first impressions

Mumbai: also known as the city of dreams.  To those in the United States it may not look like a city of dreams but to the people of India it is filled with opportunity and hope.  Bollywood is popular, jobs are available but rare and many people travel here is search of accomplishing a dream.  It is a modern city with an estimated 17 million people thriving in the streets daily.  During the daytime people are out and about selling crafts, working, eating the rich Indian food and embracing the rich cultures of many.  At night the scene is completing different.  We arrived in Mumbai at 2am on Sunday morning.  As I watched out the window of the bus my heart immediately began to melt.  My mind was racing and all I could think about was how lucky I was.  There were children curled up in balls on the streets.  Their pillow, the nearest rock next to them.  Stray dogs roaming the street, goats and cows on leashes... At night Mumbai literally becomes a hotel.  Not like the five star hotel American tourists are used to staying in but the Motel 8 with the blinking lights and bug infested beds.  Until you see Mumbai, I don't think you can really grasp the reality.

Now although I just described some of the blue news... Mumbai is a metropolis.  A city thriving with growth and industry.  While many people are becoming rich with the booming economy, many people are being left behind.  The gap between the rich and the poor is growing rapidly.  Mumbai is home to the biggest slums in India.  When I say slums, I do not mean like the poor ghetto in American, but tin boards covered with plastics sheets and no running water or electricity.  Today we drove by the slums where the movie Slumdog Millionaire was taped.  Although many people love the movie in the U.S. It was very controversial in India because most Indians do not like the way the country was portrayed.  The reality is though the movie was very accurate.  There are many parts of India that have yet to be developed but also many parts that are prospering daily.

India thus far has been one big learning experience and it is only day 2... Much more to come!  And now I must catch the bus cause off to rural India we go!