Ye Hai Mumbai Meri Jaan (Ishita)

This was a tough choice. I’m quite passionate about both music and traveling besides blogging of course:p (why else would I have 5 blogs!). But my taste in music can be gauged by the kind of music seen and heard in all my blogs and so I will blog on the topic “My favorite Holiday”. Here again I have a long list but Rajiv’s already shared the Goa experience, used the best pics in his post and posted links to all the posts I've done on Goa/Khajjiar/Chail!!!

I’d love to write about my trips in the North East, Sikkim, Bhutan but that was years ago and I don’t remember details and have just some memories…not enough to make a post out of. So I’ll share what I had written about my first trip to Mumbai. I admit I’m cheating here coz this part of the post from my blog “ishita’s main space” dated 29th Dec 2005 written a month after I made the trip! It’s rather long sooooooo please please let this be my one exception to the rules in place!! *pretty please with maple syrup :)))* Editing the post would take away the fun of it…kya kare?!

“Ever since I got back from Mumbai (my first trip ever there)…a lot of people ask me about my impression of Mumbai and I do end up talking a lot about it!! I guess the city does leave a lasting impression…ummm…good and bad both. Part of the reason why I didn’t write about my trip to Mumbai earlier was coz I was making up my mind about whether I liked the place or not! And to put down the negative aspects would mean another serious fight with Suchi (my best friend!)…she completely loves the city…!!!

My first impression of Mumbai is it’s crowded…so sooo sooooo crowded!! Everywhere u go there are people…people…and more people. It’s overwhelming to say the least. Yes I know the statistics…and I know people who live in the city love it despite the sheer number of people on the streets. The second thing that struck me is that unlike Delhi localities didn’t seem quite defined. Couldn’t figure out when one ended and the other began…the whole city looks the same?! Ummm…though u can’t miss the difference between what one in Mumbai calls town and suburbs! And yeah new Bombay….hmmm!

Then there was the horrific experience of the local train! Less said the better…though I know when I talk about it; it amuses people around me a whole lot. I’d just quote my cousin on this “You asked for it!!” (Coz I kept cribbing ek baar toh jaana chahiye!)…. it was truly scary and I’m sure I’m never going to get on one of them ever again! But I do feel mighty brave for attempting to be on one during peak hours! Esp. since I’m the type who never gets on to a bus in Delhi…well not since I finished college anyway!! And for all the people who told me that “trains are crowded in Mumbai but men are decent”…..now I know for a fact u never went on a train ever (for the women) and for the guys…you’d never know!!

There was this funny experience with ATM’s…every time we looked for a particular bank ATM we’d never seem to find it and when we did finally and got the desired amount out, we’d see ATM’s of the same bank in every damn place!!!!

I think my “most fun” moment was when I was cribbing away about not seeing a single movie personality…or for that matter a TV personality…ya ya…u may say u don’t give a shit but I know u expect to at least see them in a normal state somewhere in the city! Well one night, Suchi, Rajiv and I were having ice creams at naturals…I forget the name of the place…hill road I think…and ohh yes I must say... another big positive the ice cream there is yummmm:-) (Though I’ve always maintained…mother dairy ice creams are the best!! But then I’ve always been very pro dilli!)… Anyway back to what I was saying. So I cribbed and R says ishi turn around… ??? "

**To know which celebrity I saw...plz get to the link given below and read up. The post is way to long :)... Leave your comments here btw and not there :P … easier for me to reply!”**

http://ishipishi.blogspot.com/2005/12/mumbai-trip-finally.html

Watch a youtube user's perspective of mumbai in the video below ....