The after hours

What do Mumbai professionals do after work? Increasingly, they're taking time out to nurture hobbies and do social networking in the real world

What do Mumbai professionals do after work? Increasingly, they're taking time out to nurture hobbies and do social networking in the real world

Clubbing has an alternate meaning. It's typically associated with frenetic nocturnal activity accompanied by thumping music. But there are some who choose to differ.

They meet once a week or once a month, on weekends or sometimes weekdays and range in size from 10 to 300 members. They have all been started by professionals, and importantly, have changed people's lives for the better.

Lonely Patel

It's the name that clinches it. The idea was hurled at Aditya Patel during a casual conversation with a member of the Wanderers, unconventional tour operators who had taken him on many adventures. At home, he browsed the Lonely Planet, the title droned in his head like a puzzle, reminiscent of A Beautiful Mind. He removed the 'N' and came up with the Lonely Patel.

Launched in March, The Lonely Patel is a mix a travel agent, a tour advisor, a companion, a fellow 'braveheart,' who helps women travel alone or in groups of other women. A perfect platform for those who had the time and the inclination but fell short on bravado. Today, his client base is 450 and growing.

Patel makes suggestions for tours, goes with clients' own ideas and a trip is executed. "People laugh at the name; it creates curiosity. They email and meet me. It is game, set and match," says the fast-talking Patel.

The 29-year-old has a chemical business but it's the outdoors that's been his calling. A trip to the Brahmaputra two years ago changed his life "upside down". Having made trips around the country and world, Patel feels at home in the hills, on beaches, rafting on rough rivers.

For the trips, he promises clean toilets, but no five-star comforts. Bring in your fearless attitude, not Gucci bags. Men are allowed only if all travelling women agree. So if you want to eat with the aborigines in Australia, or camp in the Rocky Mountains, or go fishing in the Konkan, Lonely Patel can make it happen.

Puff Daddies

There's another group that's puffing but for a different reason, not on the beaches of Juhu but nestled into the sofas of five stars. This club celebrates chatting over cigars.

Danny Carroll, the India Representative for an Australian firm, got together with a few friends and decided to meet one Thursday a month to relish the niche pleasure of smoking cigars. These are not necessarily Schwarzenegger fans, but entrepreneurs, investment bankers and company directors meeting to discuss life and other such matters of leisure.

Carrol started the Cigar Club about 11 months ago, never intending it to be a formal club. Soon, people requested to join, leading to the current number of 200 members, who either import the cigars or buy them from a couple of niche stores in the city.

The rules are brief: Entry is based on invitation only and it's mandatory for the aspiring member to like cigars.

Friday Night Fever

This one is exclusive: No serial killers allowed. It's a concept that helps people struggling to meet new people.
Ironically, it's been started by Radio One RJ Malini Agarwal, who should have no such problems. The radio presenter and programmer moved cities often thanks to her father's job with the foreign services. In Mumbai over the last few years, Agarwal decided to do something for people short on socializing ideas and initiative.

Thus the Friday Club was born, which now has 150 members and chapters in Delhi, Bangalore, London, New York and Hong Kong.

There are no age or gender barriers, just a small fee and plenty of partying. Memberships are on recommendations only.u00a0 The keen business sense of the club director-cum-moderator gives members discounts at several places.

Though "not meant to be a singles club", some have been lucky to find partners. For others, like Ken who moved here from Washington, the club gave him a "ready-made" set of friends. Entertainment is never in short supply and a constant turnover of members keeps the "energy" shifting so that there is always something to look forward to.

Two-wheel drive

In a country where the primary law of traffic is 'might is right', these men play by the rules. So while motorists might bully a single biker, bikers in groups are imposing. And of course, bikes are cool.

Stand-up comedian Ash Chandler started the 'Mumbikers' a few years ago with a calm agenda: To cruise.

These 15-20 enthusiasts are not hormonal teenagers, intent on speeding along the Sea Link. They ride to enjoy the experience, cruise wearing the right gear: Safety is a priority and speed does not matter.

"When we are together, we get respect. This is the closest thing to meditation I know. I don't have to think of anything else," says Chandler who rides a custom-built Chopper.

Back from a six-day, 5,000 mile riding trip of the USA, Chandler says the group typically meets at the Bandra promenade early in the morning. They beat the traffic out of the city, reach Panvel and then go wherever the wind takes them. Bikes range from Harleys, BMWs to vintage models.

He insists there is no macho, boys' club, chest thumping incentive. Even women are welcome as long as they have two wheels and a licence.

Foot for Thought

Across the spectrum, here's something to "celebrate the unfit, out-of-breath working professional of today".

Vinay Kanchan is, not surprisingly, a trainer for creative thinking. A football fanatic, the former advertising executive realised one day that time was passing by and his passion had remained a dormant dream.
Kanchan started Juhu Beach United (JBU) with a handful of like-minded members willing to huff on to the beach and trundle across a temporary football field. Over one hundred people have "passed" through the 10-year-old JBU. Everyone is welcome, which sometimes comes at a price. Like when JBU generously invited a couple of curious Nigerian women onlookers who turned out to be part of their national side and ran the part-timers ragged.

"It's a stress-buster that purges a week's negativity," says 38-year-old Kanchan whose club transcends age barriers, genders, professions and, well, sizes.

An 'executive council' decides on the venue, usually Juhu beach, the time is fixed for either a Saturday or Sunday and text messages go around to members. Gone are the days when short of players, a member's reluctant wife had to be blackmailed into becoming the goalkeeper. JBU now has enough puffing footballers to fill the field.

Shoot at will

An average of 30 people turn up for every outing, usually on Sundays

Beauty is in the eyes of the camera-holder. That is what a bunch of enthusiasts believe as they focus their lenses on Mumbai, turning passion into a pursuit. The Mumbai Weekend Shoot (MWS) helps amateur photographers share their ideas, correct their posture and mainly have fun.

The idea belonged to Sameer Jain, a project controller for Hewlett Packard. He borrowed it from a similar concept in Bangalore from Flickr.com three years ago. After initial hiccups, the group found its focus last monsoon, though Jain himself could not continue.

Now, there are over 300 members, nearly 100 active ones while an average of 30 people turn up for every outing, usually on Sundays. The group has a mix of people, some professionals also who help the others with their pictures. There is an informal, internal competition that boosts confidence of the 'winner' decided by simple online voting and gives the others something to aspire for.

Membership is open to anyone who can join Flickr; any camera would do, including a cell phone. There is often a theme, but imagination is always welcome. "People can click anything they want," says Deepa Netto, one of the three moderators who work out venue details and keep proceedings in order. For first-timers, here's the good news: meetings invariably end with a snack.

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