Finally back home :) :)

Hospital woes :(

Been stuck in hospital for a while now (its my stupid foot again - had to get it operated), and trust me, its no fun :( Even the sympathies and flowers (and chocolates) dont help...I just want to go home now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We've had enough!!

Yesterday, for the first time in a decade, I turned back from a movie hall in Bombay, scared to go in because who knows where the next round of terror would strike? Its a strange feeling, one that hangs over most of the city - one knows that life must go on, and you cant continue living in fear; yet, 11/7 has brought home the vulnerabilities of simply going about your daily living.

And this is a feeling that Bombay-ites are unused to. Because, despite our share of daily crime, its by and large one of the safest cities in the country. Its a city where women drive alone at 4 in the morning, where you can happily wander around Colaba Causeway wearing navel-baring T-s, see-through kurtis or micro-mini shorts, where chatting to a stranger in a restaurant is not a sure percussor to molestation.

Its surreal seeing Bombay as a city where endless police barricades with stern-faced cops scrutinising the streets. We are not used to regarding our fellow travellers with suspicion or thinking twice before we step out of our homes or offices.

Yesterday evening, the train services were once again stopped because they suspected a bomb somewhere near Vile Parle. The city was in the throes of panic once again, everyone frantically phoning everyone else, hoping for the best, yet prepared for the worse. Work stopped, those who could rush back home did so with utter haste. Some, like me, quickly abandoned plans of late night movies or a spot of Saturday shopping. Is this how we are going to live from now on?

First the floods, then the Shiv Sena riots and now the blasts...how much more can a city take in just one week? There is an eerie calm, a subdued hush lying over Bombay, even as its people try to go about their daily lives. Because, after all, how long can you sit at home? Ultimately, you need to get back on the same train, travel the same route, shop in the same markets and watch movies in the same cinema halls. Some call it the spirit of Bombay - Bombay-ites just call it being practical.

Media Musings on the Blasts

Despite being a part of this industry myself, I am being perpetually amazed about how banal and nonsensical the media can get at times. Case in point - the Bombay bomb blasts. The biggest headlines? Various versions of 'terrorist involvement definite in the bombings'. Wonderful! I am glad to know that it was terrorists and not our own defense services, or non-terrorist civillians taking it up as a new hobby. Of course it was terrorists - do we need to be told that?

Another one that never fails to amaze me - reporters standing in front of the wreckage, and telling us that the carriage is totally wrecked, windows are broken, seats are torn apart...c'mon, there was a bomb blast and the carriage was torn apart, so of course the windows broke. We can even see it with our own eyes. It would be newsworthy if the windows did not shatter, because then we would all want to know what kind of glass they used!! Tell us what we dont know - where was the bomb placed, what was the explosive material etc. etc. etc.

D...uh!!!!

Serial blasts rock Bombay once again

This is flashback week for Bombay - flashback to last year's floods, flashback to the serial bomb blasts...but I have great faith in this city's spirit, in its resilience. There is no other city that can bounce back so quickly from disaster. Its an understanding that life goes on, and you just learn to cope with the bends along the way.

Bombay Emergency Numbers

Flood Infoline -22040800,22040804
Secretary R&R (BMC) - 1070
Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) - 1077
MCGM (BMC) Control Room - 108

The only thing that halts the unstoppable city...

In recent years, Bombay has faced two ghastly acts of terrorism - the serial bombings on March 12, 1993 and August 26, 2003. In both cases the city was back on its feet within hours, offices remained open and life went on as normal.

However, come the rain and the city has started shutting down. Schools (and even some colleegs) have given students the day off and offices reported a 30-50% drop in attendance. Those who did venture out, left early - many offices formally told their employees to leave after 4. And yes, there is even a definite drop in partying - a sure-shot barometer of the city's spirit!!

Rude vs. Least Polite

As usual, some of the best words on the debate around the world's rudest cities come from Rahul Bose.

Bring back the books!!

When BMC chased away the footpath bookshops from Fountain and Churchgate, they had set up shop near Kala Ghoda. Now they have been forced to vacate that spot as well. And there is no sign of a relocation. Which is sad not only because my literary indulgence now puts a huge dent in my wallet, but also because these tiny shops are an essential part of Bombay's culture and ambience. Its a little like banning pavement cafes in Rome, street corner artists and hot dog stands in New York, or Sunday markets in London :(

Mumbai starts to flood once again

Yup, its happening again. Despite the fact that it pours in Bombay every monsoon (d..uh, its a coastal city, its been raining here for centuries now!!) and people are still not over last year's floods, there continues to be little preparation to avoid disaster. Just a couple of day's heavy rain and the city is sliding underwater once again. Flights are delayed, trains are slowing down and the highway is shutting. The reason? More than the rains, its poor disaster management, poor drainage and very, very poor road quality. Here, the roads literally melt during monsoons, with more craters than surface remaining after 24 hours. The city faced, and barely survived, a disaster that made international headlines just last year... how can we have forgotten the lessons so soon??

Its monsoon time :)

I know, I know....dont remind me of my earlier post saying that I have developed a new appreciation of Bombay in summer time. Fact is that nothing beats being in this city during monsoons :) I have always loved the rains, and what can be better than sitting at my window, looking out over the sheets of rain (and if I am lucky, some lightning!!) falling into the open seas. Have you ever actually seen the rain coming at you, seconds before you are hit with its fury?? If you are over an open space, unhindered by buildings, you can literally see it approaching, falling over the edge of its cloud. Here's a glimpse: