6. MY 7th TRIP - JAN-FEB '05
A rural scene in India
The cow's dung is lovingly patted into shape, arranged in mounds to dry.....is an important source of fuel to the rural poor.
Winter in the North was bearable, less dusty. I'm not sure though if I can take the Summer heat and dust when temperatures hit the 40's. I'll melt!
I had a chance to live like a local, staying with several families in 2 cities, perhaps this was my test to see if I'm able to stay on for a longer stretch.
The Indians have a saying - the guest is a God. Boy! Did my hosts treat me special! They served me hand and foot. They were always feeding me. They were always concerned for my comfort and happiness. They were most kind and caring and thoughtful towards me.
I've stayed before with Indian families in Pune, Bombay, Bangalore and Gorakphur whom I did'nt know but they hosted me for a few nights. The Indians are very family oriented and close knit, at least, those I've got to know at close range. Others, I've observed on the trains and buses.
At the other end of the scale, in the course of my service work, I've encountered those who were badly treated by their own families, particularly the newly-widowed.
The families I stayed with this time are an exceptional lot. They have roots in Singapore. They are a compassionate and loving people, opening up their hearts and homes to children who are not their own.
I was most comfortable staying with these various families, they seem comfortable having me around. In Madras this trip, I was invited to stay with a family on my next visit. They open up their homes to visitors so readily.
I have felt the pulse of India. I have seen the future. I hereby declare that this century will be the Indian century. Its a people who are clever, streetsmart, quick, think on their feet, hardworking, open to learning new things, able to switch from one course of study to another, adaptable, adjustable, flexible. They have a huge young population below 25, larger than China's ........ and they are hungry for knowledge and material success.
Out on the streets in the various cities, the energy is palpable, it's vibrant, it's go, go, go. The Indians can operate a business out of a hole in the wall, out of a tiny cubicle where they sit crosslegged the whole day as there's no room to stretch their legs. They operate in conditions that seem so harsh and hard and uncomfortable yet they are there 7/7, long hours, rain or shine, cold and hot.
They are oblivious to dust, fumes, heat and noise. They do not close for meals nor leave for the toilets. (they simply do it there!). They get by with simple meals, live frugal lives, waste nothing. They are a resilient and hardy bunch.
At the other end are the filthy rich with their favourite hobby - conspicuous consumption.
In Little India, Singapore - Serangoon Road - the same palpable energy is felt as one walks along that 2 km stretch and the lanes where all the action is. It's throbbing with energy. By contrast, Singapore's Chinatown is a pale shadow of its former self because of too much meddling by urban planners. The main Serangoon Road has stayed the same for a long while, it was pretty much left to grow and spread naturally with limited urban renewal.
Winter in the North was bearable, less dusty. I'm not sure though if I can take the Summer heat and dust when temperatures hit the 40's. I'll melt!
I had a chance to live like a local, staying with several families in 2 cities, perhaps this was my test to see if I'm able to stay on for a longer stretch.
The Indians have a saying - the guest is a God. Boy! Did my hosts treat me special! They served me hand and foot. They were always feeding me. They were always concerned for my comfort and happiness. They were most kind and caring and thoughtful towards me.
I've stayed before with Indian families in Pune, Bombay, Bangalore and Gorakphur whom I did'nt know but they hosted me for a few nights. The Indians are very family oriented and close knit, at least, those I've got to know at close range. Others, I've observed on the trains and buses.
At the other end of the scale, in the course of my service work, I've encountered those who were badly treated by their own families, particularly the newly-widowed.
The families I stayed with this time are an exceptional lot. They have roots in Singapore. They are a compassionate and loving people, opening up their hearts and homes to children who are not their own.
I was most comfortable staying with these various families, they seem comfortable having me around. In Madras this trip, I was invited to stay with a family on my next visit. They open up their homes to visitors so readily.
I have felt the pulse of India. I have seen the future. I hereby declare that this century will be the Indian century. Its a people who are clever, streetsmart, quick, think on their feet, hardworking, open to learning new things, able to switch from one course of study to another, adaptable, adjustable, flexible. They have a huge young population below 25, larger than China's ........ and they are hungry for knowledge and material success.
Out on the streets in the various cities, the energy is palpable, it's vibrant, it's go, go, go. The Indians can operate a business out of a hole in the wall, out of a tiny cubicle where they sit crosslegged the whole day as there's no room to stretch their legs. They operate in conditions that seem so harsh and hard and uncomfortable yet they are there 7/7, long hours, rain or shine, cold and hot.
They are oblivious to dust, fumes, heat and noise. They do not close for meals nor leave for the toilets. (they simply do it there!). They get by with simple meals, live frugal lives, waste nothing. They are a resilient and hardy bunch.
At the other end are the filthy rich with their favourite hobby - conspicuous consumption.
In Little India, Singapore - Serangoon Road - the same palpable energy is felt as one walks along that 2 km stretch and the lanes where all the action is. It's throbbing with energy. By contrast, Singapore's Chinatown is a pale shadow of its former self because of too much meddling by urban planners. The main Serangoon Road has stayed the same for a long while, it was pretty much left to grow and spread naturally with limited urban renewal.
posted by shirley @ 8:50 pm
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