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Post by Deleted on Sept 22, 2013 12:31:56 GMT
So we head towards Bangalore. As always I will put up the map of our journey, just to refresh ourselves of the route taken:
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Post by Deleted on Sept 22, 2013 12:32:30 GMT
We arrived in Bangalore around mid-afternoon and as we had done a bit of home-work on where to look for a hotel, we decided to walk to the area we had chosen and try our luck. We found the place we were looking for and after a bit of haggling with the manager, managed to secure a family room. The price they had advertised on the internet was quite a bit lower than what they stated it was once we got there. Needless to say we got the price that was advertised. It was a nice clean hotel and newly built, it was to be an interesting stay. A little background information about Bangalore: 'Bangalore, also known as Bengaluru, is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is India's third-largest city with an estimated population of 8,474,970 (2011). In a recent survey, conducted by the global HR consultancy Mercer, Bangalore was voted the most livable city in India, beating Mumbai , Chennai , New Delhi and Kolkata. In terms of cleanliness, Bangalore ranks 12th in India. Once called the "Garden City of India" and the "Pensioner's Paradise", these epithets no longer apply to Bangalore, which is now a large, cosmopolitan city with diminishing green spaces and a large working population. Bangalore is the major center of India's IT industry, popularly known as the Silicon Valley of India.' The area we were in was bustling with activity. A certain prosperity seemed to be in the air, an optimist attitude, like they were really getting ahead and going somewhere. At least more than in some other cities we had been to. It was very different from Kerala and Goa as it was not a tourist trap or destination. This was the real India, no frills and no disguises. A work hard and get ahead atmosphere was in the air. A few random pictures of the area we stayed in, taken while out and about - Tobacco leafs at the local market: Lots of monkeys everywhere in this town. This seemed to be true of many cities that are located in Central and Northern parts of the country. Plenty of discarded fruit and vegetables for them to pick from: The street where our hotel was located: A religious shine: A house across the road from the hotel: Monkeys will try and get into buildings, that is why the windows have cages or wire around them, the one below has not however: Lots of cows on the streets in this city: The reception area at our hotel: And looking out onto the street:
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Post by Deleted on Sept 22, 2013 12:34:04 GMT
(I'm still writing up the rest of the India trip - this will encourage me now to make an effort to finish it off sooner rather than later)
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Post by Deleted on Sept 22, 2013 15:40:06 GMT
Bangalore looks quite nice so far. I love the market scenes as always. When my job was outsourced, part of it went to Bangalore and another part went to Goa.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 22, 2013 23:37:24 GMT
I guess Bangalore would be the city to outsource certain jobs from he West. It has a reputation of being technically advanced. The markets are always fun to stroll through, so many new things to discover
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Post by Deleted on Sept 22, 2013 23:38:21 GMT
Monkeys were everywhere in town. And many of the windows, both in hotels and private houses had metal grates to keep them out. The first time they came up to our window at the hotel we were really surprised. Here are a few pictures of us feeding them some dried fruit and bananas. The baby ones were extremely cute: Women were very active in this city and quite a few drove scooters and motorbikes: Little kids dress up in uniforms and walk to school. Sometimes alone, sometimes in a group and sometimes with adults. It gave the impression that it must be quite a safe place to be: We tried a few places out to eat, and finally settled on a vegetarirn restaurant a couple of streets away. Dosas are eaten for breakfast and for dinner too. They come in different sizes and shapes: (not sure why that photo came out so small). I remember when I was in Bangalore, I wrote in Anyport about the little kittens that we had rescued from the market place. Here are a couple of photos of them. As you can see they were in a sorry state. These photos was taken after we had washed and fed them: Back on the 17th of March, I wrote this in the 'Deyanas India' thread: 'So we are in Bangalore now. This city was meant to be just a stepping stone to the Ellora and Auganta caves in Arangnbad. But as usual nothing ever goes to plan here and we will be staying here for a few more days than we needed. Reason being that I couldn't get the train I wanted until the 19th. I guess I will look back and remember this city as the one where we rescued the two kittens. To cut a long story short, we found two tiny kittens tied up by rope, at a busy market. They were about 4 weeks old, no mamma cat in sight. They were tied to a large log, with no food or water in the intense heat. It was no less then torture for these two precious babies. They had fleas, ear mites, scabs, infected eyes and were skinny as can be. I asked around to see who owned them. A shop woman claimed they were hers, I tired to ask about the mom cat, but she only laughed. My sons are big softies and animal lovers and we all knew we had to do something. In the end she shooed me away and told me to take them with me. What to do? We went back to our hotel, trying to figure out how we could save those kittens, we knew soon they would be dead