Last Day In India10/3/2007
Eventually I made this trip with him to India and now prepare to continue to China alone. I was fortunate to make the India portion of the trip with Karl and have learned a lot from him. Namely, any experience that expands one’s horizons is worth pursuing, even if the uncertainty and risks associated with it cause uneasiness. In fact, going outsides one’s comfort zone is sometimes the best way towards personal and professional growth. We decided to tour South Mumbai on our last day. Mumbai is the New York City of India and South Mumbai is the Manhattan of India’s financial center. The city was originally seven islands that protruded like fingers into the Arabian Sea on the western coast of the country. Most of the water between the islands has been reclaimed so that the city is now more of a peninsula rather than landmasses separated by water.
The bus eventually stopped at the Taj Hotel, a grand Victorian building that looks like a remnant of the British Raj era. An Indian who was denied access to a British-owned hotel because of his apparent lower status built it years ago. It sits across the street from the ocean and the Gateway to India, not to be confused with the India Gate. Built by the British, the former is more akin to what its name implies. However, it became redundant soon afterwards, since just 24 years later India became independent. The gate is a large, stone archway that is surrounded by colorful ferries that sit in the water waiting for tourists to board on their way to a harbor cruise. The ferries mix with old fishing boats, modern yachts and huge ocean going vessels. It is a beautiful sight. We shopped along the sidewalk, which contained the usual stores whose open facade invites potential customers, although teh shopkeepers don't need any help in this area. We constantly excused ourselves for not purchasing their products, and We bought some silk scarves, jewelry and classic Indian blouses. The Nike and Reebok stores that initially seem out of place did not have significant cost savings but I found great deals on “football” and cricket jerseys for my sons at one of the kiosks. Each encounter with the shopkeepers is a test of one’s bargaining skills. Since the prices are much less than in the states, I felt like I did pretty well, but I’m sure the owners felt the same way about their novice customer. As we walked along a back street, we saw two textile shops, with men sewing the clothing right there on the street. I inquired about this and eventually asked the tailor if I could take his picture. He told me I could for 100 rupees (US$2.50). I told him I’d pay him 50 rupees but he would have to pose for a photo and explain what he did for a living while I shot video. He laughed and took the money. He didn’t speak English very well but I think he was probably making fun of me while I filmed him. Eventually, we made our way across the peninsula to the boardwalk on Marine Drive. This is a raised concrete walkway/sitting area that is a popular spot for tourists and locals trying to catch a cool sea breeze. It curves around Mumbai We sat there, enjoying our last day, when a boy about 7 years old approached us carrying his one-year old sister. We learned early on that if one succumbs to the urge to give money to beggars, it could lead to a bombardment of people and the potential for being pick-pocketed. Another reason for avoiding this charity is that adults, who take most of the profit, are using many of these children. The boy stared, smiling at us, waiting for us to be the exception to the hundreds he had approached that day. Eventually we got up and made our way back to the bus. The ride back was just as long, but we enjoyed the scenery, watching the sunset over the bay and the colors and sites of India that we had come to appreciate. We passed the greens, yellows, oranges and reds Yogesh made sure that I looked beyond what I saw on the surface and detached myself from Western standards of measuring countries. He once told me that when asked if India was developed he then asked the person what “developed” meant. If one only measures a country’s success by the materialism that one sees from afar, then the richness of culture and even the high savings rate of Indians are not taken into account. “India is a mystery,” he told me, and one of the great things about it is even native Indians will never totally figure it out. Although I have to admit that it is a shock to the system, I’d enjoy trying. |
Karl Baltes is a friend of mine who works for Target Corporation at its headquarters in Minneapolis. Karl is responsible for taking the idea of my new venture and making it a reality. What started as a conversation over the bestselling book, The World is Flat, evolved into a business in which I teach corporate professionals about the changing world in which they work. 
We took a one and a half hour bus ride to South Mumbai, although it wasn’t that far geographically. Within a metropolis of 17 million people, there is really only one main highway to the south, so traveling even a short distance is time intensive. However, the bus was air-conditioned and the road hugs the coastline most of the way so it was a nice way to see the city.
eventually ignored many of them. These stores are never very large, and many are just kiosks that line the side of the sidewalk opposite the storefronts, so that the walk has a tunnel-like effect. 
Harbor and eventually merges with Chowpatty Beach, which has a carnival like atmosphere and is a great people watching location.
of various fruit and vegetable markets that the farmers lay on top of blankets on the ground for people to purchase their evening meal. We passed people boarding the trains and relaxing beside their homemade homes as the children played along the street. We saw people without money that didn’t seem as poor as they did 2 weeks ago. All of this continued to have an effect on us but we felt more comfortable with it since we had interacted with people in similar situations and found most of them were happy.