9-May-2005
8 th May 2005
This evening, I have my earphones in my ears and I am listening to the radio while walking on the promenade. Elton John is singing ‘Candle in the Wind’ and out there, on the promenade, Shah Rukh is shouting, “ paani bottle, paani!” Now, I think this is surreal!
The promenade is crowded. When I was crossing the signal from Pizzeria, two men and one woman were with me, waiting to cross the road. The woman, on her first look at the promenade, said to the men, “Very crowded.” I am wondering whether the perception of crowd is the first perception that occurs in our mind when we are to engage with / enter a space. Maybe! At least that is my first reaction when I am to enter the local train of Mumbai or a BEST bus, both of which are public spaces.
Many people are on the promenade – many with their families. I have managed to get a seat on the wall. A few moments later, a Marwari family comes and sits next to me. The patriarch of the family precariously climbs the promenade wall. He is trying to hold his middle-aged wife and bring her onto the promenade. I can almost feel the affection and possession that he is feeling for his wife. He is trying to hold her by her waist, but she is refraining. Her son and daughter-in-law are there with as also her sister-in-law and her daughter. Her son and the son’s wife appear to have a functional relation between themselves.
The man gets on the sea wall, but he is too afraid of the sea. Father and son start to discuss
hii,
WELL ZAINAB 2 ways to look at this,for some1 like me, i dont have much of a say abt the marine drive and the promenade as i dont go there very offen ,but my sis who was in jaihind has a great attachment to the place.
i for some reason think i would not like to be called an outsider anywhere in mumbai ,but if i think about it i will be an outsider to the whole marine drive,but again different people think and fell differently abt things
take care
peace
sounds like a intresting job,what does urban reserch involve or should i say what does it deal with,new concept to me
well hit back if u can
take care
MY EDITED (read randomly edited) VERSION
This evening, I have my earphones in my radio while walking on the promenade. Elton John is singing on the promenade, shouting, “paani bottle, paani!”
The promenade is crowded. When I was crossing the signal from Pizzeria, two men and one woman were wondering whether the perception of crowd is the first perception that occurs in our mind when we enter the local train of Mumbai or a BEST bus, both of which are public spaces.
Many people are on the promenade – many have managed to get a seat on the wall. A few moments later, a Marwari family comes and climbs the promenade wall trying to hold middle-aged wife son and daughter-in-law as also sister-in-law and her daughter. Her son and the son’s wife appear to have a functional relation between Marine Drive and its history. They speak of the reclamation, the NCPA apartments, the Queen’s Necklace. The sister-in-law asks the patriarch, “Will the Queen’s Necklace ever be re-done. I am thinking about people who are not residents of the public space, but are ‘outsiders’.