My Mumbai Trip – 2 Marriages, 4 Movies and 2 Minor Accidents

I spent about 10 days in Mumbai last week. As always, being home is a wonderful feeling. Home cooked mom-ke-haath-ka-khana is a treat unto itself. Its also a vacation for me where I don't really have to worry about office. I get to spend some time with my family once in a quarter for about a week.  

During the weeklong trip … I attended 2 weddings. One wedding was in my family so I was there practically from 10 am to 10 pm meeting the entire extended family on my maternal side (metting several members after a long gap). It was actually nice meeting all people and yes, food was excellent.

The second one was a Punjabi family wedding reception … wedding of the daughter of one of my Dad's business associate. I just went along since dad did not want to go alone. It was interesting to attend the wedding. Food was good J rounding off with dessert of Jalebi, Kulfi and Rabdi J  

One of the things I do when in Mumbai is to watch movies J the economics and the logistics are simple … I am free of time constraints so I usually go for the matinee show which cost about 100 bucks. Catch the movie immediately after an early lunch so no need for any of those super-expensive snacks inside the theatre. Theatre is close by and i can drive to them on my Activa so it takes little travel time and a bit of parking charges and occasionally some expense on snacks.

On the other hand the one or two movies I see in Dubai during every 3 month stay put my expense at about 1000 INR (for each movie). Tickets cost about 30-40 AED which run close to 400-500 INR itself. Add to it the conveyance which is often a taxi and bus/metro combo adding another 20-25 AED. Movies happen in the weekend so the even dinner comes along in the malls adding another 20-25 AED. Taking the toll to about 80-90 AED which is close to 1000-1100 indian bucks.

I guess I can watch at least 6 movies in India during my visits (one hardly has so many good movies at any time) …  

So .. I watched 4 Movies during this Mumbai trip

1.       Ajab Prem ki Ghajab Kahani – nice simple comedy. Nothing great about the movie. Simple fun

2.       2012 – Went with my Bro. Enjoyed the awesome special effects. Second half was a drag though

3.       Twilight – a nice romantic love story of a different kind. The love shown is intense without the usual physical intimacy and its intensity. I kinda liked the way it was made. Waiting for New Moon now.

4.       Ninja Assassin – Don't ask me why I went to see THIS movie. I didn't. I had gone to see 'A Christmas Carol" in 3D but unfortunately it was a Friday and the movie was pulled down. Two new movies came up in that theatre which were De Dhana Dhan (a mindless comedy) and Ninja Asssassin (a mindless violent ninja movie – I did not know this then). I just read "by the makers of Martrix" and blindly made the decision of going for it. A good 2 hours wasted. Yikes.

Now coming to the 2 accidents. Well nothing serious though, they were pretty minor in nature. An important point to note is that the whole morning was jinxed. It was the Friday. I woke up early to catch the early morning movie show of 'A Christmas Carol'. On the way to the theatre I took a wrong turn and looping around came to a junction I had already driven through. And right at that junction, the tiny Activa tyres slipped on the smooth metal manhole covers on which some oil was spilt. No damages to me nor my Activa sinceI was negotiating the turn and hence almost zero speed.  

About 300-400 metres ahead of the spot, an autorickshaw hit his brakes and I tried to swerve around it to avoid driving into it. No this was not a high speed serve. I was probably driving at 30-40 kmph and had good distance between me and the auto so it was a normal driving. The only problem was a manhole cover (again) with some sand on it and the oil remnants on my tyres. All this put together in an excellent turn of fate, sent me and my Activa sliding along the road. I wasn't exactly at zero speed instead it was about 30 kmph so the skid was slightly hard and harsh. I scrapped my left arm with bruises at 3 different places and pain in several other places (which I am still discovering). Activa too got scratched a bit but nothing too visible. I relaised that had I not taken the wrong turn, I wouldn't have met with these 2 accidents K

Shaken … I drove to the theatre (slowly) only to realize that the movie was pulled down and no movie was scheduled for another hour. I chose to wait sicne I did not want to ride my two-wheeler again immediately. I wasn't scared or hurt, just slightly shaken … Ended up watching Ninja Assassin.

The entire Friday Morning was completely screwed up and jinxed !

Incidently, my brother gets blamed for comparitvely rash driving in my family but its ME who has met with such accidents and two-wheeler giving up on me in the middle of the road.

This also reminds me of a 2005 crash into a BEST BUS!! I was driving at a nice speed of about 60 kmph and the BUS ahead of me hit the brakes hard. I hit them too but my brakes weren't exactly responsive. I crashed straight into the bus from behind. !! Shaken !! but not badly hurt. The Kinetic front portion was BENT and pushed towards the seat and my spectacles were broken !!

 

Well … Now I am back in Dubai … the month has come to an end. Tomoro is the first day of the last month of the year which is incidentally the last year of the first decade of this century!!