Sleepless in Bombay
I've officially been in India for over a month now...time is flying by!
Bombay is a city that starts its mornings late and never sleeps. It used to difficult for me to find energy to cook dinner by the time I got home at the end of a long day. Now, I am singing a different tune. After work I am ready to hit the town! It has been a very busy and fun time getting to know coworkers and exploring the city into the early morning. Who needs sleep? I can sleep on the flight back to the U.S. in July.
Last week after work a group of us went to the movies.We stopped by the local theater and saw The Kingsmen. The movie-going experience was quite similar to what we do in the United States, with one huge exception: intermission. Just as the drama of the movie picked up, the lights came on and advertisements started playing. My coworkers explained that this happens to encourage people to buy refreshments and also to split Bollywood movies into two acts (Bollywood films are usually around four hours long). The Bollywood movies are filmed in such a way that there is a dramatic cliff-hanger right before intermission. I am eager to go back to the movies to see a Bollywood film to get the full experience.
The following day my coworker Pearl invited me to Colaba after work. Colaba is the southern-most tip of Mumbai and is surrounded by the Arabian Sea. We arrived after a two hour drive in rush hour and stopped at Café Leopold for dinner. The very popular café was one of the sites of the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks. Throughout the meal I spent most of my time looking around the room thinking about what it must have been like to be present on that day in 2008. Bullet holes remain all over the walls as a reminder of the attack. After our meal we walked around Colaba and spent time sitting at the sea. The Arabian Sea at night is truly a spectacular sight.
Over the weekend I met with some other Nielsen colleagues for a night out in Lower Parel. We went to "The Irish House" for music and drinks. I considered it a belated St. Patrick's Day celebration and ordered some fried food accordingly! I met new friends who work at Accenture, GSK, and Citi Bank here in India. The kindness of the people that I have met so far in Mumbai is remarkable. Everyone is not only willing to take time to get to know me, but also excited to share more about India!
Sunday morning I made my first solo trip in Mumbai. I ordered a cab to take me to Bandra, an up-and-coming suburb an hour away, to see the Mount Mary Basilica.When we arrived to the Basilica I spent time inside taking in its beauty. It is the most famous Catholic Church in Mumbai and I now understand why. It sits at the top of a hill and has such a charm about it. Following the trip to Mt. Mary's, I walked down some of the street shops and had a peaceful lunch alone. On the drive back home, my coworker Rashmi invited me to dinner...in Bandra. As exhausted as I was from the summer heat and travel, I said yes of course I will join. How often am I in India? I took a quick power nap at my apartment and once again embarked to Bandra, but with friends this time. We went to the beach at sunset, saw some Bollywood actors' homes, and had dinner. It was such a wonderful day.
I have a few relaxing days before my next (spontaneous) adventure...Dubai! I am leaving on Thursday to visit my fellow HR Emerging Leaders Associate, Arafat, who is doing his international rotation there. I am so excited to explore the desert safari, go shopping, and most importantly, have some of the world's best Shawarma.
At the movies with coworkers
The wall @ Leopold Café
Sitting on the edge of Arabian Sea in Colaba
With friends @ The Irish House
Mount Mary Basilica exterior
Mount Mary Basilica interior
Largest mural in India featuring Dadasaheb Phalke, the father of Indian cinema
Outside of Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan's house with Charita (he comes out and waves inside that fenced area a few times a day!)
Sunset in Bandra with Rashmi
Authentic Indian brinner ; )
Cheers,
B