Another city, another world

There's a time of year when Bombay just ceases being Bombay or Mumbai. It's just the 3rd day of the year and most people are still on vacation. Schools are still shut. There's very little traffic on the roads, the air is clean and it's rather chilly (13 degrees at night is not the norm).

Spending a glorious Sunday afternoon in Bandra, which is by far the best suburb in the city, I couldn't help wonder what Bombay was like 30 or even 50 years ago. Bandra has traces of its laid back past. There are still many beautiful bungalows and cottages in leafy lanes. Most of the beautiful churches were built in the 19th century and the walls of convents and Catholic schools have witnessed a lot over time.

Bandra's Hill Road is nothing short of chaotic on a regular day. Add traffic, horns, heat, pollution and the likes and you've got the essence of Bombay but I think for just another few days, the tranquility may remain across Bandra and the rest of the city.

Winter's here or so they say

I was quite amused to see people wearing sweaters and woollen caps to stay warm in a bus with all windows closed. It was about 18 degrees Celsius this morning and cold northerly winds made it feel a lot cooler. This is a rare phenomenon in Bombay called winter. Winters last here just about as long as heat wave conditions last in New York in the summer.

I have to say that these December days are absolutely glorious and it's a rare pleasure to walk on the streets of this city and bask in the sunlight and not sweat three buckets of water. In fact temperatures are a lot cooler on the beach in the evenings. When training for the Mumbai Marathon ( which is just 32 days away), I definitely feel the effect of the chilling northerly winds when run from the Santa Cruz-end towards Versova.

Here's to a nice season of warm soups, hot chocolate and nice movies on the tele.