FACTS that my eyes capture everyday:
* Although my frame is unavoidably that of a European, with these statements I mean nothing but to record differences (after all that’s what I came here for). I hereby honestly declare no intention of conveying criticism or prejudice in none of the following (anyway, the order in which the facts are placed is by the way totally arbitrary):
· Children are carried in motorbikes holding to the wheel or squeezed between 2 or 3 other bodies – and this is while other vehicles pass speeding 2cm from them, each vehicle issuing tons of gazes right at their nose level
· You can see single shoes spread all over in roads – and not all are in bad shape. I wonder…? : )
· Horses carry goods on their own in the roads
· Many policemen cover their mouth and nose because of pollution, and they whistle (as others horn) all the time, for no reason
· The traffic lights are rare and not always respected
· 16.07.08, 18h35 – Saw a man grab a mobile out of another man’s car as this had the window open in the middle of a traffic jam
· Many children and adults walk in the streets bear-feet
· There are no bins for the litter in the streets. And still people don’t think twice before throwing garbage away…. It is hard to find bins in the houses too
· The malls and movie theatres are the more luxurious I’ve ever been to. E.g., they sell a variety of food and beverages inside, and the seats are always “convertible”
· You see cows all over: in the traffic – standing or moving with it (being just avoided, but sent away or pushed by no one!), lying down, eating out of trash in bus station, just about anywhere!
· Have seen camels being rid in the road once in a while. And of course, many many bikes
· Vehicles are more important than pedestrians – absolute priority, they don’t even break if they see that you want to cross the road, not even if you’re already in the middle of a thousand of moving vehicles and animals, right in the middle of the road, spinning and dancing in the hurdle of trying not to get hit by a car’s side-miror or any bike
· The rules for driving: honk, squeeze and occupy any free space you may find
· Men urinate anywhere in the street, without even caring to hide, although they do give their back to the crowd
· Men spit on the floor and out of moving vehicles quite often
· In some movie theatres, the Indian Himn plays before the show starts. Everyone stands, sellers stop selling, incoming people stop their march, some place their hand in their heart, some get emotional, but no one dares to talk or look anyway other than the screen – although no one seems to sing along with the Gurus that interpret the song
· This is the most colourful country I’ve ever been to: religion is colourful, dressing is colourful, state announcements are colourful, buildings are colourful, cars and trucks are colourful, food is colourful….
· It rains almost everyday by dust (when it’s serious the streets look like authentic river flows), and power goes off one or several times for anything ranging from 10 minutes to 4 hours. From today on I’m expected not to have water in the house for 4 days
· Bangalore seems to be all and always under contruction
LESSONS that I’ve learned mostly from my Mentor and her Husband, Mr. and Mrs. Ubhayaker*:
* everyday at least one new teaching by the table, during a blessed lunch (this is just one of the few reasons I feel blessed around here)
* actually today I spoke of starting to bring my beloved notebook to the table as I forget such important notions I learn just because hindi, kannada or sanscrit don’t sound like anything familiar – I have to write down in order to memorize, as I do with anything already anyway even in Portugal!)
* all of the below mentioned lessons are Their responsibility - except for one: the most materialistic maybe, the last one - you have to learn how to deal with auto-rickshaws by yourself!):
· Give things to others with your right hand
· Eat with your right hand only
· Don’t wet your hand beyond 2/3 of your fingers when you’re eating
· Go straight home and don’t leave if a religious ofense took place in town
· Always bargain (insistently) if the price isn’t fixed
Promise to keep on with this exercise.
**********
* Although my frame is unavoidably that of a European, with these statements I mean nothing but to record differences (after all that’s what I came here for). I hereby honestly declare no intention of conveying criticism or prejudice in none of the following (anyway, the order in which the facts are placed is by the way totally arbitrary):
· Children are carried in motorbikes holding to the wheel or squeezed between 2 or 3 other bodies – and this is while other vehicles pass speeding 2cm from them, each vehicle issuing tons of gazes right at their nose level
· You can see single shoes spread all over in roads – and not all are in bad shape. I wonder…? : )
· Horses carry goods on their own in the roads
· Many policemen cover their mouth and nose because of pollution, and they whistle (as others horn) all the time, for no reason
· The traffic lights are rare and not always respected
· 16.07.08, 18h35 – Saw a man grab a mobile out of another man’s car as this had the window open in the middle of a traffic jam
· Many children and adults walk in the streets bear-feet
· There are no bins for the litter in the streets. And still people don’t think twice before throwing garbage away…. It is hard to find bins in the houses too
· The malls and movie theatres are the more luxurious I’ve ever been to. E.g., they sell a variety of food and beverages inside, and the seats are always “convertible”
· You see cows all over: in the traffic – standing or moving with it (being just avoided, but sent away or pushed by no one!), lying down, eating out of trash in bus station, just about anywhere!
· Have seen camels being rid in the road once in a while. And of course, many many bikes
· Vehicles are more important than pedestrians – absolute priority, they don’t even break if they see that you want to cross the road, not even if you’re already in the middle of a thousand of moving vehicles and animals, right in the middle of the road, spinning and dancing in the hurdle of trying not to get hit by a car’s side-miror or any bike
· The rules for driving: honk, squeeze and occupy any free space you may find
· Men urinate anywhere in the street, without even caring to hide, although they do give their back to the crowd
· Men spit on the floor and out of moving vehicles quite often
· In some movie theatres, the Indian Himn plays before the show starts. Everyone stands, sellers stop selling, incoming people stop their march, some place their hand in their heart, some get emotional, but no one dares to talk or look anyway other than the screen – although no one seems to sing along with the Gurus that interpret the song
· This is the most colourful country I’ve ever been to: religion is colourful, dressing is colourful, state announcements are colourful, buildings are colourful, cars and trucks are colourful, food is colourful….
· It rains almost everyday by dust (when it’s serious the streets look like authentic river flows), and power goes off one or several times for anything ranging from 10 minutes to 4 hours. From today on I’m expected not to have water in the house for 4 days
· Bangalore seems to be all and always under contruction
LESSONS that I’ve learned mostly from my Mentor and her Husband, Mr. and Mrs. Ubhayaker*:
* everyday at least one new teaching by the table, during a blessed lunch (this is just one of the few reasons I feel blessed around here)
* actually today I spoke of starting to bring my beloved notebook to the table as I forget such important notions I learn just because hindi, kannada or sanscrit don’t sound like anything familiar – I have to write down in order to memorize, as I do with anything already anyway even in Portugal!)
* all of the below mentioned lessons are Their responsibility - except for one: the most materialistic maybe, the last one - you have to learn how to deal with auto-rickshaws by yourself!):
· Give things to others with your right hand
· Eat with your right hand only
· Don’t wet your hand beyond 2/3 of your fingers when you’re eating
· Go straight home and don’t leave if a religious ofense took place in town
· Always bargain (insistently) if the price isn’t fixed
Promise to keep on with this exercise.
**********
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