Saturday 7th October 2017
Today in the afternoon, I went for the haircut. After the haircut. I went for a walk around the area near my high school. It was a prayer walk. I was praying for the city and the people, for his guidance in my life, using my own words that I have used to encourage many others in New Zealand, #NeverAlone. I was also asking God is there anyone you want me to meet today. If so, please do help me to speak. Please equip me to do your work in this city. Please put words in my mouth. This city also belongs to you. There are so many idols around, some we can see in form of statues but some we can’t see because of their intangible nature (money, sex, drugs, alcohol, success, etc.,). As I was walking I was blessing every single person along the way, even blessing the footpath where thousands of people walk every day asking God to protect all those pedestrians. There is no health and safety law in Mumbai, Hazards are everywhere, cables just lying around on the footpath waiting for someone to tremble and fall. Municipal workers don't have safety gear for cleaning the roads (masks, gloves, etc.,) No mechanised machines to clean the road. Although, Pune city 150 km away from Mumbai did get their first mechanised vacuum cleaners, through Adar Poonawalla Clean City Initiative. And Mumbaikars are still chasing life and money.
Next, I was literally getting annoyed by the extensive use of car horns by the impatient drivers. People of Mumbai are always rushing to go somewhere, even on weekends. They think horns have a special throttle or NOS that can boost their speed.
The life in Mumbai is seriously fast paced and it is not easy to adapt knowing that I was born and bought in this city. That was back in 1980s-1990s. The city was very different back then compared to the present times. It is chaotic. There are constructions happening everywhere in the city from super tall skyscrapers to underground metro rail. There are signs saying Mumbai is upgrading, but still there is no safety.
The BEST bus and no, it is not the BEST anymore. BEST in Mumbai stands fro Brihanmumbai Electric Supply Transport. It is the transport wing of Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai. Once upon it was the best mode of transport in Mumbai, but now due to the neglect from the authorities, BEST has turned out to be the worst transport organisation in the world.
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Rickety old BEST bus, back in 90's these buses were so comfortable but now due to the negligence of authorities BEST buses are the worst urban transport in the world      |
From my school to Shivaji Park, I took a bus because it is quite a distance to walk.
I continue to pray while I was on the bus. I felt the city was heavily polluted, it was not dark or haze like in Shanghai. But the air did seem unbreathable and noise levels made me felt the city is not liveable at all. When I reached Shivaji Park, I continued to pray, while I was praying and walking, I met my old friend, Chaiwallah, (tea-seller) making his living selling tea and coffee on a bicycle. His name is Laxman. I gave him an entrepreneurial idea of how he can expand his business but he couldn’t accept the idea, he is not so educated. Anyways, he was happy to see me and I was happy to see him and I blessed him and his business.
I was now looking for a quiet space. But sadly, Mumbai is so crowded there was no quiet space anywhere. I decided to go to the café for a cup of coffee and to read the book I got it from Global before I left New Zealand, organised by amazing friends. I felt so encouraged reading those beautiful messages from by my dear brothers and sisters. There were also messages from those people I never met in person, but they have seen me in Global. I was encouraged by all those Bible verses, I felt God is with me all the time, so much love and blessings. Everything is so abundant in the Kingdom of God, it’s overwhelming but it is amazing. It so amazing, Love so amazing…! My dear brothers and sisters in Christ truly did a wonderful job in a short span of time. Thank you, my dear Global brothers and sisters
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| Indians are crazy about cricket |
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| Shivaji Park |
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| Bus Stop In Mumbai |
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| Cafe with outdoor seating area |
An appeal by BMC to request citizens to complain about potholes.
Haven't seen BMC authorities taking the complaints seriously?
Later, I went to the beach, Dadar Chowpatty. I still have a wonderful memory of the 1990s, making a sand castle on the beach. But today the beach is in a sad state. It is dead, it is smelly and you don’t want to play with sand anymore. There is garbage everywhere thrown away by the people into the sea and during the high tide it comes back to the shore. They thought the garbage will be washed away by the sea. I felt God speaking to me through high tides and low tides. The beach representing our life. High tide representing high life in spirit (drugs and alcohol) we don’t really see all the dirt and garbage that we have left behind in life. Until we calm down, feel low and depressed, just like when the tide is gone back and we can see all the garbage that we thought will be washed away by the sea.
When we are high in spirit (drugs and alcohol or flying higher and higher with success) we don't really see the all those dirt and garbage that we have left behind, until we come down or feel low and depressed, just like when tide is gone back we see what we have done, thought sea will take away all the garbage far away from the city. We see all the ugliness in our life. But there is hope for all of us. It is on the cross, where Jesus died took all our shame and suffering on to himself and redeemed us even though we don’t deserve. He made a way (John 14:6) He cleanse us inside-out. We don’t need to feel depressed anymore. In Him, we are never alone.
At night when I was returning home, I kept praying in the taxi. It was raining and lighting and thunder. Suddenly, while I was praying, I said something about revealing and I was singing the song in my heart, "open the eyes of my heart Lord", and I saw the lightning flash right in front of my eyes. I remembered how Paul felt when he first encounter Jesus on his way to Damascus. The experience for the praying for the city and people was indescribable.
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More Photos
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| Galley Way at Dadar |
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| Tilak Bridge |
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| Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Road |
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| Dear Motorist, if you stop at Zebra Crossing, how do we pedestrian suppose to cross the road? Climb over your car. |
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| Autos, Ricks, Rickshaws, Tuk-Tuk, Tok-Tok, Keke, Bajaj, these are cheapest and popular form of public transport in Mumbai Suburbs. They are also dangerous drivers on roads. |
Age old technology of Smart Cards. Mumbai the so-called world-class city still don't have integrated ticketing solutions. (Stuck in Bureaucracy)
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| Mumbai local train for all masses |
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| Dadar Railway Station Foot Over Bridge |
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| Mumbai Metro, the most expensive metro in the world not for all masses |
Terrible evening rush hour of Mumbai, Going back home
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| Andheri Suburban Railway Station |
LED Display at Railway Station, gives you information when will your next train arrive
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| Inside of Mumbai Local Train |
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| Mumbai Local Train, No Safety, Doors don't close. |
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| Pantheon style of Worship model in Mumbai |
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| Some places motorist do stop before the stop line at the traffic lights |
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| Mobile app to pay for your traffic infringements. Available on both Andriod and iOS |
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| Eye Watch App for Women's Safety. Women's Safety has also been the priority for authorities in Mumbai to make Mumbai safest city Available on both Andriod and iOS |
