Sunday, July 24, 2011
Pictures from my trip!
Turn on captions for a quick blurb (button on bottom left of slideshow screen that looks like a thought bubble).
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Unfinished business
I visited India after almost 20 years. As I stated on my way here, over 3 weeks ago, this was a monumental trip for me. Not only was I coming over to visit my parents in their new home after moving back from the US for the first time, but I was also coming to visit--in many ways, for the first time--a land, a people, and a culture to which I claim an identity and which defines me in many ways.
It's been a fantastic trip. On this blog, I have not dwelled on the negative aspects of India, save a few instances. I think there are plenty of sources that capture India's negatives: immense poverty, illiteracy, high infant mortality, low health outcomes, discriminatory caste-ridden values, corruption, filth, unhygienic conditions, along with its fractured or nonexistent infrastructure. Indeed, Wikipedia says: "Poverty is widespread in India, with the nation estimated to have a third of the world's poor. According to a 2005 World Bank estimate, 41.6% of the total Indian population falls below the international poverty line of US$ 1.25 a day."
It's too easy to stop at these very conspicuous problems. Hence, I have attempted to highlight the positives that bring out the color of what can otherwise be a depressing environment, depending on where you are.
On the contrary, I have had a very warm and pleasant experience in the midst of a culture that endures immense struggles. I have had the opportunity to see firsthand the faces of extreme poverty and marvel at the smiles that emerge from within along with the adaptability and tenacity of the people despite their dire situations. At the same time, I have experienced a truly emerging and growing economic force that is dead set to improve its conditions through hard work and laser-like focus on higher education. I have lived a fine five-star quality life, enjoying the highly diverse ethnic delicacies at the dinner table.
The bottom line, really, is that the past 3.5 weeks have been a marvelous time to see, smell, taste, hear, and live the culture that defines me when I answer "India" to the perennial question regarding my ancestry.
However, I leave with unfinished business. Due to unforeseen circumstances, I was not able to travel much outside of Ahmedabad, which means that I was not able to see a lot of my extended family and friends, as well as my great grandfather's land. Perhaps that was fortuitous, granted by the mysticism that guides life here, for it implies another visit sooner rather than later :) Stay tuned for Part II.
I am now off to London to visit with more family (ah, the irony of colonialism).
Thanks for reading.
It's been a fantastic trip. On this blog, I have not dwelled on the negative aspects of India, save a few instances. I think there are plenty of sources that capture India's negatives: immense poverty, illiteracy, high infant mortality, low health outcomes, discriminatory caste-ridden values, corruption, filth, unhygienic conditions, along with its fractured or nonexistent infrastructure. Indeed, Wikipedia says: "Poverty is widespread in India, with the nation estimated to have a third of the world's poor. According to a 2005 World Bank estimate, 41.6% of the total Indian population falls below the international poverty line of US$ 1.25 a day."
It's too easy to stop at these very conspicuous problems. Hence, I have attempted to highlight the positives that bring out the color of what can otherwise be a depressing environment, depending on where you are.
On the contrary, I have had a very warm and pleasant experience in the midst of a culture that endures immense struggles. I have had the opportunity to see firsthand the faces of extreme poverty and marvel at the smiles that emerge from within along with the adaptability and tenacity of the people despite their dire situations. At the same time, I have experienced a truly emerging and growing economic force that is dead set to improve its conditions through hard work and laser-like focus on higher education. I have lived a fine five-star quality life, enjoying the highly diverse ethnic delicacies at the dinner table.
The bottom line, really, is that the past 3.5 weeks have been a marvelous time to see, smell, taste, hear, and live the culture that defines me when I answer "India" to the perennial question regarding my ancestry.
However, I leave with unfinished business. Due to unforeseen circumstances, I was not able to travel much outside of Ahmedabad, which means that I was not able to see a lot of my extended family and friends, as well as my great grandfather's land. Perhaps that was fortuitous, granted by the mysticism that guides life here, for it implies another visit sooner rather than later :) Stay tuned for Part II.
I am now off to London to visit with more family (ah, the irony of colonialism).
Thanks for reading.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Are you stressed?
CNN reports the finding of a study by Nielsen Company that asks: Where do the world's most stressed women live? Any guesses? I'll tell you and maybe it will surprise you (at least at first) just as it surprises me: India.
The Women of Tomorrow Study, which examined 6,500 women across 21 different nations from February through April 2011, found that an overwhelming 87% of Indian women said they felt stressed most of the time, with 82% claiming they had no time to relax.
(The US is 12th with 53% of women saying they are stressed most of the time).
So, what explains this? The article says: "...companies and workplaces have developed whilst society has remained static, meaning that women must juggle a modern career and busy home life as well as conforming to traditional standards." It doesn't seem that different than in parts of the US; my guess is that we have better stress management education and mechanisms, which is also ironic given that yoga and meditation--fantastic stress relief activities--have evolved from here.
The Women of Tomorrow Study, which examined 6,500 women across 21 different nations from February through April 2011, found that an overwhelming 87% of Indian women said they felt stressed most of the time, with 82% claiming they had no time to relax.
(The US is 12th with 53% of women saying they are stressed most of the time).
So, what explains this? The article says: "...companies and workplaces have developed whilst society has remained static, meaning that women must juggle a modern career and busy home life as well as conforming to traditional standards." It doesn't seem that different than in parts of the US; my guess is that we have better stress management education and mechanisms, which is also ironic given that yoga and meditation--fantastic stress relief activities--have evolved from here.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Monday, July 11, 2011
More of the same
It's been raining quite a bit over the past several days. This is a good thing for many reasons, including the fact that it's cooled down substantially, a welcome relief from the immense heat.
However, due to the rain I haven't been able to explore the city with my camera as much as I had planned to do. Driving is somewhat of a difficult exercise as it's difficult to judge the location, depth and potency of potholes. Walking is also a messy (read muddy) activity with pools of water between the 'pavement' and road. In short, there's nothing too new. I'm synthesizing and internalizing my thoughts about the place and hope to give an overview soon.
However, due to the rain I haven't been able to explore the city with my camera as much as I had planned to do. Driving is somewhat of a difficult exercise as it's difficult to judge the location, depth and potency of potholes. Walking is also a messy (read muddy) activity with pools of water between the 'pavement' and road. In short, there's nothing too new. I'm synthesizing and internalizing my thoughts about the place and hope to give an overview soon.
Friday, July 8, 2011
Food, quirks
I have less than a week to go before I return home :)
Over the next few days, I'll try to take my camera with me and take as many pictures of the streets as possible. It's easy to take for granted what you see everyday or if you're familiar with an otherwise extraordinary situation.
The other problem is that my pictures are all in very high quality and therefore are very large (in byte size). I usually just upload them from my camera and it takes a long time (15-20 mins) to upload more than 5 at a time to the blog. Once I get home, however, I'll have some time to compress them and post plenty more. So, keep checking in!
Something that Melanie alerted me to is that I haven't really mentioned food much. Doh! That's because I probably take it for granted. You may know that I have a two-tiered system whereby I believe that there's Indian food and then there's everything else.
The meals at home (always delicious, colorful, rich, filling, mouth-watering, and delicate) consist of the following: 1 or 2 shaks, rotli, dal or kadhi, and rice. I've also had chicken though it's not common in this state. By the way, if you want chicken here, you call some dude who brings it raw to your home in 15 minutes.
So, the traditional Gujarati food consists of a vegetable (e.g. eggplant with potatoes cooked in appropriate herbs/spices, aka shak along with rotli, a naan like bread made of wheat. There are frequently 2 shaks, as well as a soup (though eaten during the meal or at the end with rice, not before). The soup or dal is made from lentils, for example. There are variations too and my favorite is kadhi, made from gram flour. During the summer, mangoes are a big deal, so we've been having a mango puree called rus. Otherwise, dessert is usually... ice cream :)
The best part of Indian cuisine, though, comes throughout the day in small snacks (generally extremely unhealthy for you), though I have tried to moderate my diet to avoid these.
A funny quirk or two that you may enjoy.
You may already know that many Indians take off their shoes before going into their homes; it's more than that though here. People take off their shoes when going into boutique stores (e.g. sari or kurti stores or even when visiting the doctor's office, and most certainly when going to someone else's home. Of course, you don't have to if you aren't comfortable doing so, but it's the cultural norm. It actually has a lot of advantages, primarily being that it keeps the already mopped floors clean throughout the day. By the way, many of the floors here are swept and mopped everyday.
The Indian culture is also intricately intertwined with the Hindu religion. As such, most people believe in some form of a deity and have profound respect for the divine. So, while walking down the street, you'll frequently find a small shrine or temple built to a particular deity. When they reconstruct roads or plan urban projects, I've been told that they generally try to avoid touching these landmarks and will build around them. Indeed, it's very true. I have frequently seen small (2 feet x 1 foot) temples on the median that no one will break. It'll also almost always be 'active' - someone will regularly light a candle, etc, there.
