pirate dvd's

 

This is a pirate DVD shop outside of Grant Road station. Most of the films they had were hindi films, but often they have plenty of western ones as well. They were selling for 50 rupees (about 1 USD) - but I am not sure how great the quality would be of these here.

st andrews skyline

 

This was the skyline view today overlooking St Andrews College. The sky has been looking gloomy and mysterious like this for a few days... but its just been drizzling for the most part. I am waiting for the massive downpour!

no smoking in mumbai?

 

Is Mumbai going the way of the rest of world? I have been seeing these stickers in more and more auto rickshaws lately. I find it pretty amusing considering they are open and you are innundated with so much pollution that I'm not sure that a little cigarette smoke is going to make much difference. Theoretically many places in Mumbai are non smoking, however the fines are so ridiculously low (about 3 USD) that it doesn't seem to stop most people.

church garden

 

I came across this peaceful church garden today while out looking for apartments. Its located in Mount Mary area of Bandra. I think the crosses in the back are actually part of a cemetary. I wasn't sure if I could just wander through, but perhaps I'll try next time.

rakhi's for sale

 

Tomorrow is the Raksha Bandhan festival which celebrates the relationship between brothers and sisters. Many of the street stalls have been selling the rakhi (holy thread) for days now, but tonight they will all be busy with last minute shoppers.
(Rakhi is the thread that 'sisters' tie on their brothers, either real brother or one who looks after them like a brother. The brother then gives gifts to his sister and vows to protect her. I think this is something that is needed all over the world, so for at least one days brothers and sisters will get along!)

moti catching some rays

 

One of the neighborhood dogs I feed, Moti (meaning big or fat), laying out in the sun - and as is usual for the street animals here, in the middle of the road! Somehow they manage to not get run over too often or too seriously, but I still get worried when they lounge like this in unsafe places!

good luck

 

I know I've shown a close up of the auto meter, but this is the first time I've seen it say "Good Luck", which is pretty apt considering none of the meters seem to be syncronized! I go to the gym from my house daily and depending on the auto it could cost anywhere from 9 rupees to 14!

bystanders waiting for..

 

.. a glimpse of Salman Khan. These bystanders and cameras are causing major traffic jams outside of Salman's Bandstand apartment.
Today Salman Khan's sentence was upheld and he might spend the next 5 years in jail. See news here. This is the second Bollywood star in as many days dealing with jail sentences. The other is Sanjay Dutt who was just released yesterday due to a technicality....

big fish

 

Today as I stepped off the train, I tumbled over these big fish! I didn't know the waters around Mumbai could even facilitate the growth of fish this large. I am sure they were headed to some upscale restuarant. The locals always say not to eat fish during monsoon as its not usually very fresh, but I guess since it hasn't been raining much lately the fisherman are back in the waters.

china house

 

Today a "welcome back" lunch for expats was hosted at this new chinese restuarant at the Grand Hyatt. The restuarant was beautifully furnished, with most of the furnishings imported from China, including the wall of tins seen near the chef. The food was also quite authentic, not the regular "Indianized" chinese that is common here.

behind the scenes

 

This machine is a behind the scene look at one of the machines used for post production for Bollywood films and ad's seen on tv. Again, I was drawn in by the colours!

busy but serene

 

The streets of Mumbai are visually quite busy with ads all over, colours everywhere, etc, but somehow looking back at a silent photo, it can feel quite serene as well!

bribes

 

Caught on camera.. this is a common occurance in India - police accepting bribes from citizens. I am not sure who is more to blame, the people who use this as a way to cheaply ignore the law or the police who rely on bribes to have a better income.

umbrella installation

 

I thought this presentation of umbrellas hanging from the roof at a local mall looked pretty cool. And thus far they haven't been needed outside too much. It hasn't rained once since I returned, but I don't think our monsoon season is really finished so hold tight to those umbrellas.

funny wall ad

 
I enjoyed this wall ad as I walked by. It looked like someone just decided at the last minute to add the waiter in in pen!

in and out

 
I have been gone for a while, but am back and hope to be shooting photos like crazy in preparation for my favorite Indian festival - Ganpati!
For now, here is a look at those inside and those outside during the rains.

Independence Day

A bit of rain and some color to celebrate Indian Independence Day.

Splashing around

A group of guys enjoying the great gray waves of Juhu beach.

School days

Wide backpacks are very popular around town. This boy's bag is wider than he is.

Haji Ali

The Haji Ali mosque sits out in the middle of the sea off of Worli. On Thursdays and Fridays up to 40,000 pilgrims walk out on the water to visit the shrine.

Crawford Market

Some pomegranates under a little temple at Crawford Market.

Bright blue

This incredible bright blue mosque rises out of its gray surroundings.

Laundry by the sea

Laundry laying out to dry by the sea near Carter Road.

Ban Ganga Tank

A photo of Ban Ganga Tank, a holy site in South Mumbai. Mythology says that Lord Rama came here with his brother, Lakshman in search of Mother Sita. He was thirsty. As there was no water readily available, he shot an arrow and brought Ganga over here. This is a fresh water tank only steps from the salty sea. Hence Bana (arrow in Sanskrit) Ganga.

Cabbage in the rain

A woman sells cabbage with a flood of water below her.

Green temple

A peaceful temple and green spot for reflection in Juhu.

Beach rides

A look at the hand-powered carnival rides on Juhu beach.

On the roof

A girl walks on the roof of her slum community at the edge of the sea in South Mumbai.

Old and new

South Mumbai's new construction rises above a traditional temple.

Street snacks

A vendor preparing a popular street snack called paan. Made on a betel leaf, this entire concoction is wrapped up and placed in your mouth so you can chew and suck out the juices.

Water street

Some light flooding filled this passageway below Malabar Hill in South Mumbai. Children continued to hop their way through.