Confession: the only thing I knew about Mumbai before I came was that, in its previous incarnation as Bombay, it had a water slide named after it at Wild Rivers (or was it Raging Waters?) in So Cal. Wow. That's embarassing.

After five days in the city, I can't say I know much more--especially since the first three days were spent hacking up a lung and the next two have been in and out of the local hospital for mole removal (truly as joyous as it sounds). Still, Mumbai has a way of getting you on your feet even in the roughest conditions. Incense burns from every street corner; fluorescent pinwheels spin above the heads of street kids; the sun glints off sequined saris and flashy purses.

We bought a Time Out Mumbai and were stunned by the number and variety of events coming up: art gallery openings, dance festivals, independent film showings, book readings, live music... Part of me feels like I'm back in San Francisco. Except a night at the movies is three bucks and a taxi across town is a dollar.

And the food. The food. I've decided it's worth coming to India just for the food. It's unbelievable and super cheap. Meals big enough for two run around fifty cents, and they come chock full of the most amazing combinations of spices, veggies, and butter--lots of butter. (I'm not losing any weight here, that's for sure.)

Art, music, culture, food: the city has it all. And once these stitches are outta my back and I'm off antibiotics, we are gonna tear it up. That's a promise.