December in India

My entire life I have spent the month of December in the western world (Denmark, Germany, England and the USA) and all of these places have a distinct December quality that is somewhat similar. The stores play Christmas music, TV advertisement has pictures of snowy landscapes (except Denmark where all commercials are for sunny holidays in warm places), when you were at school exams or midterms were ongoing, at work it was the annual wrap up and the entire time has a certain air for finality. One is wrapping up the year and all things are being ended and not much is being begun. Time is spent shopping for Christmas, Christmas luncheons, watching Christmas films and although things become a little hectic it is somewhat OK because it’s all leading up to celebration and something quite special. Also the food is different, the activities are different the general agenda for the month of December is unlike any other time of year.

Now, this year is the first year that December is being spent in the East (india) and it’s a little strange. Firstly, I live in Hyderabad where the temperature has been steadily between 20-25 degrees. Now this is no different that celebrating Christmas in San Diego but still not like the last numerous Christmas’ spent in Europe. Secondly there are virtually no Christmas decorations; I saw my first ones on Sunday but it was at the Westin. One gets the feel, and it makes sense, that this is just what is done for the small expat community in Hyderabad so a few xmas parties and dinners will be conducted there. Don’t get me wrong, I know the well-decorated malls in the US and Europe are so because it’s supposed to get us into the festive (consumerist) spirit but somehow I can more easily buy into it in the west than here.

So one doesn’t find the same odes to consumerism and consumption that I am used to but somehow that is to be expected. What I however am also finding is that December is a month like any other. I don’t sense this sense of reflection this “My god, another year has gone” or “Remember last Christmas...” or “I wonder what 2011 will be like” and this is the strange thing for me. December is like the big reset button. You get to look at everything and be with the people you love, forget some of all the crap and just look inwards a little bit. I know this is also a totally glorified version of December because frankly it also involves being cold as hell, delayed trains, shopping nightmares, bitchy bitchy people, painful hangovers, money worries, counting calories, etc. But somehow in my mind at the moment none of this factors in. In India this reflection happens a lot at Diwali or Ramadan but I didn’t manage to buy into that myself and now it just seems that the transition from December to January just involves scribbling out 2010 when you write something as your hand starts getting used to writing 2011.

In light of the above I think I will use this as an opportunity to reflect inwards a little. Last year I was working in Denmark, I was single, I hadn’t been in Asia more than twice and hadn’t been since the 80’s. Now I am dating Nanna (again), have seen India, I know what paneer is, I am starting to understand the workings of the Indian public and private sector, I have been one of 7 in an auto rickshaw, I have been on the back of a Royal Enfield with no helmet on, I have seen the peaks of the Himalayas, I have eaten goat (many times), I have seen the world most expensive private home, I have meet a lot of wonderful Indian people from all walks of life, I have started learning Hindi, I have been to Malaysia and Singapore, I have been to a cement factory, I have almost been in a hard crash (several times), I have seen a dead person in the road (I think), I have had a villager walk for 45 minutes to bring me some of his special water, I been offered drugs and prostitutes, I have been asked if I am planning on marrying my girlfriend of if my parents will find me someone else, I have eaten a lot of Indian sweets, I have haggled with a snake charmer, I had called auto drivers a lot of very bad names, I have had diarrhoea for 5 days in a row and started hallucinating, I’ve seen the sunset into the Arabian Sea, I’ve seen and done many things and discovered many things about myself.

In one week I will be together with my parents and I think a lot of the other things that belong to December will come along and I am looking forward to them. Although I miss Europe, my family, my friends and my partner I am feeling excited and optimistic for the year ahead. Merry Christmas Everyone and Happy New Year. I hope your reflection is just as interest and that you have a great year ahead too.

Rasmus

A long absence and a subtle start

Firstly, my sincere apologies for staying away for so long. I have had company over the last couple of months in the form of my girlfriend (if I am not too old to use that term) and therefore have spent most of my free time being very couply. If there is still anyone out there will to read then I am most gracious and if not then this will merely act as an outlet.

