Life in Dubai

I have some really fond memories of Dubai. My dad had a job there so I practically spent half my childhood in Dubai. It is an eclectic mix of various cultures. It’s the people that make Dubai what it is. Dubai is a great example of what can be achieved if we really put our mind to it; after all, it is a world-class city built on a desert. The rate of development in Dubai is insane, and that’s putting it mildly. Everyone lived a comfortable life and resources were plenty.

I used to love my school there, it was one of the best and I had quite a few good friends too. Dad had a great job, and life was good. We had some nice people as our family friends. We would go on road trips, have barbecue weekends and cricket matches; needless to say, it was a lot of fun. Dubai has the best brands of the world and a solid infrastructure. The people were courteous and safety or getting any help was never an issue. There was nothing more that one could possibly ask for.

In Dubai I used to get a summer vacation in August-September so we used to come down to Mumbai, where all our relatives stayed. My cousins would always come to receive us, and the questions that they would ask me, often revolved around whether I like Mumbai or Dubai better. I would always say I liked them equally because I couldn’t really choose.  I used to always get overwhelmed by the number people that I would see, in just a glance. Seeing that many people together in Dubai meant going to the shopping festival.

Looking back, I realise that coming down to India was my favourite part of the year. There’s something so nice about Mumbai that I just felt like I belonged here. Mumbai always felt like home, I don’t know whether it was because of the extended family here or something else, but I knew I wanted to be here.  Going back to Dubai used to be difficult; because it meant saying goodbye to my relatives for a year.  I used to especially miss all my cousins after going back to Dubai; so much that once, I actually flew down to India again within just a month of having gone back. Mumbai used to be fun for me with all the festivities and friends to celebrate them with. The only time I used to play some real children’s games would be in India.

In 2000 my parents finally felt that it’s time to go home. I was asked whether I would like to settle down in Mumbai and I was more than happy to oblige. It was decided that we would move back to India. It’s now been 13 years that I have been living in Mumbai. Yes, I miss living in Dubai, but that’s just natural. I’m glad that we finally came home. The one thing I find very special about this place is that, neighbours here leave their doors open. Back in Dubai we wouldn't even know our neighbours. Dubai is glamorous and bright, India is warm and colourful. There’s no where I would rather be...

Where else would I be?

I'm a Bombay guy who has spent almost half his life in Dubai. I have spent most of my childhood in Dubai and there are no faults I can point out in that city (the extreme heat perhaps?). The fondest memories I have of those times are about visiting Mumbai during the summer vacation in Dubai. It used to be especially fun coming down during that period because it’d be the ‘rainy season’ (as I would call it). That was also the time of the Ganesh utsav. It is a festival celebrating the coming home of Lord Ganesh. Everyone comes together in a perfect unison during the festival; Bombay’s on a different high.

  

I believe we 'Mumbaikars' live in a city of contrast. This island city has the tallest buildings and tiny hutments too. This is a city where you can enjoy a 7 course meal and a 12 rupee Vada Pav equally, that's the Bombay spirit. The people here have an attitude which is rare to find, and I assure you, I have met a lot of people. These are the kind of people who report to work a day after an incident of severe flooding without having any complaints.

Mumbai is a city and Bombay is an emotion-as they say. There's something so magical about this place that it cannot really be justified with words. Yes, the city of dreams has fulfilled and broken thousands of dreams, it has seen it all.

Everyone has heard about travelling in the local trains; yes, it's a task, a pretty huge one. But, the very same people who might push and shove you in the trains will definitely come out on the streets to help others in times of need. Bombay is a city where you won't really get time to stop and stare, but if you do, you'll realize how beautiful this place is. You have to be a part of it and experience it, because no matter how much you read about it, you'll never fully understand it.

If Bombay were a person, it'd be a mother who lovingly welcomes guests into her home, and patiently tries to feed everyone with love and care. It's no wonder then, that the 'ai' in Mumbai has been derived from Aai, which directly translates to "mother" in Marathi.

Bombay is gorgeous, amazing, and unpredictable, it'll give you back generously; it just depends on how receptive you are. I promise you, once you fall in love with Bombay, you'll never fall out of it.