Another funny thing: if you ever think you'll land here and find your way to place x because you have the address, good luck! Unless you know exactly where major landmarks are located, it's virtually impossible. Addresses here are as follows:
123 (apt number) Condo Complex (name of building)
Opposite Big Major Landmark / Next to Big 4 lane road on ABC road
Neighborhood
City, State
So unless you know where "Big Major Landmark" or "Big 4 lane road" is/are located on ABC road, there's no way to know exactly where on the road it's located, and you'll have to ask someone. Rickshaws, by the way, are the cheapest way to travel. They cost about Rs. 10-50 (20 cents to $1) for most moderate distances.
Finally, as I've mentioned before, the roads are completely chaotic though I like to think of it paradoxically as organized chaos. Regardless, one of the reasons this is the case is that there are no traffic signs. There are few traffic/red lights but unless there's a cop or two to enforce these, no one ever cares for them. Now, that's what a completely free society looks like! Just joking. So, when you approach a 4 (or 5 or 6) way intersection, proceed very slowly and cautiously while honking constantly. And fear not if several 'two-wheelers' zip right in front of you as though their riders are immortal. It's really terrible. The remedy to all the distressing traffic problems is to start with putting up some traffic signs and then severely increase the penalties upon infringement. The funny thing is that given the chaos, you'd expect the number of accidents to be sky high. However, I haven't seen any. It's part of the mystery that I have found here. Alas, with traffic rules and regulations, this land wouldn't be India!
Below are pictures from my meal last night:
Dhokla, a snack.
Rotli
Tomato shak
Squash shak
Paan, a mint that's had after the meal. It consists of a variety of herbs, spices, dried fruit, jelly-like sweetners, etc, on a leaf. And yes, it really is very minty and it tastes a lot better than it looks.
Over the next few days, I'll try to take my camera with me and take as many pictures of the streets as possible. It's easy to take for granted what you see everyday or if you're familiar with an otherwise extraordinary situation.
The other problem is that my pictures are all in very high quality and therefore are very large (in byte size). I usually just upload them from my camera and it takes a long time (15-20 mins) to upload more than 5 at a time to the blog. Once I get home, however, I'll have some time to compress them and post plenty more. So, keep checking in!
Something that Melanie alerted me to is that I haven't really mentioned food much. Doh! That's because I probably take it for granted. You may know that I have a two-tiered system whereby I believe that there's Indian food and then there's everything else.
The meals at home (always delicious, colorful, rich, filling, mouth-watering, and delicate) consist of the following: 1 or 2 shaks, rotli, dal or kadhi, and rice. I've also had chicken though it's not common in this state. By the way, if you want chicken here, you call some dude who brings it raw to your home in 15 minutes.
So, the traditional Gujarati food consists of a vegetable (e.g. eggplant with potatoes cooked in appropriate herbs/spices, aka shak along with rotli, a naan like bread made of wheat. There are frequently 2 shaks, as well as a soup (though eaten during the meal or at the end with rice, not before). The soup or dal is made from lentils, for example. There are variations too and my favorite is kadhi, made from gram flour. During the summer, mangoes are a big deal, so we've been having a mango puree called rus. Otherwise, dessert is usually... ice cream :)
The best part of Indian cuisine, though, comes throughout the day in small snacks (generally extremely unhealthy for you), though I have tried to moderate my diet to avoid these.
A funny quirk or two that you may enjoy.
You may already know that many Indians take off their shoes before going into their homes; it's more than that though here. People take off their shoes when going into boutique stores (e.g. sari or kurti stores or even when visiting the doctor's office, and most certainly when going to someone else's home. Of course, you don't have to if you aren't comfortable doing so, but it's the cultural norm. It actually has a lot of advantages, primarily being that it keeps the already mopped floors clean throughout the day. By the way, many of the floors here are swept and mopped everyday.
The Indian culture is also intricately intertwined with the Hindu religion. As such, most people believe in some form of a deity and have profound respect for the divine. So, while walking down the street, you'll frequently find a small shrine or temple built to a particular deity. When they reconstruct roads or plan urban projects, I've been told that they generally try to avoid touching these landmarks and will build around them. Indeed, it's very true. I have frequently seen small (2 feet x 1 foot) temples on the median that no one will break. It'll also almost always be 'active' - someone will regularly light a candle, etc, there.
