I dont know how many of you have read the news that former President of India, Abul Kalam was frisked at Delhi airport waiting to board a Continental flight to New York. I did, followed with interest the various blogs, news items about uproar in the assembly, insinuations that Hillary Clinton should be subject to a similar tit for tat (no puns here :)), reactions if a similar incident had happened in China blah blah blah.
A few points immediately come to mind - Indian's recent preoccupation with China, a new found sense of assertive outrage (I havent seen too much of this earlier) and the sheer number folks writing in the comments column expressing their displeasure in no uncertain terms.
The Chinese connection is the easiest to understand - I think the rise of the internet and thus freely available information has made Indians realise just how far behind we are to the Chinese in terms of Global influence and development - I think this feeling of jealousy is good - good for us to wish and work towards a better standard of living, development and better support for folks like us living elsewhere but still carrying the Indian passport with demonstrated pride.
However, the other side of the coin - the spirit of Indian freedom allows folks like me and everyone else to express themselves without any fear - I wonder if ordinary Chinese would have the same freedom of expression. I dont know but what I read in the papers suggests - perhaps not. Lets ensure India retains that precious and irreplaceable freedom of expression.
Now back to the news item - I actually have 2 questions here - One - would we all perceive the same sense of outrage if say a Laloo Yadav was frisked? I say perhaps not :). Two, would Continental ever get my business again? That's easy - NO. Not because of anything else - but simply for the sheer sense bullheadedness of their staff - I think doing something like this in an emotionally charged country like India was downright stupid - wonder what the person who controlled the World's fifth largest Nuclear Button could have carried in his shoe is beyond my comprehension.
I cant trust the airline which couldnt figure that one out with my life now, can I?
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Sunday, July 12, 2009
A Whale of a time...
June & July are the months of the annual whale migration from the cold Antarctic where they eat to the warm tropics where they breed. Sydney is on their journey and thus we are privileged to witness one of Nature's greatest sights - whales swimming past us, with their jets of water released from their version of a blowhole. Interesting - these huge creatures - some of them weighing well over 40 Tons dont eat for months on end - the females eat only after they have given birth.
Yesterday, we took one of the numerous whale watching cruises from Darling Harbor to see the magnificent spectacle. The ship went down the Parramatta river under the Harbour Bridge and past the iconic Opera House in glorious sunshine, with strong cold winds blowing past us. The Heads - the Heads is the name given to the area where the river meets the Pacific - were rough and for us sitting right at the foredeck , it felt more like a ride on one of the rollercosters at Luna park (a few miles to our left) than the ocean. The sea remained rough all throughout the ride and it was about an hour from the Heads that we first came to the Whale migration spectacle.
It all began innocuously enough, the volunteer sitting next to me pointed to something that looked suspiciously like a larger surf on the ocean surface about 600 meters away - it took us a few more minutes to realise that we were indeed in sight of the largest creature the world has ever seen. Closer up, at about 150 meters away, the blowhole was jetting water up at least 10 meters - often the sheer amount of space on the ocean dulls the sense of time, distance and size - however there was no mistaking the sight of the creature that came up a couple of seconds after we saw the water jetting up the blowhole. It must have been at least 50 feet long, dark grey in color with spots underneath its jaws and black fins spearing through the rough sea. The mind was numbed for a moment with the spectacle before the scramble began to get the cameras and the recorders out and in action. Thrilling stuff.
After about an hour of witnessing these marvelous creatures and after the volunteer mentioned that he can spend all his life watching them (& I agree with him), we began the journey back to Sydney. We went into the cockpit for some coffee and I saw a very pertinent sign there - 'We love Japanese but hate whale killing'. As my wife and I sat drinking coffee in companionable silence, we both spoke almost simultaneously - how can someone have the heart to kill them? They are so beautiful...
Hard to imagine - if you dont believe me, please take a look and let me know if there are grander sights on earth.