The reason I am writing now specifically is because the power has gone. It is raining rather heavily so I do wonder if it is likely to come back any time soon… I guess the power situation across India is a testament to the vast variation in this country. Power outages are so common here in Andhra Pradesh that new apartment use “100 % full generation” as a sales tool so that the A/C can keep cranking even when the Andhra Pradesh Power Generation Corporation runs out of steam. Conversely in states like Himachel Pradesh so much power is generated from hydro electricity that they only need a fraction of what they generate to sustain the state and the rest can be pumped into the national grid.

Believe the above also highlight another fact that is true in India. The lack of infrastructure and amenities really only tend to affect the poorest people (42 % of Indians live on under $1.25 a day). Things such a lack of sanitation, power, clean drinking water, quality education are easily overcome by the middle and upper class in the form of modern apartment blocks and houses, generators, water filters and private schools. I guess in most developing countries there is an establishment of luxury for the upper 1 % in the form of 5 star hotels, private schools, etc. Noteworthy is that in 1981 the percentage under the poverty line was 60 %, meaning that 1/5 of the population has now risen out of poverty (if you call making more than $1.25 something other than dirt poor). So this country is changing. Perhaps another 25 % and it’ll be less than 20 % under the poverty line but that is also a difficult task because the poor classes are generally the farmers. The income of these specific farms cannot rise to dramatically without either heavy subsidies from the government (EU style) or a dramatic rise in the prices of their crops (not likely to be to the effect where suddenly farmers are wealthy). Furthermore the poorest rural people in India are the ones that do not own land and merely work as day labourers; no steady income and no real prospects. Hope for this very large sub-group is only in the form of a generation transition where children will hopefully get an education and get into jobs (even menial jobs in India would put ones income way above the poverty line, assuming the person is without too many dependants). Therefore the transition will be slow and come with time and will be based on that children are allowed to pursue an education and do not need to help out with carrying water, etc.

I guess the point is that development poses many challenges, but the progress already made cannot be denied. India is no doubt coming strong and will only get stronger. There are obviously some strong challenges such as the corruption that seems to be incredibly common place here. The most prominent case in point is the commonwealth games that is currently being prepared is set to being in approx 1 month’s time. The budget has swelled to several times the original estimates, there are allegations of corruption, mass delays, worries about the quality of the constructed structures and a general worry that the whole thing will not be ready to roll. Add to this the fact that the start of ticket sales was delayed and are already below the expected rate. This does not as such surprise me but

The quintessential expat weekend in Hyderabad.

I believe that this weekend had been the exemplar weekend of an expat in Hyderabad and perhaps India in general.

 

Friday evening after work I go home to freshen up and unwind a bit. At 19:15 I knock on the door of my expat neighbor. Our taxi has arrived that will take us to the weekend expat gathering at The Walden club. We arrive and settle down with a beer and chat with various other expats from Belgium and America. After two hours of good food and drink our taxi arrives to take us to the Taj Deccan (one of the exclusive 5 star hotels) where we will be meeting with some of my neighbor's colleagues. After a 20 minute drive we arrive, pass through bomb check (security), pass the body scan and enter into the lobby with crystal chandeliers. We wait for the two colleagues in big comfy couches. After we meet and greet continue through the main atrium to the Syn bar and grill and settle into the big comfy chairs and couches and peruse the cocktail and food menus. We order sushi, mojitos and margaritas and settle into a chat about 80's films and celebrity gossip to a backdrop of European pop and house music. Cocktails average somewhere between 30-50 kr. And this is about as exclusive as it can get. We finish around midnight and decide to go home and call it an evening.

Saturday I was up late and start the day with a morning swim on the rooftop pool. On my way out to have some long-sleeved dress shirts tailored to short-sleeve dress shirts I meet my neighbor in the lobby. Apparently pigeons had gotten into her housemates room and they the refuse to leave as there are bars on the windows. I ask if she'd be up for lunch after watchmen has chased around said pigeons. I pop to the tailors and explain the task at hand. No worries, 8 kr. Per shirt! When I return my neighbor hasn't gotten any further so I offer to make a gallant attempt at chasing away the pigeons. Armed with a bed sheet, a pair of jeans, sunglasses and bread I manage to get them convinced to flee from the crazy Dane thought the bars and out the window.

Lunch is had at the local mall and consists of a Thali which is basically Indian tapas. You start with soup and then 4 curries are served with 2 types of kebab, yogurt, rice and Indian bread. Including a mocktail it comes to around 50 kr. Following this huge meal it's time to go towel and rug shopping at Fabindia, which is a wonderful store that sells very Indian clothing and furnishings. So After getting all this and a little bit of cloth shopping I return home for a relaxing afternoon of movies on the couch. I speak to my Indian friend and am invited to a family dinner at the Park Hotel. Now this doesn't sound like a über fancy by name but in trying to find the address I see that the cheapest room is 2000 kr. A night! So this is another of these 5 star deals. After the taxi fails to show I settle for auto rickshaw and arrive punctually and am warmly greeted by security. The hotel front is made of steel/aluminum and the loggy is beautifully appointed with dark wood. By walking through a light tunnel "literally" you get to a modern restaurant filled with well-to-do Indian families. I enjoy a dinner talking to a my friends and their lovely family and kindly get driven home.

This morning (Sunday) I wake up and start the day with a dip in the rooftop pool and watch a bit of film before being picked up in taxi by my friend who is an Indian-American. The destination is the Ista hotel in Hyderabads Hi-Tec City. The plan is to arrive at 13:00 and enjoy brunch until around 16:00. We leave Hyderabad and move into the more sparsely populated Hi-Tec city and the special economic region that houses companies such as Microsoft, CapGemini, NVidea, etc. We pull up to the gate of the Ista and after the confirmation of no bombs in the car we drive up past fountains and local plants to the entrance. The Ista appeals to my idea of luxury: tasteful and subtly but very luxurious. We walk around and look at the infinity pool and spa area before announcing ourselves in the restaurant.

Now…The Brunch. One enters the restaurant walking through a glass and steel wine rack, passing the clown making balloon animal of the children. The live band is playing soft western rock covers and doing a very good job and the volume level is ideal for ambiance without irritancy. We settle down at our table and order the first cappuccino and investigate the offers. Fresh sushi, various fish tapas consisting of squid salad, seafood terrine, shrimp and Louisiana dip. Moving along ones gets to the crusted lamb chops, hummus, small portions of tomato and mozzarella salad, egg plant antipasti, salad bar, olives, etc. This covers the starts. For warm mains we on the western side we have lamb chops and mash, potato gratin, various fish dishes, etc. Outside there is the grill making kebabs and the potato station along with the Indian buffet of approx 15 different things. There is also a noodle station and various soups that I never got around to. For dessert one can choose from various cakes (some even sugar free) and sweets, Indian sweets and there is also a crepe station. This all sets one back around 200 kr.

So we settle down a pace ourselves enjoying coffee, sweet/salty lime soda and sparkling wine. We are joined by a friend of my friend and the talk flows smoothly from political, culture, women, etc. And quite soon it is 16:30 and we are stuffed, buzzed and tipsy (well I was at least). I am invited to attend the weekly meet of the Hyderabad Hash House Harriers, which is a walking/running club. We arrive at the start point and I spend 45 min walking with my friend through various neighborhoods and eventually ending on an apartment rooftop overlooking the city with cold beer and water on offer. In the intermittent time I have arranged a movie outing with my neighbor and her colleagues so I grab and auto and head home. I make a stop at SPAR for a few essentials and meet someone I know from the expat club on the way out. Us internationals seem to frequent the same spots! Moving is enjoyed as is meeting some nice new people and now I am sitting writing this.

There is of course some irony in that the low standard of living for a vast majority affords expat the type of weekend I have just described. However having been here a few months I can only say that one becomes strangely comfortable with it.

Tales of Northern travels

I am currently sitting in the body of a hotel in Delhi and the last 84 hours have been fun and exciting.

Thursday morning I woke at 03:45 from the call from the taxi driver. A fundamental problem in India is that there are no road signs and many roads do not have names. Therefore explaining to taxi driver where I live is a challenge everytime. Also taxi drivers, unlike everyone else, insist on coming early in India. I manage to explain where I stay but he cannot come all the way to the apartment as the road has just been freshly cemented. Anywho, I get ready and walk down to the taxi and say I need to fetch something from the flat. He has gotten some courage and just drives through the freshly-poured cement: bad ass. So all products loaded and were off to pick up colleague on the way to the airport.

