Yesterday was a 12 hour bandh in Bangalore ("stop" in Hindi). For me, it was a day for me to stay home from work.
It was a protest organized by the Karnataka state to show their displeasure at the way water was portioned from the River Cauvery. Karnataka state shares water from Cauvery with Tamil Nadu and Andhra. It hasn't rained much lately, and the latter two states are faring better as far as water is concerned. Protesters in Cauvery want the water re-apportioned by the council that governs things.
I think the bandh was successful. Normally I don't put a lot of stock in protests in the US. A guy from work was telling me that protests in India are different -- they're serious. Most people stayed home. Active protesters chose to go to where people were already gathered -- at the airport, at the train station, on major roads near the border. I came in from Hosur yesterday afternoon (Hosur is just across the state border in Tamil Nadu) and there were already news cameras nearby, and a few groups of 5-20 people standing around at the border.
Near me on Monday, Bangalore was absolutely still during the 6AM to 6PM stoppage. (It was announced one week ago.) If it wasn't light outside, you'd think it was 1AM on the streets.
The Bangalore bandh was the headline in the national news. According to TV news, tech and BPO (business process outsourcing) companies were concerned protesters would gather near their campuses if people went to work today. So, most closed, which meant they weren't serving European markets during the day.
One estimate of the financial impact was $400M US. For a state that prides itself on service to the rest of the world, that should get the
politicians moving again....
2/12/07
2/4/07
One huge campout
Today we visited the place where the Yamuna River and Ganges River meet in north India, a city called Allahabad. Allahabad means "City of God". But, this city is also home to the largest
religious gathering in the world -- a Hindu rite called Kumbha Mela.
Every 12 years Hindus travel to this site to bathe in the Sangam ("confluence") between the two rivers. The last occurrence in 2001 drew 70 million people. Seventy million. Seventy million people packed up a tent, got on a train with their family and traveled to Allahabad. They shut down all motorized transportation near the site, because there are too many people. A special train station is created out in the middle of a field to bring everyone in and out.
When we got here today, the Ardha Kumbha Mela ("half", or 6-year Kumbha Mela) had just been completed two days before. There were acres and acres of dusty pavilions, people milling around, tents with meals cooking outside, speakers blaring Hindu music, goods for sale, and policemen wielding semi-automatic weapons. The entire site sits on a flood plane that'll be covered in water in July. This temporary city of 70 million (contained inside the city limits of the permanent city of Allahabad) is erected and torn down in a matter of months.
I'll post pictures when I'm able to. The sign of Hindu music playing as the sun dropped past the horizon behind this massive campsite was an experience unlike any other I've had.
Cooking utensils
Everyone needs a tandoor. Anything that comes out of these is excellent. I've had naan, buttered naan, chicken, kebab out of one so far. Today I even had paneer (a spongy, white cheese) and spinach from a tandor. It was good better than I expected! Pictures to follow....
Northward!
The Joneses
This guy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shah_Jahan has upped the anti for everyone in India. I got to go the Taj Majal yesterday. It really deserves to be a wonder of the world. (I found out just now that there really is no official "7 wonders of the world". The Taj Majal makes some of them, but not all -- it depends on who you ask. )
If you ask me, it's pretty fantastic. Shah Jahan built this giant mausoleum for his second wife Mumtaz Mahal, after she passed away giving birth to his 14TH! child. They had been married 18 years. He spent the next 22 building a place for her to be buried.
More than 200,000 artisans from countries around the world built the building. It has various features like:
Minarets at the four corners that are tilted out slightly. If there's an earthquake, the turrets will fall outward, and not harm the main building in the center.
Three acres of dirt excavated, then refilled, to start a reliable foundation for the tomb.
Deep wells dug down to bedrock, then refilled with stone, to build a solid platform for the tomb -- much the same way that skyscrapers are built today.