Another funny thing: if you ever think you'll land here and find your way to place x because you have the address, good luck! Unless you know exactly where major landmarks are located, it's virtually impossible. Addresses here are as follows:
123 (apt number) Condo Complex (name of building)
Opposite Big Major Landmark / Next to Big 4 lane road on ABC road
Neighborhood
City, State
So unless you know where "Big Major Landmark" or "Big 4 lane road" is/are located on ABC road, there's no way to know exactly where on the road it's located, and you'll have to ask someone. Rickshaws, by the way, are the cheapest way to travel. They cost about Rs. 10-50 (20 cents to $1) for most moderate distances.
Finally, as I've mentioned before, the roads are completely chaotic though I like to think of it paradoxically as organized chaos. Regardless, one of the reasons this is the case is that there are no traffic signs. There are few traffic/red lights but unless there's a cop or two to enforce these, no one ever cares for them. Now, that's what a completely free society looks like! Just joking. So, when you approach a 4 (or 5 or 6) way intersection, proceed very slowly and cautiously while honking constantly. And fear not if several 'two-wheelers' zip right in front of you as though their riders are immortal. It's really terrible. The remedy to all the distressing traffic problems is to start with putting up some traffic signs and then severely increase the penalties upon infringement. The funny thing is that given the chaos, you'd expect the number of accidents to be sky high. However, I haven't seen any. It's part of the mystery that I have found here. Alas, with traffic rules and regulations, this land wouldn't be India!
Below are pictures from my meal last night:
Dhokla, a snack.
Rotli
Tomato shak
Squash shak
Paan, a mint that's had after the meal. It consists of a variety of herbs, spices, dried fruit, jelly-like sweetners, etc, on a leaf. And yes, it really is very minty and it tastes a lot better than it looks.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Jubilation!
Shouts of jubilation and sighs of relief abound as the skies have opened up and the rain gods are delivering their goods. Seriously, people on the streets were chanting "barish! barish! barish!" which means "rain! rain! rain!" Woohoo - celebrate away!
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Word from the street
First off, a thank you to all the readers and a shout-out to those who recently left their first comments: Mills and Jessica - thanks for checking in!
In an effort to become less of an obvious tourist, I have not been taking my camera with me recently. No, it's not a compact point-and-shoot :) So, unfortunately I don't have any Ankur original pictures for you today. However, I managed to find a picture of the place a I visited today (and the subject of this entry) from a random blog.
I visited the old Ahmedabad city today. The entrance to the old city is marked by a large brick archway, an entrance familiar to many who might have visited any old city (e.g. Siena), although the delineation is not quite as clear cut given the immense crowds (see attached picture). Within the 1 to 2-mile area, there were probably well over 10,000 different vendors/shops. I am not kidding. In this entire area (Gandhi road and its surroundings), the shops are about 10 meters wide and probably 15-20 meters in length. And they are sequentially aligned... endlessly. It's absolutely amazing.
Every shop specializes in a particular merchandise and the competition is fierce. We went there to look for a couple of (modestly priced) fans. There must have been 25 to 50 fan stores that I saw while we carefully meandered around rickshaws, bikes, bicycles, and of course pedestrians. To make things worse, all the fan shops are all next to each other. Then you move on to the next block and there are, say, an equal number of shoe stores lined up, waiting for you. Think about that. It's Adam Smith's dream of what competition looks like: a very large number of suppliers competing on nothing but price to earn your business, and you--consumer--have an almost unrestricted ability to price shop just by walking a couple feet from one store to another store. Every economics student should visit a place like it.
Along with the myriad of shops, as the picture below shows, there were just as many people shopping. There could easily have been over 200,000 people there. As you can imagine, small crowded spaces don't tend to smell like fresh roses. The old city is generally a place to look for bargains; it's not a place for the faint-of-heart or the claustrophobic, but you'll be sure to save some dough.
The other thing I got to do was to chat with a couple of locals, shall we say. Topics of conversation:
1. Rain (this has been a big deal as the rain is supposed to have started and it's vital for existence here, so say a prayer to the rain saint, will you?)
2. The city's growth; when this gentleman (now in his 50s) was growing up, he saw one motorcycle every 30 minutes during the day; now it's 1 every second, all the time on this very street.
3. Pakistan and its harboring of terrorists. He pondered aloud: why does America support Pakistan?
4. The juxtaposition of unusually happy and smiling people given the circumstances here in a rather corrupt government.
Something else of note. As you know, the poverty level is very high here (but it's improving). As such, you'd expect a lot of homeless people begging for money (a la Washington DC). Surprisingly, shockingly even, you don't see beggars. Perhaps it's unique to this city, I don't know. I have only come across a handful of people (probably 5). Instead, people here are incredibly tenacious and creative: they will do something (work) to earn a few bucks. I worry that in the US we are regressing and thinking about how much the government owes us instead of creatively and entrepreneurially engineering our way to new highs.
