31 January 2009
28 January 2009
the battle
I like this - from 'inhaling the Mahatma': "what makes India such a wonder, such a contested place... (is that)... Indians have not retreated into themselves yet. They're fully engaged in the battle of life. We like this environment of tamasha (fuss). Everyone must have their rights. Everyone is fighting to be heard."
That certainly accords with the din and dash of daily life in Delhi. There is an urgency in the air as spaces on roads and footpaths are contested. A thin line divides those who are comfortable and those who are not. Nerves show in job interviews and door to door CV spruiking, in the taps on car windows and the hawkers cries. The battle for betterment is everywhere.
People are complaining about the impact of Mumbai on tourism, and business. The taxi drivers recite their woes like a mantra: "last January much busier, those terrorists ruin it for everybody" said one last week. The line just got thinner.
That certainly accords with the din and dash of daily life in Delhi. There is an urgency in the air as spaces on roads and footpaths are contested. A thin line divides those who are comfortable and those who are not. Nerves show in job interviews and door to door CV spruiking, in the taps on car windows and the hawkers cries. The battle for betterment is everywhere.
People are complaining about the impact of Mumbai on tourism, and business. The taxi drivers recite their woes like a mantra: "last January much busier, those terrorists ruin it for everybody" said one last week. The line just got thinner.
26 January 2009
20 January 2009
The mousecatcher of Vasant Vihar
I have a resident mouse that scurries the corridor in the night. Today I found this in the kitchen.... a mousecatcher, not a trap, a catcher. Little mouse can find a new home in someone else's house rather than being crushed in the pursuit of cheese. So civilised!
18 January 2009
Slumdog Crorepati
Slumdog millionaire has stoked the passions of the myriad columnists in this city. But they're torn. On one hand a film inspired and filmed in India has shone bright on the global stage and the patriotic juices are flowing. But on the other the film's content (slums, poverty, filth, violence) challenges the pride of the new shiny India. Some complain that Slumdog is only successful because western audiences are suckers for the 'joy amidst misery' genre, and that the film plays to the prevailing stereotypes of India. There is clear frustration that despite reflective glass malls and sleek limousines dotting its cities, the west still only wants to know about the old India. Exposes of dark underbellies are not particularly welcome ('White Tiger' has landed a similar response). Anyway, Indians will be able to decide for themselves on 23 January when 'Slumdog Crorepati' is released locally dubbed in Hindi. I might go along just to see the crowd reaction.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aikc11rp_9Q
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aikc11rp_9Q
17 January 2009
Wall detail - Shantipath
I love that adornment is everywhere here - almost as if design and colour are staples, like food and oxygen.
How to honk
Textbook Delhi driving technique, hand firmly on the wheel with the thumb hovering over the horn.
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