Yeh Mera India!
It's been a month since my engagement and 2 weeks since I have returned from Mumbai and I just can't seem to get used to Dubai.
It's really hard to believe that a place that I have stayed in all my life, a place in which I have been brought up in doesn't seem to appeal to me anymore.
Now, I know what everybody will think, it's just because Ive been engaged and he's there and I'm here and it's the long distance which is bugging me.. but No ..it's really not that.
Those who've been to Dubai, they know that this is the place to be as luxury is at it's best.
We have never had a problem with the electricity going off at odd times, or our cable cut off for no reason. We have walked on spotless pavements without hawkers invading it and driven on well contructed roads.
All the facilities given are at it's best, as in.. there are times, we don't have to wait for long queues and bribe people to get our goverment related work done, everything is done over the net or a phone call.
No hassles of getting our clothes dirty because of the mud caused by rains. No travelling in crowded buses or trains. Traffic is well controlled here. People are into themselves and don't even bother to look at you. No weird stares from strangers if you smoke openly on the streets.
No beggers or eunachs pestering you on traffic lights or outside hotels.
Infrastructure is excellent. Cleanliness is given first preference here. Swarmed by International brands so we really don't travel to the west or miss something that UK or US has and we don't.
The place is scenic, modern and cultural. Some of the most beautiful beaches are here. Women can roam around at 3 in the morning and it is extremely safe to do so. The night life can give the west a run for their culture.
In my 23 years of staying in Dubai, we never had any political rows taking place..no bombings, no riots, no processions, no fights over the voting system(Thank GOD).
Oh and how could I forget....No Taxes!
Yup, Dubai is beautiful. It's like a dream place for someone who wants to live lavishly forever in a mediocre salary.....everything is perfect...yet it ain't real.
I went to India this time for a whole month.. my longest stay in the country perhaps in so many years and this is what a normal day was like.
Wake up in the morning to the sounds of rickshaws purring on the streets, and crows crowing at their highest pitch on ones' window sill. The doodhwala and the bai (cleaner) are your guests early in the morning.
The pressure cooker is whistling away in the kitchen and you can hear the cook coughing because of the tadka he just gave to the dal..food is being made ready for the dabbawala to come and collect it so that it can be served hot and delivered to the all the office goers in our family at their workplace.
From a room inside, you can hear your grandma crooning away to all the bhajans she's watching on the 'Aastha' channel.
You walk down where you are greeted by the watchman who is old enough to be your father, smoking on his beedi and chewing paan. Even though his mouth is full, he still has the time to ask you on how you are doing.
On the streets, it is just crowded! With everything, everyone possible. Lots of people rushing from one end to the other, some are running after a bus just managing to jump in and then clinging on to the railing and sometimes even travelling to their destination in that position, leaning halfway out of the vehicle. Women are arguing with the vegetable vendors on how he sold the tomatoes at a cheaper rate last week and what was the reason for the hike of 10 rupees this week. Some are just hanging around at the food stalls enjoying the fast food (paani puri & wada pao). Dogs are being shooed away at the food stalls. Begger children are pestering the ones who are enjoying their meals to pass on some leftovers or just buy them another meal to fill up their hungry stomachs since God knows when..while the people eating at the stalls continue eating as if they don't even exist.
On the side of the road you see some college boys dancing on the pavement with their car parked and the doors opened with blaring music. On the other side of the road, you see a procession with men on the drums and the others dancing in front of them getting ready for the Ganpati festival.
Walk further down, and there is the lokhadwala 'Barista' filled with tv actors sipping on their sugarfree decaf coffee, looking around hoping someone would recognise them and maybe even wish that they could sign an autograph probably. At the gate of the cafe, there is a young girl fighting with the rickshawala on how he was cheating her by charging her more than the amount mentioned on the rate card. People had gathered around the scene, some even volunteering to beat him up for her.
While one is sitting outside at the patio of 'Barista', you see cars whiz by,some stuffed with their families even in the boot of the car and some "cool" guys with their windows down playing "Dus Bahane karke le gaya dil" on full volume (Sheesh!).
Amidst all these sounds, the temple at the corner of the street is performing their evening pooja,the sounds of the bells and the bhajans is overwelming.
Come evening and the city is still buzzing with life..people are now returning home after a hard day's of work and travelling.The kids of the colony are still playing cricket in the verandahs of their buildings and mothers are now screaming from the balconies to return home to finish their homework.
You can hear the TV,if you pass certain buildings. You can hear women who are dying to know if Tulsi and Mehir are going to make amends or still fight over their respective sons...yup they are watching 'Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi'.
On the way back, under the building, the watchmen have lit up a fire, so that the smoke can keep the mosquitoes away. You can now hear the crickets, dogs barking..the traffic noise seems to die down a little.
It's another end to an ordinary day to most of the people. But, for me, this is life. REAL life.
I miss the place, the authenticity of it.