If you ask me, it's pretty fantastic. Shah Jahan built this giant mausoleum for his second wife Mumtaz Mahal, after she passed away giving birth to his 14TH! child. They had been married 18 years. He spent the next 22 building a place for her to be buried.
More than 200,000 artisans from countries around the world built the building. It has various features like:
Minarets at the four corners that are tilted out slightly. If there's an earthquake, the turrets will fall outward, and not harm the main building in the center.
Three acres of dirt excavated, then refilled, to start a reliable foundation for the tomb.
Deep wells dug down to bedrock, then refilled with stone, to build a solid platform for the tomb -- much the same way that skyscrapers are built today.
1/24/07
Eggs in a plastic sack
I bought groceries Sunday. It took some work, and some much-needed help from a shop owner and friends, but I managed to buy enough groceries to cook American breakfast in the morning. On the way to the store, we were talking about culture shock and how long it takes to get used to being in a different place.
I'm probably in culture shock now. I don't really think of it as "shock", though. It's fascinating to me what other people think is "normal", mostly. Little things -- like the fact that I can't buy eggs in an egg crate. In Bangalore, you buy your eggs one-by-one, and then the shop owner drops the lone eggs in a plastic sack and hands them over the counter. "Seriously!?", I think to myself.
Other things that seem strange at first, but you take to them after a while:
Eating with my right hand -- no utensils needed. Just make the first three fingers on your right hand into a spork, and dig in. The left hand is not acceptable (it's considered unclean as a rule), so it makes a leftie try a little harder.
Finding drinking water. Most people don't trust the public water system, and there are "drinking water" fountains or bottles all over.
Bobbing heads. Wagging your head back and forth means, "Yep, OK, I got it." I like the gesture so much, I've caught myself doing to, too.
I'm probably in culture shock now. I don't really think of it as "shock", though. It's fascinating to me what other people think is "normal", mostly. Little things -- like the fact that I can't buy eggs in an egg crate. In Bangalore, you buy your eggs one-by-one, and then the shop owner drops the lone eggs in a plastic sack and hands them over the counter. "Seriously!?", I think to myself.
Other things that seem strange at first, but you take to them after a while:
Eating with my right hand -- no utensils needed. Just make the first three fingers on your right hand into a spork, and dig in. The left hand is not acceptable (it's considered unclean as a rule), so it makes a leftie try a little harder.
Finding drinking water. Most people don't trust the public water system, and there are "drinking water" fountains or bottles all over.
Bobbing heads. Wagging your head back and forth means, "Yep, OK, I got it." I like the gesture so much, I've caught myself doing to, too.
Christians and Moguls
I was standing outside a church Sunday morning, listening to Christian worshipers sing joyfully -- listening to their voices wash out of the open church doors, echoing off buildings in the surrounding neighborhood. It was one of those moments that strikes you as poignant, right there as you're in it.
I had a chance to meet up with Heather Lip and the George's on Sunday, and go to church at Bangalore Bible Church in north Bangalore. I managed to take an auto(rickshaw) to the north end of town in record time. The church was half orphans from the school that the church is attached to, and half believers from around town -- some newly-justified believers from the surrounding village. We sang from well-worn hymnals that read "Northwest Bible Church, Dallas, Texas" in gold-stamp on their covers. The service was long -- almost 2 hours. The time of collective reflection wasn't just a time of silence. The older men in the congregation would read scripture, pray, or start singing hymns that everyone could sing from memory. You could feel the well-worn faith of the people in the congregation.
Afterwards, the George's took their guests to Samarkand Restaurant. The food there was excellent. The second course was Tandoori chicken with your choice of five curries. The chicken was so tasty (melt in your mouth good), I think the curries would've just gotten in the way. If they had this stuff in Austin, you'd be right over....
