OCOWDiarist Contest Winner_Smita Manyar_Top 5 Reasons to Live in Mumbai
OCOW Diarist Contest Winner
Seriously? Only 5! Actually one reason is enough. It is Mumbai. And it’s all in that one word. Multicultural, Uber cool, Mysterious, Bambaiya, Arrogant, Indigenous.
So let me explain:
Multicultural: Self-explanatory, yet…be whatever caste, religion or culture you come from, here it’s all integrated together, like the cogs of wheel that are different in size but work in sync. We travel jam packed together, walk the dusty roads together, we eat on the road stall together, have a cuppa tea from tea vendor together, ogle beauty together and so on. Oh and food is just absolutely out of this world. A mix of spice, a dash of sweet, a glassful of energy, a thali of abundance, a cutting of special, a slice of excitement, a pint of dizziness, a dollop of cuteness, a chew of color.
Uber cool: Look at the style, man. It beats the fashion statement of New York or Paris, for that matter. Be it wear, hairstyle, makeup, shoes, walking, driving, talking, behaving- you name it and we have an uber cool statement to match it. Every aspect reflects a new cool demeanor. Infrastructure, travel, IT, shopping, food, fun, sports, games, party, education, nature, dance, drama, movies, each element that make up Mumbai ooze its coolness in uber style.
Mysterious: Every new dawn brings on a new mystery. It’s never a usual day for Mumbaiites. When it is supposed to rain, it is scorching hot. When it is supposed to be cold, it is raining. Every day a new festival, every night another celebration. Hundreds of newspapers on rack, yet like to know the news from the bystander, every nukkad and gali buzz with fortune tellers, smokers working together on a campaign against smoking, specially having ladies bogey in a metro, Lord Ganesha mysteriously giving special darshan via VIP entry.
When one goes to sleep, Mumbai is working. When everyone else is working, still Mumbai is working. O Mumbai, WOW Mumbai.
Bambaiya: I know it is not a real word, but that’s how Mumbai speaks. You have to be a part of the culture that reflects the language of Mumbai. You speak French, English, Tamil, Marathi, Urdu, well good for you, but you have to add this lingo in your kitty. C’mon, how are you supposed to know the by lanes, never before secrets if you don’t speak the local language. It will make you feel welcome, trust me.
Arrogant: Mumbai is and will be arrogant for all those who always make atrocious remarks about it. Whenever someone insults, abuses, offends Mumbai, they are and will be dealt with arrogantly. Mumbai is frank, bold, brave and outright daring. It’s this arrogance that allows women travel at nights, making the police force the best in the world, get that fourth seat, bargain to save that 5 rupees. Yes, arrogance in ordinary things as well.
Indigenous yet very very Indian in its true sense! Those are five reasons for anyone wanting to live in Mumbai. But don’t overcrowd it…
– OCOW Diarist Contest Winner – Smita Manyar