When it comes to Bombay, I’m a patriot. This city has taught me a lot. I like to think of this place as a wonderful combination of wild Africa & the materialistic west. Trust no one, always be working and improving on your own goals, don’t hesitate to step on the other guy, enjoy life to the maximum & get whatever nice things you want for a price. These core values of success are inbuilt in most Mumbaikars.
We have everything here for a price. From Hummer & lamborghinis to nano, rolex to timex & jholex. The beauty of capitalism & the free market can be witnessed here. From the rickshaw/taxi guys trying to rip off out of towners to the girls & waiters at "ladies bars" trying to squeeze you out of your last dime.
Grit, glitz & crime; this city has a lot of style. You can see a sportscar and a malnourished naked child begging on the same street. It is truly survival of the fittest. Only here do people have the audacity to run up a bill for thousands or lakhs of rupees at any establishment and tip the waiter Rs.20-50.
The semi educated and yet very enterprising, call center workers, the middle/service class, uptight executives & "professionals", the bollywood crowd, teenage bhais, rockers, hip hoppers, posers, dopers, esco*t services, our beloved policemen who allow us to exercise the power of money while keeping crime rates officially low, the real money-making businessmen, established criminals, politicians - We have them all! Each of us do our bit in keeping this city running. Organized chaos at it’s best.
Who cares if there are a lot of potholes or that roads are constantly dug up. Get a bike if you hate waiting in traffic. Besides, traffic is drastically reduced during the night time. The pros far outweigh the cons. Where else in this country are you going to get to do pretty much anything you want at any time, and the people are so understanding as long as you pay them well. This is honest capitalism at it’s best.
I love this city & will definitely have a base here all my life. This is hell but I have grown to love it. An out of towner may not like this city as there’s nothing awe inspiring about it. But for those of us used to this place, there is hardly anything else like it. There is a saying in hindi that money hangs in the air in bombay, you just need to reach out & grab it.
Good luck