Riding the Local Mumbai Train

I am sitting here on my bed on Sunday the 15th of July.  Today was a normal Sunday here... got up at about 8am and got ready.  I walked the 10 minute walk to the train station and bought a ticket to Churchgate as well as a return pass.  As usual, I am in a line of mostly men and I get about twenty to thirty glances while waiting.  After getting my ticket I climb the stairs to cross over to platform 2 where my train will arrive.  I wait among the other women who are waiting to board the ladies car.  Riding the train would be quite a different story if there were not ladies cars... in fact it might not happen at all.  The train comes and I board... I find a seat easily because it is Sunday morning and there aren't many travelers.  At other times it is standing room only and quite another experience all together.  This morning I am happy to be able to sit for my journey.  The trains are open... the doors slide closed but they are usually kept open unless it is raining heavily.  The windows too are open with bars across them.  There are fans hanging from the ceiling of the train to keep what little breeze there is moving.  Hand grips hang from the ceiling to help stabilize those who end up standing.  There are ads taped to the walls of the train and the floors are very dirty.  You always look before you sit... cause you never know what you might sit in otherwise.  The trains are meager travel... I only pay 12 Rupees to travel to the end of the line and back home.  That equals about 30 cents in US currency.  MANY people travel by train... and  so at heavy traffic times... it is a mad house trying to get on and off when the train stops.  I have been in the midst of that twice now and it is certainly something you have to prepare for.  When there are so many coming and going... you get pushed and shoved along and you got to be on guard.  Riding the train can always be an experience.  You just never know what you are going to see.

So back to my morning... shortly after sitting down and checking my belongings to make sure I have everything I came with... 5 women board the train.  There were 5 open seats near me... but they choose 5 seats on the other side of the train... and then they proceed to talk about me.  They are speaking Hindi and so I don't catch much but I do hear that they are commenting to one another about my dress.  The Church that I go to is a little more modern and so I usually wear blue jeans with a long kurta.  The kurta is traditionally worn with a pant and scarf that all go together... meaning that they match is some sort of way... perhaps not the way that Americans would match peices of clothing... but they do usually match in some way.  Well I was wearing a sort of mix between the traditional Indian dress (for young people) and the typical Western or Modern dress.  One thing that we as a team try to do is be very conservative in our dress.  Most foreigners or Westerners you see in India...especially the women... do not attempt to wear the traditional Indian clothes.  Even though I was half and half this morning... I was still the topic of conversation among these women.  If I was in full indian dress... I'm sure I would have received more praise and looks of admiration among the women on the train (which has happened before).  

My destination was about 45 minutes away so I settled in and watched out the window to catch whatever glimpse of Mumbai that I could see this morning.  Soon there were... well I'm really not sure what to call them...  They are women and children and sometimes even men who board the train at any stop and cart their wares to sell.  They walk back and forth in the car reciting their memorized lines and display their items for all to see.  Sometimes the items are hung in the middle of the car... other times the items are in a basket or box and are carried on the heads of the women or young girls.  They are usually selling small items like pens, hair clips, combs, handkerchiefs,  earrings and costume jewelry of sorts.  Occasionally you will find some selling sweets or a fruit of some sort.  They come and go and stick pretty much to their work.  But then there are the beggars.  They are usually children or some man or woman with an obvious deformity or injury.  Sometimes you see children of 7 or 8 years carrying babies in their arms.  Other children will come and sweep out the train with a small broom or rag.  They will sweep around your feet and then stick out their hand as if to ask for payment.  Yet another group of people on the train... and I must say these are the most confusing to me... meaning I don't fully understand who they are and what their role is in the Indian society... they are the Eunuchs.  They are Indian men dressed as women.  They wear the traditional Indian saree and the jewelry that the Indian women wear.  They even grow their hair and pull it back or braid it.  The eunuchs come on the trains and ask for money and in exchange they give a blessing.  I have also heard that they can and sometimes use fear to get money... It is generally understood they can issue out a curse just as easily as a blessing and so some will give to them just to avoid the curse.  

After a long and eventful ride on the train... my stop was soon approaching.  The train car was still not very full and my inquisitive neighbors had exited the train some time back.  Again, I checked my belongings before exiting and casually stepped off of the train car.  There is some security and relief to riding in the ladies compartment.  I notice right away that I am back in a sea of men and most of them are looking at me and wondering what this foreigner half dressed in Indian clothes is doing all by herself in the train terminal.  Where is she going?  Why is she by herself?  Why is she wearing that?  All unspoken questions but clearly communicated to me by the looks and stares and chatter among the men all looking in my direction.  I have come to tolerate it... but the ladies train car is... in an odd way... a haven. 

I exit the train station and find a taxi and I am on my way to church.  The day is just beginning and I have the fellowship of the body to lighten my heart and encourage my spirit.  And they do just that.  I am grateful for the fellowship that I have here in Mumbai.  The Lord has provided for my needs... even when I don't even know what those needs are myself.  He knows what will sustain me.  Thanks be to God... My Lord and MY PROVIDER!