Yesterday, we took one of the numerous whale watching cruises from Darling Harbor to see the magnificent spectacle. The ship went down the Parramatta river under the Harbour Bridge and past the iconic Opera House in glorious sunshine, with strong cold winds blowing past us. The Heads - the Heads is the name given to the area where the river meets the Pacific - were rough and for us sitting right at the foredeck , it felt more like a ride on one of the rollercosters at Luna park (a few miles to our left) than the ocean. The sea remained rough all throughout the ride and it was about an hour from the Heads that we first came to the Whale migration spectacle.
It all began innocuously enough, the volunteer sitting next to me pointed to something that looked suspiciously like a larger surf on the ocean surface about 600 meters away - it took us a few more minutes to realise that we were indeed in sight of the largest creature the world has ever seen. Closer up, at about 150 meters away, the blowhole was jetting water up at least 10 meters - often the sheer amount of space on the ocean dulls the sense of time, distance and size - however there was no mistaking the sight of the creature that came up a couple of seconds after we saw the water jetting up the blowhole. It must have been at least 50 feet long, dark grey in color with spots underneath its jaws and black fins spearing through the rough sea. The mind was numbed for a moment with the spectacle before the scramble began to get the cameras and the recorders out and in action. Thrilling stuff.
After about an hour of witnessing these marvelous creatures and after the volunteer mentioned that he can spend all his life watching them (& I agree with him), we began the journey back to Sydney. We went into the cockpit for some coffee and I saw a very pertinent sign there - 'We love Japanese but hate whale killing'. As my wife and I sat drinking coffee in companionable silence, we both spoke almost simultaneously - how can someone have the heart to kill them? They are so beautiful...
Hard to imagine - if you dont believe me, please take a look and let me know if there are grander sights on earth.
Thursday, July 09, 2009
Dada makes news again...
http://www.itimes.com/public_main_community.php?gid=16998&ref=toi_sg
I dont know how many of you have read the news - Sourav Ganguly the enfant terrible of Indian cricket is threatening to get into active administration. Saurav was always someone who fascinated me - brash, outspoken, giften (both with the bat and with a golden arm), mercurial and with a mind of his own - almost everything one doesnt credit a Bengali with. From a player accused of being too lazy to carry his own baggage in his first tour, he emerged - first as a supremely giften No 3 bat in England where Indian hearts immediately realised was the emergence of the next great batting line up (Dravid made his debut the same match with a skillful 90 odd) and then as a Captain - with startling clarity of thought, ruthless in his execution, skillful in team management and lucid in his commentary. A new chapter in Indian cricket history was waiting to be written - & what a chapter it was.
Saurav's new innings seems very interesting - we have an obviously intelligent man, highly experienced and someone who always got the best out of his team - entering cricket administration. I hope his innings at the administrative helm becomes as successful as the one as a player.
He has the best credentials anyway...
I dont know how many of you have read the news - Sourav Ganguly the enfant terrible of Indian cricket is threatening to get into active administration. Saurav was always someone who fascinated me - brash, outspoken, giften (both with the bat and with a golden arm), mercurial and with a mind of his own - almost everything one doesnt credit a Bengali with. From a player accused of being too lazy to carry his own baggage in his first tour, he emerged - first as a supremely giften No 3 bat in England where Indian hearts immediately realised was the emergence of the next great batting line up (Dravid made his debut the same match with a skillful 90 odd) and then as a Captain - with startling clarity of thought, ruthless in his execution, skillful in team management and lucid in his commentary. A new chapter in Indian cricket history was waiting to be written - & what a chapter it was.
Saurav's new innings seems very interesting - we have an obviously intelligent man, highly experienced and someone who always got the best out of his team - entering cricket administration. I hope his innings at the administrative helm becomes as successful as the one as a player.
He has the best credentials anyway...
