Protest Capital

Indians like to protest even more than the French like to strike. Here in the "world's largest democracy," there is always a group taking their claims to the streets of the capital. Unfortunately for me, my office is located just around the corner from the primary "authorized" protest area in New Delhi, so we're often faced with road closures and blocks, and the occasional protest parade.

Well today is going to be kinda like that, but worse. The Gujjars, an ethnic group within India, has been protesting throughout Rajasthan to demand inclusion as a Scheduled Caste (SC). SC status would give the group additional privileges, and most important, would allocate a portion of government jobs and university seats to them. To get there message across, the Gujjars have blocked roads and railways lines to prevent goods and people from traveling across states lines. Trains have been delayed, rerouted or cancelled. The Delhi-Jaipur highway is closed in many parts. At least 12 people have lost their lives in police firings on crowds. A known Gujjar criminal has threatened to attack the Chief Minister's house if demands are not met.

And today, they are supposed to bring their protests to the streets of Delhi and other places across India where there are large Gujjar populations, as people are joining in support of the Rajasthani Gujjars. Even lawyers in Haryana are protesting and as a result, no court cases have been handled for several days. There have been lots of warnings to stay off major highways. People say it's going to be a big mess, and I guess they should know since there were similar protests (with no result) around this time last year. Both my office and the US Embassy sent out warning messages last night. I'm planning to try to go to the office today, but the one in Delhi and not in Gurgaon. Because Gurgaon is in Haryana state, it would be a huge hassle to cross state lines and my travel time would double or triple.

Methnic groups are fighting for Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe status in India so they can reap the benefits of the quota system. This has resulted in a huge backlash from the rest of the population. I've heard that if the government grants quotes to the Gujjars, then the general population will have less than 50% of the seats, since the remaining amount is taken up my other ethnic groups.

So much for affirmative action. Like so many things in India, the government seems to have reacted to a problem or past situation too strongly and tried too hard to accommodate everyone. (Birth control also falls into that category, but I will save it for another discussion). We'll have to see how the day unfolds...

Tan Removal?

As a follow up to my post on skin whitening creams in India, I wanted to share that I saw a sign for "Tan Removal" services at a spa the other day. Tan removal? Doesn't that defeat the purpose of getting a tan? But again, this is India.

Ranikhet

Last weekend we went to Ranikhet, a small village north of Delhi in the state of Uttarakhand. To get there, we took a train for 7 hours, followed by a 2 hour car ride on very small, very windy roads. But the journey was well worth it. There were amazing views along the way and lots and lots of clean, fresh air.

We honestly didn't do much when we were there, but that was the point. We relaxed, walked through the woods, saw monkeys and foxes (scary), picked wild berries, and took in as much fresh air as possible.

Life in Ranikhet seems to be the complete opposite as life in Delhi. Things are quieter and slower. People are nicer. The wild animals are more relaxed. We didn't have to fear the monkey as we do in Delhi. In Ranikhet, the monkeys were just monkeys in their natural habitat, not city monkeys that have adapted to being around people - and are trained to steal things from you. Even the cows looked healthier and happier, after all they have lots of grass to graze in, not just piles of trash to rummage through.

Indianisms

I'm always amazed at how people can speak the same language, but use words so differently. With some help, I've compiled a list of what I think are funny Indian words and phrases. Some of these are simply not proper words. Others are real words, but not ones I'm used to hearing or words that are used in a completely different context.

Can you make sense of these?

• upgradation/downgradation - Please confirm you would like an upgradation to business class.
• good name - What is your good name? My good name is Chanda.
• absconding - A case has been registered and the accused is now absconding.
• prepone - I will need to prepone of meeting by 30 minutes. Logical, but not a word!
• only - Where are you from? I'm from Delhi only. Only what?!? I've finally learned that it sort of means just, but this still doesn't make much sense to me.
• fortnight - We will have a meeting every fortnight. I know this is a word, but I swear I'd only seen it in literature before coming to India. Now I use it all the time. But every time I say it, I giggle.
• issueless/no issues - This is specific to matrimonials and indicates that a woman has no children. So I guess children = issues.
• deboarding - Watch your step as you deboard from the train. I heard this on the Delhi Metro a few days ago.
• next to next/last to last - We're going on vacation next to next week (in 2 weeks). Last to last year we traveled to the US (2 years ago).
• expired - He expired last night but the cause is unknown.
• cum - I bought a new sofa cum bed for my living room.
• the same, the needful, revert - I can even use the last three words in one sentence! Please do the needful and revert to me with the same.

