This is India: Cricket
Cricket is one of those sports that maybe you saw late at night once while living in the US. When ESPN used to show strange sports like Australian Rules Football, Rugby, or Jai alai. You’d come across it, linger for a bit and laugh at the people in the crowd or the umpires with funny coats or strange hats making hand gestures you didn’t understand. Nothing in the
This is India: Typos
Typos are common in this country. Of course these are english typos, which go unnoticed for the most part, and are somewhat forgivable considering that English is a foreign language here. Still, I find these things funny. The above picture is an officially sanctioned typo for the beverage Thums Up - the third player in the India Cola Wars and now owned by Coca-Cola. Thums
Food I Eat: Coated Cashews
Dried Fruit (what most call nuts) are important to Indian life. Each morning my mother-in-law feeds us 5 almonds that have been soaked in water overnight - skins removed - and served with honey. This is an Ayruvedic process. Apparently the skin is hard to digest, so it should be removed. If you eat these first thing in the morning it will help with your digestive acids
Dispatches
NPR reports on China and India’s influence on world economics. (via Blyth)
The National Gallery of Modern Art in Delhi has just opened its new addition. Unfortunetely they make the assumption that size is what is needed to mentioned in the same breath as the TATE in London. Forgetting, it seems, that the content is the most important part of any museum.
The Atlantic Monthly has a very interesting article on Kolkata, looking at the complex aspects that make it such a unique and wonderful place. Part history, part analysis, the author attempts to dig beyond the poverty, which for visitors, is very hard to accomplish, but is essential if you live here.
Residents in Pune are disappearing at the rate of 10 a day.
Honda will sell the first hybrid car, at over 21 times the cost of Tata’s 1 lakh car.
Listen to some rare Kishore Kumar music.
Steven Spielberg and Anil Ambani are getting set to join forces.
Is this child the return of Lakshmi or a parasitic twin.
Reliance stock is set to dip, amid another Ambani feud.
An Indian American has been caught selling military electronics to the Indian government and will likely go to jail for 35 years. However, when the US government does it, it’s okay.
Sorting through human waste should never be a job. But if it has to be one, it should pay a lot of money.
After the US suggested that Mumbai officials were opening up the manholes to ease flooding, it became known that people are actually steeling the manholes.
So instead of using the economic thrust of the IT profession to lift the existing cities in India, the idea is to build 43 new cities to meet their needs. Most likely killing the old cities or turning them into permanent slums. Brilliant.
While searching for a bottle of wine, I was encouraged by recent local trends. Prices, however, are discouraging.
- It appears that the monsoon season has started here in Kolkata. It’s like being at the rain forest cafe… #
A look at India’s newest generation, post Independence.
Work will soon begin on the New Kolkata Airport, unlike the recent Hyderabad & Bangalore tries, Kolkata will keep the airport in the same location. Opting more for an expansion/renovation strategy. RMJM provides the design.
Rambo will have a cameo in an upcoming Bollywood flick.
The Times takes on the eruption of foreign architects. Some are big names with quality work, some are hacks who are getting projects here simply because they’re foreign.
Pakistan looked very impressive (especially the IPL players - I’m looking at you, Salman Butt) as they took down a listless Team India.
The Times of India re imagines Sex in the City for Mumbai. I don’t agree with the predicted results, but I think this would be very successful and all that you would have to change is the cultural reactions to the girls antics.
Photo of a traffic light in Delhi.
Not only is America exporting some junk culture for profit, but they are actually exporting toxic junk.
Unable to pay his debt, a man in a Bengal village put his wife up as a mortgage. Classy move.