You just walk around here and realize that this place has some mystical magic; that it exists beyond any and all rational human logic; and, that its existence is probably good enough proof that God exists.
In an effort to become less of an obvious tourist, I have not been taking my camera with me recently. No, it's not a compact point-and-shoot :) So, unfortunately I don't have any Ankur original pictures for you today. However, I managed to find a picture of the place a I visited today (and the subject of this entry) from a random blog.
I visited the old Ahmedabad city today. The entrance to the old city is marked by a large brick archway, an entrance familiar to many who might have visited any old city (e.g. Siena), although the delineation is not quite as clear cut given the immense crowds (see attached picture). Within the 1 to 2-mile area, there were probably well over 10,000 different vendors/shops. I am not kidding. In this entire area (Gandhi road and its surroundings), the shops are about 10 meters wide and probably 15-20 meters in length. And they are sequentially aligned... endlessly. It's absolutely amazing.
Every shop specializes in a particular merchandise and the competition is fierce. We went there to look for a couple of (modestly priced) fans. There must have been 25 to 50 fan stores that I saw while we carefully meandered around rickshaws, bikes, bicycles, and of course pedestrians. To make things worse, all the fan shops are all next to each other. Then you move on to the next block and there are, say, an equal number of shoe stores lined up, waiting for you. Think about that. It's Adam Smith's dream of what competition looks like: a very large number of suppliers competing on nothing but price to earn your business, and you--consumer--have an almost unrestricted ability to price shop just by walking a couple feet from one store to another store. Every economics student should visit a place like it.
Along with the myriad of shops, as the picture below shows, there were just as many people shopping. There could easily have been over 200,000 people there. As you can imagine, small crowded spaces don't tend to smell like fresh roses. The old city is generally a place to look for bargains; it's not a place for the faint-of-heart or the claustrophobic, but you'll be sure to save some dough.
The other thing I got to do was to chat with a couple of locals, shall we say. Topics of conversation:
1. Rain (this has been a big deal as the rain is supposed to have started and it's vital for existence here, so say a prayer to the rain saint, will you?)
2. The city's growth; when this gentleman (now in his 50s) was growing up, he saw one motorcycle every 30 minutes during the day; now it's 1 every second, all the time on this very street.
3. Pakistan and its harboring of terrorists. He pondered aloud: why does America support Pakistan?
4. The juxtaposition of unusually happy and smiling people given the circumstances here in a rather corrupt government.
Something else of note. As you know, the poverty level is very high here (but it's improving). As such, you'd expect a lot of homeless people begging for money (a la Washington DC). Surprisingly, shockingly even, you don't see beggars. Perhaps it's unique to this city, I don't know. I have only come across a handful of people (probably 5). Instead, people here are incredibly tenacious and creative: they will do something (work) to earn a few bucks. I worry that in the US we are regressing and thinking about how much the government owes us instead of creatively and entrepreneurially engineering our way to new highs.
You just walk around here and realize that this place has some mystical magic; that it exists beyond any and all rational human logic; and, that its existence is probably good enough proof that God exists.
Monday, July 4, 2011
Technology, Bollywood
Some of the many images that pop up of India when people think about it are those of the computer/tech industry, call centers, and Bollywood.
There are currently 827 million cell phones in use here. (The entire US population is 300 million!). So, you get this image of everyone being connected electronically to another through a palm sized and colorful gizmo. Moreover, you'd assume that everyone is also connected to the internet and is able to access all sorts of information at the touch of a ubiquitous button. Ah, but here's the surprising thing. While virtually everyone above the age of 5 has a cell phone, just a fraction of the people really mess with the internet. Instead of email, everyone uses "SMS" (or text messages). The cost of using cell phones for voice and text is minuscule and affordable, as compared to using the internet. I had assumed that smartphones would allow everyone to get on the web just as easily as computers (an admittedly large expense). Many (most) non-techies don't have an email address but they are extremely efficient with their phones.
Another interesting tidbit. Voice mail is an optional service (and therefore carries an additional charge). Therefore, no one uses voice mail. The flip side to that is that everyone always answers their cell phones. In some ways it's annoying and in other ways it's actually very admirable because you know your call will always be answered. At home, I hardly answer my cell phone, mostly because it's almost always on silent and because I know I can (and do) always get back to the caller within a reasonable amount of time. Try me :)
India is also known for its movie industry (Bollywood). Below is a chart comparing Hollywood and Bollywood.