Crazy for Cricket

I'd like to report that the cricket match was a lot of fun. Armen came along with me and Ani, but unfortunately, our tickets were in different sections so we couldn't actually sit together. Despite that, I think we all had a good time.

Professional cricket at the city level is completely new in India and I don't think people are quite used to it yet. No one identifies with their "home" team and I saw more people with Indian flags painted on their faces than wearing the colors of the Delhi Daredevils.

The Indian Premier League (IPL) has players from all of the major cricket-watching countries (except the UK which is protesting or something). But players from India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Australia, South Africa and the West Indies play side by side. It must be weird to have your former competitor as your teammate. But I guess when you are getting paid big bucks for 6 weeks of play, you don't really care. The top salary this year is $1.65 million but there are rumors the salary cap will be eliminated next year and estimates are that salaries may reach $15 million. Please remember that this tournament lasts only 6 weeks and includes about 20 match per team. But then again, most of the teams are owned by billionaires, either businessmen or Bollywood stars, so they can afford the ridiculous pay checks.

I don't think the fans really know how to handle it. Of course people went wild whenever the Delhi team scored a 6 (loosely equivalent to a home run in baseball), but they also went crazy when the other team scored! Maybe it was the shear excitement of seeing a 6, but I think they were just confused. There was a lot of whistling, but no chants or cheers (I guess they don't have them yet). All of this increased astronomically when the TV cameras were near. We didn't have a good view of the cheerleaders, who were from only the opposing team, but Delhi scrapped their cheerleading squad a few weeks ago in favor of a bhangra band.

On a random side note, there are no alcohol sales are cricket matches. I don't think I have ever been to a sporting event without alcohol, but I have to remember that this is India. I think people would go absolutely mad with accessible alcohol on top of the cricket craziness.

And oh, Delhi won by 12 runs.

So would I go to another match? Absolutely. It was a lot of fun.

Cricket!

I'm going to my first cricket match tomorrow! Ani and I are going to watch the Delhi Daredevils, part of the Indian Premier League (IPL) tournament going on this summer. And no, I won't be able to check out the cheerleaders. The Delhi team abandoned cheerleaders last week in favor of a bhangra band.

I think I have enough of the basics down. I know to call it a match and not a game. I know what a wicket is. I can name at least the top 5 players in Indian cricket. Of course, there's still a lot I don't know, but I can wing it.

Unfortunately cameras aren't allowed at the stadium, so I won't be able to capture the moment to share with everyone. But I will do my best to relive the action on my blog in the next couple of days.

All Safe and Sound

I've received several inquiries about yesterday's bombings in Jaipur. We're in Delhi at the moment so we are all safe and sound, but thanks for the concern. It's really weird to think though that I've been to several of the places that were targeted. And so have Joey, Mike, Jen, and my parents. Security has been increased in Delhi and the entire state of Rajasthan, where Jaipur and Mumbai are located, as well as airports and train stations.

Naturally, all of the news coverage last night was about the bombings. I haven't watched any TV today, so I'm not sure if it's changed. Unfortunately, I think this is the sort of thing that most Indians have come to accept. An article in the Times of India rattled off 8 other serial blast bombings in the past 2 1/2 years, the largest being the blasts in Mumbai in July 2006 that killed over 150 people. I was glued to the television last night and Ani was not. I didn't here a single person mention the bombings in the office today.