if we did nothing. We even thought about taking on the trip with us, this could have been near enough impossible, as hotels do not allow animals. We looked on the internet and discovered that there was an animal welfare society right here in Bangalore. We couldn't contact them that day, but decided it was the best shot these kittens had of survival. So that night we found a box, went back to the market, only to find the woman has let them go, I guess she might have hoped they would just run away or something. We heard them meowing, put them in them in the box and sneaked them back into our hotel. We washed them, gave them milk, cleaned their eyes best we could. Actually my son did most of the work and he fed them through the night as well. Their meow was like something I had never heard before. It sounded feral. It was also very loud, I knew we were risking being thrown out of the hotel. Thankfully with a lot of stroking and attention they did settle down for the night. The next day we took them to the animal welfare society. I gave them quite a large donation and looked around to see where our kitties would be housed. It was no 5 star kittie hotel that's for sure. But they were safe, had food, water and we were told they would soon see a vet. I saw some of the most pitiful sights right there But at least they are trying. I asked them to take care of the various things that the kittens needed and I crossed my fingers and hoped for the best.' Once we gave the kittens up, we were not allowed to ask about their welfare or go and see them again. I found this very annoying, what was the point of this rule?'
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Post by questa on Sept 23, 2013 0:44:16 GMT
Deyana, I must congratulate you on all the work you are doing to keep us up with your travels. Not only are your photos bringing it all to life, but the stories of your journey tell me so much about the Indian way of life and your family.
Travel safe!
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Post by Deleted on Sept 23, 2013 11:39:46 GMT
You're welcome, questa. I like to write and wanted to document it while it was all still reasonably fresh in my mind. It might end up in the second book one day
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Post by Deleted on Sept 23, 2013 11:40:47 GMT
On another day we took a long rickshaw ride to Cubbon Park. A little bit if information about the park: 'In the heart of the Bangalore city is a garden laid down by Sir John Meade during 1870. The Cubbon Park has been one of the major contributors to Bangalore’s ‘Garden City’ tag. The creation of Cubbon Park and the construction of Public Offices altered the cityscape of Bangalore radically. Today the park is the favorable picnic spot among the tourists and the locals. Lawns with vibrant flower beds, shady bowers and flowering trees, make this an ideal place for fitness freaks and the elderly to take their morning jogs or evening walks. The Cubbon Park was built in 1870 by the then acting Commissioner of Mysore ‘Sir John Meade.’ The vast landscape was conceived by the then Chief Engineer of the State Major General Richard Sankey. The park was initially named Meade’s Park, in honor of John Meade and later renamed as Cubbon Park after the longest serving commissioner of the time, Sir Mark Cubbon. The park was officially renamed in 1927 as ‘Sri Chamarajendra Park’ to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of Sri Krishnaraja Wodeyar’s rule in Mysore State but the name Cubbon Park has stuck. The park has around 68 varieties and 96 species with about 6000 plants. Both ornamental and flowering trees, exotic and indigenous are found here. Grevillea Robusta (Silver Oak), having the distinction of being the first oaks introduced to Bangalore from Australia is still found in the park. Many official and public buildings are located within and along its periphery. The High Court Buildings, Indira Priyadarshini Children’s Library, City Central Library, Government Museum, Art Gallery, Aquarium, YMCA, Yuvanika – the state youth centre, Century Club, Press Club, Bal Bhavan are located in the park. Many roads run through the park connecting various places. The greenery is a welcome sight for traffic-sore eyes. The park is also famous also famous for the statues of Queen Victoria installed in 1906 and Kind Edward VII statue installed in 1919. There are statues of Mark Cubbon, K Sheshadri Iyer and of Sri Chamarajendra Wodeyar also installed. The Cubbon Park is a famous tourist spot, a hangout and a green blanket to the administrative buildings of Bangalore.' We would spend the day there to explore the area a bit. A rickshaw driver persuaded us to go and see a Palace near by, but when we got there it was closed because it was Monday. Unfortunately it was the same situation regarding the Aquarium. (I really wanted to see this - and it is the second biggest one in India). Here are a few photos we took that day: Statue of Queen Victoria in Cubbon Park: Vishveshwaray Museum is not a 'museum' in its classical sense, because it has interactive exhibits unlike stationary models of a museum. It is more of a "Science Centre". Each floor of this museum is dedicated to a scientific discipline. We went to have a look inside - it was fun trying out the different interactive machines and gadgets and discovering what they do: This dinosaur moved and roared! The last time I saw that was at the Bad lands in Drumheller, Alberta, at the dinosaur museum there: There were many other things at this museum/center, too many to post up photos of. Back on the street outside: The 2nd biggest aquarium in India and it was closed that day Parliament House: Court House:
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Post by Deleted on Sept 24, 2013 6:17:49 GMT
The science museum looks very well set up.
