Mumbai Monsoons - Day 1 - Life goes on

Just for a change, this post is not about any magazine article but about my experience with the Mumbai rains. Not too different from the rains in other cities I have been in: roads are waterlogged, public transport is overcrowded and life is thrown out of gear. The city's common people face the brunt of nature. Almost everyone is affected in some manner or the other - some keep cribbing about it either in private or in the press, a few valiant ones grin and bear it - but life goes on.

Not too different, did I say? Except of course, the fact that I walked all the way from Lower Parel to Gandhi Market in Sion. A little bit like Raj Kapoor - trousers folded till just above the knee - haath mein joote - and alternatively mumbling and humming tunes from some old Hindi movies. It took me about 90 minutes - between 8:30 PM and 10 PM - to wade through the goddamn roads and get back home. Not bad - 90 minutes - give and take a few minutes here and there. The shoes and my trousers have taken a real beating - but life goes on.

Chances are I will get better at this, though - there are still at least two months of this season to go, you see. There would be enough practice every day, I am told. Much like how India is preparing for the 2007 World Cup, I must say. Slow and steady progress every day - today I shall try to walk with my shoes on. Let me see how that works out. There will be a few hiccups along the way, lots of sneezes as well - but what the heck. On the other hand, do I really have a choice? Hey, life goes on.

On a more serious note, I have no idea about the problems experienced by folks who generally travel on the local trains. I believe that trains have been delayed or even outright cancelled due to the rains. But life goes on.

PS: Forgot to add that I called up home (at Hyderabad) to inform them about my whereabouts and guess what - they asked me to buy an umbrella - now that the monsoon is here. At that moment, of course, I could only say "Okay". But now, I am left wondering how I would manage to carry the umbrella under my arms as well as let me see - one bag, a pair of shoes (in case I am not wearing them) - u get the drift? Life goes on.