Sunday, May 3, 2009

Mujhe Hindustan akar bahut accha lagaa

Just back in Singapore from a short 12 day skip over to India for work. Hit my normal haunt of Hyderabad, and stopped by Gurgaon on the way back to Singapore. I always forget how tiring it is just to exist in India - I haven't slept this well since I was there before. 

India never ceases to amaze me with its ability to change and stay the same at the same time. Tent encampments, people everywhere, water buffalo herds, brightly colored sarees, piles of rubble and garbage, and dusty, smokey air continue to define the scene in Hyderabad and Delhi, while development brings big changes to what is considered "normal" to have. One thing that always stays the same is that my friends are my favorite thing about India. 

It took me 20 minutes from the time I got off the plane in Hyderabad to the time I got in my car- a far cry from the hour wait at customs followed by the hour wait for baggage in the dirty old airport in Begumpet. There is a Spar now, the first real grocery store, and suddenly you can get a huge range of imported products that were never possible to get in Hyderabad before. Barista is now frequented more by Indians than ex-pats, and the growing middle class is flexing their spending power all over town. The development in Hyderabad over the last 2 years since I got there has been very apparent, with many changes for the better. Now the question is, how can the 318 million people without clean water benefit from these positive changes. Big question.

Alas, with an early morning flight back to Singapore, I am not equipped at the moment to contemplate much more, so I will instead lie and watch a thunder storm roll in.

A woman sweeps when dust is all around her from the hot winds in Delhi

Maryam! I remember when she was a "twinkle in the eye" :) Now she is walking! And not enjoying the curry too much- she sticks to roti

Me & Rupa

Choreographing a "Firang" Bollywood dance as a surprise for the team at their dinner. We were so good at being secret that we didn't even get a video of it!

Let the mango season begin!