Currently
The Latest from South Asia
Last update before The Day:
- I don’t know why Indian media thinks that coverage of an event = taking pictures of a working journalist taking pictures. What is possibly interesting about that? Pictures of me taking pictures may soon appear on national TV and Oriya newspapers.
- I’m glad I didn’t try to sneak into Jagannath Mandir like I so frequently joked I would. Just sneaking in to Konark on an Indian ticket (Indian: 10 rupees, Foreigner: 250) was scary enough. I got through on the “Hello I’m from Nepal card” (dressed in an elaborate salwar kameez with a dupatta around my head of course. I hear the last time a foreigner infiltrated the Jagannath Mandir — strictly for those born Hindu only — they got him arrested and then threw out all the food (and if you know anything about it, said temple has one of the world’s largest kitchens feeding a large number of people) because it was ‘contaminated’. Next time anybody asks me for a donation I’ll say I can’t give you anything, my money is foreign and contaminated.
- Met the first Singaporean travelling solo in India — in all my trips here, and there may be another young solo female Singaporean coming. People treat news of Singaporeans travelling solo like they’ve seen the impossible.
- I guess on every trip, especially to India, I go through this “I love India I hate India” phase. For just one day. Then I have an incredibly good meal, like last night’s Oriya thali in a little shack, that puts everything right in the world and reminds me of why I love this occasionally dreadful country so.
- I am taking some of the best pictures of my life at one of the world’s most colourful spectacles that I’m glad I have the opportunity to witness, and I hope I make the most of it on Monday.
- A really easy way to kill me is to sit behind me in a bus and pull both ends of my dupatta, hard.
- I must be quite a spectacle myself: Northeastern-looking girl with big camera and lenses with her entourage of two men a few steps behind her (for carrying her things, and for translating Hindi and Oriya, respectively); men who call her The Queen Rani). I just wish I knew enough Hindi to counter the “Is this for the Kathmandu Post” questions from shopkeepers and policemen.
- And tomorrow, one last scoop around the chariots, and Monday’s my big day. I don’t think I was even as err, apprehensive, excited, and psyched up, when I sat for my A levels.
13 Comments
Isn’t it ironic that they allow all born Hindu’s into the temple, whatever their intention might be. But a foreigner with the intent to capture the beauty of the temple in her camera and write about it, is turned away.
I thought/hoped that India had improved/progressed, and each day I find myself surprised..
NTT: Somehow your observation makes sense but I wouldn’t go so far as to say that its a sign that India is stuck in a historical rut or not progresing.
At least they’re still hanging on to some of their ancient traditions and bastions of religion. It would be worst if they started having an entrance fee like the Taj Mahal.
Sorry for the hijack, Popagandhi! Wish u all the best for your big day. Would be glad for a peek. :)
i guess i can appreciate the source of this desire to keep their traditions, but for something which began because muslim invaders used to sabotage the temple, it\’s turned into a legalistic tradition. Lots of devout hindus, for instance, who are born chinese or japanese or american or italian, and are learned, devoted krishna followers for some time and bona fide hindu in every sense but the hindu birth — cannot enter either. I hope the rules will be revised at least for this set of people first who need it most. And so often the rule becomes confused with indian identity — how nepali or northeast indian hindus, every bit hindu as any local hindu, have to fight to have their religious identity validated by someone guarding the door.
“Next time anybody asks me for a donation I’ll say I can’t give you anything, my money is foreign and contaminated.”
Very well said.:D
Hey Sis,
if you need faster video encoding, try Visual Hub instead. Have been using it to convert video into diff formats. Extremely fast.. about 4X faster than Mpeg Streamclip.
QuickTime Export? Hell with it..
As usual, Need any anything, serial or software, let me know.
I don’t believe those are ancient tradition, more of social norms which were put into place for various purposes. I feel that they should change/evolve with time. I was under the impression that they were changing, but I guess not as fast..
I agree with popagandhi, in that, it had this had utility in the past, but has turned into a legalistic tradition which most obey by, without asking why..
Being of Indian origin, I am very proud of India’s traditions and customs.. but only those which still make sense in todays world.
I happened to have travelled in India alone, albeit only in the south.For a Singaporean girl, yes I felt like a really rare specimen in the land of extremes.
For #7: Just put back of hand to brow and say, with exasperation, “Oof! Nahi, bhaia, nahi!” But you speak some Bengali, right? I wish I had someone to speak Bengali with :( Thumi Kolkata abar kokhon jachcho?
Missing you here, and will miss you in Montreal!
Stay safe :]
I’m so jealous of all the good indian food you’re piling up…
Gosh .. I so miss the wonderful spectacle of colours that’s India. Being a camera-totting foreigner has its charms. Kids pose readily wherever you point your camera at ;)
Plenty of Singaporean women travel solo all over Asia. They just don’t happen blog, or can’t be bothered recounting their adventures to the world at large.
no one said no singaporean women travel solo — just that few of them have been spotted in india, and the locals say so too.