The Crew in Mumbai



The Classmates

I still remember the first day I walked into class on the 17^th of July, 2009. The minute I entered the class there was pin drop silence (they thought I was the professor). I walked all the way to the last bench and sat down right behind Arianna Asrani and Nayomi Pithawalla, my first two friends in India.


First Two Friends in India

 As time went by I was fortunate enough to be acquainted to the right people and my circle of friends in India grew bigger than I expected. All my friends were from my class because I refused to talk to anyone senior to me. When I came back for my second semester I got to know people who were in the year above me and didn’t find anything wrong with them (Your first impression is never the best impression). My mother sent me to India with a vision of “Academic Excellence”, sorry Mom that ain’t happening. Along with my friends in Mumbai, I can proudly say I have done some of the craziest stuff alive.

Brothers from Other Mothers

From being in a car accident to taking part in a show for MTV, we’ve done it all. One of the most memorable experiences I’ve had in Mumbai was going to Khandala, a hill station near Pune. The purpose of our visit was to celebrate a friend, Sultan’s birthday. That night we danced and laughed like mad and even went to the extent of making our own desserts. Another night I will never forget was my 21^st birthday. If only I could remember what happened that night, I could have given you details.

The 21st Birthday. (I Remember This!)

When I came to Mumbai I had absolutely no clue about the type of people I was going to meet but now I can proudly say you guys are not my friends, you are family.

The Awesome Foursome

Verdict: I’m not going to be choosing because you guys all mean a lot to me (No! It isn’t called being diplomatic)

We’re way too sexy for our shirts!

The Crew from Hong Kong

I’ve posted stuff about transport, food, lifestyle, entertainment and attractions but what about the people? No, this post isn’t about the local Cantonese people, it’s about my mates. I’ve always been the type of person who has never really had one fixed set of friends, but when I graduated from High School in 2005, I found my perfect set of friends. I like to call them the “Boracay Gang”.



The Boracay Gang

Right before I came for my “apparent” holiday to India, twelve of us went on the most amazing holiday of a lifetime. We went from Hong Kong to the Filipino island of Boracay for five nights and then made our way to the capital of the Philippines, Manila, for two nights. That trip will probably be the most memorable trip I’ve ever been on and I’m pretty sure that wasn’t the first one. I’d be pretty surprised if someone is able to think of something we have not done together (sexual ordeals excluded). The Boracay Gang will undergo phase 2 of the epic Philippine trip, when they make their way to Malaysia and Singapore in December 2010.
 

Nitika Jain- The "Self-Proclaimed" Best Friend.

Apart from the Boracay Gang, there are a couple of other people I miss dearly. Nitika Jain, a “self-proclaimed” best friend who lives half her life brooding over, what she calls, “Love”. I’m actually talking to her on Skype right now and I honestly don’t want to imagine her reaction when she sees this. I must not fail to mention her “animated” Father who “loves me to bits” (sense the sarcasm?)

I might not be in touch with all of you, but all I would like for you to know is that I miss all of you tremendously.

The Skyline: Hong Kong v/s Mumbai

Hong Kong and Mumbai are two cities that are situated on the coast of their respective countries. Whenever I think about a holiday, for some reason, I always want to go to a place that has fabulous beaches (not for the women) or a place with a breathtaking skyline. Hong Kong and Mumbai are two such cities that can show off the magnificent skylines.

View of Victoria Harbour from the Avenue Of Stars

Hong Kong’s harbour is called Victoria Harbour and it is perhaps one of Hong Kong’s best known landmarks. Victoria Harbour is famous for its stunning skyline of Hong Kong Island as well as its mesmerizing skyline at night. To ensure that everyone in Hong Kong, both tourists and residents, got a fair share of the skyline; the Hong Kong government set up a promenade in Kowloon called the Avenue of Stars. Every evening from 7:30 till 8, there is a laser-light show that illuminates Victoria Harbour. On special occasions like Chinese New Year, New Years Eve and July 1^st (the day Hong Kong was given back to China by the British in 1997) people gather at the avenue of stars to witness a beautiful fireworks display. The Avenue of Stars is a place that I have to visit at least thrice whenever I go back to Hong Kong.

