I have heard so much about Mumbai for decades now and never got a chance to visit. Tushar & Manisha (our best friends from UK) must have called me 100 times to visit when they moved back to Mumbai for a couple of yrs but it never happened. I had also created a preconceived view of a very busy city that is dirty, has no place for anyone, and is hot and super humid which makes you sweat like a pig.
Finally, this week after 40 yrs of my existence I happened to visit Mumbai and boy did it change my views.
We had to visit for Great Places to Work India Mid-Size company awards in Taj Santacruz. I was very particular to stay in the heart of the city area and explore local things. There is no point staying near an airport which looks the same almost everywhere and nothing to see. Luckily we had a local typical Mumbaikar with us who suggested staying on the Marine drive near VT station. I just trusted her and booked the hotel she suggested.
To start with, the weather was a mild 22 degrees when we landed in Mumbai at 10am and slight humidity. I was ready for a sweaty day but was shocked at how good it was as this year has been the worst summer in most parts of India (Bangalore was the only exception I guess). We came straight to the hotel and the drive on the sealink was real good, not much traffic and the gloomy sky added to it. The hotel looked like a dated building with some fresh paint to hide the age. We had a quick lunch break with local panipuri, dabeli, sandwiches, and ice cream. The panipuri was yum which made the meal complete. After 2 hrs of wait finally got my room which was supposed to be sea-facing. I was not expecting a lot but when i moved the curtains, I was gobsmacked with the view in front. It felt like I was living on the beach. So much so that even the toilet pot had the view if you keep the doors open 😅 Just working from the sofa with this beautiful view made it so beautiful.
Evening we all got ready (i love suiting up for events 😝) and reached the awards event on time thanks to the sealink road.
The awards night was unreal as none of us expected the results to be great. This was the first time we had applied in India and we were competing with many mid-size (100-500 employees) companies. They started the announcement in reverse from 75 to 1st rank. We knew we were in the top 50 and were relaxed for the first half. Once they started from 50, every time some other name was called, the excitement increased. We went from top 50 to 40 to 30 to 20. I was so happy with a top 20 and would have accepted any day. It then went on to be Top 10 which was unreal. It was a live event and many of my work family were watching it virtually. Our global CPO was constantly pinging me as the number reduced. They got a red carpet set up for the top 10 with 10+ photographers like paparazzi. It went to the top 5 and then top 3. I was numb as I dint know how to react. After 14 yrs of application in Ireland, we had managed 2nd rank this yr. And then the big moment happened when someone else was ranked 2, which meant we were No 1, the best in class. We just couldn't believe it and thought our name was missed out before.
When we were announced as Rank 1, it was surreal and I didn't know how to react. Managed to compose to collect the awards and respond to the congratulations that were coming our way. My head was just not working, I immediately called Sri and gave him the news, even though he couldn't believe it. My entire company went bonkers on Whatsapp, local chat, Linkedin, etc. Almost everyone in India had a status message of the victory which shows how closely knit and proud we are about Version 1. I have never seen my HR S so happy, she said it felt like she passed CA exams, her lifetime dream (says a lot about how important it was for us). Just reinforced our belief in our culture and the extra mile we go for each other.
I was so excited I couldn't eat or drink. Quickly had a celebratory Mojito and the rest of them with me had some juice.
Probably had 2 spoons of rice and wound up with dessert. After a few pics, we took a taxi back to the hotel. The excitement was so high that we went for a walk on the marine drive at midnight ignoring the slight drizzle. It was blissful with the sea breeze and drizzle.
I hardly managed to speel when R knocked on the door at 2.30 scared of sleeping alone. Luckily we had split beds and she managed to goto sleep in my room with the noisy AC. I ended up with no sleep which is a norm nowadays.
Early 6am we all got ready (i had to push a couple of them out of bed) for the morning walk. Marine Drive is one of the best places for a morning walk with an energetic crowd around and pleasant weather. The pics looked awesome too.
We just decided to take the day off and explore mumbai and eclebrate. We went straight to Gateway of India and ended up taking loads of pics (the local photographer made sure the ladies were occupied with different pose/angles and I could explore the area).
Once done, the actual exploring happened with street shopping. There are hundreds of shops and the prices vary based on your bargaining skills. Tired and hungry I found Leopold Cafe which looked awesome from the outside with a period feel. This was the infamous cafe that was attached on 26/11 and they have strict security to enter. The food was yummy and I had a celebratory glass of Sangria which kinda suited my digestive system, I might hold on to this one for some time.
We went on to Fashion street for more shopping and my bargaining skills were hailed by everyone. Tired we walked to the famous CST station. I was not very impressed with the Vadapav there as I have had some really good homemade ones cooked by my Mumbaikar friend.
The evening on the marine drive was good again. The hustle and bustle of thousands with the skyline backdrop was a spectacle. We walked all the way to Chowpatty which was not a great idea given there is construction going on for more than 3/4th of the distance. Food at chowpatty was ok and mainly was a tick in the box.
The next day was probably the best start (you can read it in my blog on songs). After which we traveled to Elephanta caves. The boat ride got me to sleep for 30 mins which was a bliss (getting any sleep feels like a boon offlate). The greenery of the island and the weather make us comfortable. I liked the local guide Dev who explained the history and the carvings in detail.
After returning, we ended up in Manish market which is probably the most crowded I have ever seen. There was hardly any space to walk. I managed to find a panipuri shop which was the best I had in Mumbai with the right level of spicy. Tired of shopping we went to metro cafe for kheema pav which was sold out and I ended up having mutton samosa. A quick ride to the hotel to pick up our stuff and then dropped to the airport completely exhausted.
Overall it was exciting, tiring, refreshing and spiritual for me. I did not expect Mumbai to give me all this in 3 days and I was so humbled by the experience. No wonder many find their dreams come true in the city. It offers something to all classes of people and gives them hope. One pic that summarises Mumbai for me is this, the skyline and a rag picker, it has a place for all.
I have hardly seen Mumbai and of what I have seen (which I have been told is the best areas), I am in love with it. I like the energy of the city which keeps you occupied which is important for overthinkers like me. Im sure I will visit again and continue exploring this great city.
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