Life in Mumbai

Mumbai never sleeps ...... 

Mumbai , earlier known as Bombay is the biggest city in India . There are all kinds of people richest and poorest, famous and general and people from all religions and castes and creeds are part of this metro city. Mumbai absorbs each and every one.  

 Many people come to Mumbai from all parts of India , with their dreams. Many have come for doing a job as many companies and multinationals have their head office for India in Mumbai. And many are staying for a long time.... from generation to generation. Once you live in Mumbai you don't feel like leaving Mumbai. That is the magic of this city. There are people living in bungalows and apartments of crores of rupees, like  business tycoons and Bollywood actors , singers and many such celebrities and at the same time, a huge part of the middle class and upper-middle-class people living in their flats and houses in colonies and many have old houses since generations. Even the ' Chawl system ' is still a part of Mumbai. Where many families living in big huge buildings, where houses are small but families somehow manage to live there that too happily. They make adjustments but enjoy the feeling of living as one big family where each and everyone in chawl is helpful to their neighbour and be a part of their good and bad times. 

But also there is a sad side or should say reality is that many families are living in slum areas. Where conditions are not at all good. They face a lot many problems and have to make a lot many adjustments but that is a reality. There is a slum area in ' Dharawi' where people live in very small houses and earning their living and surviving in this big Metro city.

But Mumbai teaches everybody to earn, they are quite skilled and smart people because to earn and survive there they need to have these basic things in them, if they don't have those qualities then they learn it gradually. If they have a job , business , own shop, or any profession then good or else they have to find and create a job/work for them . But the population of Mumbai is large so nobody remains jobless . They have to engage themselves to survive there.

Also, Mumbai is the Capital city of Maharashtra State and called the financial capital of India. Bollywood and film production is an important part of Mumbai. Lots of creativity and cultural activities are also a part of this city. Most of the famous businessmen , politicians and their generations are living in Mumbai.

 Mumbai is also connected via sea route due to the Arabian Sea and Mumbai was a major hub since the British dynasty period. And many buildings and monuments are since Britishers time and post-British times like a famous " Gateway of India, Hotel Taj building ,  Mumbai Central Railway station now known as Chatrapati Shivaji terminus , Churchgate station , Sachivalaya office building and many parks and Elephanta Caves are famous places in Mumbai . " Also Mumbai is famous for " Chawpaty " that is a seashore , beaches, and a famous Marine Lines. 

Local Trains are called the backbone of Mumbai . Because it connects you with all suburbs in Mumbai. As Mumbai is made of many Suburbs. so as soon as the local trains start in the morning passengers are just ready for travel . People who have to travel from one end to another end of Mumbai for a job . Some may have to change the local trains for traveling from one line to another..from east to west from north to south, central and harbor lines, all over locals are connected. Some have to travel for 2 hours to reach their destination.

People in good jobs can afford more fare and chose to travel by 1st class , general and ladies compartments are for rest all and for ladies respectively. Also , there are many small vendors like fishermen , women esp. Vegetable and flower sellers and many more who travel with their luggage i.e. things they take for selling every day to particular markets, also have different compartments with more space so that it is easier to get in and get down of train with their stuff . Also for blind and handicapped and some patients with decease have different compartments.

Life in Mumbai is very fast. Nobody has leisure time as such. As when a person has to take say, 8:35 local train in the morning to reach office in time at 9:30 sharp then he /she will get up say at 6:00 am do his routines, like reading newspaper, have tea and breakfast and get ready at 8:15.

In the morning when they get up their aim is to catch the local train of 8:35 so sharp 8:15 they leave the house and if local station is 10- 15 mints. Walking distance then they prefer to walk because life in Mumbai is very costly so have to save money also. And they reach the station between 8:30 to 8: 33 stand at a particular fixed place on platform to get into a compartment that they usually travel or have monthly pass for a particular class of train. If say 40 mnts is travel time so they reach a destination at 9:15, coming out from station 5 mnts. And the distance to office if we assume is 10 mnts. Walking then exactly at 9:30 they are in the office. Same routine while going back home.

And who travel by bus or by own vehicles like 2 wheeler or 4 wheeler they have to count extra time for the stoppage at signals and for traffic jams at peak hours time. 

Many of them don't get much time to spend with their families except on Sundays and holidays. 

Now if we talk about the smartness and skill of a person in the smallest job then the best example is of Tiffin service. In the morning from collecting tiffins from door to door and making it available to people sitting in offices/ shops and at different places and that to well in time is just magical. Exact and timely delivery is the success of the services that they are providing from ages. That too by using bicycles and using their clever networks, skills, coordination, and leadership.

Vegetable vendors, fruit vendors, street food and snacks sellers, and flower vendors who also sell flower garlands to ladies, who prefer to wear that on hair/hair bun. Their markets and sitting arrangements are fixed and regular so that they get regular customers with whom they get familiar with their timings, what exactly they will buy all that they have knowledge about. 

Customization is the success of business in today's world. You give a customer what they want and that way you can retain customers. A flower garland selling woman knows which local train her customer go by and what time and which flowers she prefers so as soon as she sees her customer, this woman is ready with garland tied in green leaf and customer also know the price. so efficiently they do these things that give them enough earning. With a smiling face and with respect they will greet their customers that even for a customer it is like personalized and timely service. Because that girl/ lady take flower garland, put in her purse, and tie on hair while traveling by local train. So up - to - date living style is also one of the specialities of Mumbai. Even vegetables and other vendor women live neatly even if they have to  catch early morning local trains.

up to the last local train in the night there are passengers and commuters who are traveling back home. Streets are also never empty except may be for a few hours at night that also not empty but less traffic than day time. Because many people who are working in shifts are seen at night, either going to the office or returning home. Journalists and others also never have fixed timings or may have shifts till late at night. Restaurants and hotels also saw open till late at night. 

Tourists, couples, others seen on sea beaches and so street food lorries and shops are open till late. People who are living alone and don't cook at home also use the facility of restaurants and street food which remains open from evening to late at night .

people deliberately go for a long drive with friends and family, in the night to n' joy the ride with less traffic on road and to see lighting on places like sea beaches, street lights and lighting on the places like Marine Drive and many such places. As Mumbai never sleeps, you will not see empty sea beaches, empty Roads and even certain markets are open till late nights, like sellers using footpaths and Roadsides for selling several things, that too at cheaper rates and people prefer to buy from them clothes and shoes and combs and many more such daily use items.

During festivals like " Ganesh Utsav, Diwali and Christmas and New year " is like a reason people get to enjoy and live life.