Streets of Bombay - 1/5/2008

So today, I spent the day with my cousin Zahir. We went to his relatively new office in Shivri, which is about 30 minutes from our house. The building is in a pretty rural area. The drive there takes you through an area that looks like slums. Now, my cousins will tell you that from the outside, these looks like slums, but on the inside, these 'buildings' are pretty well furnished. I guess when you see satellites on top of the roofs, you have to believe them on some level.


One thing you'll notice about this area is that there are a lot of kids. Most of them are unattended to.


Then there are the sights that still fascinate me. I love seeing the horse-drawn Victorian carriages. But seeing the bulls and cows that rule the roads is still one of my favorite things to observe when I come here.


A place I've always wanted to check out, but have never stopped to explore is the Central Library as you exit Colaba. Everytime we pass it in the car, I just stare at the steps. I keep telling myself that I can get some really cool photos using the steps, but every time we go by it, we're usually en route somewhere, so there is never time to stop. But at night, it's a damn cool sight to see it lit up and people treating the steps like a beach, just hanging out with friends.


Today was a fun day in terms of taking photos. I like take photos that give you guys a sense of what Bombay looks like. While it is one of those "up-and-coming cities," Bombay still has a lot of those rural characteristics, and I think they are interesting to see, especially for people that haven't been here. There is a combination of the rural, the modern and the classic. When you go to Churchgate, you are surrounded by all the Victorian buildings that the British built. There are a lot of state-out-the-art malls popping up everywhere. They are even modernizing Bandra, which I never thought would look good. But somehow, I'm impressed with what has become of the rural city. You get to see a lot of different things throughout Bombay. Every few blocks there is something different. Each area has its own characteristics. I enjoy seeing all these different settings and I love being able to bring you guys there, even if it is briefly.

I hope everybody has a good weekend. It's about 1:15am on Sunday, so it's about time to go to bed.

Take it easy,
Ali