ABOUT

Hello and thanks for tuning into my blog.

A Note About Me

I started writing as BombayJules (rather awkwardly and disjointedly) when I moved to Mumbai in June 2012.  Previously, I was a Financial Controller - working mostly in the real-estate industry - and living happily with my husband ("Mr Jules") and two cats in an old house in South London.

Many of my friends are already expats living abroad - in such glamorous places as New York, Barcelona, Abu Dhabi, Dubai and New Zealand.  I kind of always dreamt that if I could live and work somewhere overseas, it would be somewhere like New York - clean, well infrastructured, cosmopolitan and buzzing.  Or Tokyo, with its fabulous sushi and hi-tech toilets. But it was never to be. And I never thought for one moment I'd end up living in India.

However, when  Mr Jules was asked by his company to come out to Mumbai to work, we were surprisingly unhesitant to make the leap. Mumbai! - hardly the sophisticated "Sex and the City" metropolis I had dreamt about, but something was pulling us and we didn't say no.  In fact (and rightly so) we viewed the move as an exciting opportunity both on professional and personal levels. 

 Before moving out, I did a lot of research on Mumbai, mostly through MumbaiBoss. This site alone made me realise that Mumbai is rather a cool city.  OK, it may be lacking in natural beauty -  but the arts, restaurant and shopping scene kind of makes up for that.  The upwardly mobile are burgeoning, and the not so upwardly mobile are trying their hardest.  Everyone generally has a smile.



 As you can tell from my blog, I have not looked back since moving to Mumbai.  Every day brings a new experience, a new insight, new sounds, smells and flavours.  Every day also sees the opening of new shops and restaurants (spare weekends are always filled with shopping and eating!) and each day brings the the knowledge of interesting places to see.  This is a city that is constantly evolving and ever on the move. Even better, Mumbai is a spring board from which to travel around this incredible country and already Mr Jules and I have seen some truly amazing sights.  What's more the people have been so welcoming and so warm - you can't help but fall in love with India.

Through my blog, I try (foremostly) to keep in touch with friends and family.  Like postcards home without risking the Indian postal system, which people can read at their own leisure. However, I also try to share my knowledge with potential and even existing expats about where to visit, where to shop and where to eat in Mumbai, in the hope that others will try to appreciate the city as I do.

If you are a first timer to this blog, please read my post "Bombay: A Love Love Relationship"....to give you a little taster of my thoughts about Bombay.

Thanks, and I hope you will continue to read and give feedback.  Please also join my new Facebook Page where I will post the photos that I am collecting during my time in India (that are too many to fill this blog!).

Warm regards 
BombayJules



Contact Me

Email me on bombayjules@gmail.com

 Please note that I do not respond to weirdos, stalkers or people trying to sell me SEO services.  I am not at the disposal of the general public and I do not provide free tours of Mumbai to complete strangers.


 A Note About Photographs

As you will see from my blog, there are rather a lot of photographs.  I take 98% of these myself, on a little Sony Nex-5 camera (I am telling you which camera as a lot of people have asked me).  I do not watermark or copyright my pictures.  If you would like to re-use them for whatever purpose, it would be polite to drop me a line to let me know.  Even if it's just to give me an ego boost.

BombayJules never misses a photo opportunity!
By the way - you won't find a photo of me on the blog (except for the back of my head above)....despite the number of photographs I take of other people, I hate having my own picture taken. Plus, I do like to retain an air of mystery!
A Note About Comments

I love to hear from anyone who is genuinely interested in my blog - be it friends, family,  Mumbaikars, Indian Nationals and NRIs, expats and other bloggers etc etc.  However, if you are commenting just in order to leave a link to a commercial website, I will regard this as spam and the comment will be deleted.  Thanks for your understanding, but nobody likes a spammer.

47 comments:

  1. Anonymous28 December 2012 at 12:13

    French/Thai couple expat in Mumbai.
    Just discovered your blog...Delightful !!
    I will become a fan, so many useful infos and so pleasant to read.

