Finally I get to come to India, not for pleasure but for business, even better in some ways. Opportunity to try it out and see if I want to come and spend more time here exploring. Been just over 24 hours and it is definitely somewhere I would like to come back to.
Everyone gave me warnings, it’s a culture shock, you won’t expect much of what you see etc.etc. Now granted I have only been here 24 hours and seen airport to hotel, hotel to office, office to hotel, but I am loving the experience.
On my journey in from the airport yesterday (after a good 20 hours of flying) I was struck by the chaos of the city, cars, auto rickshaws and motorbikes everywhere. But, there is also a certain order to it all - cars get right of way (through a lot of horn honking...) and then the auto rickshaws and it is left for the motorcycles to wind their way through them all. Pedestrians..... well they just have to step off the pavement (such that it is) and hope for the best when crossing the street. But what little I have seen they just seem to know when the best time is to step of the pavement.
In my 20 min trip from the airport to hotel (am told this was pretty quick), I witnessed my first Indian transvestite in a Sari - very elegant. A man driving a motorbike with a shockingly orange beard (peeking out from his helmet) and an elegant female passenger in a Sari (no helmet). It seems as though the law is helmet for driver of motorbike but bugger the passenger - crazy (but got it confirmed by one of my colleagues today in the office that there is no law for the passenger and so no helmet is worn). Even grown ups traveling with their kids - grown up driver has helmet, kid has none.
My hotel overlooks Powai Lake - quite an oasis in a busy city - as the dusk was starting to arrive I realized that on the lake edges were numerous people out for their evening swim, plunge, wash, who knows, but was fascinating to watch.
So far Mumbai is somewhat enchanting me. It helps that today in the office I met some really lovely people, that I have been in touch with over video conferences and telephone calls, but meeting in person has been great and very welcoming.
Last night I was warned by my driver that the 2km drive this morning from hotel to office would take at least 20 mins if not half an hour - it took 10 mins.....
Today has been more about work and getting to know the team than really seeing the city. I ate again in the hotel, but this time in their signature Indian restaurant and (maybe because I am a female on my own) I was treated like a queen.
More to follow of my experiences in this city and in this country.
Everyone gave me warnings, it’s a culture shock, you won’t expect much of what you see etc.etc. Now granted I have only been here 24 hours and seen airport to hotel, hotel to office, office to hotel, but I am loving the experience.
On my journey in from the airport yesterday (after a good 20 hours of flying) I was struck by the chaos of the city, cars, auto rickshaws and motorbikes everywhere. But, there is also a certain order to it all - cars get right of way (through a lot of horn honking...) and then the auto rickshaws and it is left for the motorcycles to wind their way through them all. Pedestrians..... well they just have to step off the pavement (such that it is) and hope for the best when crossing the street. But what little I have seen they just seem to know when the best time is to step of the pavement.
In my 20 min trip from the airport to hotel (am told this was pretty quick), I witnessed my first Indian transvestite in a Sari - very elegant. A man driving a motorbike with a shockingly orange beard (peeking out from his helmet) and an elegant female passenger in a Sari (no helmet). It seems as though the law is helmet for driver of motorbike but bugger the passenger - crazy (but got it confirmed by one of my colleagues today in the office that there is no law for the passenger and so no helmet is worn). Even grown ups traveling with their kids - grown up driver has helmet, kid has none.
My hotel overlooks Powai Lake - quite an oasis in a busy city - as the dusk was starting to arrive I realized that on the lake edges were numerous people out for their evening swim, plunge, wash, who knows, but was fascinating to watch.
So far Mumbai is somewhat enchanting me. It helps that today in the office I met some really lovely people, that I have been in touch with over video conferences and telephone calls, but meeting in person has been great and very welcoming.
Last night I was warned by my driver that the 2km drive this morning from hotel to office would take at least 20 mins if not half an hour - it took 10 mins.....
Today has been more about work and getting to know the team than really seeing the city. I ate again in the hotel, but this time in their signature Indian restaurant and (maybe because I am a female on my own) I was treated like a queen.
More to follow of my experiences in this city and in this country.
