Mumbai to New York: Only a bridge away?

I am simply in the category of thousands of Indians who uprooted themselves from their home in search of new heights of success in the Unites States. I am also one of those who have an inherent desire to return to India in the coming years and finds utmost joy in reading "Return to India" articles. At the same time, I can’t help wondering if traveling over 7800 miles from New York City to aamchi Mumbai will be something like seeing a reflection in the lake, for the two cities fundamentally mirror each other in so many ways.

1. In Mumbai, you will find people from every other state in India. In NYC, you will find people from every other country in the world.

2. Both are big believers in the concept of East and West. The famous train line defines it in Mumbai and Central Park plays the same role for NYC.

3. Financial capitals - one boasts of Wall Street, the other Dalal Street.

4. Cars? Who wants to waste hours traveling in the midst of traffic? Buses and trains - thats the way to go! In spite of that thought, wonder what makes the roads in the two cities so crowded?! And why is parking so hard to find?

5. People, people and more people everywhere. They take pride in the crowd.

6. $2200 per month for a studio in Midtown West, the size of a hole, but it’s a steal. A one bedroom for 1.2 lakhs per month in Nariman Point, again the size of a hole, but it’s a steal.

7. Whether it’s a yellow cab in NYC or an auto in Mumbai, you can find one effortlessly even at the oddest hours of the night. The cities indeed never sleep.

8. Mukesh Ambani and Bill Gates have made it to the #1 richest spots in the world. Yet homeless people are not hard to find on the roads of Mumbai and NYC.

9. Its 3am in the morning and you will find delicious food and coffee not too far from where you are. Not to mention, street food is a popular choice for many in both cities, especially in the wee hours of the night.

10. Both cities are Theater hubs. One captures the hearts of millions with its Broadway and Off-Broadway shows, the other with talented acts in a wide variety of plays.

Like most other Mumbaikers, I would often take pride in saying "There is no place on earth like Mumbai". I would just like to rephrase it and say "There is no place on earth like Mumbai, except New York!”

Mama Mia - Here I go Again....

There must be a zillion articles, posts and reviews on the web that speaks highly of the spectacular broadway show "Mama Mia", but I couldnt resist adding to that list simply because I wanted my excitement to flow straight from the mind to my tapping fingers on the keyboard.

Last evening wasnt the first time I witnessed the magic of a broadway show, but it was the first time I was so captivated by a live performance. It felt as though I was transported to another world for those 2 hours. The story is simple but the narration larger than life - one young girl, brought up singlehandedly by an unmarried mother, is about to get married to her sweetheart at the age of 20. She has no clue who her father is until one day she stumbles upon her mother's diary to discover that she has not one but three possible dad's! With a dream of walking down the aisle with her father, she invites all 3 of them to her wedding. Then begins a tale of confusions, memories, laughter and emotions in the backdrop of ABBA's splendid music.

I was lucky to be seated on the very first row in centre orchestra, so close to the performers that I could see every intricate detail in their expressions. First of all its hard to believe that there are people who can sing melodiously, dance with agility and act flawlessly all at the same time. Secondly, its remarkable how much energy and liveliness they brought to the stage, so much that the audience was impatient to jump out of the seats and dance to the timeless songs!At the end, there is a bonus performance by all cast members to three of the best songs. The sets, lighting and costumes are truly a treat for the eyes.

There might be other broadway shows as good, but Mama Mia is worth every penny and a must see for all ABBA fans!

My strange Youtube weekend!

I am not known for being an idiot box addict, especially when I am in a situation where my roommate moved out and took the TV along with her and I havent bothered to think of buying a new one. It was Saturday afternoon and for some reason I thought of catching up on the latest in Indian television on Youtube. I was thinking more on the lines of bollywood gossip, some popular music videos or interesting interviews but my poor search abilities brought me in front of a serial called 'Choona hai Aasman' on Star One. The name sounded cliched and in spite of holding a preconceived notion of soaps on such channels, I clicked on the Play button.

It was the first episode on October 18th 2007 - the typical introduction episode where the heroine spoke of her family and dreams and the hero's entry was blown out of proportion. I thought of criticisms throughout the half hour and had a laugh at many scenes. The episode got over and Youtube innocently flashed the immediate next episode. Without thinking twice and with very little effort of my fingers, I played the next one and thought of extending my laughter for another few minutes. I repeated this gesture and the next time I looked at the time, it was 2 hours down the day! I looked at the mess in my apartment and the list of to dos for the weekend, but it was only Saturday and things could wait. I kept watching the same serial one after the other, ignoring phone calls and my hunger.

I had some commitments on Saturday night so I reluctantly went out, but the moment I was home, I started watching the serial again. I pretty much did the same thing on Sunday and this time the to do lists were simply ignored by my mind since there were no more excuses I could come up with. I was so captivated by Choona hai Aasman that I finally fell asleep at 2:30am on Sunday night after completing the last episode in December. Today on the first work day of the week, when lack of sleep is killing my motivation to work, I just want to rewind on why I gave up everything to spend my entire weekend on something I never thought of. Here are some possible reasons:-

1. Youtube's marketing strategy worked with me. When the next episode was right in front of me and was only a click away, why would I ever stop?!
2. The serial had a different theme. It was about airforce and not a love story.
3. The heroine's character was not that of a woman who cries and makes sacrifices like in all Indian soaps. She signified courage, determination, will power and a never say die attitude. Also, the hero was unbelievably good looking!
4. The whole concept of not having to watch any ads and not waiting till next day to reveal the suspense of the previous episode was the first I had experienced.
5. Addiction can come in forms other than cigarettes and alcohol.