Shining

A country whose media is obsessed with the west. A country that loves to compare itself with the new world. But does it merit the comparison? Is it fair to compare a fledgling country, 60 years old, with something that has seen over two centuries since its birth?

Sure, my views would be biased by the city life that I've lived here. Arguably it is the biggest megalopolis in the country. Maybe that view is biased enough for it not to translate to the rest of the country? Maybe its the spark that will ignite the flames in the rest of the country.

I've spent one year out of India. Here for a short trip, I feel like comparing the life I've seen out and the life I've lived in for most of my life. Don't ask me why. It just happens as I step out, and see the liveliness that is home.

The biggest thing u notice here is telephony. Mobile phones are practically omnipresent. Everyone has one. The ring tones are strong enough evidence of that. As my plane touch tarmac at the Sahar... sorry CST, i could hear rings of all kinds. It brings a smile to the face...... For a country that is developing its technological front, the cost of telephony is remarkable. Compare it with everyone's favourite comparison... and u see that incoming calls are free... and calls are at a fraction of what are made elsewhere. Sure, there's no nights and weekends free calling, but at what price is that being touted there? Amazingly high rentals!

Another point to consider.. domestic air travel. This is where i sincerely believe that Indian travellers are king. Pick a flight.. any flight ... and u get food... water.... candy.... maybe a PTV... Flip the coin, and u are lucky if u get peanuts. Is competition so lacking there? I cant imagine costs need to be cut to such an extent that the consumer has to "suffer." Its not like all flights are cheap either.

Public transport. Now that is amazing here. True, its typical to my city... but then compare it with something like SFO, where people keep talking about the BART... and u can see how things run here. Clockwork is an understatement. Trains and buses serve millions in a day.... Again, that is probably because there are millions in a city bursting at its seams... and u don't find that in too many other places. Again, i haven't seen NYC... so cant compare there, but I hear its as good. Yes, Indians there say the train system there is "as good."

Behaviour. This is something people talk about a lot. Go there and everyone says the people aren't as friendly to us, that we are still looked down upon, that they don't care to understand us. But does anyone stop to think? Aren't we the visitors? Shouldn't we understand them? No, most of us just go there and sink into our shells. Crouching away in the hope that they don't see us. If they do, then run. So they don't. And then we blame them for not trying. Why should they? They were fine before you got there, and will be even after u leave. The experience that should be gained is yours.. go out there and reach out. That is what they are good at... always ready to mingle with anyone who is there. Its not that we aren't good at it here. In our own country, arguably we are one of the friendliest people around.

So is India Shining?

Emergent Behaviour

Life has always been about an adventure. An exploration into something new, uncharted. And this last solar revolution has been something completely new. It started with leaving the Island city. Next came an entry to the Bridge Capital. It moved onto the Valley of Heart's Delight, and it brings me back to a sojourn with the Island City, before a return to the City of Bridges.

Nine months by the Bridges, and the number of visits to the bridges? Not more than a handful. This in a city where there are 446 of them. And these visits occured after the first 4 months of the stay in the city. The first trip happened with quite an eclectic crowd, in fact. Slowly things began to move forward. A gang of friends developed. A club of friends persisted. Friends began to appear. Never what one would expect, however. Always something missing. The end of these nine months saw something new. Something that was lacking all the while, and things looked upwards. A new circle was developing.

Three months in the "Valley of Heart's Delight." A completely different ball game all together. Thrown into a new place, with a new set of people, all collected from a large diverse crowd. The explorations finally began. Externally, and internally. New people were met. New things were done. Inhibitions laid low, as experimentation took to new heights. A new person emerged.