First Sketches

Flying over the Austrian Alps...

Gateway of India (1911, Built by the British)

Ambewadi St. (Near Kotachi Wadi, Mumbai)

Mumbai

So I've been in Mumbai less than week and I've found the cheapest, grimiest hostel in town, learnt a bit of hindi, celebrated Diwali, bought a guitar, seen the sights, and acted in a bollywood movie!

I was pretty nervous before and during the flight, but managed to get some sleep just after seeing the Austrian Alps (incredible) and woke up over the Iraninan deserts. India was, from the moment I got off the plane, an assault on the senses. Even the neighborhood just outside the airport had slums, and I quickly forgot some of my pre-India worries and got lost in a sea of smells, noises, and colours.

I've met a few foreigners staying in the same place as me (Salvation Army Hostel) and also a few Indians, who have been very friendly and easy to talk to. Walking down the street you get a bit harassed by people trying to sell you things, but as soon as you step out of the tourist areas its okay.

In some ways, I didn't think India would be as messed up as it is. Leaving Leopold's after a beer, right in the city centre, the most touristy bar in town, there are people sleeping on the streets with their babies. Its a bit hard to handle. The next day I went to a flashy new mall with all the Western brands, almost empty, and situated right next to a very poor area. It's like stepping into another world.

Diwali was a beautiful chaos of fireworks exploding above, around, and on us! Little kids lighting firecrackers everywhere on Marine Drive, just by the sea. Mumbai sounded like a war zone, and it was the biggest thrill just walking down the street.

So one day a casting agent came to our hostel and recruited some foreigners to be extras in House Full 2, out probably early next year. We got paid 500 rupees (not much) and drove out to Film City, on the outskirts, in a big warehouse where the producers had recreated a London bar, and neded to fill it with some white faces. Needless to say it looked nothing like the UK, chandeliers and drapes all over the place, and we were all given costumes. I got the part of the bartender! Hopefully the scene will be included in the movie.

Mumbai is quite impressive, there are many remnants of English colonialism and many massive, Victorian and Art-Deco style buildings. The little market streets are the most fun though, and I think I'll stay here a bit longer.

Off to explore some more, Happy Diwali to everyone!

Mumbai in 2 Days!

So here's a new blog for a new crazy trip. After a few weeks of planning, I finally received my visa on Wednesday, rushed back to book my flights, and now am just sorting out a few last minute details. I'll have been from Geneva, to Bristol, London, Brighton, and Mumbai in a week!

As I soak in the last western cooking (courtesy of the Gordons) and look up as much as I can about India, I'm aware everything is going to be a massive culture shock, even after my Chinese adventure (www.jonoinchina.blogspot.com). This time there won't be a government firewall, so I should be able to post pictures, and maybe blog more frequently.

I've booked my return for mid-April and bought a big backpack, so I'm expecting to see a fair bit of the country, and come back with a few stories to tell. Hopefully I'll find a few places to settle down for a bit, maybe do some volunteering, so that I'm not moving the whole time. I'm also going to try and do a drawing a day (we'll see).

Ok, next post should be more interesting... so, stay in touch through email... Namaste!