Monday, July 06, 2009
There are News and there are NEWS again
I dont know how many read this remarkable news - http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-world/south-korean-president-donates-millions-20090706-da9v.html
Great news as these are normally sent to the back pages - almost as if good news are irrelevant to the Press folks who want to remain almost totally in the grips of the sleaze and squalid. Human nature is one which is naturally benevolent, visionary and farsighted - the environment, pressure, competition and circumstances dulls the edges and makes it more malevolent than it actually is. I think the Press has an essential role to play in popularizing the good side of us - decreasing its almost obsessive interest in crime, politics and sensationalism. If you look at the front pages of any newspaper, the headline news are almost always sensational and negative...why cant we have such a news as the headline? Why cant the newspapers be filled with positive news and banish the negative ones to the back pages? I wonder - but then I am not a newspaper man...
Perhaps, we can revert back to the tradition of India's national newspaper - The Hindu which was the only newspaper not to carry news of Gandhiji's assassination on its front pages - because it then used to solely publish advertisements on its front page
Interesting, indeed.
Great news as these are normally sent to the back pages - almost as if good news are irrelevant to the Press folks who want to remain almost totally in the grips of the sleaze and squalid. Human nature is one which is naturally benevolent, visionary and farsighted - the environment, pressure, competition and circumstances dulls the edges and makes it more malevolent than it actually is. I think the Press has an essential role to play in popularizing the good side of us - decreasing its almost obsessive interest in crime, politics and sensationalism. If you look at the front pages of any newspaper, the headline news are almost always sensational and negative...why cant we have such a news as the headline? Why cant the newspapers be filled with positive news and banish the negative ones to the back pages? I wonder - but then I am not a newspaper man...
Perhaps, we can revert back to the tradition of India's national newspaper - The Hindu which was the only newspaper not to carry news of Gandhiji's assassination on its front pages - because it then used to solely publish advertisements on its front page
Interesting, indeed.
Tennis and Tantrums
The last few days has been a study in contrast for me - waiting is never a good time if you are like me - impatient, full of beans...the one good point of waiting was the opportunity afforded to work less and watch TV more. Thus Wimbledon '09 and some of the finest matches ever played happened for the right time for me and I was priveleged to watch some of the matches. A few of them stood out - I like the way Federer took apart the giant Croat Ivo Karlovic, the semi finals with Haas was one played in the best possible sporting spirit (are the Aussies and the Poms watching and listening in the Ashes build-up?), the finals was one of the best I have ever seen.
I must admit I have never stepped into a Tennis Court (a Lawn Tennis Court - I do play a bit of Table tennis - better than a bit I daresay) and thus am blissfully unaware of the technical aspects of the game, the speed, skill and ball-sense that is needed to be a Tennis player. However, I have been fairly consistent in watching Tennis - especially the ones beamed live from the hallowed grounds at Wimbledon all the way to an India just waking up to the possibility of live matches available of Indian Television. My mind goes back to the matches on '84 which is probably my first recollection of watching tennis and I was instantly smitten by the brash, bold and bountifully talented McEnroe - his exhibition of tennis and tantrums as an art in 1984 I think has never been bettered and add his marvellously emotive & expressive face, you have all the makings of an anti-hero. I do recollect the boom boom wunderkid Becker in '85 and his titanic struggles with Andres Jarryd and Kevic Curran - dont recollect too much of the matches for the next few years...till 1989 when I recollect the match between Edberg and Becker then in the midst of their great grass-court rivalry.
Anyway enough of digressing - lets get back to the matches on display over the weekend - both the finals were great spectator marvels - the ladies final was remarkable for the power, accuracy and poise of Serena who was quite clearly the better of the two sisters and the mens' finals was remarkable as a slugfest between two of the three most talented players on the planet. The interesting fact was that Federer outdid Roddick in the aces columns - something few of us could comprehend - just goes to demonstrate the accuracy and precision of the Swiss maestro that makes up for the obvious lack of brute power. While the groundstrokes were a treat to watch and the serving par excellence - what I missed most was the loss of volleying as a key attacking component of an all round game. One misses the accuracy of an Edberg, the athleticism of a Becker and an inventiveness of an McEnroe at the net - games now a days lack that bit of spectacle when the volley is little used.
