2013 – 12: Clashing Worlds

 

 

We live in the midst of a perpetual construction zone with a straining infrastructure trying to keep pace.

 

This elevated metro line is expected to ease congestion.

 

Construction workers live onsite. This median-strip home is sandwiched between eight lanes of traffic (note the laundry). .

 

The next series of photos were taken at the office plaza where I work (new restaurants are under construction).  Here, six women are aligned to transfer dirt from one spot to another.

 

Each woman carries the dirt about 10 meters before passing it to the next one.

 

This exhaustive physical labor creates a stark juxtaposition against the backdrop of modernity in our corporate complex named ‘Cyber City.’

 

The woman in front is transporting freshly mixed concrete. 

 

Here, two women are digging concrete slabs out of the dirt for transportation in this wagon. 

 

This is back-breaking work.

 

I suspect this girl is about 15 years old.

 

I wish this were a fabrication, but it’s not. Waiting for the women to complete their task at the other end of the wagon are three idle men.

 

Worldly clashes abound.  We recently visited the popular Khan Market in Delhi, known for its branded stores including Nike and Swarovski.

 

The exteriors of the stores are adorned with air conditioning units, water tanks and wires. 

 

A rarity, this Z4 Roadster was parked out front.

 

Nearby, we visited Lodi Garden (the Central Park of Delhi)…

 

… and had brunch at the outdoor café.

 

The park has palm trees…

 

…beautiful flowers…

 

…and monuments.  This is Muhammed Shah Sayyyid’s tomb.

 

The Bada Gumba and Mosque date to the mid-1400’s.

 

Lodi Garden is also a hot bed of illegal activity.  We witnessed a dozen law breakers hidden among the trees.  The people in this photo could be arrested…

 

…for kissing in public.

 

Lodi Garden is well-known as the place to escape the watchful eye of traditionally-minded parents.  It’s also known that police turn a blind eye toward this crime of passion in the park.

 

Cultural norms are very conservative, but today’s urban youth are shifting westward.  This transformation is not reaching the villages.

 

To put this in context, six years ago, Richard Gere caused a national scandal when he kissed Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty during an AIDS-awareness event.  Mr. Gere quickly fled India, leaving legal complaints and at least one arrest warrant in his wake.  Ms. Shetty was criticized for failing to resist him.

This ‘vulgar’ act was front page news at the time.  Angry crowds burned effigies of Richard Gere.  By American standards, he was being a playful actor creating a photo op. Keep this in mind when visiting India.  Enjoy your week.  ts

2013 – 11: Holi Twelve

 

Last Sunday was the birthday of Shiva, the supreme God in Hinduism.  The sale of milk doubled as people lined up to make their offerings (note the huge Shiva statue in the background).

 

Wednesday, the NY Times spotlighted India’s need to double water-generation capacity in the next two decades and that Delhi’s ground water supply could run dry within a few years.  Even our suburb of Gurgaon was mentioned (new construction projects must use recycled water).

Ironically, we awoke Thursday morning without water (service was restored later in the day). 

Our digestive systems are constantly under attack, so we are very cautious with water and utilize three different types.  First is bottled water for drinking / brushing teeth.

 

Several 20 liter bottles are delivered each week via scooter (six bottles are managed at once).

 

Next is reverse osmosis, or RO water.  This is filtered tap water used for cooking.

 

Finally, straight tap water is used for everything else (the dishes must be thoroughly dry before use).  Note:  this is a staged photo.  Greg doesn’t actually wash dishes.

 

Friday was Greg’s 12^th birthday.  He selected a BMW theme for his party.

 

There were presents…

 

… and all the traditions we know from the US.

 

Holi, the festival of colors, is not until March 27 but was celebrated at the school on Saturday.

 

This holiday, steeped in Hindu mythology, officially welcomes spring.

 

It’s a wild party mixed with colored powders, water and adrenaline.

 

Greg was soaked.

 

We stayed on the fringes with the ideal amount of involvement for us.

 

Happy Holi.  Enjoy your week.  ts

2013 – 10: NUTS

Friday was International Women’s Day (here are the women of our office).  Attitudes toward women are slowing shifting, but are still in the stone ages for a majority of India’s population.  Radio promotions this week encouraged a million men to pledge respect for women.  A newspaper editorial requested:  “Don’t fall into the trap of archaic mindsets that are regressive just because all you do is emulate those before you even if they are in the wrong.”