The US Embassy did send out a warning message last night to registered American citizens stating, "A series of powerful explosions occurred in Jaipur, Rajasthan including Sangener Gate, Subhash Chowk, Hanuman Temple in Tripolia Bazaar, Chandpol, Bari Choupad, Manak Chowk, Johri Bazaar, and Hawa Mahal at 7:30 p.m. local time, May 13th. Visitors and residents of Jaipur should avoid the areas affected by the blasts. Americans traveling in India should maintain a low profile, and avoid crowded areas and other public places."

Who's the Fairest?

India's are obsessed with having fair skin and there are numerous skin lightening creams to prove it. I was surprised to see so many people with fair skin in Delhi and I soon learned that having fair skin is equated with wealth and sophistication. The Washington Post just write a story about it (Washington Post: In India, Fairness is a Growing Industry, 4 May 2008).

Sometimes when I'm in a grocery store, the ladies that sell the health and beauty products will try to convince me to buy skin lightening cream. Seriously. They will say, "this will make skin much lighter, skin more fairer." Sometimes they even say it will make me more beautiful.

One of my friends loves to tell a story about she had a lengthy conversation with her maid about skin lighteners. She tried to explain that in the US and Europe, people spend so much money on products and treatments just to look dark, Indians are naturally. Her maid looked at her in disbelief and said "No madam, you have such beautiful skin.

Products for women have been on the market for years, but now they are starting to target men as well. I had to admit that I'm a bit curious to see if they actually work. Maybe I will try to it on my hand and see what happens. And I'll be sure to share the results. I can post before and after pictures!

Welcome Home?

Delhi welcomed us back with 90 degree heat (at midnight!) and lots of dust. And there was only more dust waiting for us when we entered our apartment. I thought about taking photos, but I thought they would gross everyone out too much. After a quick cleaning in the next morning, the apartment was looking a lot better, but I was feeling pretty miserable. I started the day with 20 sneezes and a very stuffy nose, for which I blame the dust and dirt. That combined with general exhaustion and two 8+ hour flights gave me a nice cold, from which I am finally starting to recover.

Since our return, we purchased an air conditioner for the living room, which is amazing. That one coupled with the one in the bedroom means we move around the apartment in comfort. The living room is quite large and the doors aren't as well sealed as they should be, but the AC still works wonderfully. We also purchased an inverter or "uninterrupted power supply", which is essential in Delhi. While I could deal with no lights for a few hours during the very frequent power cuts in the summer, I could not manage without AC. And now we don't have to worry about that.

Returning to the office after 5 weeks in the US was not as difficult as I thought it would be, but readjusting to the traffic was. On my first day back, my office cab had a nice little accident on the expressway. Fortunately, everyone was fine and the cars only suffered minor damage, but I was a bit shaken up. It's a bit frightening to give someone you don't know total control of your life for a few hours a day. But I only have to deal with this a little while longer because we plan to buy a car (and hire a driver to drive me around). :)

I know that may seem quite privileged back home, but it's the norm here. Even if I wasn't scared to drive, I would never want to spend nearly three hours a day behind the wheel in maddening traffic. And luckily, the cost is minimal. I figure $150/month is reseaonable to pay for my safety, sanity and the ability to come and go from the office according to my schedule. Yes, I will have to relinquish control of my life to the driver, but that's OK because it will be our driver and we can dictate how he drives. And if that doesn't work, we'll just find a new one. So, stay tuned as Ani and Chanda attempt to buy a car in Delhi. I'm sure it will be an adventure and we'll have a lot of stories to share.

Tsummarize: Delhi is hot, hot, hot and getting hotter. Today's high was 43C/109F! Delhi is dusty, but my body is slowly readjusting. ACs and inverters are a must. Our apartment is clean, cool, and continuously being adorned with wonderful wedding presents that are making it feel more like home. Traffic sucks. Work is going well and I'm starting a new (internal) assignment working for the big boss in India. And we are already looking forward to a weekend escape from the heat in mid-May when we plan to visit Shimla, a hill station at the base of the Himalayas. Relief is in sight!