Well, I cant quibble after being priveleged to watch one of the longest and best matches played on Center Court at Wimbledon now, can I?
I must admit I have never stepped into a Tennis Court (a Lawn Tennis Court - I do play a bit of Table tennis - better than a bit I daresay) and thus am blissfully unaware of the technical aspects of the game, the speed, skill and ball-sense that is needed to be a Tennis player. However, I have been fairly consistent in watching Tennis - especially the ones beamed live from the hallowed grounds at Wimbledon all the way to an India just waking up to the possibility of live matches available of Indian Television. My mind goes back to the matches on '84 which is probably my first recollection of watching tennis and I was instantly smitten by the brash, bold and bountifully talented McEnroe - his exhibition of tennis and tantrums as an art in 1984 I think has never been bettered and add his marvellously emotive & expressive face, you have all the makings of an anti-hero. I do recollect the boom boom wunderkid Becker in '85 and his titanic struggles with Andres Jarryd and Kevic Curran - dont recollect too much of the matches for the next few years...till 1989 when I recollect the match between Edberg and Becker then in the midst of their great grass-court rivalry.
Anyway enough of digressing - lets get back to the matches on display over the weekend - both the finals were great spectator marvels - the ladies final was remarkable for the power, accuracy and poise of Serena who was quite clearly the better of the two sisters and the mens' finals was remarkable as a slugfest between two of the three most talented players on the planet. The interesting fact was that Federer outdid Roddick in the aces columns - something few of us could comprehend - just goes to demonstrate the accuracy and precision of the Swiss maestro that makes up for the obvious lack of brute power. While the groundstrokes were a treat to watch and the serving par excellence - what I missed most was the loss of volleying as a key attacking component of an all round game. One misses the accuracy of an Edberg, the athleticism of a Becker and an inventiveness of an McEnroe at the net - games now a days lack that bit of spectacle when the volley is little used.
Well, I cant quibble after being priveleged to watch one of the longest and best matches played on Center Court at Wimbledon now, can I?
Thursday, July 02, 2009
Letting Sleeping Dogs lie...
Indian politicians suffer from one incurable disease - not being able to let sleeping dogs lie.
Look at the Lieberhan commission and its reporting - it took the commission millions of dollars and 17 years to table a report which was clear as daylight the minute one sees the Television footage - what took them 17 years to come to a conclusion which is not going to make a difference to our country one way or other? How is the report going to benefit the country? What is the positive side of this report - I can think of quite a few negative ones though & we are already seeing a few being played out? When will we grow up - in intelligence, stature, vision, patriotism as opposed to jingoism - to focus on areas that we really need to improve and create a difference? The more I think about India, I feel more sad - sheer waste of some of the finest talents the world has ever seen. At the same time, when the same group of politicians put their mind into something, they can make a difference - look at Modi in Gujarat and Nitish in Bihar - two ends of the development spectrum - one starting and building from a positive base and the other starting from somewhere close to the rock bottom in the development landscape. What they have achieved goes beyond GDP and numbers - they have inculcated pride in their states and the people living in them - no longer will Bihari be a metaphor for the under-developed parts of India and hopefully no longer will Gujarat immediately invoke Godhra war cries from each of the religious camps
Can we have more enlightened, educated, enterprising politicians please with the necessary expertise to WANT to make a positive difference? This is where India has been singularly unlucky - we really never had a group of folks at the top wanting to make a positive difference or not getting the necessary freedom of thought and action for doing so.
Hope we have a day soon when 80+% politicans are in the job because they want to see a better India - not just a better themselves & their narrow communities. Till such time, I can only consider the progress we make as being made despite the system & not because of the availability of an enabling environment.
