Bombay Dreams

Balcony Watching and Bombay-Mumbai Dreams...

One thing I have loved at Renu aunty's Mahim apartment has been her balcony from our bedroom....I could stand there for hours (in fact I spend my first few moments every morning just standing at the balcony watching the morning jam below) and just watch the cars pass by and India be India. I won't lie---my favorite part of balcony watching is spotting Mercedes', BMW's and yes even Lexus' though they are not as common here. I have almost spotted as many Benzes here as I used to see on the SoCal freeways. To me that says a lot about the current day India---it is booming!!! Well at least it is booming for some and not so much so for others. Right across from the balcony we can see an old disheveled trashed house (close to a slum in my opinion) and it amazes me to just think about the clear-cut contrast...w/Benzes rolling down the street and a house like that in the background w/trash strewn all over the front yard one cannot but help wonder if India really is booming after all? Or is it simply that the disparities are more apparent now then ever before and therefore just as we're managing to see the struggle of the poor more now then ever before we are also seeing the massive financial boost that others are experiencing?

Bombay in my opinion is truly a city of dreams in every form---it has this feel to it---a feeling that sets it aside from all the other (the few) cities that I have visited across India. I can truly understand now why every year thousands flock here from other cities or towns or villages to make their dreams come true---be it a dream to become the next Shahrukh or Amitabh or to become the next Dhirubhai Ambani (founder of Reliance Industries). I am sure there are millions like me who balcony watch and see these cars drive by and daydream about these bigshots...however we all too often are only interested in the present---when one is at the top...rarely do we take the time to look back and try to understand how Ambani became who he was...for the uninitiated here is the story...

http://www.rediff.com/money/2003/jul/05sld1.htm

Back to my speal-every time I am here I experience such an intense desire to just stay back here---FOREVER!!! Of course that's not to say Bombay is all pretty---with pretty also comes the harsh realities. More often then not people forget that out of a billion only one is lucky to emerge as an Ambani or Tata or what not. The amount of poverty in Bombay is also more then I have seen in any of the other cities. I leave here soon but I already know I will be back soon enough---I don't think a trip to India could ever be complete without a visit to Bombay and who knows maybe someday if I am lucky enough I may find myself living here :):):)