    ReplyDelete
  2. BombayJules31 December 2012 at 17:08

    Hello Mumbai French/Thai couple! I hope it is going well for you in Mumbai. I am about to write up about our Christmas trip to Pondicherry...you must go there if you haven't already....it's so French! Thanks for reading and supporting the blog. Cheers, BombayJules

    ReplyDelete
  3. Vishal2 February 2013 at 22:40

    Hi Julia,
    Really good to see you here.
    Your blog is so wonderful. Wish you good luck with your blog journey. Keep writing!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. BombayJules22 February 2013 at 19:24

      Hey Vishal how are you doing...thanks for reading and hope everything is going well with your studies! Bye for now

      Delete
  4. Unknown11 February 2013 at 16:29

    Namaste Bombayjules,

    Very lovely & great blog, all the best for your futur's blog.
    I love my city "Mumbai", I'm born & come from Andheri/Bandra & but after I adopted by Belgium 'parents.I visited severil time this city :-)

    Carol D'Souza

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. BombayJules22 February 2013 at 19:24

      Thanks Carol - wishing you lovely times every time you visit!

      Delete
  5. Avik10 March 2013 at 11:53

    Being a foreign national, it is really nice to see you taking interest in writing about a country unknown to you. Thanks for taking the time.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous24 March 2013 at 20:05

    Hi Jules,
    Found your blog as I was Googling for an up coming trip to Mumbai...a very informative site indeed! I want to visit Elephanta Island, but as a non-swimmer I am more than a little concerned about having to take a boat over. Are the boats safe? Life vests on board? Are they usually overloaded with people? Thanks.

    Best,
    Paul

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. BombayJules25 March 2013 at 14:42

      Hi there Paul, thanks for writing in! A visit to Elephanta Island is a must for any visitor to Mumbai who has time. I have written all about the boat ride to the Island here http://bombayjules.blogspot.in/2013/01/boat-ride-to-elephanta-island.html. If you get the 'luxury' boat - which doesn't cost much more - there will be no overcrowding and I am pretty sure there are life jackets. But you don't need to worry - it is only a one hour ride and will be very calm seas (unless you are planning to go in Monsoon season June to August in which case the boat operating company probably won't go out if the conditions are wrong). The boats looked perfectly safe to me and I felt fine onboard (I too am not a strong swimmer!). Best of luck and enjoy your trip to Mumbai. It's a great city.

      Delete
  7. Unknown18 April 2013 at 21:33

    super

    ReplyDelete
  8. dreamtalligators15 May 2013 at 04:26

    Hi Jules,
    I'm really enjoying reading your blog! I will be moving to Mumbai (hopefully Bandra) from the US in a couple of weeks (first just for the summer, possibly for longer depending on various factors). I'm reading to get your insight on whatever i can but looking forward to experiencing it all first hand. Anyway, you mentioned a while back that you were volunteering for an NGO. You said you weren't supposed to talk to much about your particular org, but I wondered if you could offer any insight for someone looking to do similar work on a short-term basis. What would be good orgs to check out? I have a professional background in psychology and women's health, and informal experience in art and education. Please feel free to direct message me if you prefer. alysohm (at) gmail (dot) com. Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. BombayJules16 May 2013 at 10:41

      Hello there...I will email you, thanks for dropping by!

      Delete
  9. Anonymous23 May 2013 at 12:46

    Hello,
    Found your blog while reading finely chopped and can't say how thrilled I am.Having grown up and lived in Mumbai half my life ,was unaware of the antique dealers .It was only Chor Bazaar that we knew off.Now that I am doing up my home I have more options thanks to you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. BombayJules23 May 2013 at 16:44

      Hi there - thanks for reading the blog. And I am happy you have found something useful on there! You should also try and find Oshiwara antiques street in Jogeshwari - a bit like Chor Bazaar with lots of repro antiques at reasonable prices. Happy Hunting!

      Delete
  10. Anonymous21 August 2013 at 14:44

    Hi Ms Jules,

    It was good to know about your blog through one of my friend, i have just arrived in Mumbai from London, was looking to get in touch with more British expats community or hangout place in Mumbai where i can get in touch with British expat people. where blog has been really a lot helpful. looking forward to hear from you dear, hopefully may be i will catch you some day.

