Welcome to Litsy!

Excellent book to end 2018 with. City Adrift is a take no prisoners biography of Bombay by an author who clearly cares deeply for the city and actual facts instead of the fiction most commonly spun around it. Highly highly recommended if you‘ve got any interest in the city. It‘s a fast, short read that‘s completely worth the time and effort. A book I‘m grateful for and again, a very, very good way to end the year! 😊

Criticising these stalwart bastions of humanity out loud in Mumbai, even 15yrs after the events this refers to will, at best, see you harassed. At worst, you‘re (literally) taking your life in your hands. I‘m a foreigner and even I learnt fast that they‘re still untouchable. Mumbai‘s shame, truly.

The author is taking umbrage with Mumbai‘s many “gated” apartment complexes which generally render leaving the bounds of the complex unnecessary. Almost all newer ones have gyms, pools, spaces for events, indoor play dates or yoga lessons, sometimes walking tracks usually 4 floors or so up... we even saw one with its own cafe, cinema rooms, tennis courts and an indoor “ladies” pool. I can‘t see how they‘re social sustainable but there are many.

Mumbai (Bombay, long story) has more “community” apartment complexes than I‘ve seen around the world but very very few public spaces. Pavements are usually claimed by the homeless, playgrounds are dust or mud bowls depending on the time of year and beaches... well, given the pollution, you take your life in your hands. It‘s going to be interesting to see what the author makes of this dwindling public space.