It has been one week since we arrived in Mumbai. It has flown by so fast, with so many unique and interesting experiences that I could not possibly list them out (in fact, so much has happened that I don’t even remember all of it).
So, here are my 5 favourite things about this week:
1. Going to a foreign country with 16 strangers
It’s funny to think that it’s only been a week, but it truly feels like we have become a little whānau. Before the trip, I was nervous anticipating whether I would get along with the rest of the group. But it became quite clear that we were all going to get along just fine. My favourite moments have been yapping as we eat breakfast and dinner together at the hostel, little outings for post-dinner sweet treats, organising transport so that we can travel together to work and mini trips around the city. It’s especially been the little moments, like when we were standing at the airport talking about how our situation is resembles movies where unexpected characters are grouped together, or when one of us bought a 10L Bisleri water jar (shoutout Bisleri!) for the first time and it erupted over all of us. Making 16 friends, all from various University faculties and life experiences, has been one of the best parts of this week.
2. The food of Mumbai
I feel like this one goes without saying, but the food has been key in my happiness for this week. We have tried chaat (including bhel puri and pani puri), masala dosa, ice cream from a shop that has been open since pre-colonisation, a vegetarian thaali from a restaurant that has been open for four generations, and much more. The cook at my workplace makes healthy, homemade Indian food, which I look forward to every workday. If anything, the food in Mumbai alone is worth the travel. Special shoutout to chai, which is also something I already know I will miss the moment I get back to Auckland.
3. The hustle bustle of the city that never sleeps
We are staying in the city centre of Mumbai, which means there is always people, traffic and noise. Crossing the road when the driving culture is unfamiliar to me has been a challenge this week, but I am happy to report I finally walked home by myself from the train station today. I really like the contrast from Auckland, where whilst the traffic is similar, the sounds and people are not the same. It feels like there is always something going on, from the prime minister coming to the suburb we are staying in, the Mumbai marathon this weekend or the Kala Ghoda art festival coming up.
4. Interning at Manav
I am interning at a mental health rehabilitation center called Manav Foundation. I largely spent this week observing the group sessions, including group discussion therapy, art-based therapy, music therapy, yoga, natya therapy and much more. The center primarily operates in Hindi, so I have spent the week trying to understand what is going on and picking up much more Hindi than I was expecting to! And this is only the first week, who knows how much Hindi I will know by six weeks! I also attended an outreach session within the community, and it was great to see the curiosity that Indians have for understanding and destigmatising mental health. I am grateful to be learning about mental health from an Indian cultural perspective and improve my mental health training overall.
5. Swiggy
Swiggy has become a fan-favourite within our group. It’s an app where you can order food, groceries, almost anything you need and it will be delivered almost instantly. We have been using it like crazy and I’m sure we will continue to do so for the next 5 weeks. I’m resting up today as I have caught a serious cold, and I’ve just ordered food and cold medication (nutella waffles from 99 Pancakes, also a favourite within our group).
This one week has been filled with so many new and exciting adventures. I cannot wait for the next week.