With the pitcher at LeopoldsNew Years was a pretty good time this year. It started off a bit disappointingly when I had tot turn down an invite for a couple of parties on the 31st in Pune, but more than made up for it with the refreshing weekend I had in Mumbai. Great buddies, great food, great hangouts and a wonderfully exhilarating city. What else could one ask for?
Mumbai is one of those complexities of India I have always marveled at. A city which probably epitomizes all the aspects of growth, wealth, freedom, efficiency and vibrancy. And paradoxically, poverty, fear, inefficiency, congestion. But it cannot be denied the city is an event in itself. Whether it’s the teeming crowds at the Gateway and around about it or the plush interiors of the various eat outs and well designed malls, it screams its presence at you.
I loved sitting in Leopolds with some of my best friends, with their own unique way of bringing a pitcher of beer. The energy around the place(apart from the great food and drinks) is wonderfully invigorating. The 45 minutes we took to find the place seemed rewarding, as we got a chance to roam the streets of Colaba (my favorite part of the city). Though ArS would probably never live down the ‘5 minutes’ stigma from the rest of us. ;) The roadside eatery, Bade Miyan, true to reputation served probably some of the best non vegetarian food I have had. They even had a unique way of keeping the hood of the car straight so that patrons can take their food there and have it without waiting for a table. And, considering that AP usually wants to cover as many places as he can in a day, it was nice that we could just sit around at the beautiful Marine Drive for quite some time without having anywhere to think of going. Oh, and I even got a chance to catch my first IMAX 3-D experience, at the great dome with Avatar. That the movie was disappointing is a different thing.
And it was mind numbing to somehow end up at Nariman House and the narrow alleyway still riddled with the bullets of 26/11. Another reminder of the paradoxes of this place. Despite seeming like you are safe always in the teeming millions, it is also the most vulnerable because of this.
Mumbai is one of those complexities of India I have always marveled at. A city which probably epitomizes all the aspects of growth, wealth, freedom, efficiency and vibrancy. And paradoxically, poverty, fear, inefficiency, congestion. But it cannot be denied the city is an event in itself. Whether it’s the teeming crowds at the Gateway and around about it or the plush interiors of the various eat outs and well designed malls, it screams its presence at you.
I loved sitting in Leopolds with some of my best friends, with their own unique way of bringing a pitcher of beer. The energy around the place(apart from the great food and drinks) is wonderfully invigorating. The 45 minutes we took to find the place seemed rewarding, as we got a chance to roam the streets of Colaba (my favorite part of the city). Though ArS would probably never live down the ‘5 minutes’ stigma from the rest of us. ;) The roadside eatery, Bade Miyan, true to reputation served probably some of the best non vegetarian food I have had. They even had a unique way of keeping the hood of the car straight so that patrons can take their food there and have it without waiting for a table. And, considering that AP usually wants to cover as many places as he can in a day, it was nice that we could just sit around at the beautiful Marine Drive for quite some time without having anywhere to think of going. Oh, and I even got a chance to catch my first IMAX 3-D experience, at the great dome with Avatar. That the movie was disappointing is a different thing.
And it was mind numbing to somehow end up at Nariman House and the narrow alleyway still riddled with the bullets of 26/11. Another reminder of the paradoxes of this place. Despite seeming like you are safe always in the teeming millions, it is also the most vulnerable because of this.
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