India – Mumbai – First Impressions

It took about an hour and a half to get from the airport to
our hotel – and another several hours to let the foreign images settle into a new, more encompassing view of the world. It has been an eye-opener to see how naturally Mumbai embraces extreme polarities.

It is the largest city in the world – 19 million people living in one spot on the globe, on the shore of the Arabian Sea, tropical climate. The city generates 7,800 metric tons of refuse daily, which accumulates against buildings, on the roads, seemingly everywhere. There is a constant stream of slums. Smog makes the air visible, even out on the ocean. 95% of all buildings have a black plague of mold/mildew/pollution creeping over the walls and around windows and doorways. And then there is the 105-year-old Taj Mahal Palace Hotel – pristine, spacious, old-world elegance, host to royalty and the glitterati from around the world.

Another polarity – muslim women wearing their black abayas, voluminous cloaks covering their entire body (which seem both mysterious and slightly sinister to me), as contrasted with other Indian women wearing vibrant color-saturated saris, brightening up the world. Yet another contradiction are the eyes – intense, close-to-hostile, penetrating dark eyes, inured to hardship … and then there are the eyes that are warm, full of quiet humor, and shared camaraderie, from beggar to gracious host alike.

Our taxi driver from the airport spoke little English, beady-eyed, curt, offering no connection, then I asked about this 3"x5" prayer rug, with what I assumed to be sacred writing in gold on it, hanging from his rear-view mirror. He immediately melted into his love for his guru. The transformation was instant and real.

And so, here am I, wondering about my ability to hold the polarities in my own life. I am chronologically considered 'old,' and yet I feel full of life. I love being a hermit in my home, and yet I travel extensively, enjoying the exploration of new places/people/experiences. I am single, and yet I have deep, profound connections with significant others that have lasted over time. Like Mumbai, I seem able to thrive in my own mass of contradictions.

How about you?