I love every bit of it and can't wait to go back there for good.
It's really hard to believe that a place that I have stayed in all my life, a place in which I have been brought up in doesn't seem to appeal to me anymore.
Now, I know what everybody will think, it's just because Ive been engaged and he's there and I'm here and it's the long distance which is bugging me.. but No ..it's really not that.
Those who've been to Dubai, they know that this is the place to be as luxury is at it's best.
We have never had a problem with the electricity going off at odd times, or our cable cut off for no reason. We have walked on spotless pavements without hawkers invading it and driven on well contructed roads.
All the facilities given are at it's best, as in.. there are times, we don't have to wait for long queues and bribe people to get our goverment related work done, everything is done over the net or a phone call.
No hassles of getting our clothes dirty because of the mud caused by rains. No travelling in crowded buses or trains. Traffic is well controlled here. People are into themselves and don't even bother to look at you. No weird stares from strangers if you smoke openly on the streets.
No beggers or eunachs pestering you on traffic lights or outside hotels.
Infrastructure is excellent. Cleanliness is given first preference here. Swarmed by International brands so we really don't travel to the west or miss something that UK or US has and we don't.
The place is scenic, modern and cultural. Some of the most beautiful beaches are here. Women can roam around at 3 in the morning and it is extremely safe to do so. The night life can give the west a run for their culture.
In my 23 years of staying in Dubai, we never had any political rows taking place..no bombings, no riots, no processions, no fights over the voting system(Thank GOD).
Oh and how could I forget....No Taxes!
Yup, Dubai is beautiful. It's like a dream place for someone who wants to live lavishly forever in a mediocre salary.....everything is perfect...yet it ain't real.
I went to India this time for a whole month.. my longest stay in the country perhaps in so many years and this is what a normal day was like.
Wake up in the morning to the sounds of rickshaws purring on the streets, and crows crowing at their highest pitch on ones' window sill. The doodhwala and the bai (cleaner) are your guests early in the morning.
The pressure cooker is whistling away in the kitchen and you can hear the cook coughing because of the tadka he just gave to the dal..food is being made ready for the dabbawala to come and collect it so that it can be served hot and delivered to the all the office goers in our family at their workplace.
From a room inside, you can hear your grandma crooning away to all the bhajans she's watching on the 'Aastha' channel.
You walk down where you are greeted by the watchman who is old enough to be your father, smoking on his beedi and chewing paan. Even though his mouth is full, he still has the time to ask you on how you are doing.
On the streets, it is just crowded! With everything, everyone possible. Lots of people rushing from one end to the other, some are running after a bus just managing to jump in and then clinging on to the railing and sometimes even travelling to their destination in that position, leaning halfway out of the vehicle. Women are arguing with the vegetable vendors on how he sold the tomatoes at a cheaper rate last week and what was the reason for the hike of 10 rupees this week. Some are just hanging around at the food stalls enjoying the fast food (paani puri & wada pao). Dogs are being shooed away at the food stalls. Begger children are pestering the ones who are enjoying their meals to pass on some leftovers or just buy them another meal to fill up their hungry stomachs since God knows when..while the people eating at the stalls continue eating as if they don't even exist.
On the side of the road you see some college boys dancing on the pavement with their car parked and the doors opened with blaring music. On the other side of the road, you see a procession with men on the drums and the others dancing in front of them getting ready for the Ganpati festival.
Walk further down, and there is the lokhadwala 'Barista' filled with tv actors sipping on their sugarfree decaf coffee, looking around hoping someone would recognise them and maybe even wish that they could sign an autograph probably. At the gate of the cafe, there is a young girl fighting with the rickshawala on how he was cheating her by charging her more than the amount mentioned on the rate card. People had gathered around the scene, some even volunteering to beat him up for her.
While one is sitting outside at the patio of 'Barista', you see cars whiz by,some stuffed with their families even in the boot of the car and some "cool" guys with their windows down playing "Dus Bahane karke le gaya dil" on full volume (Sheesh!).
Amidst all these sounds, the temple at the corner of the street is performing their evening pooja,the sounds of the bells and the bhajans is overwelming.
Come evening and the city is still buzzing with life..people are now returning home after a hard day's of work and travelling.The kids of the colony are still playing cricket in the verandahs of their buildings and mothers are now screaming from the balconies to return home to finish their homework.
You can hear the TV,if you pass certain buildings. You can hear women who are dying to know if Tulsi and Mehir are going to make amends or still fight over their respective sons...yup they are watching 'Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi'.
On the way back, under the building, the watchmen have lit up a fire, so that the smoke can keep the mosquitoes away. You can now hear the crickets, dogs barking..the traffic noise seems to die down a little.
It's another end to an ordinary day to most of the people. But, for me, this is life. REAL life.
I miss the place, the authenticity of it.
I love every bit of it and can't wait to go back there for good.
posted by || sbk || at
3:56 AM
6 Comments