Now colleague was not early so I relaxed at a local café in a predominantly Muslim area in the early hours of the morning. It is interesting to observe how the bustle starts early in Hyderabad. By 5 am there are already plenty of people moving about getting ready for the day. Flight to Delhi is easy but a long and interesting work day. Having the right connections meant we were introduced to all manner of high ranking people in a large Indian corporation, so that bodes wells for business. Evening is spent collecting colleague and relaxing with a beer in hotel.

Next morning we are up by 05:30 as we are flying off to Shimla. Now Shimla used to be the summer capital of India. Meaning that the heat in Delhi was so intense that 4 months out of the year the government shifted to the mountain village, which is located 2200 metres above sea level. We fly in a small propeller plane and land on India's shortest commercial runway (1240 m). The airport is literally placed on top of a flattened mountain, so there is no possibility for expansion! A very cosy airport and I walk out to photograph the plane and start chatting to the local fireman. Now this guy has a great job. There is one flight a day to Shimla and after the plane flies back the airport closes for the day. After a relaxing wait and confirming that the plane can take off we are collected and start the 20 km journey to Shimla along beautifully winding mountain roads. As we come into Shimla one can sense that this is a city of 30,000 that has swelled to close to 300,000. The city clings to a mountain side and is very crowded but still somehow very cosy. The views are amazing and the centre of town is closed to automotive traffic, so people walk everywhere. All the official buildings hail from the British era for good or bad but it does give a distinct feeling of nostalgia. We enjoy a walk through town and the lovely 25 degree weather, a lovely contrast to the 43 degrees of Delhi of Hyderabad. We walk by Scandal point, where an Indian price grabbed a British woman, threw her on his horse, rode away and had a few days of fun with her and let her go. Very interesting and I was encouraged to carry out a reverse reenactment by a colleague…There were horses available for rent but I decided to give it a miss.

The journey by car to Delhi was long. Just to drive 120 km to Chandigarh took over 3 hours and this is with a driving style not even matched by certain members of the Sixt klargørings staff. Our driver was an Indian boy-racer who on a number of occasions was very close to having my foot up his ass from sheer annoyance. Due to lack of sleep I was not able to hide this fact and some nasty words may have been said. In Chandigarh we changed cars and driver. I am not sure if my aggressions had played a part but the new driver didn't use his horn once so maybe someone gave him a heads up about the Danish psycho, that or he realized that all his passengers wanted to sleep. The car was a brand new Mahindra Xylo, which is perfectly suited for the Indian roads and meant that the read passengers were sound asleep. However someone had decided to remove the front headrests meaning that where I dosed off my head road bop back and I would wake very abruptly. Now matter, it was still the best driving experience in India. Go Mahindra.

After a 3 a.m. arrival in Delhi and a great sleep my colleague and I decided to spend the day sightseeing. We asked the hotel for a driver who could speak some English. Needless to say we ended up with the only Indian I've meet who spoke absolutely NO English at all. However he was a great and kind man who took us where we wanted to go although a request for a shoeshop lead us to a 20 km detour but let's leave that be.

At the India gate I got a picture of a snake charmer with a REAL cobra. He beckoned me to take a picture and then right after threw the lid on the basket, scooped it up and into his pack and came over and demanded Rs. 500. I am proud that I argued with a man with a poisonous snake (probably with fangs removed) and gave him Rs. 10! After this we went to the Akshardham Temple (cultural centre apparently). Newly made but very impressive centre built to honour some Yogi or something (as you can see I am really getting the Indian culture). It was a lovely place and my fears of a spiritual centre not having a food court were quickly banished and I got some water and thoroughly enjoyed myself. After this we went to the Lotus temple which really is a stunning building and worth seeing. I could imagine it'd be beautiful at night but time did not allow.

The day ended with dinner and return to the hotel. I relaxed in my room watching a movie and surfing the net. I felt fortunate sharing the day with my colleague and sharing in the oddness of Indian handholding amongst men. Interesting being in a place where the only PDA is amongst dudes. Today I saw two guys rolling on the grass together! It is just so interesting that couples sit and talk but barely touch whereas the male masses are behaving in a way that would result in arrest in most southern states.

