Two words that mean four different things in two countries. In the US of course they refer to devices used to smoke certain leaves, and a derogatory word for homosexuals. In India they refer to Bengalis and Cigarettes.
I had a Bengali roommate before and that guy was a chimney. I never saw him without a fa ... a cigarette in his mouth. And now my new colleague at work is a Bengali and he's a big smoker as well. What is with people from that state? Well this Bengali is a huge improvement over the previous one in many ways. This one actually seems to like humans and doesn't creep them out. Huge step up. The only thing is he's much younger than I am, the kid just graduated from college with a Bachelor's degree. Incredible that we share the same work title.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Rubbernecking - Panchkula style
I get rubbernecking, so I try not to judge those who indulge in it. In India they take it to a whole new level, even the tiniest of fisticuffs draw sizable crowds. But it was something else out here today.
At an intersection a car ran into another. This happened a minute or so before I got there because the crowd had already gathered. (No one was hurt by the way, it was a dent more than anything.) There wasn't much jostling on the inside which meant it was a rather civilized discussion going on at the center of the crowd. I was taking a walk around the neighborhood so I didn't stop. On my way back, about 10 minutes later, the number of spectators had increased. The crowd hadn't really increased around the car but people has gathered on the sidewalks and in the nearby shops. What really stuck me was the energy there. People were racing to get there. One shopkeeper and his assistant were racing to the accident with big grins on their faces, the social difference between them temporarily forgotten. One man was vigorously narrating the incident to another. Two students with books in their hands were running toward the site. The best sight was seeing a bunch of motorcyclists coming to screeching stops, locking up their bikes in a hurry and running to join the crowd.
Like I said, I've seen accidents and I've seen crowds around accidents. But the vigor with which people were racing to get a glimpse of the accident site, or more likely the fight to follow was something else. My theory is that Panchkula being a rather well laid-out city, you don't get a lot of accidents there, and when one does happen, it's a sight worth checking out.
At an intersection a car ran into another. This happened a minute or so before I got there because the crowd had already gathered. (No one was hurt by the way, it was a dent more than anything.) There wasn't much jostling on the inside which meant it was a rather civilized discussion going on at the center of the crowd. I was taking a walk around the neighborhood so I didn't stop. On my way back, about 10 minutes later, the number of spectators had increased. The crowd hadn't really increased around the car but people has gathered on the sidewalks and in the nearby shops. What really stuck me was the energy there. People were racing to get there. One shopkeeper and his assistant were racing to the accident with big grins on their faces, the social difference between them temporarily forgotten. One man was vigorously narrating the incident to another. Two students with books in their hands were running toward the site. The best sight was seeing a bunch of motorcyclists coming to screeching stops, locking up their bikes in a hurry and running to join the crowd.
Like I said, I've seen accidents and I've seen crowds around accidents. But the vigor with which people were racing to get a glimpse of the accident site, or more likely the fight to follow was something else. My theory is that Panchkula being a rather well laid-out city, you don't get a lot of accidents there, and when one does happen, it's a sight worth checking out.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Smell you later
(Warning: This entry might qualify for TMI: Too Much Information)
I'm sweat a lot. In school one day, during the morning assembly, I was sweating so much, a teacher thought I was about to faint or something and made me stand in the shade. Very cool (pun intended).
As I grew older, and by that I mean when I came to the US, my sweet sweet BO which was till then unremarkable, became noticeable to the people around me. So they introduced me to the concept of a deodorant. My roomie even picked one for me. I've been a great fan since and till I left the US, I was even a bit of a BO snob, turning down my nose at the FOBs who didn't use deo.
It was fine for a while in India too, till the stick I was using ran out. Boy, I forgot how bad I stink! It was made worse by the Hyd heat. I tried a zillions malls, couldn't find a decent stick. All they had were so called "deo sprays" and roll-ons. Even though I didn't trust them, I tried them and I was right. They didn't work beyond 30 mins after my shower.
And now, of all the places, I found one in this podunk city of Panchkula, in what I thought was going to be a minor store. Amazing, my brand too and everything. And just as I was about to begin my new job.
Let's pray I end up smelling like a million bucks.
I'm sweat a lot. In school one day, during the morning assembly, I was sweating so much, a teacher thought I was about to faint or something and made me stand in the shade. Very cool (pun intended).
As I grew older, and by that I mean when I came to the US, my sweet sweet BO which was till then unremarkable, became noticeable to the people around me. So they introduced me to the concept of a deodorant. My roomie even picked one for me. I've been a great fan since and till I left the US, I was even a bit of a BO snob, turning down my nose at the FOBs who didn't use deo.
It was fine for a while in India too, till the stick I was using ran out. Boy, I forgot how bad I stink! It was made worse by the Hyd heat. I tried a zillions malls, couldn't find a decent stick. All they had were so called "deo sprays" and roll-ons. Even though I didn't trust them, I tried them and I was right. They didn't work beyond 30 mins after my shower.
And now, of all the places, I found one in this podunk city of Panchkula, in what I thought was going to be a minor store. Amazing, my brand too and everything. And just as I was about to begin my new job.
Let's pray I end up smelling like a million bucks.
