Mumbai, week 3

Monday, March 17


Stefan and I went back to Kumbharwada for further research. It ended up we met a group of residents in the area that we were not allowed to go. From this incident, we met a nice teenager, Jitendra, who has invited us to have tea. As a result, we forgot about the time and missed the lecture. In front of the lecture hall has located a gym. This hilarious sign of muscular guys is unbelievable, especially from the perspective of the Indian culture.

March 18

During my first try of mapping out a horizontal sectional cut in Kumbharwada, I met this girl with her younger brother and sister. Although they don’t know English, their similes were irresistible. While I went back to that area later on, they also came over and greeted me, which made me felt like I am back at home.

March 19

Today we met a very nice family, the Akshay’s family. This experience is unforgettable. Both of the children in this household speak English, because they go to a private English school. Thus, they can explain a lot of the area, their lives and families, their living conditions and so on. They showed Stefan and me around of their long house, which is divided into four parts and four families. A group of children showed us their parents’ wedding pictures and their family tree due to the complexity of the number of cousins and siblings.

March 20

After the long day of the Dream House Competition, Stefan and his friend put the clay houses on their heads just like the Indians do. This shoot was hilarious. As they walked back to the guest house in this manner, they caught numerous attentions. But the point is that even Stefan did not do that bazaar gesture, he is still eye-catching due to his height. As we told him a few times before, he can be a popular Bollywood star! The Indians do like him a lot!!

March 21

During the start of the Holi festival, we went back to Kumbharwada to give the children photos and asked them to write down their contacts as a return. This experience was pain-taking. They all rushed into us and pushed us around. Some women became impatient and pushed me aggressively. It was kind of disappointing to see that. Also, due to the Holi festival, the children were very hyper, a few of us got wet from the paint balls.

March 22

Today was the last day in Mumbai. At first, I started to hate this chaotic place, but in the end I was surprised to find that I really missed all the tiny incidents in the trip. It is true that India is chaotic, but it has its unique beauty that no other place can be compared to. This is the same as the slum; it has its true attractiveness out from recycled materials. The smiles are unforgettable, and the kindness of the people is true from their hearts. This photo was taken in the Muslim cemetery which becomes their playground.