Today I have been living a true white man in India fantasy: I watched tv in bed til 11 and then got a A/C'd car to the Le Meridien. Now from the outside this place looks pretty worn down, something akin to an old Scandic hotel in DK. Now when you walk in it's a whole different world. Ultra modern with Moroso chairs and white marble. I meet with my former colleague for Brunch. We enjoy a couple of beers as I feast on jumbo shrimp, chicken and mutton kebabs, fresh soup. We share our stories and tales of India and have a wonderful time catching up. After he leaves I turn to the desert table and order champagne (yes, it's included in the price) and indulge in various cakes and parfaits and I read the paper and finish off with an espresso. I retire to the lobby to enjoy the soft rustling of water as I read the paper. Hereafter I decide to walk down to the India gate.

On the way to the India gate I am approached by two auto drivers who almost start a fight about my business and I convince them that I merely want to walk off my HUGE brunch. I walk on a little and one driver follows me down the road and tries to convince me that even if I just want to walk walk away from the road so drivers don't stop and don't go with the other driver. I walk on a see two men frolicking on the lawn and continue to walk down where I meet the other auto driver. We offers to drive me around for an hour and show me the India gate and parliament. Decide that for 50 Rupees that sounds fine and we set off. He hears I am from Denmark and says "Goddag" as his sister has lived in Valby. Right. He also takes me to the Danish Embassy and I take photos and enjoy the conversation. The other driver was supposedly his enemy and I believe the quote of the day was "If you tell him to fuck off then I'll only charge you 40!" He says this laughing and smiling. The man is a tall Sikh with a big beard and blue turban. He supposedly lives by my hotel and offers to drive me home for free as he is going that way anyways. I agree and off we roll to the textile shop. Now I have already gotten a lecture on Pashiman quality by now and I am thinking that if the prices seem reasonable then why not. So we go in the shop and get a cup of tea and I am enjoying the chat and the people are super nice and of course I end up buying 2 pashinas and 5 silk paintings and I will never know if I got ripped off or if it all was a elaborate setup (most likely) but I must admit I had a wonderful time and bought things that I think are really beautiful so in the end that is most important. I loved by drivers agreed code for BUY "If I say 'good' it means buy, if I say 'very good' it means don't buy"!

Now I return to my hotel (I am now writing 2 days later in Hyderabad) and blog and wait for the driver to come and he arrives 15 min late but this is no biggie as I am in good time. We start moving and we are both slightly curious as to why the A/C isn't working but on we roll and soon I notice that the engine temp is way into the red. So I ask the driver to pull over and pop the hood and I check the oil and there is no issue…hmmm. Flight leaves in 90 min and it's 20 min to the airport. So driver says that his mate will bring his other car and it's no problem. So we wait a bit and then we decide to pop down to the mechanic to check out the car.

So we pull into a dark and dingy alley and turn into another slightly more well-lit but equally dingy alley and stop in front of a group of gentlemen jumping around and bagging on various parts of a minivan. We pop the hood and within 2 min the diagnoses is made: fan isn't running due to blown fuse. Driver goes off to buy fuse, clock is ticking. Driver comes back and fuse is installed, car is running great and the info comes that the other case has also broken down so my hopes are on this little Maruti Suzuki being healthy. 60 min till departure.

I think we're ready to go but we just need a little water in the cooler to make sure that shit doesn't get hairy on the wait to the airport. Water found, poured in, man paid, good to go. Now under any other circumstances this would have been a super fast service visit but I am starting to get nervous. My flight is the last one today for Hyderabad but I also just loving the experience. "Don't worry, I'll take all the VIP shortcuts"…awesome. 50 min till departure. Now we go through back alleys and small roads and then follow in close pursue of car can in front. So close in fact that when it breaks we read end him…45 min til departure. No harm no foul, smiles all around and we are under way yet again. Driver is talking about the grace of god and that I'll make it because god loves me. I am a little skeptical and say my faith will be renewed when I am sitting on that plane. Now during this journey I am for the first time feeling that an Indian taxi driver is going to slow but amazingly we arrive 30 min before departure. I am in such a state I forget to pay the guy and run off. I check in: 2 min, pass security: 5 min and then go down to the gate and have time for a bathroom visit before I board the plane! Sometimes things just work out exactly how they should. J

India vs. Malaysia

I have just come back from a 9 day trip to Kuala Lumpur and man are there some differences between the two places. What is interesting to note and think about is if India will be like Malaysia in 20-40 years?

