Cities I have lived in. Part I

All my previous posts have been related to the equity markets. Boring for some, though fascinating for me. So now let me talk about INDIAN cities and how they have their own charm. I have had the fortune to live in four “metro” type cities in India. Loved every bit of it! Let’s start in Chronological Order (by dates) –

1.       Hyderabad – Very earthy charm. I stayed in this city for 3 years – completed my MBA here. Stayed in Banjara Hills – one of the poshest areas in the city so maybe I will be biased. What I liked about Hyderabad -   

a.       Very earthy charm, has the nawabi feel to the entire city

b.      Lovely roads, very few potholes, clean streets devoid of speed breakers mostly. Decent traffic, though bad drivers all across esp auto wallahs, but I guess that is universal eh?

c.       FOOD! Amazing food – Biryani, Tala Gosht, Patthar Gosht, Khubani ka meetha, Haleem, mini pans, mirchi, osmani biscuits, sweet irani tea…I could go on and on

d.      Lingo – I looove hydrabadi bataan! They have an idyllic twang to it which is infectious….aye haye….aisa kaisa!

e.      Hospitality – Hyderabadis are extremely good hosts! They may be fake at times but no denying their hospitality and mehmaan nawazi. Thumbs up for that!

f.        Places – Film City, Necklace Road, outskirt locations all pretty foor

Things I did not like

g.       Weather – extremely dry and hot during summers. But then, that’s God’s wish right? Nothing poor hyderabadis can do

2.       Mumbai – The city of dreams, maximum city! I stayed here for 7 long years, perhaps my longest stint at any place. Work beckoned me here and how I loved it! Stayed in all parts right from New Bombay (Nerul) to tony Napean Sea Road (Nr Malabar Hills) to Middle class Dadar (w). Bombay (I prefer to call it that!) is a mini country – you have a mini Tamil Nadu in Chembur/Matunga, mini Punjab in Sion Kholiwada…you get the gist! Things I liked

a.       Extremely professional people, no time waste, no hang ups unlike Delhi wallahs!

b.      Best policing in India – the traffic cops towed my vehicle thrice and fined me upteen times. Nowhere else in India have I ever been caught! Ever! Forget being caught for “smaller” offences like crossing the white line at the signal or changing lanes at the last moment, hats off to Mumbai Traffic Police!

c.       Best traffic and lane discipline – relatively, India’s most sensible drivers reside in Mumbai. They follow their lanes and do not break in between. Makes a world of a difference while driving

d.      Best infrastructure – Amazing roads, no power cuts, no water shortage (atleast where I stayed). Gotta hand it to BMC!

e.      Things to do – you never run out of options. Juhu Beach, Marine Drive, Worli Sea Face, Joggers Park, nearby destinations like Lonavla, Mahabaleshwar, Mandwa, Alibaug.

f.        FOOD! The best variety in India! Any region food you get it all here. Even Kashmiri and NE Cuisine! Best I liked were Sarvi Kebabs in Nagpada, Soup & Salad buffet at Jazz, Marine Drive, Biryani at Jaffer Bhai’s Delhi Durbar, Raan at Persian Durbar, Vada Pav near Kirti College, Bhutta at Marine drive in the rain, Golden Thaali, Sabudana Wada n Kothimiri Wadi at Prakash in Dadar…Kheema Pav at Olympia…Berry Pulav at Brittania…sigh…the list can go on and on but that’s a separate entry

g.       Best mass transit system – the trains are damn efficient and take you anywhere with minimum fuss, if you can bear hundreds of bodies pressed against you! Very efficient service and 99% on time, local trains are a boon for the insane travel distances in Bombay

h.      Energy – full of life, always on. The City never sleeps. And everyone from the taxi wallah to the nukkad ka chai wallah is very astute and smart. Knows how to keep a customer happy.

i.         Lot of culture – Walk by Fort on a Sunday (its less crowded then!) or Colaba, you will feel the old world charm! And imagine staying in the same city where Sachin, Shah Rukh and Ambanis stay!

Bad things

a.       Traffic – Despite the lane discipline and the good roads, it’s a pain to drive long distances in Bombay. Never ending traffic and long distances contribute to road rage

b.      Disturbances – I will be politically incorrect here. Lot of Marathi versus the world fights and everyone takes up a cudgel. Be it MNS or Shiv Sena, causes lot of irritation. I was in the midst of the Local Train blasts and the attack on Taj & Hilton (our office is right next door). Lot of mental pressure then

c.       Rains – Crazy rains throw life out of gear especially if you are an office goer. Endure mindless traffic jams, flooded roads or jammed trains. Not good!

d.      Real Estate – Unaffordable. Enough said. One MAIN reason for me to look for a much higher pay if I work there again to maintain the same lifestyle in other cities. Either pay up or travel 500hrs a day.