Last time I visited Mumbai was when the Bombay riots were just breaking out; I narrowly escaped without getting caught in between; it was on the second day of the riot when I was booked to fly, and somehow the taxi driver
took pocket roads and alleys to take us to airport in the very early morning hours of that night!
A decade later when I landed there, she had changed her clothes from a khadi-Bombay to a more contemporary silk-Mumbai ! Or is it the reverse?
I seem to be having a streak of bad luck with my luggage ! I lost my luggage in Mumbai too; it just can’t be any more disappointing than this especially when in the next morning you are scheduled to conduct interviews and you are left with nothing
but the dress you are wearing ! After chasing pillars, post and a few staff at a chaotically organized counter in Mumbai airport to file claims on lost baggage, I had to resign to the fact that it will come only when it will come ! I never liked to see my suitcase as much I longed to see it when it was finally waiting at the concierge of the hotel I was staying !
The hotel ignited in me memories of the days Mumbai was attacked by the terrorists. (In the inset is the picture of Mumbai as seen from my room on the 33rd floor). Sidhu was almost in tears when I engaged him in a conversation; one of the many staff who were shot dead was one of his close friends; if he was not going to his village and therefore if he was not on day shift, I wouldn’t have been talking to Sidhu either ! When I watch the tides in Marine Drive, I felt anger and sadness in me, and a fearful image of how they infiltrated to the city! Did they swim through these waters? Did they walk as normal as how I am walking through the entrance doors? Did they know to smile too? Did they see these smiling staff, holding their hands together greeting traditional ‘namaste,’ only to feel the hot metal pierce their hearts as they pulled the triggers?
The staff at the Hotel Trident at Marine Drive are outstanding. The team at the reception – whether they are experienced or trainees – the young or old staff in Housekeeping, the staff in the restaurant, I simply wished to bring them all with me to my hotel and make it a Luxury Hotel That Everyone Loves ! They were outstanding, not because they were articulate in how they greeted or met the guests; they stood out from their genuine care, their ability to anticipate guests needs – truly, and their readiness and natural way of engaging guests ! It wasn’t merely a trained staff, but in their approach reflected the true hospitality, and in that natural reflection was the beauty of service. I didn’t want them to use artificial words – which is what I heard mostly in the cabin crew of Jet Airways as I flew from Mumbai to Chennai and later from Chennai to Colombo; in their lips were the words they were taught in Aviation Academy, but their hearts were distant from their lips, in contrast to the words and actions that came from the hearts in the interaction of these boys and girls at Trident. I loved them. It was to me a benchmark of hospitality.
The team at Soundlines and their attitude was truly the reflection of its leadership. Very professional, and absolutely experienced in what they are doing. Julie, Rameeza and Abdullah went extra mile in making sure that my objectives are met. They reflected the attitude and professionalism of their leader. However, my result of interviews were not encouraging – at least in numbers, especially on the second day.
What was amusing to me, and amazing too, was when I became a tourist in my own country! Maharashtra was a different ‘country and culture’ for me who comes from down south! When walking down the streets of Kolaba or bargaining for the antique trumpet and the mechanical clocks for sale on the street sides or when driving through the sea-link, I couldn’t help but feel proud of what India is and still more to think of what her potential is.
There were good moments that I polished to make them fine. One such was the little restaurant we got down to have some fresh juice on our way to office; the restaurant was over 75 years old; it must have seen Bombay grow from a child to what she is now! In the restaurant, in a corner, sat an old lady, drinking a traditional drink – didn’t know what that was. I don’t think that lady has come there to just drink that, at that age! What would she be nurturing in her thoughts as a memory from a distant past when she would have walked down that lane with someone beloved – her dad who
would have been serving the British then, or her beloved boyfriend who was on leave from the marine – to have a cup of coffee? I just thought of that as a possibility, for a lady of that age wouldn’t simply come down to just drink a juice!!Except for the dinner I once had in Bybylos in Lebanon, I never experienced one such traditional meal like that I had at Panchvati Gaurav restaurant – I don’t know where ! I had been invited to go to an Italian Restaurant and I thought Italian food wouldn’t be an issue when compared to seizing the opportunity to have a ‘maharashtra’n food while in Maharashtra – a dish where 12 different items are served with a purpose and offering a harmonized diet.
The restaurant and food was not just about a meals experience, but also a classic example for anyone to learn about the necessity of Job Descriptions, Empowerment and how an organization could run seamlessly when the roles are defined with clarity. Each one had specific roles, and each one were like the planets in its orbits, orbiting in its own space and pace, never colliding with the other. Each knew when their turn is coming, what to serve, how much to serve, when to come back, and when to step back. Dabbawala’s were one case the world has studied over and over for its efficiency of management, and this was no less a management lesson. I felt pity thinking of a few others who claim to be internationally professional when I looked at these boys functioning so efficiently and creating a wonderful experience for its guests!
Sometimes simplicity is the most complex thing to achieve.