Malaysia is green green green everywhere. Where the soil hasn't been covered with concrete there is something growing. Now this is a result of the tropical climate and the fact that it generally rains once a day. This is unlikely to happen in Hyderabad, so I will not be expecting this.

Malaysia has freeways everywhere. 2-3 lanes in each directly and constantly packed with traffic. I got stock in the rush out of KL on Friday and spent 4 hours travelling 20 km. India is building up its road net at the moment but then again the new road from Hyderabad airport is bumpy and unlevel and has only been open a year. Whether this is due to bad consultants, contractors or low budgets I am not sure, but the fact remains that even such new projects are not up to the standards in countries like Malaysia or Europe.

The above is something I started a few days ago and the answer is that India will only develop like other countries through a change in mindset. The will will for solidarity needs to be widespread and then it'll happen. Otherwise the right people will just continue to wall themselves in (literally) and leave the outside to decay.

Now I would like to share with you tales of my travels to the state of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The trip starts with a morning cab trip to the airport. A quick affair but along the road that is already bumpy so soon after being opened. I arrive in good time, check in, eat a little breakfast whilst reviewing some work material. I believe that airport lounges are universally expensive but then again I must admit that 40 DKK isn't bad for a large white chocolate latte, a muffin and and fruit salad. As a matter of fact that'll only get you the coffee in DK! Anyways, it's expensive for India so my point is still valid.

Now as I sit and relax and get ready by colleague calls: Now the plan was to be as follows. My two colleagues from Chennai were to drive to the city of Cochin to collect me. We were then going to drive about 1 hour to the place of the meeting and and hereafter were were to drive to Coimbatore, which in on the way back to Chennai...All very simple. Now I get the call that one of the colleagues has gotten a pinched nerve or something in the neck and therefore colleague number two is flying into Cochin and out from there again in the evening. Now there seems to be a phenomenon in India and I am not the one who noticed it first. Something bad always happening to someone etc. Currently I have two colleagues with severely ill parents and one colleague with a sick brother and a child with a broken arm. One of the colleagues with the sick mother is also sick themselves with some kind of nausea/vomiting thing that keeps them up at night. Now I should let you know that we are only 5 people in the work place not including the care taker who is going to hospital tomorrow with his daughter so she can have a pin in her arm removed (she was driven down by a car). Bad things just seem to happen here! It's pretty weird. And I know that all the stories are true!

Anyways the story then takes a turn as I ask how I am to get to Coimbatore...Well I will just get a cab 160 km, no biggie. So I get on the plane (In India they understand that I NEED an exit seat) and just relax looking out the window. As we start to decent the landscape is entirely different to Hyderabad...Green green green. Palm trees everywhere. Apparently Cochin is one of the main locations for the growing of coconuts in India. I sit patiently until my colleague arrives 15 min after me and we hire a car. 150 km and 3 hours wait time, which pretty much equates to a whole day fare only comes to 200 DKK. We get going and drive through small villages with houses cut out of what almost looks like jungle. The first thing that strikes you in driving in Cochin is GOD! Ok to be more precise Kerala has a high percentage of Christians and there are churches and shrines every few kms. We move north and soon have to turn off to get to the site and we move along small roads lined with houses that are painted extremely vibrant colours. I haven't seen this anywhere else but the houses were Bright blue and orange, Purple, bright green and then you'd see a shrine with jesus on the cross. I really felt like it could have been South America. As we move further away from civilisation we come through rubber plantations and rolling hills with green everywhere. It's humid and warm but actually very nice.

The business visit was interesting and the people we met were friendly and kind. Afterwards my colleague and I return to the crossroad city and we find a taxi for me. He wants double fair as he is going somewhere where he can't get a return fair (fair enough). Now cabbie speaks NO English and my colleague can't really speak to him either, as he is from Chennai and this dude is from Cochin! However the cabbie knows where to go. Now this dude, like the other cabbie, has a cross hanging from the rearview mirror and a image of Jesus on the dash. Now through three hours or travelling without a word I was tempted to point at the picture and say "JE-SUS" but thought better of it as it may lead to me trying to explain Darwin's evolution of species through hand gestures.

