Do you think a city has its own energy, and that its energy is different from that of other cities? I never thought about this, not sure I'd even heard of this idea, until a new friend said that Mumbai has an energy: active, fast, draining, constantly moving... you get the idea. I have never lived in a mega-city (defined as having a population of >15 million people; Mumbai's is 18-20 million) so what do I know about a city's energy? I am quickly learning, and I think she is right!
We have been here about 2 months now, and it has been consistently hectic the whole time. Is it Mumbai's energy? Is it the contrast of living in a/any big city after two years on an island in the Caribbean? Is it that the pace at work is incredibly fast, demanding, and stressful, and that spills over into the rest of my life? Is it because we just made an international move (i.e. I need to get a grip and stop expecting this to have been easy and leisurely)? Is it the time difference with the U.S. such that we are routinely trying to figure out when it makes sense to connect with family and friends there? Whatever it is, I admit I find myself wishing life would slow down; and well, if it doesn't, I will simply have to learn to cope with it.
The challenges of living in Mumbai can be summed up as follows: traffic at all times (of vehicles and people), the noise (vehicle horns, the building construction next door that goes on 24-6, the apartment upstairs being finished, I could go on), the pollution (I read that breathing the air here is like smoking 20 cigarettes a day... yuck, and yikes!), and the pace at work (so much to do and so little time).
To contrast, here is what I really like or enjoy or appreciate about life in Mumbai:
We have been here about 2 months now, and it has been consistently hectic the whole time. Is it Mumbai's energy? Is it the contrast of living in a/any big city after two years on an island in the Caribbean? Is it that the pace at work is incredibly fast, demanding, and stressful, and that spills over into the rest of my life? Is it because we just made an international move (i.e. I need to get a grip and stop expecting this to have been easy and leisurely)? Is it the time difference with the U.S. such that we are routinely trying to figure out when it makes sense to connect with family and friends there? Whatever it is, I admit I find myself wishing life would slow down; and well, if it doesn't, I will simply have to learn to cope with it.
The challenges of living in Mumbai can be summed up as follows: traffic at all times (of vehicles and people), the noise (vehicle horns, the building construction next door that goes on 24-6, the apartment upstairs being finished, I could go on), the pollution (I read that breathing the air here is like smoking 20 cigarettes a day... yuck, and yikes!), and the pace at work (so much to do and so little time).
To contrast, here is what I really like or enjoy or appreciate about life in Mumbai:
- Mostly set work hours. There is a lot to do but management understands that we also have lives and families. So, we work hard all day and then we go home at a decent hour.
- An SUV and a driver. You know I am not an SUV person (and neither is M). Yet one of the best decisions we have made is having an SUV here. And while M wants to drive (he has already, after we got our licenses last week), I will do my utmost not to. It makes me appreciate our driver all the more.
- Fans/dehumidifiers/air conditioners - using 2 out of 3 will go a long way to reducing that outside noise I mentioned above. Perhaps the day will come when I will be tired of this "white noise" too but not yet.
- Really good household help. She cooks, she cleans, she takes initiative, she has a great attitude, and she is great with S. She is a keeper.
- Anything can be delivered to the house! To go along with this concept, you can run a tab with almost anyone... I love saying, "just put it on my tab."
- Regular ordering & deliveries straight to my flat: milk, newspaper, veggies & fruits, bread & eggs, fresh coconuts (for coconut water)...
- The reality check. No matter how hard things may seem, how tired I may be, how frustrated I am about something, I simply have to look outside to be reminded that I have it SO MUCH BETTER than millions of people. Whatever it is that has me down, at least I have the resources to deal with it. It doesn't mean I can't or won't complain... but it does mean that in my own mind, there's a limit to how much I should do that. I have started looking into organizations to support to help with the needs around me, and I cannot wait to get involved.
1 comment:
Fantastic! I can't imagine living in a mega-city. I had no idea that Mumbai had a population of 20 million. Just never thought about it. It sounds both thrilling and overwhelming. Amazing life experience.
Post a Comment