印度小見（2）

By+Aaron+Anthony+Vessup

People at the Gateway1. In Mumbai， the capital and “Gateway” to this part of the orient， warm climate makes it easy to forget the cold biting winter，2 and smog filled air in giant industrial centers. Today， I get a camera shot of the Victoria station， then strike a comic pose3 at the famous Gateway of India monument. Enthusiastic tourists loiter in the shade， as well as， in the hot blazing sun.4 The famous Gateway to India is a bold structure slightly resembling the Arch de Triumph5 in Paris. People rush toward this icon at the major port of Mumbai. Camera shutters6 click everywhere. Group photographs and“selfies” happen from every vantage point7. At the Gandhi Museum8 a few hours of reflection help give a sense of historical changes. The next stop is the Hanging Gardens， a place popular for romance and natures flora.9 Here spectacular views of the harbor and skyline are framed in shady lanes， natures greenery， and a small petting zoo for children.

Excited school groups of uniformly dressed students in plaid skirts， white blouses， pressed slacks， and neck ties， walk leisurely around with book bags slung over their shoulders.10 These youngsters are chaperoned11 by adult teachers. Large tour buses are parked along the narrow high street. Inside one park section older females， wearing traditional colorful sarongs， preen and snap solo or duet “selfies” with mobile phone cameras.12 Elsewhere， older adult and parents sit on blankets spread beneath the afternoon shade of green trees. On various park benches some older men sit wistfully13 watching flowers of youth express their joy of life. Several romantic couples have found secluded areas where feelings are more overtly expressed.14 After the park scene， we zoom15 to a historic beach where other symbols of the legendary Gandhi are seen. The beach is crowded with people. The sand is a dirty muddy gray， so lingering16 here is not desirable.

Lunching earlier at a shelter for abused women， I learn the Gandhi Foundation provides a unique program supporting critical social needs. We enjoy a tasty lunch in the restaurant that provides job training for girls getting new starts controlling their own lives. Two startling17 facts I learn. First， many females are routinely targeted for punishment and abuse from mere evidence of having menstrual periods18. In some religious groups such signs from nature are viewed as “unclean” and are thus disreputable19. Second， some local airlines now face legal sanctions from having dropped “poop” （human waste materials） while flying over residential areas.20 Apparently， there has been a documented practice of planes dumping their toilets on private homes.

Back at the hotel the helpful concierge directs me to a footbath spa place near the Embassy area.21 The three-wheeled Auto Rickshaw22 driver gets lost several times and repeatedly seeks directions. We finally locate the particular area and hotel sought. But my luck has run out， the spa is closed for renovations23. Deciding to walk back on foot， I now become a willing tourist in the unfamiliar landscape and darkness， only guessing the general direction in which to head. A golden statue of an archer24 is near the “West Railway Station”that I pass. Street vendors are cooking and selling dishes， enticing aromas assail my nostrils.25 But I am too tired and do not want to risk any illness from stomach problems. Drinking bottled water is safe. Just before reaching my hotel I stumble across a well-lit， decorated place called， “Sukho Thai”. It is a Thai foot massage chain. I obtain a brochure， but am now too tired and worried about finding my hotel. Perhaps I will give the Thai Spa place a try on another day.

The next evening I stumble upon a posh looking urban bookstore， framed by colorful neon lights，26 called The Title Wave. A publicity event for a new book release is underway. I enter and listen to， Radhika Tabrez， author of In the Light of Darkness， explain her motivations for writing， while also encouraging Indian writers to share their lives by telling their stories. I happily purchase some books about Gandhi that are printed in English.

After five days I have relocated to another Mumbai area， a bit“dicey27”， according to Arunji， where the Sanjury Palace Hotel will be my home four more nights. More animals， bearded men， and mosques28 are here. The air is frequently punctuated29 by vocal “calls to prayer”. This area is surrounded by metal shops， scrap iron yards， rust bucket cars， and related artisans working at their crafts.30 Large white sheep are frolicking31 around open doorways. Several dark， horned cows are tethered32 near shops. I venture up and down a few crooked isolated streets.33 Peeking inside shadowy dwellings reveal homes like animal pens， clothing hung on lines draped across windows and drying meat carcasses.34 Blankets and rags bunched35 as beddings on floors. A few sleeping bodies are curled in corners. Blackened pots bubble and belch36 smoke from the boiling water. Teas or stew aromas mingle with the stink of pungent urine and tobacco in some mysterious cubby holes.37 People actually live in these squalid38 conditions. Less than one quarter mile away are posh villas inside iron bars and metal grilles39 protecting shiny automobiles.

There is great urgency for me to suspend my disbelief in order to enjoy the new Star Wars40 movie shown at a local cinema. Later scouting a new area finds me eventually at the University of Mumbai，41 sipping orange juice over a local newspaper in the food canteen. It is lunch time and I chat with a few students on their way to a literature class. Our contact is brief but this moment brings back memories of my teaching years. I am tempted to join them to observe a class， however， a cricket42 match nearby catches my attention. I have never witnessed this sport in real-life. I cannot afford to miss a chance to study this unfamiliar game. Now， I am really breaking into very “foreign” territory.

