2 posts tagged “modernity”

A few more shots from this fascinating country. You can tell I am really into India.

   This is probably the only country in the world that puts is tourist-marketing slogan on its bureaucratic forms. Already a tick for India as I filled out my second Indian form. It’s also far easier to follow than anything the US gives out to us foreigners.    Above is the first outside scene I had of India at ground level, exiting Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport. I must have gone back via a different part because it looked nothing like this (image below). Or the pace of change was faster than even I have said.
   Even my Indian hosts said that they were not 100 per cent sure of where I could be met because things change so quickly at the airport.
   I was most fascinated by the Hindustan Ambassador taxicabs. I haven’t seen this shape of Morris Oxford (on which the Ambi is based) for years.    If you are wondering where all the bicycling Indians have gone, they are motorcycling. And all the old motorcyclists are on four wheels. The above is the motorcycle park at IGI.
   I saw very few of the family-on-a-bike situations that Ratan Tata spoke of when he launched the Nano, though I am sure they exist. In Indore, I did see a man and a woman on a bike—she was keeping their new PC from falling off while hanging on herself. In some ways, that was quite an encouraging sign.    This is what IGI looked like when I flew out, from the entrance to the departure gates. Totally modern and the equal of any airport in the western world.    This is not my last Christmas tree pic, but it shows again that the Indians got more into the mood of the season than I expected. With hindsight, it was only logical: Christmas is a big deal in Hong Kong, for instance, yet again it would not have as many Christians per capita as New Zealand.    Finally, this image illustrates that IGI is fairly typical. The flight departures’ board is not digital, but I quite enjoyed seeing the letters flip over in the traditional way. If it works and it generates less electricity, then I say keep it. Don’t go modern for modernity’s sake; only do it when there is a practical reason to do so.

Since India has been extremely kind to me—the people here are amazing—I owe it to this nation to bust a few stereotypes.
   First, the food. It is excellent and in two days I have had no problems with my tummy. ‘Delhi belly’ is a cruel stereotype that I was given by some friends prior to my departure, though I knew instinctively it was cobblers. The same rule applies here as everywhere else: if you are careful about what you stick in your mouth, you are fine. People do know that in rural areas things can be tougher. Nevertheless, I can make this conclusion: Indian food is fab and way better than expat Indian restaurants.
   Secondly, this is certainly not a backward country, and anyone who has read books such as The World Is Flat would know that. Here I am, surfing on wifi, and at speeds and with connectivity better than what I might find in other parts of the world, and that includes New Zealand. There is a rich–poor gap and that does mean some poverty but that also generates invention. I saw booksellers yesterday with used books alongside new ones; we should be copying some of the recycling efforts that Indians undertake every day.
   If your impression of an Indian car park is old colonial hand-me-downs, think again: the Daewoo Lacetti (Chevrolet Optra) is newer than what many countries sell, including Australia and New Zealand: