I had tried hard to get out of going to India. There were good reasons behind the reluctance. Beside my hunch that the trip would not make a difference to my sales, I also craved to spend more time with Yong since we had been traveling so much. In fact, as I write, he is away in Thailand only after 2 weeks since I came back from India.
Nevertheless, the trip was fruitful. Meetings were great and they definitely helped in my work. But also, I found myself, most unexpectedly, falling in love with India.
The chaos, the traffic, the impossible overpopulation and invasion of private space. I came to realise there is such thing as "personal space" in India. Cars, human, livestock; You will always find yourself inches away from one of the above at any one time.
The polarizing of the social class... How extremely poor and extremely rich they can be. On one end, babies of beggars playing with dirt alongside the road. The other, 600 staff serving the richest family in India - a grand total of 5 in a 27 storey "home".
Generally Indians are gentle and sweet in nature. They are mostly easy to get along and thank god all knows some basic English. Oh, and the fooooooooood... I have completely, I say, completely let go, let live and LET EAT for a week. My boss who is a Brit with not too small an appetite himself was amazed and amused at my hearty fondness of food.
I took on a personal day tour from Mumbai Moments that came highly recommended from tripadvisor
I would not dare to go on a one on one tour if not for the raving reviews. And no regrets! With US$250 per day, I get a personal guide, driver, lunch, and customized tour in Mumbai. Pricey but with the security I get, I think it is worth it!
Enough of me rumbling.. photos!
I love the streets of India. I love the contrast of the bright clothes Indians are so fond of against the grubby grimy streets. Whether it is the poorer part of town or the upscale prime district, the women are fiercely loyal to their gorgeous colorful saris and punjabi suits.. Which of cos only fueled my desire to own a set!
This is the southern part of Mumbai where beautiful majestic colonial houses stand.. Gandhi home is also in this area. It reminded me so much of London I had to tease my boss if he felt liked home here.. The first picture on top left corner is India's very own Big Ben!
It is fascinating how radically different one part of the city can look from another! And I guess that is why Mumbai has so much character and charm. In contrast, Singapore is just.... too new. A 30 years old building is considered ancient in Singapore. However it is the old buildings that give the city the much needed personality, isn't it? Perhaps that is why Katong remains one of my favorite places in Singapore. :)
This is my favorite part of the tour. I can't remember the name of the holy water place. This is where families gather to perform rituals for their deceased loved ones. And after going around the holy pond, we had a little walk in the neighborhood which I get to see the daily life of the locals more intimately.
These photos were snapped really quickly during the brisk walk back to the car. But they turned out pretty well and became officially my favorite photos from the trip. I love the smile on the roadside barber.
Will be back with more photos in Part II.
