Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Too Good Too Bad!!!

Its raining again!!!..Oo ya...It is monsoon. And not just any monsoon...its Mumbai monsoon. Like any other season, or thing, or job or relationship...or just anything...mumbai monsoons also come with their pros and cons.

The analysis of the monsoon pros and cons popped in my mind every time I was either too excited about the rains...or totally cursing them...Every positive aspect of rain directed my mind towards the dark side of it...and every negative experience made me consider the silver lining behind it...I am going to share my views of the pros and cons of Mumbai Monsoons...of whatever I have experienced since the time I have known this mahanagri.
  • The good thing about Mumbai monsoon is that it rains a lot and the bad thing about Mumbai monsoon is that it rains a lot.
  • The good thing about Mumbai monsoon is that it clears the environment...everything seems to be so clean and fresh. The bad thing about Mumbai monsoon is that it floods the city...not just with rain water but with water coming out of various levels of earth. 
  • The good thing about Mumbai monsoon is the romanticism it brings in the air. I guess every relation would have fond memories of rains and its kindling effect. The bad thing about Mumbai monsoon is the anger it provokes...You get out of your homes...and your mood is spoiled because of the damaged roads...flooding potholes...stinking garbage. And very conveniently that mood is transferred on our spouses (that's the easiest target)/friends/parents/or totally unknown strangers ...so the romanticism of monsoon is flushed out in the rain. 
  • The good thing about Mumbai monsoon is the amazing greenery...in and outside mumbai. Trips to Lonavla, Malshej, Mahabaleshwar, Kolad, Goa [:)] during monsoons have made me experience sheer bliss. The bad thing about Mumbai Monsoon is the unpredictable accidents happening and costing lives...How in the world would you guess that a tree will fall on you when you are going for a movie...It is like being ready for a terror attack 24x7...however terror attacks come with only bad things...nothing good about that! 
  • The good thing about Mumbai monsoon is the variety of food to indulge in..I love roadside stuff (I prefer a little hygienic though)  ...bhutta (corn) by the sea is one of my favorites...panipuri, sandviches or just plain moongphali (singdana as it is called in maharashtra). At home, i guess everyone's favorite is pakodas or bhajiyas with steeming ginger tea..So the monsoon has a lot to stimulate everyone's taste buds. The bad thing about Mumbai monsoon is the starvation it brings because of the floods and unemployment. How do you feel when a kid or an old person or may be just any adult approach you for money or for food while you were indulging in a nice ice cream cone (not specific to monsoon though). If the person is young, you can refuse to give anything without any guilt. But, if that person is a kid or an old person, you feel terrible...at least I feel that...Giving them money or food is not the solution...Worse thing is we (I) do not have a solution. 
Finally I am in a dilemma...whether to feel good or bad about this whole 'monsoon' thing. But one thing is for sure...however i may feel right now, I would still be waiting for the monsoon next year...eagerly...desperately!