Today we're in Ankleshwar, a small town that neighbors Baruch (to me, it resembles an old European village more than anything I could compare it to in the US -- but even that comparison is pretty feeble). I've been jotting down a few notes on paper every once in a while, since I can't get to a computer every time I see something blog-worthy. Here's a few observations from the last two weeks:
1/5 (or 5/1 as it's known here) - For better or worse (I'm not sure yet), extreme poverty isn't in plain sight as much as I remember it being. We arrived late at night (on the 2nd), so we didn't see the giant shanty town outside the airport. If there are 'two Americas' (i.e., a rich one and a poor one), then there are at least five Indias. If you saw the way an upper-middle class Indian lives and then saw of the way that some of the poorest live, you'd have a hard time believing that they live in the same country, let alone the same street in some cases.
1/6 - Between being with Dixie and getting involved in microfinance, I've developed a much stronger appreciation for India (in advance of this trip). A bit to my surprise, I'm really comfortable living here.
1/8 - Ran into the Byramjis, family friends from NJ, in Mumbai. I thought I was going to be lost in this sea of humanity, but I guess now I'll have to abandon plans to let my appearance go.
1/12 - Saw a film (Gajini, with Aamir Khan) in an Indian movie theater for the first time today. More importantly, I went out and got 2 samosas during the customary break for intermission (Indians enjoy 3-hour-long movies, but like the rest of mankind, can only go so long without food and bathroom breaks). I may not have been able to appreciate the movie to its full potential (I can't really understand much Hindi, and it was too close a copy to 'Momento' for my taste)...BUT the movie redeemed itself in the end. The last scene was shot at Aamir Khan's home in Panchgani -- right next to Mount View, where we had stayed. I recognized it immediately (despite the fake sign reading 'School for Orphans') and when the last shot panned over the Krishna River valley, we got a bit too loud and unnerved the other theater-goers with our excitement.
Showing posts with label Panchgani. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Panchgani. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Pictures from Panchgani and Mumbai
A small sampling of the pictures we've taken to date... http://picasaweb.google.com/kaizad.cama/RunningSlideshow20082009
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Twelve years
It's been kind of nice to not have a working cell phone or internet connection for the last couple weeks. Still, I thought I'd pop into an internet cafe in Mumbai to post here.
Dixie's cousins, Farida and Vizak, have been accompanying us around Mumbai. A lot can happen to a city in twelve years, and I feel like this is a very different Mumbai than I remember. First, India's economy is much more open than it used to be and its culture is more cosmopolitan (at least in big cities like Mumbai). Having eaten my last hamburger at In-and-Out on the day we left and having enjoyed French food for a week, I thought I might be saying good-bye to good Western food for a while. Not the case -- unlike my last visit, international food, international brands and international people are everywhere. Nonetheless, we've tried to stick to local food as much as possible and we've been treated to some of the best dhabas, cafes and restaurants around (courtesy of Vizak, who fills in for Yelp quite handily in a country where Yelp doesn't exist).
Mumbai's bustle makes Manhattan look like Modesto. It's an amazing city, but you feel like you could get swallowed by it as soon as you leave the flat.
Together with my aunt Dhun, we also spent four days in Panchgani, which is where my mom and her siblings grew up. Panchgani is still a relatively quiet and picturesque place -- it's the Yang to Mumbai's Yin. Maybe it was the familial connections to the place, or maybe it was the natural beauty of Panchgani and our old property there (even though it fell into disrepair long ago), but I didn't want to leave. I have 450+ pictures from the few days we spent there, and when I finally get my laptop properly connected, I'll let them do the talking.
We still have another week of traveling before we get to Ahmedabad to start work. Better sign off. It's lunch time and I hear there are some battatawadas with my name on them.
Dixie's cousins, Farida and Vizak, have been accompanying us around Mumbai. A lot can happen to a city in twelve years, and I feel like this is a very different Mumbai than I remember. First, India's economy is much more open than it used to be and its culture is more cosmopolitan (at least in big cities like Mumbai). Having eaten my last hamburger at In-and-Out on the day we left and having enjoyed French food for a week, I thought I might be saying good-bye to good Western food for a while. Not the case -- unlike my last visit, international food, international brands and international people are everywhere. Nonetheless, we've tried to stick to local food as much as possible and we've been treated to some of the best dhabas, cafes and restaurants around (courtesy of Vizak, who fills in for Yelp quite handily in a country where Yelp doesn't exist).
Mumbai's bustle makes Manhattan look like Modesto. It's an amazing city, but you feel like you could get swallowed by it as soon as you leave the flat.
Together with my aunt Dhun, we also spent four days in Panchgani, which is where my mom and her siblings grew up. Panchgani is still a relatively quiet and picturesque place -- it's the Yang to Mumbai's Yin. Maybe it was the familial connections to the place, or maybe it was the natural beauty of Panchgani and our old property there (even though it fell into disrepair long ago), but I didn't want to leave. I have 450+ pictures from the few days we spent there, and when I finally get my laptop properly connected, I'll let them do the talking.
We still have another week of traveling before we get to Ahmedabad to start work. Better sign off. It's lunch time and I hear there are some battatawadas with my name on them.
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