View of Mumbai's Skyline from Marine Drive

Marine Drive is Mumbai’s version of Victoria Harbour and is known to almost every person in Mumbai (a dimwit wouldn’t know what Marine Drive is). Marine Drive extends as long as three kilometres and has a promenade for people to sit along. An advantage of Marine Drive is the ease of access to FOOD (it plays a major role in my life). A number of hawkers are based near the promenade and sell goodies like chips, peanuts and roasted corn. Marine Drive has become a very common “after-college” spot and the view of Mumbai’s skyline from Marine Drive cannot be described.

Verdict: Please do not kill me, but Hong Kong would boast the better skyline. People from KCBMM: Ask Sahil Bhagat!

The Shopping: Hong Kong v/s Mumbai

The interior of IFC

Shopping! I bet all the girls reading this blog are jumping with joy (not trying to be stereotypical). Both Hong Kong and Mumbai are known to be shopper’s paradise but there can only be one winner on Chindian’s blog, who will reign supreme?



The Ladies Market in Mong Kok

Hong Kong, along with Bangkok, is probably the world’s hub for counterfeit goods. From handbags to watches, clothes to shoes and DVDs to jewellery, every counterfeit essential is available at this street market. Of course, they can’t sell all these goods out in the open and that is why we have the Ladies Market in Mong Kok. However, as the name suggests, the market is not only for ladies, there is probably more stuff for men rather than women (Told you earlier, tonnes of people can’t even speak English). Apart from the Ladies Market, Hong Kong is also the home to numerous shopping malls, all over the city. Shopping malls such as IFC (a mall in Hong Kong’s tallest building) and I-Square (the newest mall in town) boast all the luxury brands you can think of.

Fashion Street in Mumbai

Mumbai is probably shopper’s paradise in India. Mumbai’s version of the Ladies Market is Fashion Street, a long cluster of roughly 150 stores. Shoes, jewellery and clothes are what you will find in abundance. Apart from Fashion Street, Colaba Causeway is popular amongst most of the tourists in Mumbai. Colaba Causeway boasts a lot of vintage artefacts as well as ethnic jewellery and clothing. Mumbai has so many different malls; it is becoming quite a task to keep up with the number. A very popular mall in Mumbai is High Street Phoenix, Mumbai’s biggest mall located in Lower Parel. High Street Phoenix recently opened a new subdivision called Palladium, which boasts some of the world’s largest luxury brands such as Zara, Calvin Klein and Burberry.



Ethnic Jewellery at Colaba Causeway





The interior of Palladium Mall

Verdict: I am not biased, I love Mumbai, but Hong Kong would take this one again. The diversity of products to choose from in Hong Kong can’t be matched by Mumbai.



The Nightlife: Hong Kong v/s Mumbai

  

Wan Chai- The Red Light District



Before my mother left India in July 2009, she warned me that my social life was going to be at an all-time low considering I was living with my 83 year old Grandmother. A year and a half later, her warning to me seems like a lame joke she cracked. Mumbai is the only Indian city where I have experienced the nightlife and I think it is nothing short of amazing. Hong Kong, on the other hand, is unbelievably entertaining and a person clubbing in Hong Kong is bound to leave with “memories”.



Lan Kwai Fong on a Saturday night.



Hong Kong’s Bars and Nightclubs are situated in two areas, Wan Chai and Lan Kwai Fong (LKF). LKF is filled with pubs, bars, restaurants and nightclubs; the ultimate nightlife spot in Hong Kong. Wan Chai is considered to be Hong Kong’s red light district and consists mainly of strip clubs. Both districts are very closely located and clubbers usually hop between the two districts in the same night. Another advantage of clubbing in Hong Kong is the concept of cover charge. To enter a club in Hong Kong, usually, a person needs to pay a fee at the door and that fee entitles them to unlimited alcohol for the entire night. Yes, Hong Kong is a city with a drunken nightlife and no matter what time of the night it is, the night is always young.

