RE-VISITING INDIA IN THE US

So we all know how popular curry is in the UK and that Canada and the United States have a huge Indian population. But how often have you seen hand-made posters saying '3 sarees for $100' or 'Buy 2 salwar kameez for $100' and '3 for $90'? These are common sights in India, but rest assured, this does happen in the United States also.
And it's not only in India that you try on the attire you want to purchase in India at a semi-posh store. Lo and behold, if you visit an Indian fair here, at times you will see Indian mothers coaxing their daughters to try a kurta on top of their t-shirt and jeans. If like me, you have lived in India for some time, you will find it interesting to watch how similar people's tendencies can be - despite being brought up in two absolutely different countries.
What really caught my attention is how some people had actually simply heaped their clothes in a big haphazard pile. And men and women sift through them, pick them, look at them from top to bottom, imagine how it would look on them and then just drop in the heap to pick another one. So whether you are in Karol Bagh or a crowded market in Ahmedabad or Santacruz market of Mumbai or at an Indian fair/ mela in the US, the common threads of shopping are woven strong and deep to travel across continents. And then comes the food part. That too is replicated a la Indian style. Bottles of Limca and Thums Up are just kept in big-tall containers with ice.
What attracts me to these Indian fairs is getting an opportunity to see these unique things - how some really basic Indian characteristics are there, along with the westernized theme - like 'Learn Punjabi or Kannada or Gujarati in 30 days'.

The City of Mumbai That Is

When I lived in Mumbai, I used to go home to Baroda almost every fortnight. I used to meet with my friends during the Saturday and Sunday I got and then Sunday night or early Monday morning, I would head back for Mumbai. You know you have entered Mumbai the minute Mira Road station arrived. It’s a different feel altogether. The urgency people have in their steps, the pushing around to rush in the train that arrives every three minutes and the noise – all this and much more tell you that Mumbai has arrived. Whether you are alighting at Borivli, Andheri, Dadar or Mumbai Central station, the situation or rather the chaos is the same. The coolies are jostling to get inside at the same time passengers want to alight and walk towards the exit.
It is chaotic, it is dirty, people do push and you realize how people smell and have a sticky skin, but I still love the city, almost three years after I left it to come to the United States. I became a part of the spirit of Mumbai while I was there and it still lives within me. Mumbai’s made me a more confident, out-spoken person. I learnt one of the most important characteristics inherent to the city – to be street-smart and bindaas. How I love the cool air passing through my hair as I stand next to the compartment door of local trains and the enthusiasm with which the road-side keepers sell their wares – be it fresh vegetables or fruits, or daily home-related things like clothes line, soap bars or even lingerie for that matter.
This is only the beginning of how it feels when you enter this gigantic city. Yet you feel that you are a part of it. Although I have never grown up in Mumbai, I still feel that way. Here’s to the city and the indomitable spirit of it!