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Silent scream | Mumbai Diaries
The silent crack between my teeth after I had just bitten into a peanut that was inside a Punjabi Samosa, was sounding louder in my head than to anyone else. I knew what was wrong. The apparently nut-free samosa had deadly peanuts inside of them. I was sitting by the palm trees along the beach near Marine Drive at a café. So far away from any hospital and so far away from knowing what I would do if anything severe happened. Million thoughts always run through my head in these moments, and it might sound like a cliche but it’s very true. I believe I am not the only nut allergic person who have these near-death aha moments.
– What if this is it? This is the moment when I die.
– Do the people I love know that I love them? Near, far and everyone in between. I’m not even close to being good at expressing my love for certain people in my life and what they mean to me.
After such an experience I become very emotional and mellow, as if I don’t know anymore what really matters. The core values and the core most important life ingredients are being questioned and once again reevaluated. These short moments of fear become eye-openers and make me wake up.To be continued…
Peace and Love,
Kimmi Sandhu -
Poem: Dear Soul
Dear Soul,
I’m sorry for the pain
I’m sorry for the tears
I’m sorry for what I did
Will you ever have the strength,
To forgive me?– Kimmi Madeline
Instagram: moon_over_mumbai
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India Trip 2016: Mumbai/Bombay
Bombay. Mumbai. Whatever you’d like to call it, this great urban city of India that Bollywood calls its home. So much diversity and so many nationalities in the same city, living under the same rules – freedom. There’s a sense of freedom in India which cannot be found elsewhere, you can do as you please, come as you go and just mind your own business – there’s no problem. Anything is do-able in India. If you have plenty of time and patience. Don’t rush it and things will fall into place – eventually.
I will be travelling down to Bombay by air from North India, and it’s amazing how you only get to half of the country in 2½ hours with flight. It’s the same distance as Stockholm to London, it’s incredible how large this country is. When we get to Bombay (which is what I still call the city most of the times despite the name change back to Mumbai) we’re checking into a hotel near the airport to freshen up and get some rest. We’ll be doing some shopping in the city the first evening in Bombay and then just take it easy because of all the travelling. The next day is planned for sightseeing and local shopping, and hopefully to meet a dear friend of mine.
I want to capture and take in the whole experience of being in Bombay for the first time. Travelling with someone who’s never been to India is also very special, you get to show what you’ve been accustomed to since childhood and also see it through their eyes. How do they look at the surroundings? What do they think of the mad traffic and driving on the “other side”? What are their first impressions when coming out of the airport? The smell, the people and the rush. Either you love it or you dislike it, that’s what I believe. Either you’ll love India and it’s randomness and the need of being present all the time, or you’ll be fed up in no time if you haven’t got the patience. If you remain open throughout the whole experience you will probably love it.
What would you think when you see the huge gaps between the rich and the poor? How do you react to the people begging openly in the streets? This is the whole experience and not just go to the tourist places and turn back to Europe after the vacation is finished. When you’re here, you need to see the whole 360 of what India has to offer you. From the 5 star hotel restaurants to the roadside dhaba’s, from the fancy and exclusive shopping malls to the local crowded markets, from a private taxi to a rickshaw or a 3-wheeler. Then you’re able to judge it with real open eyes, without judgement and without fear. -
Wherever you will go
Just heard the captain in the flight say “wish you a pleasant evening wherever you go next” and it sounded so nice. Wherever you will go next in life kind of. We’re always on our way to places and on the move, that’s what I’ve felt like the past few years when I look back. I always look back to my past and into my future and all kinds of thoughts pop into my head when I take a flight somewhere. It’s amazing how such a small thing seems to affect me so much and puts me in a reflective state of mind. Always. I even have specific special songs that I’ve downloaded from Spotify to my phone so I don’t have any trouble listening to them in my flight in case they wouldn’t have Wi-Fi. Those songs are usually the ones putting me into that state of mind but they’re also a bit melancholic in tune. I guess that’s what I prefer listening to when thinking over things. I like the feeling of sadness and how it makes you appreciate things. Music is truly powerful and it can make you want to remember what the song means to you and what memories it brings up to the surface that might have been hidden for years. While other songs are meant to just make you forget the moment right now and fly into another world where everything is just the way you want it to be – free.
I will share one of the songs I listen to in airplanes. What’s your airplane music?Peace and love,
Kimmi