Photographic Sites. These days I intentionally wander in geographical squares， going straight ahead for a mile or so， turning right， going straight again for several minutes， and turning right again and so on. Walking alone I find arresting graffiti art painted on walls and stone fences in various parts of this city.43 Here is another mosque， crowded shopping area， small parks with ornate44 water fountains， and people quietly sitting. A large rat， the size of an old Tom Cat， waddles across the sidewalk and slithers down into a nearby gutter.45 Earlier a much larger rat lay boldly in the street as if asleep. Propelled by curiosity I wander into a toy store， huge stuffed animals and several large red/white bearded Santa Claus replicas hang high outside two store entrances.46 Inside this store is a jumbled variety of mishmash： toy cars， costumes， stiff blonde haired white female dolls， and an arsenal of military weapons， all toys.47 In this same vicinity are many photography studios and wedding businesses silently beckon from both sides of the heavy trafficked area.48

Nightmare at the Airport. It looks like I will not be making a timely exit from India. I made a mistake and somehow missed the scheduled departure for my plane back to the mainland. I am now forced to wait at least 12 additional hours in the terminal49. Fortunately， the international airport in India is like a mini-art gallery. Sculptures and paintings are strategically placed to help viewers fight boredom. Comfortable couches and soft seats are arranged for privacy and comfort. Luckily I have reading materials in my possession.

Eventually I learn there is a direct flight to Beijing with another airline company， but that ticket is 85，000 Rupees50. I am in shock. Will I be stuck in India？ In panic and disgust， I trek51 back to the gate where I had signed an exit form. By now my legs are wobbling52. I can barely stand and feel near fainting. It has been a long time since I have slept. Eventually， after much clamor53， I gain re-entry to the terminal. To my surprise I can also purchase a ticket through Air China. The price is only 44，000 Rupees. The airline staff merely uses a mobile phone and the internet. Words cannot express how grateful I feel. What earlier could not be done has been done. But the effort was a maze of confusing complications.54 These lost， confused， shocked feelings are now unforgettable as I look back on this first trip to India. While I now debate the notion of seeing the Taj Mahal，55 listed as a World Heritage site， I know where to head next. The graphic images are worth it. Other places in India are still on my “Bucket List”56. Only time will tell.

1. Gateway： 即Gateway of India，印度門，孟買的標志性建筑，位置正對孟買灣，于1911年為紀念英王喬治五世和皇后瑪麗的訪印之行而建，外形酷似法國的凱旋門。

2. Mumbai： 孟買，印度最大城市和海港，是印度馬哈拉施特拉邦的首府；biting：（風或寒冷）刺骨的。

3. strike a comic pose： 擺出一個滑稽的姿勢。

4. loiter： 閑蕩，徘徊；blazing： 熾烈的，炎熱的。

5. Arch de Triumph： 凱旋門，位于法國巴黎戴高樂廣場中央，是拿破侖為紀念1805年打敗俄奧聯軍的勝利，于1806年下令修建的。

6 . shutter： （相機的）快門。

7. vantage point：（觀察某物的）有利位置。

8 . Gandhi Museum： 甘地博物館，曾為甘地來孟買時的住處。甘地（1869—1948）是印度民族解放運動的領導人、印度國家大會黨領袖，帶領國家邁向獨立，脫離英國的殖民統治。

9. Hanging Gardens： 海因花園，位于馬拉巴爾山頂部，是孟買市的最高點；flora： 植物群。

10. plaid： 有格子圖案的；pressed slacks： 緊身褲；sling： 吊，懸掛。

11. chaperon： 陪伴，護送。

12. 公園里有一群老婦人，她們裹著五顏六色的傳統紗籠，精心打扮著，用手機攝像頭玩起了單人或雙人自拍。sarong：（馬來西亞和其他一些國家男女裹在腰部的）紗籠；preen： 精心打扮；duet： 二重奏，二重唱，這里指兩個人一起照相。

13. wistfully： 渴望地，惆悵地。

14. 幾對熱戀情侶在公園的隱蔽之處幽會，在那里，他們可以毫不避諱地表達愛意。secluded： 隱蔽的；overtly： 明顯地，公開地。

15. zoom： 疾行前往，快速做事。

16. linger： 逗留，留戀。

17. startling： 令人震驚的，很不尋常的。

18. menstrual period： 月經期。

19. disreputable： 丟臉的，不光彩的。

20. legal sanction： 法律制裁；residential： 住宅的。

21. concierge： 門房，看門人；footbath spa： 足浴水療。

22. Auto Rickshaw： 嘟嘟車，印度的一種人力三輪機動車。

23. renovation： 修復，翻新。

24. archer： 弓箭手。

25. 街邊小販現做現賣著各種小吃，誘人的香氣鉆進我的鼻孔。vendor：小販；enticing： 有吸引力的，誘人的；aroma： 芳香；assail： （強烈的氣味或巨響）刺激；nostril：鼻孔。……