colaba market mumbai

......needed some limes, and we walked to Adam, who has a very small but very good furnishing shop, right inside the market. we ordered several covers for our benches in Soller.

nothing is as fascinating as this type of area in India. some people simply sit on the floor with 24 limes, others have carts, then there are little shops, and even rather big shops with all the wares neatly exhibited. the vegetable vendors are veritable artists. 
and the main thing is, that if you start to talk to a vendor, almost always a interesting conversation follows. this day i talked to a vegetable vendor about his cats. He has magnificent cats. they are neutered or spayed and look shiny and well-fed. one of them was lying on a bike next to the chicken vendor. now this is something i find very difficult to watch. the hens are all packed up in small over-full cages and every once in a while, a huge hand comes into the cage and grabs the chicken which the client desires. huge uproar in the cage, helpless yelping, cackling and screeching. and one life ended. so i motioned to the hens and said: 'your cat is waiting for food'. 'yes' , he said and his eyes showed some mix of compassion and apology. so i said 'i find this very difficult to confront, it is terrible!' and he answered, 'no, not terrible: it is horrific!'

no matter how deep you go, there are always new layers of life lived and questioned, rebelled against, accepted and marveled at. after all these years here and now, after all these recent months, my fascination and happiness to be here has never lessened.