    :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. BombayJules21 August 2013 at 16:02

      Hi Vijay. Very good of you to drop me a line and thanks for reading BombayJules. I hope you find what you are looking for and make lots of new friends in this wonderful city! All the best

      Delete
  11. minnie_ming22 August 2013 at 17:33

    What a delight to discover your blog! we arrived last year too but I haven't had as many opportunities to explore this city (family commitments and routine). Thank you for sharing so much - it helps me to know where to go, what to check out. I did a few photo walks and hope to do more. Inspiring!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. BombayJules27 August 2013 at 18:51

      Dear Minnie. I appreciate your comments....thank so much for writing. Good luck with your explorations, you will find plenty to do and see in this fantastic city! All the best.

      Delete
  12. Rinske16 September 2013 at 19:26

    Hi BombayJules,
    I am a Dutchie living in Singapore, moving to Mumbai at the end of 2013 with my husband and 2 kids. Just discovered your blog, and thoroughly enjoying it! Thanks already for the great tips and insights!
    Rinske

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. BombayJules25 September 2013 at 14:20

      Hi there Rinske..I am glad you are enjoying the blog, it's always lovely to hear from new readers. Good luck with your move to Mumbai and stay tuned for more expat advice coming up in the next few weeks! All the best.

      Delete
  13. Pascale2 November 2013 at 11:59

    Hello BombayJules

    French family living in Bandra we enjoy your blog and discover new places and idea for shopping and week end !
    Thanks to share your experience and btful pictures
    All the best

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. BombayJules4 November 2013 at 11:46

      Welcome to my blog Pascale and thanks for dropping me a line! I hope to continue proving more useful information for newcomers....stay tuned!

      Delete
  14. Unknown14 December 2013 at 14:39

    Hello! I love this blog and I would love if you took a look at mine. I am an amateur street photographer from the Western suburbs of Mumbai. Thank You! :)

    Shrey,
    thebrowniris.wordpress.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. BombayJules15 December 2013 at 16:52

      Hello Shrey - I love your blog, the pictures are wonderful. You really let the character of Bombay shine through your captures. I am adding to my blogroll...thanks for visiting!

      Delete
  15. Anonymous15 December 2013 at 19:20

    I turned on my PC to spend just 10 minutes; I visited Facebook, someone shared the link to your blog, and then I spent an hour!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. BombayJules16 December 2013 at 15:23

      Thank you, I am glad you are enjoying the blog! Please do come again!

      Delete
  16. bigyellowleafer16 December 2013 at 17:36

    Sucha great blog! I am a mumbaikar at heart, in the head and soul. I luv the city. specially South Bombay!! I now live in Germany, and started to write but never continued... I luved your blog for more than one reason...will be revisiting it now!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. BombayJules16 December 2013 at 17:50

      Thanks Manali. It means a lot to me when Mumbaikars read and enjoy the blog...means I am getting something right! See you again soon....

      Delete
  17. SG17 December 2013 at 15:44

    Hi,

    Thanks to the Mensa group that I am a part of, I discovered your blog. Thank you so much for such an amazing collection of pieces about Mumbai.

    I write with a ting of envy as well. Because I thought I had the coolest stories and opinions about Mumbai but I dont comes with miles of your blog.

    You must think about converting these into a picture book or something about Mumbai. I would definitely want to buy a copy, if you ever do.

    Hope you continue posting amazing stories!

    Regards,
    SG

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. BombayJules17 December 2013 at 15:53

      Thanks for your lovely words SG. You do well blogging too! Watch this space....you may well see a book in the future.....

      Delete
  18. Anonymous18 December 2013 at 15:41

    I always knew "Beanbag" sold beanbags! But thanks for clarifying :)
    And great pictures of the graffiti btw, don't you see them in just the strangest of places sometimes?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. BombayJules18 December 2013 at 17:09

      Thanks for visiting. Yes you do - the pictures I am showing are actually quite dull. I just found this terrific post on another blog with gorgeous photos of beanbag graffiti framed by Mumbai scenery....so much better than mine! http://zubinpastakia.com/portfolio/beanbags-bombay-mumbai/

      Delete
  19. Anonymous20 December 2013 at 16:38

    Hi, great blog. Must congratulate your effort. Spend almost two hrs (office time) reading when I had only abt 10 mins to kill and in the bargain will have to work overtime now. Have spend almost 30 yrs in Mumbai but feel you know or shall I say explored more about the place than me.
    Will definitely tell friends to visit this blog.
    Regards
    Ashish

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. BombayJules20 December 2013 at 17:28

      Thank you so much that's so nice of you to say. I am sorry I have caused you to have to work late :)
      Please do come again!