On Saturday, I had my first experience in an Indian movie theater. For the most part, it's just like at home: you can get popcorn and every snack that's horrible for you. Some differences:
1. Tickets are priced by seat location (like at a play) and come with assigned seating. In the theater I visited, there were 3 tiers: silver, gold and platinum. (We sat in gold).
2. The movie begins at exactly the time written on the ticket with no ads at the beginning.
3. There is an intermission at the half-way mark during which time there are ads.
4. The audience is fun: they whistle and cheer when the protagonist initially appears (in this case, a very famous actor, Amitabh Bachchan) as well as during the movie at the appropriate scenes/times.
5. Unfortunately, there is no plea to "silence your cell phones," so it's quite common for people to answer their phones during the movie and briefly state "I'm at the movie, I'll call you back." The audio from the movie generally drowns their voices out.
In case you're curious, the movie I watched was Bbuddah Hoga Tera Baap (translated from Hindi: The old man must be your father).
There are currently 827 million cell phones in use here. (The entire US population is 300 million!). So, you get this image of everyone being connected electronically to another through a palm sized and colorful gizmo. Moreover, you'd assume that everyone is also connected to the internet and is able to access all sorts of information at the touch of a ubiquitous button. Ah, but here's the surprising thing. While virtually everyone above the age of 5 has a cell phone, just a fraction of the people really mess with the internet. Instead of email, everyone uses "SMS" (or text messages). The cost of using cell phones for voice and text is minuscule and affordable, as compared to using the internet. I had assumed that smartphones would allow everyone to get on the web just as easily as computers (an admittedly large expense). Many (most) non-techies don't have an email address but they are extremely efficient with their phones.
Another interesting tidbit. Voice mail is an optional service (and therefore carries an additional charge). Therefore, no one uses voice mail. The flip side to that is that everyone always answers their cell phones. In some ways it's annoying and in other ways it's actually very admirable because you know your call will always be answered. At home, I hardly answer my cell phone, mostly because it's almost always on silent and because I know I can (and do) always get back to the caller within a reasonable amount of time. Try me :)
India is also known for its movie industry (Bollywood). Below is a chart comparing Hollywood and Bollywood.
On Saturday, I had my first experience in an Indian movie theater. For the most part, it's just like at home: you can get popcorn and every snack that's horrible for you. Some differences:
1. Tickets are priced by seat location (like at a play) and come with assigned seating. In the theater I visited, there were 3 tiers: silver, gold and platinum. (We sat in gold).
2. The movie begins at exactly the time written on the ticket with no ads at the beginning.
3. There is an intermission at the half-way mark during which time there are ads.
4. The audience is fun: they whistle and cheer when the protagonist initially appears (in this case, a very famous actor, Amitabh Bachchan) as well as during the movie at the appropriate scenes/times.
5. Unfortunately, there is no plea to "silence your cell phones," so it's quite common for people to answer their phones during the movie and briefly state "I'm at the movie, I'll call you back." The audio from the movie generally drowns their voices out.
In case you're curious, the movie I watched was Bbuddah Hoga Tera Baap (translated from Hindi: The old man must be your father).
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Happy Independence Day!
Before I left home, I packed 2 hand-held flags with me. Today I'm waving them with great joy and great pride. To further commemorate this day, I visited a museum with hundreds of antique cars, many of which are great American brands: Ford, Chevy, Studebaker, Lincoln, Cadillac... and there on the wall was our flag too (albeit with 32 stars!).
Happy 235th Independence Day!
The weird thing is that in order to watch the celebrations/fireworks live on July 4, I'll have to wait until 8 or 9 AM on July 5 local time!
By the way, in case you're wondering about this collection, here's the scoop. It's a collection of about 105 antique cars - all in original (and many in working) condition, owned by a family. Yep, one family who has collected cars for over 3 generations now. Most of the cars were owned and used in India during the colonial era. They all have labels indicating where they were used. All entrance fees to view this collection go to charity. Pretty impressive stuff.
Happy 235th Independence Day!
The weird thing is that in order to watch the celebrations/fireworks live on July 4, I'll have to wait until 8 or 9 AM on July 5 local time!
By the way, in case you're wondering about this collection, here's the scoop. It's a collection of about 105 antique cars - all in original (and many in working) condition, owned by a family. Yep, one family who has collected cars for over 3 generations now. Most of the cars were owned and used in India during the colonial era. They all have labels indicating where they were used. All entrance fees to view this collection go to charity. Pretty impressive stuff.
