Bombay Bliss

Well, it's been some time, but here I am. It's now March and Mumbai is starting to get hot. The dust seems to have increased and every single building around ours has decided to renovate. It's boom time in India and you can literally see the changing environment. It is a stark contrast to the filthy poor who insist on arriving on Mumbai's already crowded streets, leaving their rural lands for a better life. I wish I could tell them otherwise. This place is all about contrasts, the incredibly rich and the incredibly poor, the intensely rich coloured sari’s to full black burqa’s, the yellow Ferrari & white porch 4 wheel drive we often see racing up our road, to the bullock cart and 3 wheelers they beep at while dodging.
The unbelievable wealthy, step out of their magnificent homes, to roads that are pitiful (on a good day). The corruption somehow leads to bad roads. Those that do pay tax, do so unwillingly as, they don't have a say in where their tax dollars end up, there is no transparency in government, it's like winning the lottery when you get voted in, you are set up for life, as you'll be able to "take 90% for me, 9% for those around me & 1% for road improvement, oh, plus road contractor, if you I give you the job, you give me Rs xxxxx"...
I might do a little photo exhibition on the state of the roads in our suburb so you know why I’m harping on this, it is really very very bad. Road works are everywhere, they’ll dig a hole (by hand) patch it up (badly) and traffic jams will occur for the week or year it takes to fix. Mark has offered his technical services in our area, to the "juhu citizens society", but hasn't received any responses. It would be great to fix one suburb and see if others will aspire to do the same.
Somehow though, this city works, we could tell them how to be more productive, but the system works, it's all about to change, though I can't imagine how. The rickshaw drivers sleep in their rickshaws at night, the slum dwellers go to work, smiles are on the faces of the women cooking on the sides of the roads, kids don’t know any better than to shit and watch traffic go by, it seems the beggars and those on the streets are new to town or are part of a beggar racket. It is strictly advised not to give to beggars (by anyone Indian) & seriously, after a while, a tiny child holding a baby begging doest’t get sympathy from me anymore, instead it's annoying that they make me feel guilty, or that I have to quickly get to where I'm going, and the little filthy tugs, tug at my patience instead of my heart. Am I losing compassion? I’m taking the trains into town more often now and am a clear target, I can see them spot me, stop harassing an Indian and head to me. It's really very frustrating and I don't seem to ever get change from anyone, often they 'run out' and round up.
I’m surprised at how hard the poor actually do work, under Ghandi's leadership, no matter who you are or at what status you live, you must work, be proud of your job (there's pretty much always some one with a worse job than yours in this country). The street sweepers, the ladies who rummage through rubbish and sell scraps, the men in uniform who sleep whilst on guard duty, to the high society sari clad mothers boasting of the doctor & lawyer sons, to be employed is to be proud.

India is fast on track becoming a world leader, we’re pretty lucky to be here to watch the change (even if dust is in every molecule of my body) it will be very interesting to watch the change, and unlike China where they hide their poor and treat them like sub humans, India is different, their poor have dignity somehow, they are visible to the outsider, yet kind of invisible to the middle & upper classes. They co exist in two totally different worlds. The slums don’t pay any taxes, steal electricity and water yet have the same voting rights, and the politicians play dirty in gaining their votes. They live like rats yet have TV and cable, if an area is taken back by the government so it can be sold to a developer, the developer has to build a residential tower for the slum. (pretty basic I might add). No government, yet, is brave enough to eradicate the illegal slums as they’ll lose votes. It will be so interesting to watch.

I just wish Indians, the rich to the uneducated masses took some pride in their city. As Aussies, growing up with Clean up Australia Day, and the stiff fines for littering, we seem so offended by anyone dropping rubbish. Everyone litters here! It’s disgusting. The poor believe the ocean and rivers are natures rubbish dumps, bless nature, it takes the rubbish away for us. Any water way (usually lined by horrific smelling waterfront slum hutments) stinks to high heaven. I want to start a Mumbai Pride campaign. We were stoked to see the below in yesterdays front page however. The changing face of Bombay!

Two weeks after arriving, my brother, David arrived. He went back home, quit his job, and returned, he’s doing yoga in Mysore! Jo Shaw came and went and now my folks are here, currently roaming around Rajasthan. This place gets into your blood as Jo & David will validate. Mark and I are keen to get on the road ourselves – and we will now as we have a Thunderbird! More on that later.

I have been flat out at work, and after 2 months of being here, we launched Gold Coast Tourism into India. We made the papers and even a 'hip & happening' TV show (After Hrs) on the best parties of the week.

The singer is Megan....a good friend who lives locally & is married to Jason, who works at the JW Marriott.

A night out at Leopolds.

Megan & Jason had an Indian wedding in February, it was Indian dress up to all of us, Mark and I were going come as an Indian chief and squaw. (couldn't find the costume). See the scarf I'm wearing? I must have dropped it getting out of the car, I've been looking everywhere. Wandering through Juhu village the other day, I saw a washer lady wearing it. Either our night watchman picked it up and gave it to her as a gift (everything we lose he 'puts away' for us, if we don't ask, it gets sold or given as contra for I can't image what!) or, she bought it off the rubbish ladies.


Megan & Jason, a bangle maker and moi.

After 2 hours sleep we were in a rickshaw (had to wake one up), and scooted off to Thailand for Jamie's wedding to beautiful Fon. We travelled to Sukathai for this very regal of weddings. It was a truly beautiful affair, poor Mark had to deal with Delhi Belly in Thailand. I'm embaressed to admit, the food highlight was a good old beef burger. It's been awhile between cows.

The reception was the next night in Bangkok, on the 79th floor at V9. What a night it was, we met all of Jamie's expat and Thai friends and a couple of 'girl' singers. I don't remember too much past the singers (they must have spiked my drink), but apparently I had a ball.