Rocking Weekend..

This weekend was rocking - full masti with seniors in their flat at Sion.

Initially  I was reluctant to go to this get together ( I guess over the period I have developed a perfect skill of saying NO to every thing that comes under sun firstly and Ravi n Gitesh might be realizing this very harshly ). Anyway a call from someone made my mood and I went there along with Atul, Gitesh n Ravi ( Forget about the road Bhool Bhulaiya ).

Meeting with the seniors almost after one year is always refreshing as more so with this gang in Sion because of their warm attiutde.  I must say even before entering their flat, the smell of chicken coming was equally heart mingling.

Apart from the chicken, there was “The Great Rajiv Singh”, whose unique accent, style as well as leg pulling were enjoyable by the same token.

Is it all..obviously not. How this party can be completed without great OLD MONK…so Old Monk ruled and we had blast… Long Live Old Monk…Long Live Party !!

Mumbai Experience: Part II

Things you should not miss in Mumbai. Mumbai is miracle, unpredictable and really uncanny city. Though there are lot of things are worth mentioning, let me zeroed upon few things which I feel worth mentioning.
First one is Bada Pav. I think if you are in Mumbai, how much you try to escape from this thing simply you can not. Its the sole of all food. The very Indian Response to American Burger. See the business volume. Let’s do a simple calculation: One Bada Pav seller sell on an average 400 bada pav each day in both morning and evening times. He/She charges Rs5 for each Bada Pav. So sell is Rs 2000. Now what could be the cost? Rs 2.50 will be enough including material cost, BMC tax, local police tax and Local “Bhai” tax. So net profit per day is about Rs.1000. So earning per month Rs.30000/. One who is selling Bada Pav, does not sell only Bada Pav. So profit from other things also can be around Rs.5000.So monthly net profit around Rs.35000.
Chain of Bada Pav centre in all bus stands and all stations: Can be a good option after MBA (only competitor is “Jumbo King”)
The next best thing to experience is Mumbai Local Train. Yes, you may wonder what the specialty in train journey is. It’s not tram or metro trains. So what makes Mumbai local train so famous? This question will have one answer “Come and Experience” .
Morning 7 am to 11 am and in the evening 5 pm to 8 pm come to any station, be it central line, suburban line, harbour line :  any thing and try to get up. If you are successful to reach your destination “Sahi Salamat” then I think you should buy one lottery ticket that moment. Because you can not be more privileged than that moment. I have seen the crowd in train in Kolkata, but Mumbai is unbelievable and incomparable. So its better to experience than to listen.

“Cutting Chai” and “Puri” (Chart). Do not know why it is called “cutting” but undoubtedly very tasty and a must after Bada Pav. The so many of “Puri” are also worth tasting. “Bhel Puri”, “Pani Puri”,”Sewai Puri” etc. Its better to take these sort of things in Juhu Beach or Chowpatti Beach. The “Golas” in the beach are also Lifetime Experiences.

Fashion Street. Huh, you may love or hate shopping but you should at least go once to Fashion Street. So many shops, so may types of clothes, so much excitements : who says “Malls are future of India”?. I suspect you will say “Ghar nahi jayoongi main” (ad-line of Water Kingdom, wing of Essel World) after seeing this.

There are so many things to mention but whatever it is Mumbai always rocks for these things and will be rocking forever.

“Come and Have Experience” can be ad-line by Maharashtra State Tourism Department for Mumbai.

The Mumbai Jewellery Workers: A harsh reality

The buildings are as old as the places. Dirty, no proper drainage system in the place, unhygienic. The people are living in such inhuman conditions. At least 10-15 peoples are sharing their place of living in a 7 by 6 feet room. All are working with fire. The fan can not be run as it will disturb in thier works. This 7 by 6 feet room is all for these 15 peoples, it is their work place, bathroom and more importantly kitchen room. The cooking is being done on Gas dangerously (any day it can burst as there is no proper check up) without any proper system of security. In amidst of 15 peoples, at least 7-8 are child ageing between 10- 12. This is the world of Jwellery Workers.

A huge number of these workers migrant from the states like West Bengal, Rajasthan, UP and Bihar are working in Mumbai for their livelihood in Jwellery Industry. You go to Zaveri bazar, Dahisar, Nalasopara and many others place, these people are very much there working from 11 am to 12 am or may be more in so inhuman condition.

