Dear Blog,
Getting adjusted and settling in has been hectic and exciting, but finally I feel at peace with the chaos that surrounds me. It fails to surprise me anymore, here is a perfect example: so taking an auto to work today and yes of course we got lost as we usually do, as was mentioned in my previous blog, that even the locals are not very aware of their surroundings so yes we circled around for a bit until we found the UNI building, where the organization is located. However while we were “lost” we also managed to get stuck in a mini traffic jam, most of the time the traffic here is hectic but what also adds to the lunacy is the random cow walking ahead or an ox pulling a car, no biggie just down town city traffic! But before I jump too ahead of myself let me tell you how my first day at the internship went, the sole reason of me being in India this summer.
But beforehand, I want to deduce the events of the second portion of the weekend, which was stressful and very enjoyable at the same time. So first of all, Sunday was a very eventful day, Stephanie’s land lord was kind enough to make us a delicious lunch that she served in her beautiful flat with gorgeous marble floors. After lunch she invited us to tour another part of this mega city. Her private driver drove us around until we reached a shopping centre that was quite intense with many amazing stores where we indulged in some shopping. Yes, a lot of middle class folks have private drivers, cooks, domestic helpers and such, it is the norm over here, so it seems. I do however understand the need for a driver, because if I lived here permanently I would probably invest into one myself and not because I am lazy and occasionally like to indulge in an alcoholic beverage, but the traffic here is enough of a reason. In fact I don’t think I would be able to drive here unless I had a couple of drinks in me to give me courage and that would not be a good idea, so I shall aspire for a private driver instead.
The very productive shopping trip was then followed by a concert of the famous film composer A.R. Rahman, who also scored well known films such as Slumdog Millionaire and 127 Hours and lots of amazing films in India, so not only is he referred to as the Mozart of Madras but he is also quite well known all around the world, all stemming from his “Jai Ho” fame which he obviously preformed at the concert, unfortunately the only song I knew, but my obsession with World Music made me appreciate the intricate sounds and traditional instruments used in his compositions . But not only is he an amazing artist and composer selling about 300 million records worldwide but he is also a well versed humanitarian partaking in various charities and political campaigns. Here is a link, if you would like to learn more about this amazing artist that I highly recommend you should have on your playlist if you do not have him already: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A._R._Rahman, because I have been jamming to “jai ho” for quite some time.
So the show was amazing! It exhibited great orchestra’s, singing, traditional dancing, costumes and lights, followed by a wide range of fire effects and of course fireworks (hey why not), that was quite unexpected and wonderful, took you by surprise. The concert also ended on a quite radical political note, which urged people to combat corruption, people clapped tremendously in response expressing their wide-ranging support for the initiative, which was great to see. It was a great moment, a fight that is 10 years in the making remains well maintained in the societal dialogue, which also connects to Janaagraha’s work in I Paid a Bribe campaign, an initiative that facilitates discussions between citizens in regards to corrupt political officials. Here is a link, a very interesting read for those interested: http://www.ipaidabribe.com/. This web site allows for citizens of India to unanimously post their experience of bribe’s or instances where they forced into corrupt behaviours, such as paying off public officials, bureaucrats, policemen and such. So it is very important that this conversation continues and further eradicates the net benefits of corrupt behaviours.
Moving along with the blog takes me over to an early sluggish Monday morning, the first day of the internship at Janaagraha Centre for Democracy and Citizenship : (and here is another link so you can get a better idea of the wonderful work this organization carries out across India and in Bangalore’s communities) http://www.janaagraha.org/.
It is a non for profit organization that administers research of infrastructural developments and oversees how they improve the overall conditions of citizen’s lives and their ability to enact democratic behaviours by holding their institutions accountable. But before I go into further detail by describing the possible work I will be conducting this summer, let me again go into tedious details of the “getting there and getting lost” a theme that will probably become quite popular throughout my stay here, but I am improving slowly but surely. So again, woke up at about 5 am to get ready and leave at about 7 in order to make it to work for 8. So I took an auto going to Vasanth Nagar (which is the main area of location where the organization is close to) but of course the driver takes you somewhere else, that was to be expected, so no surprise there. Then I told him “alliance Francaise” which is a French institute that is located right across Janaagraha, that landmark took a while to locate and we had to ask random people on the streets on how to get there, I know it’s odd when the auto guys don’t really know themselves where they are going, feels unusual, but not here! At the same time, the locals have trouble understanding our Canadian dialect and I feel the same way when they try to give me some sort of a number figure, I usually go “pardon moi…huh?”. They say their numbers way to fast if not slur them together.