I had a chance to meet up with Heather Lip and the George's on Sunday, and go to church at Bangalore Bible Church in north Bangalore. I managed to take an auto(rickshaw) to the north end of town in record time. The church was half orphans from the school that the church is attached to, and half believers from around town -- some newly-justified believers from the surrounding village. We sang from well-worn hymnals that read "Northwest Bible Church, Dallas, Texas" in gold-stamp on their covers. The service was long -- almost 2 hours. The time of collective reflection wasn't just a time of silence. The older men in the congregation would read scripture, pray, or start singing hymns that everyone could sing from memory. You could feel the well-worn faith of the people in the congregation.
Afterwards, the George's took their guests to Samarkand Restaurant. The food there was excellent. The second course was Tandoori chicken with your choice of five curries. The chicken was so tasty (melt in your mouth good), I think the curries would've just gotten in the way. If they had this stuff in Austin, you'd be right over....
Indian Niagra Falls
Saturday was a big day for me -- my first road trip in India.
The guys from work planned a trip to Hoganeckal, a set of falls on the river that seperates the Karnataka state from the Tamil Nadu state. I was really excited about getting out of the city, and seeing what life was like outside the two neighborhoods I've been in so far. So, early Saturday, we took off in our Avis-rented minivan and headed 200km south -- a 4 hour trip.
First, breakfast at the border.
Then, we headed into the country at breakneck speed. We'd pass little towns like this about every 5 miles, all the way from the border to Hoganeckal. It's just like the drive from Dallas to College Station (slowing down every few miles for towns), only you have to dodge and swerve to miss motorcycles, potholes, people drying grass on the road, and trucks... We'd get upwards of 100km/hr, which feels really fast on the roads we were on.
Hoganeckal: You rent these little boats that look like papasan chairs with tar spread on the bottom. One had a family of 10 in it, floating around. The falls were beautiful. I was very impressed. I got a little close to the edge of a couple, and the guys in boats called me down to move away. To tour the falls, you get in these boats, go to the first stop, get out, take pictures, get back in, go around to the second stop, get out, take pictures, then get back in for the ride back to the beginning. All-total, it takes a couple hours.
The guys from work planned a trip to Hoganeckal, a set of falls on the river that seperates the Karnataka state from the Tamil Nadu state. I was really excited about getting out of the city, and seeing what life was like outside the two neighborhoods I've been in so far. So, early Saturday, we took off in our Avis-rented minivan and headed 200km south -- a 4 hour trip.
First, breakfast at the border.
Then, we headed into the country at breakneck speed. We'd pass little towns like this about every 5 miles, all the way from the border to Hoganeckal. It's just like the drive from Dallas to College Station (slowing down every few miles for towns), only you have to dodge and swerve to miss motorcycles, potholes, people drying grass on the road, and trucks... We'd get upwards of 100km/hr, which feels really fast on the roads we were on.
Hoganeckal: You rent these little boats that look like papasan chairs with tar spread on the bottom. One had a family of 10 in it, floating around. The falls were beautiful. I was very impressed. I got a little close to the edge of a couple, and the guys in boats called me down to move away. To tour the falls, you get in these boats, go to the first stop, get out, take pictures, get back in, go around to the second stop, get out, take pictures, then get back in for the ride back to the beginning. All-total, it takes a couple hours.
Most creative job I've heard of in awhile? Professional cliff jumper. There were kids who'd yell "5 rupees, 5 rupees!", rub their fingers together, and wait for one of us to nod or raise our camera. Acknowlege 'em, and they jump in and come get their 5 bucks ($0.12) from you. Nice work, really.
1/18/07
It makes you tilt your head to one side...