I suppose it is the due to the security concerns of the modern world that those government buildings are not swarming with people? I can imagine dozens of people sitting on the courthouse steps... if they were allowed to.
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Post by anshjain97 on Sept 24, 2013 12:05:15 GMT
I've never seen the State Parliament and High Court in Bangalore actually...interesting to see what they look like. I've heard security is tight but that is expected of such a place, consistent with security measures in hotels and malls for instance. But of course, I'm interested to know if there were other people there.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 24, 2013 12:58:43 GMT
This government architecture seems to be a fusion between Indian style and Victorian style. The basic overall design seems like no-nonsense British, but with open spaces for the air to circulate and of course various decorative frills that set the stage geographically. And that makes me wonder if the inside of these buildings is "all business" or if there are details of Indian design. I know that I would not expect to see a statue of Shiva or of Lord Ganesh in the courthouse building, if only because of the inscription on the front "Government work is god's work." This implies that multiple gods were not on the agenda of the builders.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 24, 2013 13:46:38 GMT
"Government work is Gods work" - now that made me do a double-take. What does that mean exactly? My first thoughts were, this area looks so very British or European, but you would not see that inscribed into the walls of any government building in Britain. Yes, I was still in India! I wasn't sure how to write about this area that we visited. It was walking distance to the other 'attractions' - Cubbon Park, the museum, the aquarium etc. It was very clean, organised of course and the security was extremely high. I'm talking about armed guards, gates, walls... so no, the everyday folk would not be seen sitting on those magnificent steps of the court house. They are eye catching buildings, more so because they are in India. It was not that crowded, there would be no point in anyone other than those that worked there, tourists and maintenance people to be around. Quite a few tourists there, and we just added to them. Someone told me that I could get through security if I tried. Being the ditz that I am I actually believed them. And so I stepped up to the gate, and tried to convince the armed guards that I should be allowed inside the walls to take better photos and oh, could I go inside the buildings too, after all I had come a long way and probably will never pass through here again, so could I just have a little peak. Ha. there was no way. For once my charms didn't work, they were having none of it! On a personal level, I was getting a little tired of 'touristy' areas. After a while one government building starts to look like another one you just saw in another town. One city begins to look like the last one. Jeez... was I becoming jaded? Was I somehow letting the attitude 'been there, done that, ho hum, what else is new' creep into my mind? No, I didn't want to be like this, I still wanted to get excited about seeing what else there was. I realized that I was home-sick. So were my sons. I missed my little boy and my boy-friend back home. I missed not being able to sleep in my own bed and put a pot of coffee on in my own kitchen... all those little things, you know how it is. I didn't want to be organized any more, I didn't want to look up what attractions we should be looking for in the next city, even before we get there. Physically, I wasn't feeling very well either, one tummy bug after another had left me quite drained. Still I was looking forward to seeing the The Ajanta Caves in Aurangabad, and to being back in Delhi, a city that had grown on me. So came to an end our few days in Bangalore.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 24, 2013 13:50:38 GMT
Kerouac, I was more than a bit curious as to what went on inside the walls of those government buildings. Was it like the rest of what we see in India? Slow moving, chaotic and at times making no sense? Or was it organized, efficient and meaningful? I guess unless I can find a way to get inside one day, I will never know.
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Post by anshjain97 on Sept 24, 2013 14:51:11 GMT
Even in India, one can expect courts to be relatively organised. Yes, trial times are very high, but I'm sure things go on. The Parliament, I hear, isn't very organised though.
Many courts have public trials I believe, for example Bombay High Court. Give it a try next time you're here!
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Post by Deleted on Sept 25, 2013 1:33:33 GMT
I will do, ansh. It would be fascinating for me.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 25, 2013 20:34:25 GMT
I hope the courtrooms are air conditioned now with all of those robes and wigs.