Car
I think I have skipped out on mentioning a very important part of my life here, i.e. how I travel. Below is the primary family car and the driver who's been so graciously taking me around. Beats the Camry, eh?
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Odds and Ends
First, a shout-out to Savta and Kate for writing in. Thanks for reading -- it means a lot to me!
The last few days have been the same as the first few. I have mostly stayed at home and read a lot. For the curious, Moonwalking with Einstein recounts the national and international memory competition and its quirky culture. (Yes, there really are people who can memorize the order of 2 decks of random cards in minutes). Now, I am back to the seemingly endless Cutting for Stone, which has finally picked up in pace and has become a fascinating parallel of my earlier life. For those who are interested, chapter 38 (Welcome Wagon) recounts my experiences with almost uncanny precision.
Life for the average person here begins at mid-morning (between 10 and 11 am) and continues until 8 or 9pm. Dinner is eaten at close to 10pm. Most people work 6 days a week (school is also held 6 days a week!). I venture out frequently but the sights have now become commonplace. Kind of. In a sense, I have been numbed by the densely populated environment with its constantly humming honks and rumbling motorbikes. The oft-sighted cow still surprises me, but it's the sight of the stray and sick dogs that always hurts, along with that of the toddlers on the streets. By the way--since we're discussing the streets--as an Oklahoman, it is interesting to note that almost every rickshaw uses CNG (and there are a plethora of them), and I've seen many cars doing the same. Maybe we can export some of that CNG here given that our politicians don't seem to see its advantages over gasoline. Want to export some here, Mr. McClendon?!
A few interesting tidbits on Ahmedabad: It is the 7th largest city in India and was named the third fastest growing city in the world (yes, world) in 2010 by Forbes (after 2 Chinese cities, of course). The metro's population is close to 6 million, giving it a population density of about 60,000 per sq. mile. Yep, next time you think that Broadway Extension is crowded, think again! As I've alluded to earlier, economic growth is palpable, and its impact for the future of the city and its people is encouraging. Land prices here have appreciated in a manner that cannot be described. There are several anecdotes of people who didn't own a dime to their name and lived off of a small kiosk (selling soft drinks, or pan, a leaf with various spices in it). Then, out of nowhere, they are offered millions for their land by an investor who wants to develop it. Investors with foresight who purchased small tracts of land for, say, $5000, sold them several years years later for over hundred-fold increases. Warren Buffett would be proud of these buy-and-hold investors :) I've been told that today it is impossible to acquire land between here and Gandhinagar (the capital of the state, 20 miles away). It's reassuring to see capitalism work, despite the corruption.
I have yet to visit an American franchise (Subway, Domino's Pizza, McDonald's), but you may find it interesting to know that they deliver even the smallest 6" sub to your home, a testament to the immense competition between businesses to earn your loyalty. Unfortunately, I haven't seen a Starbucks yet. Hmmm...
This city is also known for its universities. Yesterday, I visited CEPT (Center for Environmental Planning and Technology University), a well-regarded institution in the country. Admission to its architecture program, for instance is hypercompetitive: 17 students out of 300,000 potential applicants were accepted last year. Visiting the campus was yet another eyebrow-raising moment: despite the popularity and prestige of the school, the campus was semi-appalling when compared to what we're used to. Which brings me to my next point: the contrast in quality between public and private goods, for the economists out there.
My few days have revealed one thing for sure: public spaces, or those that are shared by everyone, are filthy, yet private places are incredibly well-done and often stupendous. The extreme dichotomy is unimaginable and impossible to understand. Indeed, I don't. It is understandable that no one has an incentive to maintain the same level of excellence for public goods, but the extreme difference evident here is mind-boggling. It does, however, point to the virtues of privatization, and the way forward. Of course, there's also the immense population and poverty that comes with the land, a nearly impossible challenge to tackle.
A mural of the famous and infamous on the CEPT campus, presumably by students(?). Pretty cool actually.
A mural by MF Husain, a prominent Indian artist. Also on the CEPT campus. (It's an artsy place!).
Swamiji and me. He is a monk who is celibate and takes a vow of poverty, eating what he's given and living with a family who welcomes him. More importantly, though, he is a yoga guru and the leader of the yoga department at Gujarat University (picture below). His English is fluent and he's a really nice guy.
This was the cutest thing ever: a baby monkey with its parent (I presume mom): do you see?! It's like being in a zoo, but a free one! (Click on the image for a larger version/to zoom in).
On the campus of CEPT
At the 'cafe' at CEPT (at about 8pm). The white structure in the background is the "cave" in which reside the murals of HF Husain (above).