“INDIA is the largest consumer of gold in the world to be followed by China and Japan. India is emerging as world’s largest trading centre of this commodity with a target of US$ 16 billion set for 2010″

You may be carried out with the glitz and  dazzle with gold jewelery but will never be able to understand the dark underbelly of the society.

No code of conduct of work, child labour, exploitation, unhygienic condition all are very much in this places. Most of the workers having bad health as they are always exposed to such condition. Above all many workers work with toxic chemicals, acids which causes health hazards like cough, irritation in throat, gastroenteritis, vomiting, wheezing and anorexia. Toxic fume when gold is soldered even can cause Cancer at latter stage.

Still people are working here and making India largest center of tarding.

Anybody will do something for these people?

Water Kingdom Experience

“Ghar nahi jayoongi”, the ad-line goes like this, though it may be too much aggravation of happiness but the fun, the joy, the ambiance really make you to stick round the place. Welcome to the wonderland “Water Kingdom”. Water Kingdom is the Asia’s Largest Theme Water Park.

On a fine Sunday (21st October) I was in this beautiful place. Initially when I saw the ticket price of Rs. 500 and that is for to play in water, I was wondering whether it was going to be childish act. But after the whole day’s experience, when someone become literally “Child” in water, then I thought it was not childish. The fun, the Joy, the rides: in one word Amazing

The rides are really adventurous and it requires Brave Heart I must say. I got injury in the very first ride and thus lost brave heart to take all the ride. So I had to escape some really dangerous rides. But I enjoyed most in the “Dance Floor”. The floor with latest chart busters and the water coming in sprinklers: Great Atmosphere. Perfect “Dancing in the Rain”. In one hand you are trembling in cold and on the other hand Shaking your Legs. The Swimming Pool at the entrance was also fantastic and well decorated too.

It was also kind of revelation on the part of our society. India is changing, theres much openness in the crowd there. The rising economy with increasing spending power making these theme parks, (or say malls) really successful.

Mumbai Experience: Part One

More than one month I have been in Mumbai. Now I can say at least that  know this city little bit. Mumbai is really miracle city. It’s more or me who is with all your heart “Village Boy”. In that aspect it is eye opener for me. So just trying to present” Mumbai Life” through my eyes. Sorry if any one feels bad .

The first thing which strikes me about this City is Its Absorption Power: Be it people, be it Building or be it Vehicle or any thing. Nothing is “Waste” in this city. Everything has value.
Lets start with the people, people from all over the India are here and people are doing all type of works. Be it 6 am in the morning or 11 pm of night, the Train and Buses are full. Everybody does one or another thing to earn. I have seen the people working in corporate house to people working in govt. office to people who are migrant labour. All
have the feeling “M for Mumbai and M for Money”. So work hard. Mumbai does not refuse anyone really. Those who are not able to sustain,  it’s unfortunate for them. I think People of Mumbai do have High tolerating Power. You will see the train compartment is thronged with people, everyone is jumping on another. But still there is no reaction. Almost
all having head phone in their ear and giving very very indifferent look. Huh it seems all are alien. When any station comes, they just jumped to each other to get down or to get up. All are so used to it that I even sometime seen people are fighting to get down or get up in vacant train. Its like out of Habit. But its does not mean the people are not helpful. They are indeed. Till now I have not come across any wicked person (expect the unfortunate incident of Police encounter).
Hope not to meet with anyone. Personally I feel in Mumbai, no one is bothered about what other one is
doing. Actually they do not have the time to do it. Hope this does not happen all the time. The city should have a Heart (Like it had when Mumbai was drowned last time).

The city is really surprising. One fine morning you are standing on the balcony of your 15th floor apartment and do not why you just stretched your eyes to see your surrounding. You can see the people living at those places which has very famous name “Jhopad patti”. They are very well settled in those “Jhopad Patti”s surrounding your Housing Complex.

This picture truly depicts the Mumbai life.

The city is yours in one and only condition “Money”. If you have it, all the amenities, fun and entertainments are for you. May this holds true for any part of the world, but in Mumbai it is more apparent. For an example, famous singer “Beyonce” is coming to perform in Mumbai. Do you what is ticket price? Yes Rs, 2750 and Rs.1650. During survey in
slum, I have seen people earning less than this.