First Impressions (Con'td)

Short nap and things have settled down around the house.

My Uncle left for his position at the naval base shortly after 8 this morning, with full Commodore's uniform on. When we drove in at around 5 AM, the guards at the gate immediately recognized and saluted his vehicle - not a bad way to roll around.

When we arrived here at the house, I was touched by the warm reception. Although it was ridiculously early in the morning, dark outside and inside the house, aunt, grandpa and dog were here to welcome me. It's odd that in this apartment at the southern tip of Bombay, 9000 miles from my comfortable spot in the world, felt like remarkably like home. It's been 10 years since I've last visited this country. A lot can happen in 10 years - in fact I'm sure a lot has - but it feels like I just saw this family 10 weeks ago.

Sunrise in Mumbai is equally noteworthy. There is something about being in a city when most of its residents are sleeping, seeing empty offices and streets, envisioning crowds and stories and places and people. As we drive in from the airport, my uncle's driver drifts from unnamed street to unnamed street as if we were out for joy drive. It felt like a mini tour of Bombay - slums, rickshaws, cabs, malls, neon signs, small shops and bakeries: it was the heart of a city just rumbling to life. By the time the greetings had finished and I had a tour of the apartment, the darkness had begun to lift. A hazy, pink and purple sun rose above the bay facing my uncle's terrace, illuminating the landscape and myriad of buildings just outside Navy Nagar - this was India.

Navy Nagar, the Indian defense station in Mumbai, appears to be somewhat of a well-kept, quiet haven in this unruly, crowded and cluttered world. Through the armed gate, trees and lush wildlife decorate the grounds - structures and plant life seem born of the same earth. A bugle call drifts through the window as Army recruits in white shorts and shirts preform physical training exercises in the distance. A lone lighthouse to the in the ocean denotes the southern most tip of Mumbai.

Across the bay, however, a jagged skyline can be seen in a haze. Countless buildings dot the background, as dozens of skyscrapers decorate the foreground. As I laid down after a shower to take a nap at the insistence of my family, I thought about this city of 15 or 20 million people, which led me to the thought of this nation of 1 billion. How each one has face and a story. I drifted in and out of sleep as a maid cleaned the room and adjoining living spaces.

Closing thought: It's humid but tolerable. My hair has never been softer - it lays matted on the top of my head - combs, water have no effect. Just breathing makes me drowsy.