A good-read and a guest-post

"- Have my parcels arrived from America?
- I don't know
- Can you find out?
- No.
India is the country of the No. That "no" is your test. You have to get past it. It is India's Great Wall; it keeps out foreigner invaders. Pursuing it energetically and vanquishing it is your challenge.(..)"

"I now realize that if you don't understand the no, pretend it doesn't exist, was never said, then slain by your incomprehension, it will transform itself abruptly into its opposite. Or it might never become a Yes but will turn into a wagging of the head, which can mean either No or Yes, depending on your interpretation. You will interpret the wagging generously, charitably, and proceed."

I am obsessed by this book these days. I can't put it away. It's brilliant, humorous, rough, moving and interesting - this "The mother of all Mumbai books" (according to Time Out Mumbai ). Suketu Mehta portraits Mumbai in a captivating way in his Maximum City. Bombay lost & found. As a 14 year old he left Mumbai, and returns 21 years later to rediscover the city. It's a fascinating journey to follow.

Mehta received good reviews and several prizes for his book, well deserved. It is a truly good-read!  I particularly like the words of Rohinton Mistry: “In Maximum City, Suketu Mehta has given us a brilliant book. He writes fearlessly about the horror and wonder that is Bombay. One by one, he reveals its multiple personalities: maleficent Bombay, bountiful Bombay, beckoning temptress of hope, manufacturer of despair–city of dreams and nightmare city. Best of all, reading this book helps one understand why Bombay can be an addiction.” 

I am so into this book, that when fellow blogger Amelia with her Chai - a Cup of Life asked if I could write a guest post on her blog, about Mumbai, I immediately thought: Yes, I can write about my Maximum City! And there is a first time for everything, right? - so my very first guest-blog on another blog was just published. Yey:-) A fun experience! You can read it here: My maximum city.

Here is a small taste from the post, hope you enjoy:

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"Here I have learned the rules of cricket, how to make pakoras and how to put on a sari. I have cried with homeless children, fought with rigid rules and physically removed a lady who tried to cheat in queue. Here I have ended up as a statist in a film shoot, seen elephants and had chai with people whom I will remember for the rest of my life. Here I have become immune to traffic jam, I have learned to dress like a Diva, indulge in spices and I have seen crocodiles, monkeys and rats. I have watched senior citizen doing yoga in the parks and I have seen babies deserted on the streets. Yet, I have never seen a brighter sunset than here."

- and you can read the rest of my guest post on the blog, if you like:-) 

Well it's a sunny and warm Thursday morning in Mumbai, and weekend is coming up. Stay tuned and have a great day, dear reader. Thank you for following:-)