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Post by anshjain97 on Sept 26, 2013 16:38:02 GMT
I doubt it. Not been to a court, but other govt buildings I can remember: police station, police commissioner's office, post office and another office of an LPG connection company- no A/C. I went to the first two in the middle of summer but even then it didn't feel that hot. The police commissioner's office had rows of computers but still ddin't feel hot. But maybe we were just too focused on getting our work done.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 27, 2013 21:21:16 GMT
Talking about Air conditioning. What I noticed was that at train stations, the enclosed in area where the employees worked would be nice and cool as the AC was on full blast, but where we stood, on the other side of the glass it was sweaty and hot.
I imagine it must be the same in other government work places? In that they would be equipped with AC?
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Post by Deleted on Sept 28, 2013 2:37:24 GMT
I'm still wondering how much of the journey to tell you about? How much do you want to know? Do you want to hear the nitty gritty every day little things that happened or would that be too boring? Do you want to know my personal opinion on what I saw and did or would you rather I just stick to the describing what's in the photos and what I think might be of interest to you as the reader? I took many more photos than I have posted on these reports. It was not easy deciding what to leave in and what to leave out. Okay I'll carry on, the way I have been doing. I guess this is not your typical way of writing up about a journey or trip but I never been accused of being 'typical' before, so all is fine. The trains. Man, I don't care if I never see another train again! We needed to board a train for yet another long ride to Hyderabad. A place that most tourists never think about visiting. In fact I don't think I saw any Western tourists there at all. Not one single one. We had no choice but to stop there in order to get to Aurangabad (and the Ellora and Ajanta caves). A few weeks back, while I was in Rajasthan, we heard the news that bombs had gone off in Hyderabad, killing some people and causing much damage. Again, terrorists were blamed for this latest attack. As a result the whole city was on full alert. But before I tell you more about Hyderabad, I wanted to show you some of the things that happen and can be seen on trains. Train journeys were always a challenge. I never looked forward to them. I saw some of the most colorful characters on trains, some maybe even a little shocking. Here are a few photos I took: I was told this man was a 'man/woman'. I'm still not sure what that is supposed to mean. To me it looked like he was a man dressed as a woman. Anyhow, he was who he was and he was not alone. Quite a few 'ladyboys' can be found on public transport. I'm sure they made most of the men feel uncomfortable, but somehow they managed to use this 'power' that they had over the average person in order to ask for money. They dressed up, they bugged people and they begged. The strange thing was they would come up to men (in particular) and touch their arms or legs, while they talked, (I couldn't understand what they were saying). I found it bizarre and hoped they never tried that with the wrong person. One time I had to stop a fight, a 'ladyboy' on a train tried to touch one of son's legs and my son was just about ready to punch him in the face. I quickly gave the 'ladyboy' some money and told him to just go! Situations like this could be very stressful. One time, back in Mumbai, I saw a very pretty 'ladyboy' on the subway going from man to man running his fingers through their hair. It was hard to tell this person was a man at all. Fully dressed and made up just like a Bollywood actress. I did wonder why the men allowed him to do this to them? It was really strange to see. This person is selling grapes. Samosa and pakora can be bought from these sellers as well, also coffee and the ever popular tea (chai). A small little paper cup of tea ran for 5 to 10 rupees and a coffee was round 15 rupees. I declined buying the grapes, as I never ate fruit unless washed thoroughly first with bottled water. I was taken aback when others on the train bought grapes and ate them without washing them at all. It made me realize that most Indians have a great deal of immunity to many things. Immunity that has probably taken years to gain. Tea came in metal containers, piping hot, sweet and milky and was poured from a nozzle straight into a small paper cup. Coffee was just hot water in a paper cup and a little sachet of dry coffee dropped in and then stirred. It tasted surprisingly good. I guess everyone has their own reasons for wanting to visit India. Some people are just curious, some are looking for a 'higher meaning' to life. Some just want to get away from all they know and want to experience something completely different to the norm. A lot of people do find what they are looking for. Here is a photo of a British girl that seemed to be contemplating and wondering about life, as she stood at the open doorway of the train. Something, I and many others also did from time to time. Another person - maybe just trying to get some fresh air? Curiously, some beggars would take an old cloth and pretend to sweep the floor as they knelt down and made their way in this fashion through the train: Doors were always left open on trains - anything just to get some breeze: A typical sink placed just outside of the toilets, there was usually running water available: Just passing a train station: People would often run or walk over the tracks. I heard that many do get run over each year doing just this: A view from the window:
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Post by questa on Sept 28, 2013 6:26:18 GMT
Hello again deyana, What to write about??? the big question. I find I like to read about the traveller's experiences of a country.