A couple of misconceptions
Quick. What percentage of Kerala do you think is Christian? When I posed this question to my Indian friends, the answers varied from 90% to as low as 50%. People had this image of the Malayali Christians in their minds and assumed that Kerala was full of Christians. In reality, Christians form less than 20% of the population of Kerala. They're only the third largest religion in the state. Hindus still make up the majority, at 56% and Muslims are second at 24% (figures from Wikipedia).
Similarly, what percentage of Chandigarh is Sikh? (Now, this is a bit of a trick question because for the longest time we all associated Chandigarh with Punjab where Sikhism is the dominant religion.) But in Chandigarh, Sikhs form less than 20% of the population. (Hindus forming the majority at 78%.) This was very apparent during my cab ride from the airport to my hotel. Very few turbans that distinguish the Sikhs. Now, granted, not all Sikhs sport the turban, but the image that people have of a city teeming with Sikhs is off the mark.
Interestingly enough, even Amritsar is a Hindu-majority city with about 80% Hindus. Man, where the Sikhs at? Probably in the villages. I look forward to making atleast one trip to a Punjabi village at some point during my stay here.
Similarly, what percentage of Chandigarh is Sikh? (Now, this is a bit of a trick question because for the longest time we all associated Chandigarh with Punjab where Sikhism is the dominant religion.) But in Chandigarh, Sikhs form less than 20% of the population. (Hindus forming the majority at 78%.) This was very apparent during my cab ride from the airport to my hotel. Very few turbans that distinguish the Sikhs. Now, granted, not all Sikhs sport the turban, but the image that people have of a city teeming with Sikhs is off the mark.
Interestingly enough, even Amritsar is a Hindu-majority city with about 80% Hindus. Man, where the Sikhs at? Probably in the villages. I look forward to making atleast one trip to a Punjabi village at some point during my stay here.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Chariot of the poor
Burns: Why should the race always be to the swift or the jumble to the quick-witted? Should they be allowed to win merely because of the gifts God gave them? Well, I say cheating is the gift man gives himself!
Homer: Mr. Burns, I insist that we cheat.
Burns: Excellent.
One Mr. Lalu Prasad Yadav, the Railway Minister of India, thought along similar lines - "Why should the air-conditioned compartments be only to the rich?" - and created the "Garib Rath" (Chariot of the Poor). The Garib Rath is a train that has been deployed on various important routes, like Hyderabad to Vishakapatnam, and is entirely air-conditioned. The tickets cost a little less than the regular a/c coaches on these routes do, so the poor people can "afford" to travel in style. (I'll leave the question of whether or not this is proper as an excercise to the reader.)
As it turned out, these trains aren't used only by the poor. I got to use this train when I made a recent trip to visit my grandparents in Vishakapatnam. It was a sweet ride. These trains aren't some old trains retooled as Garib Raths. Instead they have been designed specifically with this purpose, so their layouts are unique. Also, being new, they're remarkably clean. One problem is that they sort of overdosed on the cooling. At night the whole train gets really cold because of the a/c. No problem, they rent out a set of bedsheets, pillows and blankets for Rs. 25. Good business, no?
Homer: Mr. Burns, I insist that we cheat.
Burns: Excellent.
One Mr. Lalu Prasad Yadav, the Railway Minister of India, thought along similar lines - "Why should the air-conditioned compartments be only to the rich?" - and created the "Garib Rath" (Chariot of the Poor). The Garib Rath is a train that has been deployed on various important routes, like Hyderabad to Vishakapatnam, and is entirely air-conditioned. The tickets cost a little less than the regular a/c coaches on these routes do, so the poor people can "afford" to travel in style. (I'll leave the question of whether or not this is proper as an excercise to the reader.)
As it turned out, these trains aren't used only by the poor. I got to use this train when I made a recent trip to visit my grandparents in Vishakapatnam. It was a sweet ride. These trains aren't some old trains retooled as Garib Raths. Instead they have been designed specifically with this purpose, so their layouts are unique. Also, being new, they're remarkably clean. One problem is that they sort of overdosed on the cooling. At night the whole train gets really cold because of the a/c. No problem, they rent out a set of bedsheets, pillows and blankets for Rs. 25. Good business, no?
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Singh is King indeed
I'm happy to announce that I've found a new job and I'll be moving to Chandigarh shortly. Like I said before, the blog address will remain the same but I'll be now posting about North India!
I'm very excited and one of my first tasks is to set "Bas ek king" as the ringtone on my cellphone!!
I'll be a little busy with the move and the settling down process but rest assured that once I'm there, I'll be posting as before. Thanks for all the wishes and greetings so far.
I'm very excited and one of my first tasks is to set "Bas ek king" as the ringtone on my cellphone!!
I'll be a little busy with the move and the settling down process but rest assured that once I'm there, I'll be posting as before. Thanks for all the wishes and greetings so far.
A small change of heart
You know how I changed my opinion about living in this country and how I felt that it could be done?
Well two days of almost no electricity and internet later, I'd like to recast my vote for "HELL NO!" As in "No freaking way can I live like this." It's bad enough that the internet is slow, but if it goes out altogether, then I can't live.
Well two days of almost no electricity and internet later, I'd like to recast my vote for "HELL NO!" As in "No freaking way can I live like this." It's bad enough that the internet is slow, but if it goes out altogether, then I can't live.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)