Hanging Off A Train in Mumbai

After a short stop back in Singapore, I finally made it to India! The city of Mumbai (formerly Bombay) is everything all at once. Chaotic but colorful, smelly yet fragrant, from the glitz of Bollywood to the slums of Dharavi, this city is full of surprises!

Today, on my second day in Mumbai, my friend Bron and I decide to take the train from our friend’s home in the Bandra West neighborhood to South Bombay for a day of sight-seeing and exploration. Now taking the trains in India is not like hopping on the subway in New York. During rush hour on a weekday, the trains get so crowded that anyone making it on board will have to be content with being pressed against any object or person that is next to you. Fortunately, today is Saturday, and the trains were not nearly as crowded.

Being that this was our first time taking the train in India, we decided to splurge on a First class ticket as the First Class cabins are usually not as crowded. Costing a total of Rs 52 each, we easily navigated the Bandra Station and found our way onto the next train to Church Gate Terminus, thanks to a very detailed hand-drawn map and description provided by our good friend Brian who is living in India with his wife Jenn, both of whom are teaching at the American School of Bombay.

Because the trains do not have air conditioning, and it can get stifling hot in the cars, many commuters choose to stand by the doors, which remain open even while the train is in motion. This makes for a breezy, yet exhilarating ride as we thunder past the Mumbai streetscape.

On the way back, we decided to risk it and get a Second Class ticket instead. At Rs 6 each for a ticket, this was a steal, and fortunately, being the weekend, we even managed to find a seat, and rode comfortably back to Bandra.

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The Delaware House

Three years ago with the California dream of sun, sand and surf beckoning, I packed up, drove across the country and moved into a little townhouse on Delaware Street in Huntington Beach (HB), often referred to as "The Delaware House".

What I didn’t know at that time was that I was moving into a house with a history. A history of friendship, a fraternity of sort, whose residents grew up, went to school and played soccer together. December 2009 marked 10 years of continuous lease of the Delaware House, and I have written about traditions of the house in a previous article here. The original four tenants of the house are no longer living there, although they, and most previous residents of the Delaware House, do come back and visit regularly. When one would move out, the remaining roommates would usually find someone from within their circle of friends to take over the vacated room. I was one of the very few that came from the outside, but it was a match made in roommates.com.

Today, when not sprawled out in front of the TV, John is the glue that holds all of the roommates (past and present) together. Similarly, Scott seems to know everybody that lives in HB, and also plays every sport known to man. Brit, being the youngest and only girl, is also the sweetheart that leaves nice things for all of us (like flowers on Valentines Day), and gets all excited telling us about a boy she met at school. And finally, there is Matt, the latest addition to the crew, who brings with him a flair for artistic and musical fervor that I have written about here.

Like a family, we have our ups and downs. Sometimes we get along, sometimes we don’t. But leaving this second family of mine was especially hard. As one chapter closes and another is about to begin, I take with me cherished memories of year-long summers grilling steaks in our yard; long bike rides to the beach; and epic Halloween and Super-Bowl parties that will be talked about for generations to come. So take that MTV, for this is the California Shore, the Real World, the OC, and it can’t get any better than this.

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Travel Update

The last month or so have been relatively hectic. Even having moved five times in the last ten years across the United States and the world, nothing really prepares you to end it all in one city, leaving all friends, family and stuff behind and going out to see the world. Not knowing when or if you will be back!

In phase one of my travels, I currently have a one-way ticket into India. From there, I hope to hit Nepal, the UAE, Israel, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Egypt. If you have been to, or are located in one of these countries, please connect with me by leaving a comment, or sending me an email (found in my profile). I would appreciate any tips or suggestions you might provide.

Stay tuned for more accounts from my trip of a lifetime…

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