Not the 'nitty-gritty' of every day unless something happens while you are doing it, e.g. "we bought tickets for the train" versus "while we were buying tickets for the train a fight broke out among some people there who were tired of waiting." Keep your eyes open for things like this.
I like to read the traveller's observations and opinions about the culture, "I noticed how the men would walk ahead carrying nothing while their wives followed carrying the luggage and a baby. I question just how equal the genders really are here."
Don't ignore the things that go wrong. The best stories are the mishaps of the trip. Your quick picture of your son wanting to smash the face of the 'lady-boy' is a jewel. Spin things like this out a bit and don't forget feelings. How did you both feel at the time?
Most of the good travellers' tales use the feelings of the writer and those around to bring a story to life (like you and the kittens.)
It also helps if you can research each place before you get there. That lets you understand and interpret for the reader what meaning that place has to your story.
I visited the site where the British soldiers massacred 100s of people in Amritsar in 19th century. The 5 other people in our group had no idea why it happened, but I remembered the whole story from my 4th grade teacher whose ancestor had been at the scene. Instead of being a bunch of tourists visiting another historical site, we understood and grieved for the people and stupidity of the act.
Enough for now...this is too long but I hope it gives you ideas. Read plenty of GOOD travel books and see how the writers do it.
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Post by questa on Sept 28, 2013 6:39:59 GMT
By the way...if you Google 'Hijras' you will find out about the 'lady-boys'. They are not transvestites but transgendered people who have a long history in India. They dance at weddings and ceremonies and are used as debt collectors, as a group will visit and harass the debtor until the debt is paid. They pick on men to embarrass them into giving money, using sexual advances, even exposing themselves to get a donation. They have their own communities, language and political power.
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Post by anshjain97 on Sept 28, 2013 8:19:21 GMT
Surprised you didn't see any Western tourist in Hyderabad. It does seem to have good sights, that's why I'd like to go there sometime.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 28, 2013 10:46:56 GMT
I am certainly not bored by your stories, deyana. Please keep telling us about what you saw... and more importantly, what you thought.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 29, 2013 0:42:10 GMT
Hello again deyana, What to write about??? the big question. I find I like to read about the traveller's experiences of a country. Not the 'nitty-gritty' of every day unless something happens while you are doing it, e.g. "we bought tickets for the train" versus "while we were buying tickets for the train a fight broke out among some people there who were tired of waiting." Keep your eyes open for things like this. I like to read the traveller's observations and opinions about the culture, "I noticed how the men would walk ahead carrying nothing while their wives followed carrying the luggage and a baby. I question just how equal the genders really are here." Don't ignore the things that go wrong. The best stories are the mishaps of the trip. Your quick picture of your son wanting to smash the face of the 'lady-boy' is a jewel. Spin things like this out a bit and don't forget feelings. How did you both feel at the time? Most of the good travellers' tales use the feelings of the writer and those around to bring a story to life (like you and the kittens.) It also helps if you can research each place before you get there. That lets you understand and interpret for the reader what meaning that place has to your story. I visited the site where the British soldiers massacred 100s of people in Amritsar in 19th century. The 5 other people in our group had no idea why it happened, but I remembered the whole story from my 4th grade teacher whose ancestor had been at the scene. Instead of being a bunch of tourists visiting another historical site, we understood and grieved for the people and stupidity of the act. Enough for now...this is too long but I hope it gives you ideas. Read plenty of GOOD travel books and see how the writers do it. Very good advice indeed, questa. I guess if I ever put this into book form (or actually it will be part of a bigger book), it will be written of on a more personal level and in much more detail. I do understand what you are saying, and I agree. Those little things that we can add to a story, things that seem to have little significance but make it come alive is what makes good reading. Am I right in assuming that you have traveled in India quite extensively? When I went to Amritsar, I knew about some of the history behind the Golden Temple, and the same of the border ceremony. This because my family live near by (and I was born not very far from there), so that being so it was common knowledge among the locals. I do admire that you read up so much about the country before going there and it's so very true, in that the more we know about the background of what, why and how, the more we understand and it just adds to the experience. I think I need to look up some of the better travel books and travel stories in particular. I know there are some great ones around about India written by those that have done the journey.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 29, 2013 0:54:05 GMT
