Robertson House on CNN India

Thanks for your replies on my last post. By the way, if you want to make your comments public, press the link 'comment' on the end of every post, and write a comment on what I wrote. That makes a blog a blog and even more interesting to read. Make it 'interactive' - to express it in an up-to-date-jargon. übrigens könnt Ihr auch auf deutsch oder schwiizertüütsch schreiben. Nebo píšte český. Anyway. I will stick to English to make it understand for everyone around the globe.
Ok, before I will go on with telling you boring diary-stories on narrating what I am doing during a regular working day from morning till evening I will go ahead with my 'analysis' on the Indian culture. So far, you have a slight view on the city of Bangalore and I can tell you one first episode now which is linked to the city and which is so representative on what the Indians are like and the way they see (or want to see) this city. Last week, imagine, CNN India came to our house to shoot a documentary on how foreign people live in Banglalore. Oh, for all of you who don't know yet, I live in a big house with about 12-14 other people of all different kind of nationalities, really 'multi-cultural', meega multi-kulti:-). However, the CNN-team arrived with their equipment, light, cameras and started professional-faced and with determined countenances to investigate the house to figure out on what and what not to film. Finally they installed their cameras and kindly asked, a bit less determined, who of us would volunteer for an interview. Simon, our Chinese-'American' joined up first. Now, the Inteviewer, a typical 'new-Indian-generation-modern-acting' young women started, in a typical Indian cosy-nice voice to ask more and less stupid questions like: What do you like best in Bangalore? What is your favourite Indian dish? Do you like Indian music? Do you know any Indian words? (Indian -for those who don't know- does not exist as such, there is 'Hindi' as the official language and 'Cannada', as the Bangalorian local language). Well, Simon primarily focused on his enterprise here and his ambition to take advantage of the Indian economic boom, which he said, he missed in China. However, Dutch Harryet and Philippina Geena went ahead with documtenting their experiences here at their work and with the Indian culture, also mentioning differences which did not always put Indian and Bangalore into the best light, of course. However, on he request of the majority of the community I (being noted for my 'radical' views on India, Indians, Bangalore.... whatever) joined up for being interviewed and , slightly nervous, already making up and formulating sentences in my mind which would neutralize my views and opinions to a moderate level - to make it bearable also for an Indian cognition -. But even though I was prepared, the first question already confronted me and also the interviewer with the bitter reality: what do you like in Bangalore??? Well,........??????????????? and I started a studid explanation of why I decided to come to India at all, digressing subtly from the real answer to the question for not having to alienate the interviewer with saying: NOTHING, Bangalore is just a accumulation of rubbish, a rotten sh..hole!!! Well I didn't say so but my answer was as vacant as the question. However, the interviewer was a bit irritated with my unclear answer and went on asking me random dreary questions like the ones quoted above. In addition, Dutch Eelco and primarily Mexican David was interviewed and even portrayed on how he cooks his dinner and with whom he shares his room.
Two days later the documentary was screened on CNN Indian under the program AN EYE ON BANGALORE or something like that... the outcome of the program was exactly the way I expected: COSMOPOLITAN BANGALORE: fancy, trendy, INTERNATIONAL; so many nationalities living under one roof; we like indian dishes (the Indian culture is highly focused on meals: have you had you lunch = how are you etc...) we can say words in Indian languages; we like Indian music; we all LOVE INDIA because there is always 'life in the streets' with the 'piles of rubbish in the streets and the cows eating it'; India is developing so fast and there is so much???? in Bangalore.
However, that's exactly the way the Indians want us to see India. As in the documentary all the negative statements were cut, in reality, most of the Indians simply ignore them.
By the way, the Interview with me was cut down to two words I uttered: Salaam Namaste (which is a Hindi Pop-Song).
but have a look youself: the online version of the documentary on CNN India; Robertson house on tv:
http://www.ibnlive.com/article.php?id=7365&section_id=3

'who is who' on the pic on the right (sorry,there's too many poeple on the one on top):

back from left:

Patrick (Ireland); Simon (HongKong); Geena (Philippines) Rocco(Holland); Eelco (Holland); Deniz (Turkey)

front from left:

Yamini (Singapore); David (Mexico); Harryet (Holland); Myself

5 months India: a review: Dirty Bangalore

Today, March, 28, exactly, I have been 5 months to India. What can I say about the country? What can I say about my stay here? What can I say about what impact this stay had on me so far?
I try hard to remain as objective as possible in my descriptions and views. But I must admit, remaining objective when talking about India can be hard, since the country with all its aspects is rather intense, if not to say 'hard-core'.
My first impression was quite the same as I expected. I had not only read a lot on the country in advance but I had also been overwhelmed by descriptions, stories and experiences of all my friends who have been to India, whether due to travelling or working. Thus, initially I did not have this so-called 'culture shock' as many claimed to have had after their first confrontation with an Indian environment: unimaginable poverty, overwhelming dirt, breath-taking colors, unbearable stench and exotic scents side by side; in short, a country of contrasts wherever you look. Well, that's about the way India is. But to be honest, the negative listing above is more overwhelming than the positive, expecially in the beginning. The image of pollution and filth in every corner of the city going along with stench of rot and excrements is definitely more present than seductive odours and beautiful colours.
Bangalore, the merging IT metropole, is said to be the 'Silicon Valley' of India. Considering the remarkable numbers of investment and economic growth during the last 10 years this might be true. But the city is neither 'Silicon' nor 'Valley'. So don't imagine a dynamic, prospering, cosmopolitan city in the middle of Asia like Singapore, Shanghai, Hong Kong or Seoul; Bangalore like every other city in India is -as I call it- a million settlement. Apart from the city's disgusting pollution and dirt, the infrastructure is so lousy that any European mediaeval city could compete with it. The roads are in a desasterous condition, proper sidewalks hardly any exist, bunches of rubbish are everywhere, attracting (and feeding) millions of flies, cows, rats and street dogs. There is no sanitary system but only ditches along the shabby roads, sometimes coverd with flagstones, but always filled with rubbish. So, during the monsoon times with its heavy rains, the city is flooded regularly.
Bangalore does not have a real center but only 'main streets' where the main commercial life takes place. These streets (called MG Road, Brigade Road, Commercial Street...) are considered as the 'center' and many Indians claim them to be 'progressive' and 'cosmopolitan'. Most of the western tourist linger around here, but also the new generation of the hip and 'western-trendy' Indians, dressed up in the latest fashion hang out in the most popular Indian cafe chains like 'Coffee Day' and 'Barista'. Well, for an Indian who has never been outside of India (that means almost every Indian!) this might be impressive and cosmopolitan. But for western eyes there are always some essential aspects of the scene which always remind you that you are in a third-world country. Apart from the fact that even these streets can never compete with a regular commercial street in any developed city, the place is always crowded with ragged little kids, shabby teen-age-mothers, old men or women and cribbles begging for money; all in all a contrast, so typical for India as a whole.
For myself I can say; I did not fall in love with the city at all. I can accept a lousy infrastructure but I could not and I still cannot get used to the dirt and the pollution which has - as many naive westerner might think - less to do with the poverty than with the Indian mentality. Considering the billions of dollars invested into the IT sector during the last few years, generating to the city immense amounts of taxes, the poor development of the picture of Bangalore is astonishing. The public transportation system is insufficient and crappy, traffic is chaotic and during rush-hours it can take hours to cover only short distances. One reason for this disasterous condition of the infrastructure might be the corruption of the public authorities (as claimed by most of the locals here) but one further essential reason I can observe is the complete ignorance of the majority of the Indians of their environmental problems. Indians, wherever they go, pollute their environment without respect for nature nor have they any sense for social responsibility. So whether the street in front of their house is washed away, their places are invaded by bugs, their rivers, bonds and lakes are just filthy cloacas, the avarage Indian simply doesn't care; it is the way it is. I must say, the longer I am here, the more I am bothered by this particular aspect of the Indian mentality and hence, makes living here for me less convenient.
Well, this short initial review might be staggering, but don't worry, of course there are many other aspects which make my stay here a great experience. But for this I need some more space and time...
Cheers.
mi-scho.

check-it-out

Here we go. My blog. Since I will quit my trainee ship here in India soon and in addition be travelling around in Asia as long as possible, it's time to install a blog and share my experiences, adventures and thinkings with the public. Well, I hope the page will fufill the general requirements and you all and myself enjoy.....