Approaching Coimbatore we drove by a beautiful mountain range and it was generally a really lovely drive in a Indian built Mahindra Logan, which is actually based on the Romania Dacia Logan, which in turn is owned by French Renault. As we approach the airport area at dark it looks a little sleazy where I am and I tell the cabbie to pull over at the hotel I had seen a billboard for proclaiming something along the lines of "finest hotel in Coimbatore". No vacancy but the manager was kind enough to call another hotel and hold a room costing around 300 kr (that is a lot!). We drive and I don't know what to expect. It certainly can't be the place that looks a bit like a palace there...or wait...IT IS. Sigh of relief. It's call good. I come in and get checked in and go to my huge room with the relatively hard bed. However in India you can divide hotels into 2 categories: with toilet paper or without toilet paper. This was a toilet paper hotel. I spend the evening eating dinner and outside whilst watching cricket on a huge projection screen.

Next morning I flew back to Hyderabad with a plane that was meant for me (see photo).

Tomorrow morning I am off to Northern India starting with Delhi, so there will be more stories to tell I hope.

Thanks for stopping by

R

A little bored perhaps

Dear all. I think I am starting to get used to this place. It's interesting how a routine started to settle in and the things that might have shocked you in the beginning just don't really anymore. I walk along the busy roadsides and dart across streets in an instant where in the beginning I'd have waited for the all-clear that only occurs every 5 minutes. I however am also getting a little bored and feel a slight mental block that I am creating for myself. In many ways I should be out exploring but I have some kind of aversion to just jumping in a rickshaw and telling it to go. Now meaning to sound too philosophical but I guess one often feels that journeys should have a purpose or a destination and I suppose they really don't and can we work it in their own right.

The result of the above point (as well as talking to some very convincing people) is that I am contemplating buying a scooter. Oh yes, the freedom! They are relatively inexpensive here and would offer the ideal mode of transportation and the opportunity to explore. Now points that speak against it: I have never written a motorised two-wheeler in my life because I thought it was dangerous. For this reason learning by doing in the traffic nightmare that is an Indian metropolis might not be so wise. It gets really hot here and I have been warned about heat stroke. I am partially deaf and can't here where sound comes from. I believe helmets in India are made from paper mache. Now the cases for: I have realised that I am now old enough to do things to make me feel young. I would love to just be able to truly cruise around and explore. A scooter is the ultimate accessory (I could also consider a Tata Nano). The result of this turmoil is that all I see is scooters. It's like girls who miss their periods and all they see is babies. Scooters are everywhere and they are SOOOO cute.

Anywho, enough about the scooter. Time will tell. I do have 2 funny little stories to tell. This Saturday gone past I was in the dentist office to have the two remaining wisdoms yanked from my skull. So I am in the chair and the doctor and injected me pretty well and good with anaesthesia when he asks me is I am married. I reply NO, but that I have a GF of many years. Now must places this would lead into a "what does she do", "do you live together", etc. Not here. NOOO. I get a sharp criticism and told that arranged marriages where the two joining parties have never met are much better. Basically that free choice and uncertain in a relationship is a bad thing. This leads on to the men are superior to women and that this is a scientific fact. Now the doctor is preparing the scalpel but I refuse to have my bebe and my lifestyle choices criticised to such an extent that I respectfully tell the dentist that there is no scientific basis for what he is saying that I would never want to be with someone who I didn't consider an equal. We go on a little more and so one and the finally as things are perhaps getting just a little intense he ways "The anaesthesia seems to be working, let's get started". I can proudly say the dentist stayed professional but apparently he drilled and filed quite a bit in my jaw... I came in India to experience something and I certainly am.

Also I went to the local mall which just a cinema and a foodcourt and a Tommy Hilfiger. I went to the Istanbul Kebab because I was craving hummos. Now guess what, behind a counter...a real Turk for Izmir! He's been in Hyderabad for a year! Funny that I am shooting the shit with a Turk in a Kebab shop and I start to miss Denmark.

