GQ

I am not an expert for brand building, certainly not one of this fine publication's readers, perhaps not even part of its target group. Nevertheless,  I could not help the feeling that there may be some kind of discrepancy between the desired brand image and the reality of promoting it on the ground when I saw this a few weeks ago in South Bombay. Anyway, Gentlemen's Quarterly is here. 

There is an India outside Bombay...

and it is nicer, more quiet, less polluted and, all in all, less insane.

This blog has not died a silent death, I am just reluctant to go on photo safaris in the intense heat of the last weeks. Last weekend, however, we left Bombay by car, had a look at Ajanta & Ellora Caves, and popped into Nasik on our way back. 

Dr. Ambedkar in a small town in Maharashtra:

Men and Machines - Dahisar, Mumbai, 06.09.08

Horn OK Please

Dangers and Safety Nets

Again, no pictures, sorry.

As per the Times of India count of Monsoon related deaths in Mumbai (154 this rainy season and counting), this fine city saw 12 dengue victims and 46 malaria cases admitted to hospitals within 24 hours. That in itself is nothing unusual. Dengue, Malaria and Chikungunya are simply not funny; all three are around, and all three are transmitted by mosquitos.

This, together with the observation that there were more and more mosquitos in my place and that I already had a fair number of bites, was reason enough for me to venture out and try to procure a net to put over my bed. Strangely enough, I drew a complete blank. Not a single shop I visited was able to sell me a mosquito net, even more, all these shopowners did not really understand my point. Why would anybody want to have one? Firangi whimp...

I can only speculate why Bombay's consumers simply can't be bothered. It may be what I consider a rather distorted perception of risks to one's life and limb in general, or it may be that these people are simply to preoccupied with, well, perhaps Dhat Syndrome (you will have to check this out!).

Eventually, it was the internet that saved my life: www.kwalitynets.com (run by an extremely helpful Mr. Prakash Kajaria) tailored me an excellent box-shaped net within 48 hours and delivered it to my office for a total of Rs. 1,600/-.

I can only hope that my fellow lost souls, anxiously roaming the streets of Bombay and the pages of the www in desperate attempts to get some mesh betwen their mortal coils and the vectors of death, find this link and Prakash - he deserves it.

An Italian in Bombay

If you want the full story of this car, read this. If not, just look at these pictures of a Lamborghini Gallardo(?) being transported Indian style and weep with me. Sure, I have very few sympathies with the owner, yes, I agree that Bombay is not an appropriate habitat for this vehicle, yes, I also agree that this is nothing compared to the human suffering on the same streets every day, but, please, see what they are doing to this car...

Pictures stolen from the Times of India and Mumbai Mirror, who seem to have stolen them from someone with a mobile phone. 

12.08.08 - Andheri Subway, Andheri, Mumbai

A fairly benign accident which caused some considerable traffic disruption at Andheri Subway, which is a bad spot on any given day. The poor fellow with his Apé *almost* got through, passed the first 5 or 6 beams, but then failed the final one by a few millimetres. 

To fully appreciate the pictures, I suppose you must try to visualise the course of this mishap in slow motion. 

News from the Neighbours

Due to unfavourable weather conditions, no pictures this weekend. Instead, a rather impressive story from the neighbourhood which teaches us something about relationships, fidelity, hairdressers in general and, after all, good cooking: "I would have finished the food that she had cooked for me if I had time"

02.08.08 - Gilbert Hill, Andheri (W), Mumbai

Very close to my office, I found this somewhat underrated natural monument. Surprisingly, Wikipedia has something to say about it. I appreciate that this a horrible picture, but it is the best shot I could get at it from the neighbourhood below:

From the top, you have a good view at the surrounding area, which consist of, well, primarily slums like this. The blue plastic is the true colour of monsoon in Bombay. 

But on the hill itself, there lies an island of tranquility and green with a temple, chicken and an extremely nice gentleman who lives there and who is rather concerned that you do not drop to your death. 

13.07.08 - Businesses in Versova Village

(this post was somehow cannibalised previously, here are the pictures re-posted)

13.07.08 - Ferry to Madh Island, Versova, Mumbai

13.07.08 - Versova, Mumbai

Versova is still very much a fishing village - with fishermen eagerly awaiting the end of the monsoon break on 15th August. There are, however, few concessions to the western concept of a picturesque beach...

29.06.08 - Ghanteshwar Temple, Khar

Dedicated to Hanuman, this is where you leave a bell if your wishes are fulfilled. Seems to work quite well.
And just around the corner, I found this little scene:

Flowers

For those who find the traffic observations too dark, cynical and depressing, here are today's flower market pictures to make up for it:

Travelling - a half-hearted excuse and some additions

In a previous post, I called the B.E.S.T. buses "Evil Things". This may be a somewhat distorted view, as I recently learned that they only kill 40 people per year. In Bombay, that is. This is a mere percent of what the trains do. Ok, then.

Indian road traffic, by the way, produces more than 100,000 fatalities in a year - more than Malaria, Aids and TB together, and more traffic victims than in any other country on this planet.

An then, just when you thought that air travel would provide a safe alternative, this story leaks out.

The Cultural Centre of Russia...

... is, in case you ever look for it, not quite inside Russia. It seems to lie, like the centre of gravity of some oddly shaped objects, outside its political and geographical boundaries: On Pedder Road, Mumbai, India, in fact.

28.06.08 - Dhobi Ghats, near Mahalaxmi Station, Mumbai

Mumbai's open-air launderette and home to a sizeable community of people who deal with laundry for a living - the Dhobis.

19.06.08 - Andheri (W), Mumbai

Public Transport

Before getting into the matter of the great auto rickshaw, here are some other means of public transport: 

Trains. For risks and side effects, see the previous post and also this article in today's Times of India. 

B.E.S.T. buses. Evil things. 

And taxis. They come in two flavors: the basic, black and yellow Padmini, and the air-conditioned, blue and silver Cool Cabs. Here is a non-A/C one: 

13.06.08 - Deepa Bar, Vile Parle, Mumbai

Some things seem to go with a bang, others just slowly dissolve...
For some of the colourful stories surrounding Deepa Bar, see this or that. As to the general concept of a Bombay Dance Bar, read Suketu Mehta's "Maximum City".

For your own decorative scooter see BAJAJ, who also make fabulous auto rickshaws.
Actually, I had to learn that the old Vespa-based Chetak is no longer built. I will have to write a post on the auto rickshaw...