In India, languages, cultures, and ways of life alter dramatically within just a few miles. In such a scenario, relocating to a different city is like moving to another world. When I moved to Delhi, shifting from “hum” to “main” took considerable time, in addition to other lifestyle changes.
On Reddit, while discussing the cultural shocks one might expect when relocating to Mumbai, people pointed out what the city does differently.
Here are some tips from people living in Mumbai for newcomers to the city.
1. “Rickshaws and taxis have this device called a “meter” that lets you know how much your ride is going to cost.”
2. “You will find shops open till 1 am. Some restaurants and bars are open till 4 or 5 am.”
3. “For just about 30 bucks, you can have a stomach full of food almost anywhere.”
4. “High rent, high electricity, high rush, high traffic, and a low salary might panic you.”
5. “Street food is hella cheap and affordable (also pretty hygienic at most places), but restaurants and hotels are hella expensive.”
6. “You won’t find better weed in Bombay than in Bangalore.”
7. “Mumbai: Holy shit, everybody in this city walks so fast. And I doubt anybody sits down to have breakfast.”
8. “People are usually more helpful than you’d expect, and more chatty.”
9. “At the Mumbai station, people would actually make a “puch puch” sound to get you out of their way instead of saying ‘excuse me’.”
10. “If you thought traffic is bad in Bangalore, get ready to be shocked while travelling from Malad to Powai. Also, get ready for humidity and construction dust!”
11. “Don’t bring UPS or an inverter; you won’t need them here. Most Mumbaikars don’t know what those are as they have never used them.”
12. “Also, the first things you start practicing are train schedules, stations, fast/slow concepts, and the M indicator.”
13. “No winters – Mumbai has summer, rain, and less summer. Invest in an A/C first thing, if you don’t have it already in your new place, you’re going to sweat like there’s no tomorrow.”
14. “Landlords are much better in Mumbai.”
15. “Train rukegi uske baad utrega kya?”
While the majority of the points are fascinating, the last one just got me.