Bombay / Mumbai really is a tale of two cities. One that lives on the central line and one that lives on the western line. The city on the central line is nasty, brutish, rude and forever in a hurry and cares two hoots about stepping on other people's toes, elbowing people in their faces, or shoving them off the train entirely if it suits their purpose. The city on the western line is slightly more soft, has more than a few manners, and even though it too is in a rush is a wee bit slower and more orderly. If it by chance steps on toes, there is always an immediate apology and a genuine effort to not repeat the toe-stepping. And as of my experience, there is almost no elbowing in faces and shoving off trains etc.
Of course this analysis is confined to the fact of my experiences in the women's compartments on the two lines...men I am told are the same species everywhere.
I have discovered that I quite like my own company - for extended periods too. So now I know for sure what I had always wondered.. T.V / books / laptop are all the companions I need for an idyllic weekend. :-)
Experienced winter a wee bit. Just a wee bit.. in the process discovered that the temperature difference between Mumbai and Thane on any given day is at least 5 degrees - easily. My first (and probably only) experience with non-AC induced cold this season.
Now that holiday season is over - was wondering what to look forward to - turns out... am going to Kolkata soon. Yipppeee!!!
Ooohh.. for the first time ever - bought myself a gift. :-) A lovely, super expensive, never-again-will-I-spend-so-much-on-a-pen kind of pen!! + got so many gifts from so many people. Loved it this year!
Read "The Little Prince" recently... really liked it... a profound children's book. If you don't understand what I mean, you will have to go read it. Will be worth it. Promise.
Also, heard the new LG Ad on radio - They ask us to pledge to make Mumbai and Thane 'Green cities' - by tying a leaf at any of the specified outlets in Mumbai. I wonder how many trees will have to die if every single person in Mumbai and Thane decides to make this pledge in this exact way!!
1 comment:
This reminds me of a line from Maximum City:
The Central Line ends in wretchedness, the Western Line ends in beauty.
I never really noticed any difference in people's attitudes; I love the Western Line more, simply because the stretch from Grant Road to Churchgate is one of my favourite railway routes in India. Incredibly scenic, and a welcome contrast from the abandoned warehouses and slums that border the southern end of the Central Line.
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