Booming Bombay... or to be political correct; Mumbai.

After bumping into a few familiar faces in Delhi, even people I met here on my last trip in March, I took the overnight express to Mumbai. Just in time, because it started raining in Delhi and the temperature dropped. Winter is coming and in december it will be cold, or at least India-cold. So the train took 17 hours but for the first time in my life I traveled first class. Yep, first class! That is... Indian first class. Do I need to explain more? Our second class seating train is cleaner and more modern than this first class express sleeper. But it was comfortable. They bring you your food, make your bed and when I asked if there was any chance of maybe smoking a cigarette at the next stop, the first class manager adviced me to just take it to the bathroom and smoke through the window. Yep, first classers can do just about anything! But I don't like them. They are the rich and they act like it. I got stuck in a compartment with a mom and her son and a man, woman and their daughter. The mom alone was just so stuck up... I wanted to slap her in the face. She was friendly to me, being a western and because her 4-year old son kept climbing on my lap... indicating he really liked me, he even fell asleep on my shoulder, but she was rude to the staff and even to the other passengers. Apparently her father is some big-shot businessman in Delhi. Pfff, see if I care! The family was friendly, but you could see they stayed in the background because the other woman was 'more' than them. Bizar, how you feel the difference in casts more in this first class train then in any other place. Here, the rules are still applied. He who is more... has the power! So maybe next time I'll take second class again. The difference in price and comfort is not that big, but the people are a bit more open and relaxed. I did sleep well and arrived in Mumbai on sunday morning.
WAW!!! I love Mumbai! I checked in to the perfect hotel. It's in a hip neighborhood, Colaba, and I have a room on the fourth floor with a window facing the sea and the Gateway of India. It's the cheapest place in Mumbai (12 euro/night) but clean, with satellite TV in the room and the communal bathrooms are new and get cleaned every hour. The manager is friendly and helpful and everybody in Mumbai keeps assuring me how safe this city is! Yep, I feel good!
Mumbai is the Indian version of New York. You've got the old colonial architecture; both from the Brits and the Portuguese. You've got modern theater and museums, galleries. You've got markets, cozy little boutiques and the big shops with brands going from Only till Dior. You've got street food and fancy restaurants and this morning I had breakfast in a pastry shop... chocolate-mousse-cake... mmmmmmmmm!! It has everything and I'll be staying here at least till Friday. It does get really hot in the afternoon, but that's the perfect time to go into a museum or go to the cinema like I did the first day I was here. The mornings you visit the city and in the early evening you can stroll along the Colaba Causeway right down by the sea. I know I sound like an advertisement but believe me, if you spent the same amount of money you would spent on a week New York, you'll be treated like royalty here! 
Of course, Mumbai, just like New York, is scarred. The bombings left their mark. Tourism is down and security is high everywhere. The Taj hotel where the bombings took place is just in my street and there is no getting in or out without leaving you passport and going through a scanner. Even cars get turned inside out before they are allowed in. You don't think about it when you just walk around, but it's in Mumbaikers minds all the time. They talk about it openly and they tell you about their experiences.
My first confrontation was when I went to the cinema. You know, how they show you a sign at the beginning to put out your mobile and don't be too loud and in case of fire go to the exit... well, the first image here was to tell us: " In case of an explosion, please remain calm and assist police as much as possible..." Uhhh? WHAT? But then, this is daily reality here in Mumbai. They're scared it will happen again and they try to incorporate this fear into their daily lives. Amazing how they handle it! Makes me love them even more! ;-)
One more thing about Mumbai, it is the capital of the movie industry in India, including Bollywood. And yes, the scouts wander the streets and asked me if I could be an extra. Ha! Yep, in a real Bollywood-movie... and we would get costumes and make-up, and food and drinks, and they would pick us up at the hotel and drop us off, and we would get payed 500 roepies. So I went yesterday and well, all of it is true... but Indian-true. That means, ahum...
First of all... it wasn't a Bollywood-movie, but a second rate Indian soap with unknown actors that act as if they are better than the rest while they actually can't act at all, the male lead part is played by "Oliver" half Indian, half German and his arm muscles compensate his lack of brain muscles, the female lead smiles all the time with her mouth showing big white teeth, but her eyes are shooting fire, and she is constantly surrounded by 6 people to do her hair and make-up, and to top it all this soap is new and this is the pilot they are making to show the channel after which they will decide whether it will be shown on TV or not, so maybe they will just throw this away and for the actors there will be no big break through!! Ha!
Second... this was a night club scene in New York and all the girls had to wear dresses, the kind we in the West would never wear except maybe if your name is Paris Hilton, I refused to wear a mini-dress and so they made me a waitress with jeans and black shirt. The make up was there consisting of one lipstick and props were an over-sized eighties bracelet and earrings. When someone didn't want to put it on, they said it was to show the West.. Huh? We ARE the West and if we say that we wouldn't wear that shit, than the WEST it not like they think it is... so much for reality! No wonder all Indians think we're sluts! It's television making them think that!
Third... we didn't get breakfast although we were there at 7 in the morning, but had to wait till 2 o'clock to get lunch. The pick up was a crap bus that picked us up and dropped us off at McDonalds and it started at 7 in the morning and we didn't get back till 10 at night.
So yes, what they promise is maybe true... but Indian style! ;-)
But you know what... I had a blast. Me and some of the other extra's just laughed with the whole situation and it was good to meet all those people. Some are students in Pune where I'll be going next, so I can meet up with them. We made fun of just about everything and played our own little roles. It's an experience and I had fun, that's all that matters. Or maybe... yes, I almost forgot... I got upgraded! Yep, me! The waitress became the barmaid, friendly colleague of the main character, and when she gets off work she comes to say bye to me and I have to say it back... "bye" with a big smile! Joehoe, I got a part, a speaking part!! Yep, I should be on the credits: "bye-girl: Emma De Spiegelaere"! And it wasn't the assistant director, but the director himself that came to give me instructions. Haha, I'm a star! :-D
Well, this star has to go now, the streets of Mumbai calling! x