Beautiful Mini World !: Incredible India !

A Life In Big City

(La vie dans grande ville)

Traffic in market at night

Everywhere people

I, being a resident of a small country’s small city, it is obvious to be surprised and strange while experiencing life in a big metropolitan cities. Though metro-cities are full of everything, one finds emptiness in him or her in everyday life in such cities.

It is very strange that one falls into such a life style that one has no control over it. Life moves on and you have no other choice than following it or be left behind. It may not take long time for any new comer to fall in that trap.

Evening market life

Right from early morning a unique life pattern starts which I would like to term as ‘Robot-life’. Yes, it is very close and right word to express a real city life. I categorize people of big cities in generally few categories like – service holders, business people, students, workers, housewives and wanderers.

The mechanism that keeps on running the system in big cities is very strange and non-understandable as well to normal people. It does not matter which category people fall into but everyone’s life is like ‘Get up, stand up, and fight for your life’ – mission.

Government service- holders, private job holders, students, businessmen and general people start rushing from early in the morning. Anyone can be wandering where all these people coming from and where they are going to – while watching people’s moment every day. No one cares about anybody. People seem to be so self-centered. It is not their fault at all; but that’s the way it goes on here.

I, being a watcher and having not engaged in city life, have had numerous opportunities to watch city people and experience their life style. I am like a be watcher here. I am not engaged in service of any sort of job nor am I a student. Neither do I have to do anything with business, nor am I a citizen of this country. I am just a traveler and am here for my sojourn in this country.

But my short stay here has made me familiar with so many experiences; they are simply remarkable and great.

Having breakfast on street

Enjoying snacks on streed

Eating on street is a common practice in big city

As daily life starts by grabbing whatever available for breakfast at home or on street followed by journey to destinations by various means of transportation like own vehicle, public buses, metro, and so on here, you can see a real example of contraction and expansion in public transportation system.

One needs to have gut to hang on buses

A bus or train or metro can take as many people in as available at bus stand or metro station. People get sandwiched everywhere. They get contracted while they are in public means of transportation. But at destination the volume of people expands in such a way that one could hardly believe that they all came out from the same unit of transport. Crowd gets dispersed and scattered in a haphazard way like a bunch of ants has been disturbed by something. The movements are so radical and impatient that a new comer gets stunned everywhere watching such activities.

People coming out of CST Station in Mumbai

Coming out of local trains in Mumbai

Waiting for bus at a Bus Stand is a part of daily life

Trying to get off from a Metro

Trying to get in Metro

If you get lost or want to know direction you want to go, you will be surprised when you approach people for help. Few things you will experience will be; firstly, no one has time to guide you. People wear very good and expensive watches but none has time. In case by miracle if anybody helps you trace your direction, they will say “ I don’t know. Go ahead and ask someone else.” If you happen to meet very serious people they will show you any direction they like. You can imagine what an awkward situation you will find yourself in. If you decide to rely on auto rickshaw or taxi or rickshaw pullers, they will insist you to use their transportation in order to let you reach your destination.

By the way, if you decide to rely on yourself by following a map of guide book in your hand, then very obviously you will be noticed by hungry-eyed people. You will become a ‘point of target’ for them and soon you will find yourself a midst them.

Though this city is big one and millions of people live here, you would be surprised to know that how lonely people are in this big city. Everyone is feeling lonely and one can get lost in this city very easily. It is strange, is not it? Yes, although it sounds strange, it is true that everyone is alone here. Because, normally about 70% of the population here belong to other states or cities and most of them are without their families here.

Everywhere people

To be alone in crowds is very strange experience but it is very common and one can feel it very much in big city like this easily. You have yourself only in place like this - what a reality!

For people coming from small cities, it would really be a shocking experience. But, in the course of time, one becomes a part of the system automatically willingly or unwillingly. One got to be part of this society and becomes a component of it. What a life it is. One comes to realize very often – almost every now and then.

One gets confused in the beginning to accept the life style and practices as well. It is strange in various ways. For example, when you come to realize that it is a country answer of any question is given in a question. Sounds funny no? But, slowly you will realize it.

When you ask someone “What is the time?” “Why do you need that?” “Where do you have to go?” will be generally followed. If you ask, “What do you have for lunch?” You will be asked “What do you want?” we have rice and rot.” “Does a bus number 485 stop here?” You might hear “Where do you have to go?” “Yes, it does stop here.”

You must be thinking I am joking but it is real and especially when someone comes to India for the first time, it would be very strange experience and one would be confused most of the times. Yes, It is really a ‘wonderland’. Further you get shocked to know that it is perhaps the only country where distance is measured or expressed n terms of time.

What? Yes, you heard it correctly. Upon asking any place like “How far is Connaught Place?”

Most probably you are likely to hear “It is 20 minutes away.” “How far is the nearest post office?” People would respond “Very close. Just 5 minutes far.” After hearing such answers, I am sure that you would believe the facts as I have mentioned above.

To experience strange and abnormal things, moments and issues, I think one should visit India. You will have lifetime remarkable memories from here. In reality, India is really ‘Incredible India’ – as proclaimed by the tourism department. India is full of fantasies, myths, and incredible moments and so on. One got to be here to witness its offerings and experience them to their full extent. Wonderful, incredible and daydreaming country and existed anywhere else in this world.

Human train crossing river

A very unique and full of diversities! It is said that the taste of water and culture change in every ten miles (of course, one can imagine the physical size of this country). Yes, paani and vaani (dialect) change in every ten miles of distance. It is estimated that over about 1,000 dialects are spoken in the whole country. Wow!

Apart from that it is one of the colourful cities where people of various neighboring states live in a harmony. City celebrates different cultural aspects to respect various people’s ethnic heritages. The majority of religious reflects Hindu mythology. An overwhelming response from this religion is widely seen and experienced in general.

Great festivals like ‘Dussehra’ and 'Diwali') are celebrated with an enormous enthusiasm and great entertainment - almost throughout the country. But cities manifest symbolically but with great interest. Festive seasons are observed in possible high attention and great respect among the devotees in every religion. This is really a beauty of joy. Festive seasons are worth experiencing as they could be a lifetime experience for strangers and foreigners who come from different world with different religious backgrounds.