I think I will leave it here for now. I should be travelling next week so hopefully I'll have some stories for you guys. J

Oh the contrast

India is definitely the land of contrast…

For a few days now I have felt that something wasn't entirely OK with my jaw. When I bite down there is tension on the lower right side and things just don't seem to align as they should. Now I happen to be so fortunate that my colleague's brother is a dentist, so we talk and I am told to just go visit Dr. M and he'll sort me out just fine. As I have been throught Hyderabad once today with auto rickshaw I opt for a cab. Now one of my colleagues was good enough to help with this and the cab should have arrived by 18:00. At 18:15 I walk back to my flat to drop my laptop and notice the government plated Tata Indica. I walk back to the office, read the paper, etc. I finally I push my colleague to find out where the cab is and we finally figure that it is coming. Now as I come out I see the very same Tata roll up. The driver didn't know where exactly he was supposed to go so he just parked halfway down the road and expected that things would sort themselves out.

I arrive at the dentist office/muslim prayer room and announce my arrival. I spend few minutes reading a booklet on Islam and am then introduced to Dr. M. Now Dr. M is in his thirties and has a very long beard and is wearing a taqiyah (Muslim skullcap). I come in and am introduced to his friend who is a famour cricketer! Dr. M has lived 5 years in Chicago and I can only say that he is one of the kindest gentlemen I have met in a long time. We chat about family and being in Hyderabad and what I am doing here. I explain the ailment and he looks and finds a few cavities and we go to have an x-ray taken. Now it turns out that I have a wisdom tooth coming in horizontally, something akin to someone slapping down a door with a log. Do yeah, we know what this means. Now it is about 19:30 so he tells me that I need to go to another clinic to have another type of x-ray taken. My reaction of course is "well I can do that tomorrow and I don't really know how to get there". This would be normal in any of the countries I have ever lived in, not India.

Now Dr. M says to me "Abdul here is studying to become a physiotherapist, he will take you to where you need to do". I get introduced to Abdul who asks is we should take his motorcycle…noooo. So into a auto we go and drive 5 min down the street to a little clinic. I am starting to get used to the standard of things in India, but this clinic looks something like what I imagine the worst social services office in New Jersey would look like. 1 x-ray image of mouth 300 Rs. Do I pay, noooo, the clinic will sort that out. Also Abdul paid for the Auto. As we wait Abdul and I talk about all matter of things, including religion. Abdul is rather devout and finds it a little difficult to believe that I don't attend church. Never mind that, I still think I am invited to his wedding next month.

Back to the clinic and I have exchanged numbers with Abdul and we may hang out sometime soon. We drill out a plan for removal of the first tooth…how about Saturday? When is good for you Rasmus? Make sure you eat a meal first! And now the other thing, as anyone who has even seen me smile knows, my bottom row of teeth is fucked. So yeah, I may need to get braces. Now I believe when I was around 13 my mother and I spoke to the dentist about me getting braces and it was something like 2,000-3,000 and this is 10-15 years ago. They could offer financing, etc. Now India is the same in terms of financing…but the whole thing should cost me around 10,000 – 15,000…Rupees! So basically about 1/10^th of the price.

I also get the prescription for the necessary antibiotics to be taken before and after the op. Off to the pharmacy? Hell no, yes get the drugs the reception. 3 different meds, total cost 140 Rs. So basically at the moment I am in dentistry paradise (did I mention I didn't say for the consultation). And it's not just here. I also needed to have blood tests done as a requirement from the Indian state. Full blood works for AIDS, syphilis, hepetitus, etc. Now I think in Denmark this would usually take about 3-5 days. In India: 2 hours.

On the flipside at work we have had a shipment stuck in customs for over a month. Daily calls and visits do not seem to be able to budge them and we are constantly led to believe that tomorrow will be the day that it gets released…Yeah, contrast.

On the topic of friendly people I met a man in the swimming pool and chatted so well with him that I am now suffering from the worst sunburn I have ever experienced. This was Saturday (today is Wednesday) and my shoulders, back, chest and stomach are still red and tender though my forehead has started to peel. This shocks Indian and they don't really get what is happening to the white man who resembles a leper. Anyways, the gentleman in the pool was a pristine example of the educated, well-to-do class here. Owns his own IT company, lives in Columbia, wife works in the company and is supposedly very independent, mother is a journalist and feminist writer, and so on and so on and so on.

It takes all types and India has them.