Taj Mahal

Speaking of the Taj Mahal Hotel, I wanted to share the lunch buffet I had at the Taj Mahal palace, which is a mixture of Western and Indian foods. The price and presentation are significantly different than the other meals I have had on the trip.  It was nice to have a little indulgence...

Bollywood Rocks!

Feeling like a Bollywood movie tonight? Check out Chillar Party, a family film about A gang of innocent but feisty kids who lead carefree lives in Chandan Nagar colony. They take on the big bad world of politics when one of their friend's life is endangered. Reminds a little bit of the Sandlot. Check it out!

I found this wonderful perfume shop right next to the Taj Mahal palace. The perfumes here are made with real flowers by perfumers whose families have been in the perfume business for generations. It's a hole in the wall shop that can easily be missed if you don't look hard. Its about the size of a closet, but it's a charming place with lots of character. I made friends with the owner of the shop. We started talking about Indian culture and the observations foreigners point out. One of those observations (which I also pointed out) is that in India, friends hold hands with each other. Holding hands is not seen as romantic, but rather a display of close friendship. The shop owner told me how funny it was to him that almost all of the foreigners he engages with tell him this.

Another interesting conversation I had with him was about the terrorist attacks in 2008. I asked if he was at the shop when the incident happened. He told me that he was at home and heard about the attacks on the news. Everyone in the city was advised to stay home. He mentioned this was hard for many business owners especially those who owned shops in the tourist area (by the Taj). People didn't go to work for about a week. 

Connecting to the modern world

I can see why Kim has chosen to come to live in India. The economy is growing and because of this there is a lot of opportunity here. I've heard from several people that many are optimistic about the future, a feeling that seems to be missing these days in the US. As proof of the optimism, there are around 700 NGO's created in India everyday. Today, I visited an elementary school located in a Central Mumbai slum called Reay Road. 

Stefano, a client from Kim's work, showed us around the slum. Stefano works for an NGO called Corp, whose mission is to teach children basic computing skills. He teaches them in English, which most do not understand in the beginning, but eventually will pick up. I found out today that English is becoming a more common way to communicate in India and many of the poor do not complete enough school to learn basic English. These two skills that Stefano teaches, computing and English, gives these kids a chance to connect to the modern world.

Ink Fruit

Interested in Indian designed and screen printed t-shirts? Ink Fruit is the indian version of threadless.

Laughter yoga

One of the best experiences I have had so far is participating in Laughter yoga. If this entices you, you might want to check if there is a laughter club near you. At 6:00 this morning, Kim and I met the laughter group across from the local park. Most of the group consists of Indian senior citizens.

When we started it was still dark outside. We did a lot of basic stretches for a good portion of the time. It wasn't until it became light that the group incorporated laughing into the exercises. However, when we laughed we had to do it silently. I guess the laughter club used to laugh quite loudly until the neighbors complained too much. Now they just laugh to themselves, but I guess it still does the job. At the end, Kim and I were pulled into the middle (because we were newcomers) and were given the “gift of laughter”, which meant getting high tens from the crowd. Following the ceremony, tea and biscuits were served. It was a nice way to start out the morning.

Shopping

I spent the day shopping today. This is probably one of my favorite things to do in another country. Most of the stuff you can buy in the street you can probably buy back home, Indian jewelry, purses, sandals, figurines, etc. The only difference is the price, here it is cheaper. Finding something unique can be more difficult if you don't know where to go. Before I left, I looked up Design Sponges city guide to Mumbai. I like to look at their guides before traveling to another city. I recommend it to anyone traveling and who appreciates design.

If you ever get a chance to travel to Mumbai I recommend these places to check out. They are all in the same area, right near the Taj Mahal Palace in Colaba, Mumbai.

Bungalow Eight -
One of the fanciest looking of these three, they carry Indian designer clothing, accessories, jewelry, and house goods. The interior space alone is inspirational, makes for a fun shopping experience. This store is located on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd floors of this building.

Good Earth -
This place carries fun linens, stationary, baby products, and housegoods. A lot of these products looked western (compared to the products on the street), but with an indian flare.

Bombay Electric -

Out of these three stores this one is the most "hip". They carry mostly clothing and accessories. I bought a beautiful pair of earrings here. Most of the items in the store are designed by Indian designers.