      Delete
  20. Madhuri T Kadam3 January 2014 at 17:24

    hey m from Bombay only!! and loving your blog!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. BombayJules6 January 2014 at 11:08

      Hello Madhuri and welcome to BombayJules...thanks for leaving a lovely message. See you soon!

      Delete
  21. Unknown13 January 2014 at 10:57

    Hi Jules,

    My wife, i and our 14 month old daughter are relocating to Mumbai in the next couple of months, so your blog has provided an excellent insight for us!

    As with quite a few comments i only intended having a quick look this morning.....but here i am almost 2 hrs later still reading!

    Thanks for sharing your experiences and pictures. They are truly amazing :-)

    Mark

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. BombayJules13 January 2014 at 11:01

      Hello Mark and welcome to my blog. Thanks so much for your lovely comments and I hope you find info here that is useful for your upcoming move to Mumbai. Good luck!

      Delete
  22. Unknown13 January 2014 at 13:37

    Great Blog, i live near aarey !! n the photographs of aarey that u have taken explains it all !! great place to visit away from pollution n the overgrowing Mumbai crowd..

    Keep up the Good Work..

    - Aditya

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. BombayJules13 January 2014 at 14:30

      Hello Aditya. Thanks for visiting and commenting on BombayJules. Aarey is one of my favourite places in Mumbai - a fellow expat introduced it to me as she goes jogging there every weekend. We walked the dog there and he enjoyed it too! Bye for now.

      Delete
  23. sudhir15 January 2014 at 16:31

    Dear Bombay Joules,


    Lovely Blogs .... I was fascinated the concept of the photograph that you had clicked named aptly as the "Ganpati Celeberations at the Pandit's" ...... was the photo clicked at a place ... the people seem familiar .... thats a lll ....

    Regards,
    Sudhir Subbiah

    ReplyDelete
  24. sudhir15 January 2014 at 16:33

    Dear Bombay Joules,

    An Intersting read ..... in the blogosphere about one of my favourite cities ....... I was fascinated at the bean bags marketing stunt as we'll as the plastic chairs

    A Lovely Pic Named "Ganpati at the Pandit's" ...... The Faces seemed a lot familiar ...... a Penny's thoughts

    Regards,
    Sudhir Subbiah

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. BombayJules15 January 2014 at 16:53

      Hi Sudhir. I think you are having trouble with leaving a comment - like so many others. A fault of 'Blogger' I think. But anyway, nice to receive your words in stereo! I am not sure what I can say about the lovely Pandits other than they live in Goregaon! The two daughters run a cookery school. All the best, do come again.

      Delete
  25. Prachi2 April 2014 at 20:43

    Hi Jules,

    Found this blog just by chance while browsing. Well i am in the same boat as you,but on the other side. I moved from Mumbai to London. It was as much as a culture shock to me as anyone going from west to east would experience.
    I miss the street shopping,the spicy food and the chaos of Mumbai- your blog is like my window to peep into the streets of Mumbai every so often when i miss the city.
    Kudos and Keep up the good work :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. BombayJules6 April 2014 at 12:48

      Dear Prachi - thank you so much for you lovely message. It means a lot to me to be appreciated by Mumbaikars. I hope you are enjoying London? The prices of everything must be a real shock - I know that's the thing that upsets me the most when I visit home. And people are very friendly in India - the English are a little more reserved although I guess London is a very international city these days. Thanks for reading and following....all the best BombayJules

      Delete
  26. Anonymous23 June 2014 at 10:37

    Just discovered your blog today and enjoyed it very much. I've lived in Mumbai all my life but moved to the US a few years ago and find myself a bit lost whenever I return. Your blog is a great resource to stay up to date! Thanks so much!

    ReplyDelete

PLEASE DO LEAVE YOUR THOUGHTS, I LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU!

Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)