By the way...if you Google 'Hijras' you will find out about the 'lady-boys'. They are not transvestites but transgendered people who have a long history in India. They dance at weddings and ceremonies and are used as debt collectors, as a group will visit and harass the debtor until the debt is paid. They pick on men to embarrass them into giving money, using sexual advances, even exposing themselves to get a donation. They have their own communities, language and political power. That's the word I was looking for - Hijras. Fascinating stuff. Especially when you consider that being gay is actually illegal in India. I believe that is still the case? For a country that makes being gay against the law there is a lot of open display of affection between the same sexes, things like men holding hands, you see it quite often. I'd see this and wonder why? Could it be that men turn to men as no one would suspect a relationship, other than just plain friendship between them? And seeing as it still seems taboo for men and women to be seen together unless married or are related to each other in some way? If this is what we can see in the open, then what goes on behind closed doors? And lets not forget the uneven ratio and the ever widening gap between the numbers of males versus females in India. Will we be seeing more of this kind of behavior? I find it hard to believe that at least some of these men are actually gay. I am wondering if straight men are turning to other men out of a need that they cannot fulfill with a female? I could say more about this situation, but I guess I better stop here.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 29, 2013 1:05:57 GMT
Surprised you didn't see any Western tourist in Hyderabad. It does seem to have good sights, that's why I'd like to go there sometime. ansh, by Western I am meaning white people. I wasn't sure quite how to put it. I didn't come across any white people in Hyderabad. There may very well have been some, but it being such a highly populated and chaotic place, it was not always easy to observe exactly what was going on around us at all times. Hyderabad is a huge city and confusion runs riot. There are many many people there. In some ways it reminded me of Delhi, but the difference being that Delhi has areas that are stable and organized, I didn't find that in Hyderabad. Of course we didn't see every corner of the city, we were only there for two days, not enough time to see much, but these are the impressions it left me with.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 29, 2013 1:11:37 GMT
I am certainly not bored by your stories, deyana. Please keep telling us about what you saw... and more importantly, what you thought. Will do, Kerouac I appreciate the okay and go ahead on putting my thoughts down on here about what I saw. Sometimes it's hard to know what to put down and what not to. India is an extreme country and it's not all pretty and not all roses. I have no problem with talking about the reality there, and I think Anyporters would like to know how it really was as opposed to just seeing photos of building and places of interest.
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Post by htmb on Sept 29, 2013 2:01:28 GMT
Deyana, I have enjoyed reading your descriptions of the trip and have certainly learned much more about India. I am happy those of you who either live there such as Ansh, or who have traveled to India have chosen to post here.
I like to hear how someone has experienced a place as told in their own voice. I find personal observations and little side stories with details usually make for a more interesting read. I also believe someone whose writing style appeals to me can hold my attention no matter what the topic.
While I think it helps to do good research before a visit, I know that for me personally the information just doesn't completely sink in until after I've had the experience of being in that place, walking the streets or pathways, and seeing it with my own eyes. My standard mode of operation is to read up a bit before an adventure, and then follow-up with much more learning afterwards. I don't think there's any one right way to do it, but rather finding what works best for you. My brain just does not relate well to the pre-information if I don't have much point of reference with which to compare. And one of the nice things about posting on a forum is the opportunity for others to add to the thread based on their own expertise.
And I must say the pictures help enhance the descriptive writing. You could have told me over and over again about conditions on trains and buses, but your photos worked wonders in helping to gain a clearer picture.
Going back to my point about voice, the other day I asked a colleague to write a one page letter for a project. I thought his letter was good. It had heart and it was passionate, something important for that particular job. However, he passed the letter on to another colleague who is also a very good writer, but once that colleague had made what he thought were good changes the letter felt a bit lifeless. I didn't hear the voice that came through in the original version and, for me, it just didn't work.
So, Deyana, I would encourage you to be true to yourself in your writing and to write in the style that both pleases and feels most comfortable for you. Pick and choose from our suggestions if you wish, but in the end it's your story you are telling, along with your voice.
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Post by anshjain97 on Sept 29, 2013 2:46:39 GMT
Homosexuality was illegal until 2009. Then the Supreme Court struck off that clause in the constitution, so I guess it is legal now.
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