Mumbai was a city that never let you sleep and Madurai does not sleep. In both these places, I have slept a lot. Of course, there is a lot more to these places than mentioned above. Good or bad, I will be at fault if I do not talk about culture after mastering in HR. Although I will express stuff in a mellowed tone, 'coz this is a temple city and I fear God!
1. Stop, Halt, Proceed
Life in Mumbai was fast, in true sense of the word.
From entering a train in Andheri local station (am not mentioning Dadar) to boarding ferry near the Gateway, it was congested, noisy and "mad", for lack of a better word. Madurai, however, is cute and slow. Anything can be reached in half an hour's time with traffic - there is that amount of predictability here. Minimum fuss.
“Country things are the necessary root of our life - and that remains true even of a rootless and tragically urban civilization. To live permanently away from the country is a form of slow death.”
― Esther Meynell
2. Get, Set, Go
Transportation seemed to be an issue at first when I landed here. I was very happy to know Ola existed. But that's how limited your vision is, if you sit in four walls under an Air Conditioner in the Head Office and think all things are bright and beautiful everywhere in the country! Reality was different...
--- Ola booked--- 5 min ETA.
"Hello ... Sir..."
"(destination informed)"
"Ok sir, 5 minutes, reaching... cash ah ola money ah"
"Ola money"
"Half hour aagum sir, tyre puncture" (It will take half an hour...)
And that's how I got my 'Welcome to Madurai' wake up call.
Autos are not helpful either. They charge you proportional to what basic food items cost at an airport.
Transportation was never a problem in Mumbai. You just hop on to the nearest auto, pay by the meter, get down, board a train and reach the destination.
After coming from that kind of sophistication, Madurai was a shock. Later I figured out the only way to survive here is to get a personal vehicle.
One big lesson learned: All that talks about staying asset-light and surviving with Ola/Uber are good only for the metros. Auto companies will stay for a long time.
(The fact that Madurai roads are getting too crowded for automobiles to ply is something that locals and governments here have to worry about; not my headache!)
3. Indulgence
Well, yeah, MDU is a tourist spot for the good. It's a very good retirement city. Okay, I can't hide the fact that it's really hard to find places to hang out in this town (it's difficult to call Madurai a city).
Continental breakfasts, tea cafes and brunches are long forgotten. Here it's about idlis, jigarthandas and kothu parottas! At best, there are different varieties of the items mentioned, but that's as far as it gets.
A few choices of movie theatres, fewer options for entertainment - if you know what I am talking about. You really need a hobby to pass time!
4. Quality of life
I don't know the exact numbers, but am sure the average life expectancy in Mumbai is rather poor, around 60 years.
In this town, it's fair to say the quality of life is much better - the air people breathe, the stress levels, the noise levels... are all at acceptable levels. One stroll in a park and the difference was stark. At night, stars are visible in Madurai sky; the only stars visible at night in Mumbai were in Prithvi theatre. If you go to a terrace in the evening or night, you get breeze here, compared to Mumbai where all we get is more noise, heat and aroma of freshly heated oils in pav bhaji or tabelis.
5. People
One thing common to MUM and MDU is that people are generally helpful. While Mumbai people are usually not respectful, MDU is just the opposite - "Anne, sollunga ne!" (Everyone is a brother here!)
It's unfair to compare these two places - one is the Vegas of India and the other one is a tourist spot for history-lovers / art-lovers at best. While it's easy to say it's just a matter of time before one gets adjusted to this town, nothing is farther from reality. It takes a lot of effort from an individual to adjust in a place like this. Not all places are cool once you finish MBA. The fact that same sentiments are shared by all the Sales (pronounced 'Mar-ke-ting) professionals across India is a satisfying feeling (yeah, right!).
Conclusion:
There's a reason why many Headquarters are in Mumbai. May be it's just because corporates work too much, eat too much, "<insert>" too much - and Mumbai facilitates those! Considering the fact that MDU has given me a chance to not get drowned in the sea of madness and immerse myself in what I really want, well, I can live with this! I have seen a lot of Facebook check-ins from random locations of late, largely from far off destinations away from routine life. For me, Madurai in itself looks like a holiday, a long one. Slow and peaceful!
“Country life has its advantages,' he used to say. 'You sit on the veranda drinking tea and your ducklings swim on the pond, and everything smells good. . . and there are gooseberries.” - Anton Chekhov
Adios, amigos!
(Fact to be noted is the author is not from Mumbai!)
