Day 4: Tale of Metro cities + 7

Aha! It’s already Day 4 of the Write Tribe Challenge of SEVEN and it’s been tremendous. We are living Llife King Size, a big party..err festival and one can’t let the feeling of an extended family showering love slip away from our minds. I am enjoying every moment of blogging for the Write Tribe festival of Seven. Howzz about having a Facebook page to celebrate our festival? Let’s make it a memorable and ongoing love saga. What say, Corinne and friends?

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Today is Day 4 and I am taking part in The Write Tribe Festival of Words 1st – 7th September 2013(http://writetribe.com). It works like that:

• You write a post every day from 1st to 7th September.

• Please include this line in  your post:  I am taking part in The Write Tribe Festival of Words 1st – 7th September 2013. (Hyperlink this to: http://writetribe.com)

• You can then add your link to the day’s post on Write Tribe (http://writetribe.com). This will go live by 9 am (Indian Standard Time) each day.

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• On Day Four of the Festival, I choose to blog on Metro Cities +7 where I am speaking about the cities I love the most. Let’ start with Mumbai, Kasakai Mumbai. In 2002, I landed in Mumbai and it was a dream come true and I am amazed how I became a Mumbaikar as the city does strange things to you. You become a Mumbaikar the day you land in Maximum City and you become emotionally attached to the city. Today, I no longer stay in Mumbai and it is again a dream to be back in Mumbai, the city that never sleeps. Here we go:

SEVEN THINGS I LOVE ABOUT MUMBAI

1. Soul of a Human Being

The city has a soul despite the fact that it moves at 180 degrees like the fast local from Churchgate to Andheri. The moment you reach the outskirts of Mumbai, the view of cars, trucks, buses and, of course, people swerving their way and honking gives you the aha feeling. You know you are in a city that bears a human soul. It is an experience that must be lived and words fail to describe the spirit of the city, commuters in a rush, the varying moods and emotions of the crowd and the outskirts. I describe Mumbai as a motion picture live 24/7.

2.Local Trains

I love the local trains and make it a point not to miss a joy ride. What I love best about Mumbai locals is how you zoom and jostle your way inside and outside the train. You just sit and admire the life of two extremes as the train passes by the slums and skycrapers. It is simply amazing as poetry in motion.

3. Resilience is Thy Name

The city has witnessed several bomb blast and not once, the city has stopped moving at the fastest pace it is notoriously famous for. They are right when they say there is no city like Mumbai and it’s holier than truth. I love how the city picks its thread in no time as the city gets set to win against the race of time.

4. Spirit of Mumbai

Now, it’s classic statement and you gotta experience it to feel the Spirit of Mumbai. I still remember that on July 26, 2007 I reached Mumbai from Pune when the train blasts occurred. Call it a sheer coincidence, bombs were planted in seven trains from Churchgate and Andheri. The bus that was supposed to drop us at Dadar was reluctant to go there fearing violence and we were left on our own at Sion. Phone networks were jammed. Faced with no chocie, I was waiting for the BEST Bus to catch a ride to Dadar. At that time, a couple offered group of people a drop to their respective destinations and they informed that they took their car from the garage to ferry people. This is Mumbai for you. Okay, Mumbaikars are often accused of not having time for people but whenever a tragedy happens, the people pull all strings together. This is unity. I am Proud to be an adopted Mumbaikar.

5. My Heart Will Go On

If you have it in you and are armed with dedication, discipline and work hard, you gonna make it in Mumbai. This is the truth about the land of opportunity called Mumbai and there is place for everybody. Contrary to some misconceptions, Mumbai is a very welcoming place that serves you right and initially, you will experience kicks that makes you stronger to face all kind of challenges. Ask anyone direction or help, no matter how busy the person is, he or she will never shy away from providing a helping hand. Truly cosmopolitan.

6.  Safety is the norm

Despite terror attacks, water logging and rise in rape cases, I still feel that Mumbai is one of the safest city in India. A few rotten apples doesn’t spoil the whole basket of human apples. I am not staying in Mumbai right now but still I feel people are doing the level best to make the city safe.

7. Celebrating Life

Who says maximum city doesn’t celebrate life since everybody is forever on the rush in the fast lanes? Don’t believe me! Go for a walk at Marine Drive where you will see the huge crowd, manual workers chilling over a cuppa tea, couples holding hands, cuddling and kissing as well as elderly couples sitting with a smile on their faces. What I love best about Mumbai is eating Pani puri at Bandra Bandstand, sipping a cutting chai (tea) at the tapdi (tea stalls) and the crowd enjoying their hot cuppa capuccino at Barista or Cafe Coffee Day. I love paying a visit at Haji Ali from time-to-time.

Truly Mumbai

Videshi Mumbaikar

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Pune-7

I started my career in what was known to be one of the most laid back city in India and also described as the Oxford of the East, for the huge number of students flocking to the city of Peshawar. I am emotionally attached to Pune that I call home, a city that embraced me with open arms.

Pune university

1.  Pune is famous for its greenery and beautiful hills where you can enjoy a joyful morning and evening walk, far away from the maddening traffic.

2. Pune is known to be a laid back city and you can often see people enjoying cuppa coffee and tea in restaurants, bonding with old chums. The laziness surrounding the not-so-small Metro adds to its unique charm of city life.

3. I love the peaceful and serene atmosphere in Pune city. I agree that the city has changed with migration and explosion of the IT industry which has made the traffic crazy and vulnerabe.But, you can steal a moment of peace by going for a walk at University of Pune and enjoy the serene atmosphere. I love doing that.

4. Pune boast of an amazing climate, owing to the fact that it is situated on the hills where it is not too hot or too cold. It’s one of the best climates I have ever experienced in India. I love taking  walk inside my college, Fergusson College, to refresh the memories of the best days in life and for its peaceful atmosphere. I love sitting inside the campus.

5. The people in the city are warm and have a big heart.  You will never feel as an outsider in Pune and the people make you feel that you are in your home away from home.

6. The wonderful Osho Meditation Resort is located in Koregaon Park where you will often spot monks wearing orange robes hanging around the vicinity. It is lovely to watch the men and women in their robes and a walk along the Osho Resort is a short spiritual journey to heavenly love ride.

7. Ganesh Chaturthi, Krishna Janmasthami, Diwali, Eid and Christmas is celebrated in the most unique fashion in Pune. You can see kids bursting fire crackers, dancing crazily to the most crazy and hatke Hindi songs played thunderously loud. I love people dancing to the funny songs in the slums that are played till late night and shopping in the peth areas, Fergusson College Road and Mahatma Gandhi Road during festival. Plus, Pune is the perfect gateway to heaven as the city is well connected to Mumbai and neighboring Khandali, Lonavla and Mahabhaleshwar in less than three hours.

What your Metro/s +7? Spell it out coz it’s the writetribe festival of SUPER SEVEN.

PS: I apologize for the unusually long post for my Day 4 challenge. It was a difficult task to combine Two Metros in lesser words.

Cheerz N Love

V