The two videos below are my lame efforts to capture the streets. But, alas, they don't really do an adequate job. I suppose it means you still have to visit the place to experience it.
The last few days have been the same as the first few. I have mostly stayed at home and read a lot. For the curious, Moonwalking with Einstein recounts the national and international memory competition and its quirky culture. (Yes, there really are people who can memorize the order of 2 decks of random cards in minutes). Now, I am back to the seemingly endless Cutting for Stone, which has finally picked up in pace and has become a fascinating parallel of my earlier life. For those who are interested, chapter 38 (Welcome Wagon) recounts my experiences with almost uncanny precision.
Life for the average person here begins at mid-morning (between 10 and 11 am) and continues until 8 or 9pm. Dinner is eaten at close to 10pm. Most people work 6 days a week (school is also held 6 days a week!). I venture out frequently but the sights have now become commonplace. Kind of. In a sense, I have been numbed by the densely populated environment with its constantly humming honks and rumbling motorbikes. The oft-sighted cow still surprises me, but it's the sight of the stray and sick dogs that always hurts, along with that of the toddlers on the streets. By the way--since we're discussing the streets--as an Oklahoman, it is interesting to note that almost every rickshaw uses CNG (and there are a plethora of them), and I've seen many cars doing the same. Maybe we can export some of that CNG here given that our politicians don't seem to see its advantages over gasoline. Want to export some here, Mr. McClendon?!
A few interesting tidbits on Ahmedabad: It is the 7th largest city in India and was named the third fastest growing city in the world (yes, world) in 2010 by Forbes (after 2 Chinese cities, of course). The metro's population is close to 6 million, giving it a population density of about 60,000 per sq. mile. Yep, next time you think that Broadway Extension is crowded, think again! As I've alluded to earlier, economic growth is palpable, and its impact for the future of the city and its people is encouraging. Land prices here have appreciated in a manner that cannot be described. There are several anecdotes of people who didn't own a dime to their name and lived off of a small kiosk (selling soft drinks, or pan, a leaf with various spices in it). Then, out of nowhere, they are offered millions for their land by an investor who wants to develop it. Investors with foresight who purchased small tracts of land for, say, $5000, sold them several years years later for over hundred-fold increases. Warren Buffett would be proud of these buy-and-hold investors :) I've been told that today it is impossible to acquire land between here and Gandhinagar (the capital of the state, 20 miles away). It's reassuring to see capitalism work, despite the corruption.
I have yet to visit an American franchise (Subway, Domino's Pizza, McDonald's), but you may find it interesting to know that they deliver even the smallest 6" sub to your home, a testament to the immense competition between businesses to earn your loyalty. Unfortunately, I haven't seen a Starbucks yet. Hmmm...
This city is also known for its universities. Yesterday, I visited CEPT (Center for Environmental Planning and Technology University), a well-regarded institution in the country. Admission to its architecture program, for instance is hypercompetitive: 17 students out of 300,000 potential applicants were accepted last year. Visiting the campus was yet another eyebrow-raising moment: despite the popularity and prestige of the school, the campus was semi-appalling when compared to what we're used to. Which brings me to my next point: the contrast in quality between public and private goods, for the economists out there.
My few days have revealed one thing for sure: public spaces, or those that are shared by everyone, are filthy, yet private places are incredibly well-done and often stupendous. The extreme dichotomy is unimaginable and impossible to understand. Indeed, I don't. It is understandable that no one has an incentive to maintain the same level of excellence for public goods, but the extreme difference evident here is mind-boggling. It does, however, point to the virtues of privatization, and the way forward. Of course, there's also the immense population and poverty that comes with the land, a nearly impossible challenge to tackle.
A mural of the famous and infamous on the CEPT campus, presumably by students(?). Pretty cool actually.
A mural by MF Husain, a prominent Indian artist. Also on the CEPT campus. (It's an artsy place!).
Swamiji and me. He is a monk who is celibate and takes a vow of poverty, eating what he's given and living with a family who welcomes him. More importantly, though, he is a yoga guru and the leader of the yoga department at Gujarat University (picture below). His English is fluent and he's a really nice guy.
This was the cutest thing ever: a baby monkey with its parent (I presume mom): do you see?! It's like being in a zoo, but a free one! (Click on the image for a larger version/to zoom in).
On the campus of CEPT
At the 'cafe' at CEPT (at about 8pm). The white structure in the background is the "cave" in which reside the murals of HF Husain (above).
The two videos below are my lame efforts to capture the streets. But, alas, they don't really do an adequate job. I suppose it means you still have to visit the place to experience it.
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