dream city! Even before deciding the profession I wanted to be in, I had decided to park my dreams here.
19 October 2007. Eight thirty five in the evening, my flight landed in my dream city. This wasn’t the first time I was stepping into this city. I have my relatives in every corner of the country and Mumbai is no exception. But this time I had landed here for my dream – to work and settle down here!
Mumbai is one of the most professional and hardworking cities I have ever been to. And its people, the most open-minded I’ve ever met!
“Hi! I am Megha.” Either from the lost look on your face or from the Hindi words you use, the people immediately come to know that you are not from Mumbai and you will be asked your Gaon’s name.
“Gaon?”
Jaipur is a gaon, Bhopal is a gaon, Lukhnow is a gaon, Thiruvanananthipuram is a gaon, even Chandigarh is a gaon! I wonder what they think of actual villages as… nomadic settlements? The only city that they faintly recognise as a city is Delhi. Perhaps compelled by Delhi's virtue of being the national capital.
“Jaipur? Oh! The desert state?”
Rajasthan is the state. Jaipur is a city! The capital city.
It’s difficult to make people understand that cities and deserts can co-exist in a state. That you don’t step into a desert as soon as you enter Rajasthan. That Rajasthanis have modes of transportation other than the ship of the desert. That it rains in Rajasthan. That Jaisalmer has civilisation too. That every corner of Jaipur is not dipped in pink colour. That the colour is not baby pink.
That other cities (gaons if you like it that way) can be at least half as developed as Mumbai! That terms like pollution, population, traffic jams, expansions, SEZs, shopping malls, multi-story, boyfriends, girlfriends, dating, IT companies and advertising agencies are not Mumbai’s exclusive property.
A few days ago I got this SMS from my friend:
“The UN conducted a world-wide survey. The question was: "Please state your honest opinion on how to solve food shortage in the rest of the world." As expected, the survey was a huge flop:
People in Africa didn't know what "food" is.
Eastern Europe didn't know what "honest" means.
Western Europe didn't know the word "shortage."
The Chinese didn't know what an "opinion" is.
The Middle East asked what "solution" means.
And Americans didn’t know what "the rest of the world" is.
Oh! Why does it sound so familiar?
19 October 2007. Eight thirty five in the evening, my flight landed in my dream city. This wasn’t the first time I was stepping into this city. I have my relatives in every corner of the country and Mumbai is no exception. But this time I had landed here for my dream – to work and settle down here!
Mumbai is one of the most professional and hardworking cities I have ever been to. And its people, the most open-minded I’ve ever met!
“Hi! I am Megha.” Either from the lost look on your face or from the Hindi words you use, the people immediately come to know that you are not from Mumbai and you will be asked your Gaon’s name.
“Gaon?”
Jaipur is a gaon, Bhopal is a gaon, Lukhnow is a gaon, Thiruvanananthipuram is a gaon, even Chandigarh is a gaon! I wonder what they think of actual villages as… nomadic settlements? The only city that they faintly recognise as a city is Delhi. Perhaps compelled by Delhi's virtue of being the national capital.
“Jaipur? Oh! The desert state?”
Rajasthan is the state. Jaipur is a city! The capital city.
It’s difficult to make people understand that cities and deserts can co-exist in a state. That you don’t step into a desert as soon as you enter Rajasthan. That Rajasthanis have modes of transportation other than the ship of the desert. That it rains in Rajasthan. That Jaisalmer has civilisation too. That every corner of Jaipur is not dipped in pink colour. That the colour is not baby pink.
That other cities (gaons if you like it that way) can be at least half as developed as Mumbai! That terms like pollution, population, traffic jams, expansions, SEZs, shopping malls, multi-story, boyfriends, girlfriends, dating, IT companies and advertising agencies are not Mumbai’s exclusive property.
A few days ago I got this SMS from my friend:
“The UN conducted a world-wide survey. The question was: "Please state your honest opinion on how to solve food shortage in the rest of the world." As expected, the survey was a huge flop:
People in Africa didn't know what "food" is.
Eastern Europe didn't know what "honest" means.
Western Europe didn't know the word "shortage."
The Chinese didn't know what an "opinion" is.
The Middle East asked what "solution" means.
And Americans didn’t know what "the rest of the world" is.
Oh! Why does it sound so familiar?
7 comments:
Really it great to read.. american city of india !!
wow keep on writing
I know the feeling. Jaipur is still not bad. Some of them dont even know what state Lucknow is in :-/
hummm good time pass...but i still love my Mumbai for what ever reason ...will never be able to live any other place besides it...and mam coming to the dream city and being brought up in the dream city are two different things...what ever any one does an outsider will always be an outsider and will never love the place as we do...and if pollution is a problem then we are all adding to it... besides if u feel that its not happening try to make it happen and the first thought is why do people come her and complain no one invites u to be here ....u come by choice so don't complain...no hard feelings its just a general statement for the city i love
hey, 'my world...'
I have friends in Mumbai and I know people brought up there fall in love with the place and then no place in the world seems as good.
I feel the same for Jaipur...
And don't worry, I am not adding to the pollution, but when I was in Mumbai, I made sure neither me, or any of my people contributed to the pollution, starting with not littering the place :)
loved the sarcasm .True for a keralite too as they are generally termed as madrasees,no matter whether you are from chennai or Bangalore or Trivandrum. Prejudices prevail everywhere and thats what makes India so different and unique.
ha ha! Loved your post. Makes for some interesting reading but I have to admit, people born and bought up in Bombay, do feel a certain way about the city, something that probably an outsider wouldnt understand. : )
Cheers!
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