 

Kayla had an adventurous week camping and trekking the Himalayan Mountains on a 5-day school trip.  Kayla takes the story from here.

 

We slept in tents and it was really cold at night.  I roomed with a Tibetan girl who joined our trip from a Tibetan school in northern India.  Her grandparents had fled Tibet during the Chinese invasion. 

 

Although we were camping, we did have a “shower,” a bucket of warm water.

 

On our first day in the mountains, we repelled down this 60 foot cliff. 

 

I was amazed that my parents didn’t need to sign a 20-page permission waiver.

We also went zip lining, also known as Flying Fox.  This was a lot of fun.

 

The scenery was beautiful.  We enjoyed this waterfall.

We took a six kilometer trek straight up the mountain to the snow line.  It was 88 degrees Fahrenheit in Delhi as I was tromping through two feet of snow at 7,000 feet.

 An 85 year old man walked 3 kilometers to teach us how to weave a basket.

 

We visited a nearby village that had a women’s group. They ran the village, which was very surprising in this male-dominated society.

 

We participated in common village tasks like milking a cow and cutting grass.  We also smeared cow dung on the ground (without gloves).  This exercise was timed right before lunch. 

 

Back in civilization, the American Embassy School, founded in 1952, celebrated its diamond anniversary Saturday night with NUTS: Night Under The Stars.  The dress code was formal.

 

We attended the event with our neighbors, Satish and Jyothi.

 

A new courtyard at the school was dedicated that evening….

 

…featuring a wall with commemorative bricks.

 

Kayla and Greg will find this especially memorable in years to come.

 

One of Greg’s teachers, Ms. Brown who hails from Baltimore, chose a traditional Indian saree for the evening.

 

Photos were on display highlighting Presidential visits to the school, including Dwight Eisenhower, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton and this photo of Jacqueline Kennedy.

 

The soccer field was converted into a dance floor.  The music spanned six decades, featuring a heavy dose of Chuck Berry…

 

… with some Bollywood songs mixed in (Satish was a good teacher).

 

I’m trying to imagine Lakeland Regional High School in New Jersey hosting such an event.

 

It was fun to dress up and celebrate this milestone.  It truly was a wonderful night under the stars.  Enjoy your week.  ts

2013 – 09: Awards Season

Before jumping into this week’s topic, here are some bonus pictures from our recent desert camping experience.  Our host just returned from the wild and sent photos he had taken. 

 

The jackals were plentiful and vocal.  Greg was able to mimic their call.

Our host experimented with star tracker software connected to his camera.  Multiple exposures were woven together to create this image (it’s the earth’s rotation which creates this effect).  That’s our tent in the lower right.

 

Back in civilization, we live in Gurgaon, a suburb of Delhi, which is home to 1.3 million people.  15 years ago, it was nothing but farm land.  The growth continues at a phenomenal pace.

 

We live in the midst of a construction zone.  I saw future plans for an elevated highway and metro line.  In two years, we won’t recognize the place.

 

It’s awards season.  The live Oscars telecast began Monday morning at 6:00 am for us.  We watched pieces of it during the re-broadcast at 8:00 pm Monday evening.

 

“Life of Pi” received substantial attention here with its Indian theme.  In his acceptance speech for best director, Ang Lee thanked his Indian crew and concluded with “Namaste,” which warmed the hearts of the nation.  

 

The Indian media practically elevated Ang Lee to deity status.   Note: Fans of BMWfilms will recall Ang directed our film “Chosen” in 2001, the same year he was honored at the Academy Awards for “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.”

  

On the topic of movies, I strongly recommend “3 Idiots,” the highest grossing Indian film of all time. This 2009 film is highly entertaining with multiple subplots which magically weave together at the end.  This one comes with a money back guarantee. 

 

Meanwhile, it’s also awards season for BMW in India.  Friday evening, dealer principals were presented with awards for Sales, Aftersales, Marketing, CSI and Financial Services. Our Mumbai MINI dealer is accepting an award here.

 

Dealership personnel were honored Saturday night.  Here, the stage is set for the unveiling of the 7 Series LCI (Life Cycle Impulse). 

 

There was entertainment including dancers.

 

And of course awards. 

 

It was an excellent event and highly motivating to all the recipients (and also to those in the audience who want to be recipients next year).  Have a great week.  ts