Some of my favorite signs so far:
Desmonds -- Where Tycoons Dine
Desmonds -- Where Tycoons Dine
"Infant Jesus Cement Store" (picture coming)
Curry some favor with Indian cuisine
I've gotten to try some great Indian food in the last few days:
On the plane: Vineet Bhatia's prawn bhuna masala with coconut and curry leaf rice
For breakfast: dosa or idly with masala
For lunch: pepper mutton gravy, with rice and chapathi (South Indian); Ahndra double masala (North Indian)
For dessert: fruit smoothies; yogurt; sweet rice pudding
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Indian_dishes
On the plane: Vineet Bhatia's prawn bhuna masala with coconut and curry leaf rice
For breakfast: dosa or idly with masala
For lunch: pepper mutton gravy, with rice and chapathi (South Indian); Ahndra double masala (North Indian)
For dessert: fruit smoothies; yogurt; sweet rice pudding
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Indian_dishes
Defying physics
Today at work, the guys from Bangalore were talking about going to an amusement park. I don't see why you need amusement parks in Bangalore -- the traffic is a ride in itself. A ride through traffic at rush-hour can make a US driver cringe about, oh, every 4 seconds.
A typical ride through town (6km) costs about 70 Rs, or about $2 US. For your money, you get a friendly driver that will keep you alive and take you across town at the same time. These guys are great -- they sit in the middle of a city of 6M people, take an address like "Vittal Mallya Road, Across from the Shell petrol bunk", and thread you through traffic to your destination in no-time.
On the road in your 10hp auto rickshaw, you zip along in short 1 block bursts, all the way across town. Rules of the road:
1. If you want to pass someone, honk at least once. If you just want to let them know you're there, honk. Bored? Honk.
2. If there's a gap at least as wide as your rickshaw or motorcycle, plus 3cm, passing is fare game. Gun it. Make sure you leave at least 1 cm between you and them, so you don't crash.
3. If you want to turn across traffic, stick your nose out there, and hope the oncoming traffic stops soon.
4. Stopped a light? Turn off your engine to save gas.
5. See a car in front of you? Honk once.
6. See a person in front of you? Honk twice to let them know they shouldn't be in front of you. DO NOT slow down, or they might get the idea that they can do it again...
7. No room on your side of the road? Cross into oncoming traffic for a while. That lane is yours, until an oncoming rickshaw honks incessantly and runs you back onto your own side of the road...
A typical ride through town (6km) costs about 70 Rs, or about $2 US. For your money, you get a friendly driver that will keep you alive and take you across town at the same time. These guys are great -- they sit in the middle of a city of 6M people, take an address like "Vittal Mallya Road, Across from the Shell petrol bunk", and thread you through traffic to your destination in no-time.
On the road in your 10hp auto rickshaw, you zip along in short 1 block bursts, all the way across town. Rules of the road:
1. If you want to pass someone, honk at least once. If you just want to let them know you're there, honk. Bored? Honk.
2. If there's a gap at least as wide as your rickshaw or motorcycle, plus 3cm, passing is fare game. Gun it. Make sure you leave at least 1 cm between you and them, so you don't crash.
3. If you want to turn across traffic, stick your nose out there, and hope the oncoming traffic stops soon.
4. Stopped a light? Turn off your engine to save gas.
5. See a car in front of you? Honk once.
6. See a person in front of you? Honk twice to let them know they shouldn't be in front of you. DO NOT slow down, or they might get the idea that they can do it again...
7. No room on your side of the road? Cross into oncoming traffic for a while. That lane is yours, until an oncoming rickshaw honks incessantly and runs you back onto your own side of the road...
Bangalore Jan 2007 - Arrived in Bangalore
I've arrived!
After a 27-hour or so set of flights, I got to Bangalore Wednesday at 5AM.
After a 27-hour or so set of flights, I got to Bangalore Wednesday at 5AM.
Cool things happened on the way here:
1. I managed to escape Dallas icing over.
2. I flew through 11 time zones -- I'm 11.5 hours ahead of Dallas, now.
3. I saw Gordon Brown on my flight to Bangalore http://www.economist.com/displayStory.cfm?Story_ID=8495020 . He was maybe 10 rows in front of me on the plane. I stood with him, some passengers, and pieces of a press entourage, while he answered questions from people on the plane. It was really interesting to see him handle a crowd informally -- he's energetic, engaging, and listens well.
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