OneYearInBombay

1. Early mornings are very peaceful, unlike evenings that come with a hollow feeling in the stomach.

2. The electrician and the plumber are important people on the phone list.

3. A good STD plan helps.

4. Post-its are more important than toilet paper in the house.

5. There is a lot of charm in roughing it out.

6. The breeze in the city smells not just of fish, it smells of dreams and hopes.

7. Haji Ali gives the best black and white shots and the sun sets most beautifully at Marine Drive.

8. It’s gratifying to make a sunny bright home out of four cold walls.

9. I’ve stopped relating to a lot of people.

10. And I’ve become something I never was - careful.

11. Somewhere along the line, I also became okay with eating alone.

12. Love the character of Todi, Phoenix, and all these other mills.

13. There’s nothing like three months of rain.

14. I’ve learnt that rebate is not just a word that rhymes with debate.

15. The process of evolution is much faster when you live by yourself.

16. I still have to cross the line from missing my friends feverishly to fondly remembering them.

17. You get very little time to feel or think in this city, in that sense Bombay can be a great escape too.

18. I enjoy being the outsider. It’s liberating.

19. My opinions and feelings are no more rigid, black, or white. They are fluid, like the waves.

20. It’s important to keep in touch with yourself, perhaps through music, books, photography, and writing. Otherwise, the chaos of daily life in the city can swallow you.


21. Wish Blue Frog was less steep, Hard Rock less far, and Zenzi less faffy. Enjoy them anyway.

22. Have two lifelines, two best friends. Also, have a few lovely acquaintances in the city. For a drink, or a chat.

23. Roar of the sea during monsoon is almost deafening, it absorbs all the disturbing sounds.

24. Independent is a highly misunderstood word.

25. I breathe a truly hysteric air.