“I could smell it before I saw or heard anything…it’s the sweet, sweating smell of hope, which is the opposite of hate; and it’s the sour, stifled smell of greed, which is the opposite of love… It smells of heartbreak, and the struggle to live, and of the crucial failures and loves that produce our courage. It smells of ten thousand restaurants, five thousand temples, shrines, churches and mosques, and of a hundred bazaars devoted exclusively to perfumes, spices, incense, and freshly cut flowers…It is the worst good smell in the world” – Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts I used to come to Mumbai every December, and as the door of the plane opened my body would become alive as the smell of the city rushed deep into my lungs. I instantly knew I was back in the island city. Even though I now live in Mumbai and am used to the distinct air, I still get excited with the first whiff off the plane. Mumbai for the past 3 years has been the start to my work life, and I sometimes think the universe brought me here to develop my career to toughen me up and help me grow a thicker layer of skin. If you can thrive in the midst of the tightly knit Bollywood fraternity, the “organized” chaos, hypocrisy, Indian standard timing and non-existent infrastructure you can survive anywhere. Despite all the struggles and hurdles in this obstacle course of a city, it has tremendous warmth and its comfort lies in the people who smile despite it all. It’s the toothless security guard who stays up all night to protect where you live and still manages to wish you a good morning, it’s the little girls on the street in tattered clothes but shining jewels in their ears, it’s the romance of the couples who sneak 30mins alone by the sea front stealing kisses. My love affair with Mumbai is with the people and the addictive energy the city has to offer. It’s a city of dreams, from unfulfilled ones to larger than life success stories; whatever the case may be the city has it all! It’s a city that reeks of survival, strength, stamina and tenacity! Favorites Restaurants - Trishna in some of the best seafood you will ever taste. The coastal cuisine in this modest restaurant has never deviated from delivering some of the best butter, pepper, garlic crab, hyderbadi daal, rawas tikka and koliwara prawns! I get serious withdrawal symptoms if I don’t indulge once a month. - Swati Snacks feeds the gujju in me! It only serves clean, vegetarian, ‘street’ food such as dahi batata puri, paanki, dosa, and pav bhaji. No reservations are allowed; not even trying to pull some clout works at this constantly buzzing restaurant. So be prepared to work up an appetite waiting! Shops: - For kurta’s I like to go to Lucknowi Chikan (www.lucknowichikan.8m.com) and Neemrana for fashionable chiffon, georgette and cotton kurta’s in all shapes and sizes. - For Indian designer clothes I usually check out Aza, Ogaan, Bombay Electric and Muse all located near Colaba. In the area, one can also find some great junk jewelry at Curio Cottage and some not so junk jewelry at Amrapali (www.amrapali.in). Home Furnishings: - Bungalow 8 (www.bungaloweight.com) is the most uber cool, retail therapy, design temple in Mumbai! It has a beautiful collection of everything from unique antique pieces and furniture to vintage jewelry and impeccably cut clothes. The chic rustic interior of the store never ceases to delight me! I think most of the artifacts in my Mumbai home are from there. - Good Earth (www.goodearthindia.com) The focus here is on living with a range of simple and stylish products for Home Décor, Dining & Entertaining, Home Essentials, Bed Linen, and Home Spa. Their flagship store in Raghuvanshi Mills has a wonderful restaurant to break your delightful shopping experience.