Calm after the Storm

Last night it rained heavily leading many of us to fear that the city would be plunged into another chaos. Getting ready for office I was unsure what to take with me..a boat?? anyways setting aside all fears I took the local train to churchgate...which was as packed as ever...... churchgate station surprised me....this was the place where thousands had found shelter the last two nights...and today it was clean and neat...not a sign of the mass of people that had accumulated there ...... mumbai was back ......

Office was like a theatre with people relating all their stories excitedly.......heard both good and bad stories....but mostly good...about a spouse being rescued from a sinking bus by strangers...about a taxi driver not taking money from people for a 12 hour journey....people distributing biscuits to waiting cars.....children being taken by the watchmen and personally delivered to their parents care..... some bad ones as well......about the taxi driver who transported some stranded teenagers home and the family haggling with him about his meter charge....about bosses taking their cars and leaving their employees behind without even a question.....well they say crisis brings out the best in people...in some I guess it brings out the worst.....

I personally couldnt have survived this as well as I did if people had not reached out to help me....especially new friends in Mumbai Sean and Jodie who personally called and gave me shelter in their homes....Anna thankyou to you too for them ......and my aunt, Sarah Kochamma, who ensured that I was safe and warm in her house till things settled down....not to mention the yummy chicken she cooked for me while I was there..... and all the people who kept enquiring after me......I guess I am lucky.....

now it is the calm after the storm.......I am building a boat in the meanwhile....

Mumbai in a new light

What an experience!!! the whole of mumbai came to a standstill on the 26th ....and yet the people kept moving...I just love mumbai...no city can replace this one....people were dirty and wet.....out of touch with family....sleeping next to dogs at stations....wading through water to reach their children....fighting off snakes.....and yet kept finding humour in the whole thing......some might say what else could one do....but people opened up their homes and hearts...people from nearby building actually took home children who were stuck in buses and schools.....radio stations played songs and gave directions and updates.....and the city just kept going...........ofcourse nothing is perfect and neither was Mumbai...administration just collapsed.....technology failed at the wrongest of wrong times..information was hard to come by......and I began to wonder whether the city would get back to normal.....feeling of total helplessness......but morning came and things were almost getting back to normal ...the great local started running transporting a harried lot to their homes... hats off to them.........and an enthu cutlet friend actually reached office on time today morning!!!

As someone said 'give me mumbai anytime'.....I am in love with this city....