‘I love Bombay so much': US woman's love letter to the city that taught her hustle

Hindustan Times

3 days ago

Eliza Karaza was just 19 when she was hired to be an art teacher at a Mumbai school. Born and raised in the United States, Karaza packed her bags and moved to Mumbai armed with nothing more than her enthusiasm. In an Instagram post shared last week, the artist and entrepreneur revealed that she did not even know her salary or the location of the school when she first moved to Mumbai in 2015.
Ten years later, she has learned much about life and hustle living in Mumbai. In her love letter to 'Bombay', Karaza opened up about her first time in the Maximum City.
Eliza Karaza is a Syrian-American artist who was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. In 2020, she launched Harakaat, a brand known for its hand-painted denim jackets that blend South Asian aesthetics – such as Indian truck art, Mughal miniature painting, and Bollywood motifs – with Western streetwear silhouettes.
She and her partner have also founded Mehal House, a creative studio and lifestyle brand.
In her viral Instagram post, Karaza revealed how she moved to Mumbai 10 years ago for a teaching gig. She knew little about the city or the country - 'I had never had a proper job before. I had never been to India before,' she wrote.
In fact, Karaza did not even know where she would be staying and had not even spoken to her employer.
A post shared by 🌑eliza🌙 (@kweenkaraza)
'I hadn't spoken to the employer. I didn't know where either was staying when I got there. I didn't know how I would get to whatever unknown place they were putting me,' she wrote.
'I didn't know what my salary would be. Where the job was even going to be. It was a teaching gig but I didn't know which school it was going to be at. But who cares?! I was 19 and excited!' she added.
But Karaza found a place for herself in Mumbai. She learned to speak Hindi - she is, in fact, now fluent in the language - she made friends and grew up in Mumbai.
'I love Bombay so much,' she wrote on Instagram. 'I loved how easy it was to get around. I felt so free.'
'Mumbai made me an adult. I had to grow up. I was in a country where I didn't know anyone, speaking a language I wasn't great at. But I made lifelong bonds with the people I met,' she said.
'I learned so much about life and hustle and work and figuring s*** out on the fly,' Karaza added.