Look at the Lieberhan commission and its reporting - it took the commission millions of dollars and 17 years to table a report which was clear as daylight the minute one sees the Television footage - what took them 17 years to come to a conclusion which is not going to make a difference to our country one way or other? How is the report going to benefit the country? What is the positive side of this report - I can think of quite a few negative ones though & we are already seeing a few being played out? When will we grow up - in intelligence, stature, vision, patriotism as opposed to jingoism - to focus on areas that we really need to improve and create a difference? The more I think about India, I feel more sad - sheer waste of some of the finest talents the world has ever seen. At the same time, when the same group of politicians put their mind into something, they can make a difference - look at Modi in Gujarat and Nitish in Bihar - two ends of the development spectrum - one starting and building from a positive base and the other starting from somewhere close to the rock bottom in the development landscape. What they have achieved goes beyond GDP and numbers - they have inculcated pride in their states and the people living in them - no longer will Bihari be a metaphor for the under-developed parts of India and hopefully no longer will Gujarat immediately invoke Godhra war cries from each of the religious camps
Can we have more enlightened, educated, enterprising politicians please with the necessary expertise to WANT to make a positive difference? This is where India has been singularly unlucky - we really never had a group of folks at the top wanting to make a positive difference or not getting the necessary freedom of thought and action for doing so.
Hope we have a day soon when 80+% politicans are in the job because they want to see a better India - not just a better themselves & their narrow communities. Till such time, I can only consider the progress we make as being made despite the system & not because of the availability of an enabling environment.
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
Indian Airports...
I commenced writing this on a notepad waiting interminably in the waiting hall in Calcutta airport for a flight back to Sydney via Bangkok and it stuck me - I was probably in the most ancient looking airport I have been for a very long time.
I travel often to India - a lot less often than when GFC was an unknown 3 letter word - and occasionally travel through Calcutta where my parents live. I rarely have time to kill at the airport but this time I checked in earlier than usual - blame the unusually less traffic - but it stuck me suddenly - Where did Calcutta get left behind in the rush to modernity? As I began typing this on a notepad (as evidently the wifi wasnt working - does it ever work??? Can someone comment on this?), I realised - not just Calcutta but all the Indian airports have been left behind, way way behind. Forget the snazzy new terminal at Changi or the gigantic terminals (& half empty most of the time) at KL, even smaller airports across APAC look great, have good service, good lounges, working wifi and decent shopping and food. In Calcutta, all we had for food was a coffee shop and a cold drink vendor who didnt even stock Thums Up which my daughter and I both adore. Nothing to eat. It was a sad state to see the city which was called Paris of the east fade away so suddenly and absolutely - and one cant even blame a war or natural disaster on this.
Makes one feel very sad indeed. Where does all the tax money that folks like me pay (despite living and working in Sydney) go? The government claims to make progress - where??? Someone will claim that we need to spend on poverty alleviation - but there can be no development until the base infrastructure is in place - that has to commence with world class airports and services at the primary entry points.
Is someone listening?
I travel often to India - a lot less often than when GFC was an unknown 3 letter word - and occasionally travel through Calcutta where my parents live. I rarely have time to kill at the airport but this time I checked in earlier than usual - blame the unusually less traffic - but it stuck me suddenly - Where did Calcutta get left behind in the rush to modernity? As I began typing this on a notepad (as evidently the wifi wasnt working - does it ever work??? Can someone comment on this?), I realised - not just Calcutta but all the Indian airports have been left behind, way way behind. Forget the snazzy new terminal at Changi or the gigantic terminals (& half empty most of the time) at KL, even smaller airports across APAC look great, have good service, good lounges, working wifi and decent shopping and food. In Calcutta, all we had for food was a coffee shop and a cold drink vendor who didnt even stock Thums Up which my daughter and I both adore. Nothing to eat. It was a sad state to see the city which was called Paris of the east fade away so suddenly and absolutely - and one cant even blame a war or natural disaster on this.
Makes one feel very sad indeed. Where does all the tax money that folks like me pay (despite living and working in Sydney) go? The government claims to make progress - where??? Someone will claim that we need to spend on poverty alleviation - but there can be no development until the base infrastructure is in place - that has to commence with world class airports and services at the primary entry points.
Is someone listening?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)