  


Drunken Night out in Hong Kong

Mumbai’s nightlife is certainly something to rave about. Nightclubs in Mumbai, like China House, are certainly much better than clubs in Hong Kong. From the way I look at it there are two main issues with the nightlife in Mumbai

1.     A rule that states all nightclubs need to shut by 2am.

2.     The concept of letting couples enter a club without a cover charge and making single people, “stags”, pay. (No wonder it’s quite tough to find single ladies at a club.)

Drunken Night out in Mumbai

Verdict: Classier Clubs v/s Non-Stop partying; Non-Stop partying anytime. This is probably the toughest decision I’ve had to make.

Street Food: Hong Kong v/s Mumbai. Part 2

Alright, so I had to split the food section into two parts because there is way too much food to write about. I may sound like a glutton, but that is what you get when you’re from Hong Kong.

Apart from the three dishes I mentioned earlier there are so many more choices to choose from. A person could seriously go bonkers in Hong Kong trying to decide what food to eat. Some of the more popular choices to choose from are:

Warning: Please keep the previous warning in mind!

·        Chinese Fried Sausage (yummy!)

·        Shark Fin Soup (yummy, but very controversial)

·        Pig’s liver and intestines (tried it, but never again!)

·        Squid, Octopus and Lobster (quite appetizing)

Pig’s Liver and Intestines at Wah Kee

 Yes, the above mentioned items might make you puke your guts out but they are probably the yummiest things I have eaten in my life. Now, we move onto food in Mumbai, in my eyes, India’s food capital. When I arrived in Mumbai I was too paranoid to eat anything from the roads and even from the College canteen. However, within a year I have become accustomed to street food in Mumbai, all the credit going to my friends from college.



My eating mentors in Mumbai

One dish I just can’t seem the get enough of is Samosa Pav. It is a piece of bread, with a little bit of mint sauce (Chutney) and a Samosa stuffed inside. I can probably eat 4 and still not be stuffed (I repeat I am not a glutton and nor do I suffer from an eating disorder.) Apart from Samosa Pav, another dish I enjoy eating is Pav Bhaji, a curried vegetable dish accompanied with bread.

Samosa Pav

 

Food! Food! Food! Food! This has by far been my favorite post!

Verdict: Hong Kong would be my winner, hands down, regardless of how amazing Mumbai’s street food can be.

Street Food: Hong Kong v/s Mumbai

The world eats to live, I live to eat. I absolutely could not wait to post about food and finally the time has come! According to the world’s best food critic in 2009, Matt Preston, Hong Kong is the “food capital of the world”. I would disagree if I could but I honestly he is not wrong. From Korean to Japanese, Thai to Vietnamese and Cantonese to Sichuan, Hong Kong has all types of cuisine under one roof. Since I was a child, restaurants have never appealed to me and if given a choice, I would pick street food over any type of cuisine.

WARNING: The following information might gross you out completely.

One of Hong Kong's most popular street food joints

I am convinced that I was probably born with a skewer of Hong Kong street food in my mouth. The taste behind street food is simple; you like it or you hate it, I certainly follow the former. One of the most famous street food dishes is “Yue Daan”, literally meaning “Fish Ball”. These are balls of fish that are dipped into a curry sauce and can be served with Hoisin sauce.



Yue Daan



The next delicacy, as gross as it may sound, is Chicken Feet. Chicken feet are considered to be one of the most delicious parts of a chicken, according to Chinese people. At street food stalls, the feet are dipped into a sweet soya sauce and before you know it you are feasting on one of Hong Kong’s most delicious snack. Apologies if this made you puke.

Chicken Feet. YUMMY!

For all you vegetarians, the only dish you may enjoy is “Cheung Fan” (pronounced: Chung Fun) . As a hardcore meat eater this is the only vegetarian dish I look forward to eating. Cheung Fun is made from steamed rice rolls which are drowned in a mixture of plum, peanut and chili sauces, sesame seeds are an accompaniment.

Cheung Fan

To Be Continued in a 2^nd Part!