These Are A Few Of My Favourite Things (in Mumbai)

Now that we’re leaving the Maximum City, I thought I’d share a few gems in case any of you are lucky enough to find yourselves in probably the most fascinating city on earth:

1. Britannia: For fabulous Parsi food and a great atmosphere, especially the elderly owner who orders for you on your first visit. As well as the obligatory berry pilao, try the raspberry soda, a Parsi favourite.
2. Kyani: Another fabulous Parsi joint, this time a tea and cake shop. Great rose flavoured milk shakes. Very old school charm.
3. Chamomile: A delicious shop in Bandra selling a great range of Indian designed dresses – pricey normally but brilliant pre-monsoon sales.
4. Good Earth: Sigh. Home stuff shopping heaven, with a lovely cafe to boot. Perfection. I have spent far too much here during our time in Mumbai but do not regret it AT ALL!!!!! There are rumours it may be going online. Watch out if it does. It is SO great.
5. Banganga Tank: A wonderful hidden gem of tranquil space close to Malabar Hill.
6. Tea at the Sea Lounge, Taj Palace Hotel: Possibly the best afternoon tea on the planet. As well as cucumber sandwiches and cakes, a selection of dim sum and other yummy Asian foods are served. I wish we were going to be here when it reopens in Sept 09 following the terrorist attacks.
7. Indigo Deli: Best place for cheese in the south of the city and  a great restaurant for those occasions when you crave western food.
8. Dome: It may be a cliché but it really is the best place in town to watch the sunset over the Arabian Sea.
9. Aarey Dairy Colony: Green and peaceful – feels more like you are in the middle of the countryside than the middle of the city. Try to find someone who lives there to visit the buffalo and look for Aarey ice-cream across Mumbai.
10. Art Deco: Whether it is along Marine Drive, by the central Maidan or hidden away in Bandra, there are beautiful art deco buildings just waiting to be discovered. This city could beat Miami hands down if there was just a bit of a preservation effort.
11. Food and juice stand opposite the Bombay Seamen’s Association in Fort (the street parallel to Britannia). The best batata pav in the city. Delicious! Cheap! And wrapped in ship in port pages so you can check out what cargo is coming in and out of the city. For the best sugar cane juice in the city try the stall on the corner opposite Fab India in Fort (not the one right outside it but across the road).
12. Chimanlals – it is probably a very good thing I only found this place recently. It does amazing stationery, cards and wrapping paper. I LOVE it.
13. Haji Ali- there is something just so exotic about that little island Mosque. It looks incredible at sunset.
14. Black and Yellows – I have to psyche myself up each time I have to take one by myself because I hate being ripped off and there are some real rogues driving them but they are just such a quinessential part of the city. I’m not going to forget a very recent balmy night drive through Byculla to our place with a blaring Bollywood soundtrack. It is going to be a real shame if these tiny taxis are phased out. Although probably better for backs, legs and bums across the city given there is normally zero suspension and about 4 inches of leg room.
15. The irreplaceable M, Mrs M and their family – they’ve made such a difference to our stay here and we will miss them very, very much.

Law & Order?

The stout, mustachioed traffic police are one of Mumbai’s many iconic features. If they are not standing in the middle of busy junctions trying to enforce order on the city traffic, they are sitting in the shade or talking on their mobile phones. As the elections approach, rising crime and police conduct mean that the police are facing the glare of the political spotlight once again.
Following the 26/11 terrorist attacks, Mumbai’s police force faced major criticism, and rightly so. In the aftermath of the bombings, reports surfaced that when the shooting started, rather than spring to the defence of helpless citizens, many of the city’s finest literally turned and fled.

Even today, the sheer flood of people using CST (the railway station where most people died during 26/11) means that the metal detectors and 4 officers assigned to carry out random searches on those entering the building  just don’t happen.

Those of you who’ve read Maximum City will know that the police in Mumbai do not exactly have a squeaky clean reputation. Before 26/11, it was common to be stopped and fined for all manner of “traffic offences” during the last 10 days of each month – round about the time when wages run out. For a couple of weeks after the attacks, the police were on best behaviour, enforcing the rules and arresting those attempting to bribe their way out of tickets.

Just yesterday, I saw a policeman deliver a hearty slap across the face to a motorcyclist at the side of the road who was arguing against the fine he was about to receive. Friends of ours caught driving in the city without a licence bribed a traffic officer to let them go. Friends of friends allegedly bribed a judge to get out of serving time at the city’s infamous Arthur Road jail. Drink driving might have been a national sport in Belgium but this is a whole new world. It is disturbing how quickly we as expats have come to accept this as normal and relish the tales of how arrest was avoided.

The Times of India reported today that for every policeman in India, there are 739 citizens. The UN recommended norm is one per every 450 citizens. A poll by the Times reveals that 35% of the population across 10 of India’s major cities believe that “the police inspire fear in the common man and confidence in criminals”. A whopping 74% believe that politicians work with the police to help protect criminals.

Yet despite all this, I’ve never felt remotely unsafe in the city. Overwhelmed, certainly, and definitely alarmed when crowds suddenly materialise to gawk at the goras. Perhaps we’ve been lucky. Perhaps, as expats, we just exist in a different world.