So yes after circling around we finally find the place that is Alliance Francoise (the landmark), but me being great with directions, that is stated in the most sarcastic of tones, meaning I manage to get ridiculously even when the navigational tools are right in front of me, so of course I get lost while on my quest of looking for the building, which was in front of me all along (ha ha). I went around the block, asking security guards, gardening staff, everyone for directions to the UNI building with all of them giving me the same response of “ I don’t know” or “around the corner”. I started getting flustered and was faced with a major challenge of crossing the road to get to a pay phone, the road was fairly complex and busy as it consisted of two merging bustling roads with no sight of a traffic light in sight or a slow down, so I really had no choice. Just imagine the chaos, no sidewalks or traffic lights, the simple things we take for granted in Canada! So next time you complain about things in Toronto, about anything concerning urban infrastructure, think of what your friend Anna is going through, chasing gaps in traffic jams so she can cross in one peace!!! Back to the story, so I braced myself for the suicide mission of crossing! At times it will literally take you about 20 minutes to cross, you will stand and stare, daring yourself to move and hopefully you may spot a gap, a small break in the traffic but if not, you just walk through it hoping that someone will stop or slow down before they quite possibly hit you (ha ha). But in the last couple of days I either got a. Braver b. More experienced at crossing through deadly intersections c. Or just stupid enough to do anything just because that is the only way to survive and get anywhere in this city. So I developed my own method, here it is: so I only cross in front of big buses and not the speeding auto’s and motorcycles. Why? Well because, having one vehicle stop for you seems a bit more logical then ten of them, plus I think being hit by a big bus is way cooler than an auto, so I take my chances and hope for the best. So I have and will be implementing this method to my best ability in the coming days.
So I finally found the building and was reunited with Stephanie. We got acquainted with the organization and our department, which is India Space and Urban Planning: (and the link is : http://www.janaagraha.org/node/56 )
This segment of the organization overlooks infrastructural developments of major cities such as Bangalore, Hyderabad and Jaipur, tackling issues from waste collection services to land licensing of urban centres, with emphasis on major urban centres as once listed, with growing populations exerting 9 million with unprecedented population density. After a couple of days on the job, I am still getting familiar with the sort of research I will be encouraged to pursue, by looking through various city development plans, reports and legislations. It is a lot of information to take in, but hopefully with time that will also become more processed and internalized in my little brain. However, my current project involves looking at census data and observing socio economic patterns that have emerged in India in recent decades as of result of the national GDP growth (comparing city developments and growth). This sort of analysis has been quite prevalent in my personal conceptualization of GDP growth in the Western hemisphere so I am of course really delighted to be engaging in a similar type of analysis here, which will allude to a greater comparative understanding to come.
The people at the organization are amazing and supportive, so I already can sense this will be an amazing work environment in which I will finally utilize my academic skills and personal passions. Stephanie and I already got our finger scan approved so now we can walk into the facility just by scanning our finger into the system, its very James Bond. I feel like a secret agent walking into the facility, scan and go! Another perk of being an intern at this organization is the tea that is served twice daily, this nice young men comes around and gives it to everyone. The “Taj Mahal” tea brewed with milk and sugar definitely sweetens my day in more ways than one. I savour every sip as I scan through reports and statistics. At the end of the day, it is the small things in life that make it truly worthwhile. So a cup of tea and a chit chat seems enough to get me pumped for the day.
The area that surrounds the organization is filled with restaurants and shops, so lunch breaks should be delightful and fun. We get some lunchin’ on at this lovely sandwich place, which has some of the nicest people working there. They open the door for you, carry your tray, attend to your every need, at times I feel very uncomfortable with all the thoughtful attention that they give off, but it is very sweet and provides for a pleasant experience. Some of you back in Canada (and you know who you are) that are very critical of restaurant service would find that the service industry here is quite comprehensive and thoughtful, especially in restaurants. They always seem to go “above and beyond” and treat you like royalty, so we tip well in turn.
I shall keep this blog shorter than the rest, because I can just imagine how tedious they will become to get through. But in sum, India is beginning to grow on me…its contradictions, colors, people, sights and sounds will soon become the norm in my daily routine!
Cannot wait!!!
On that note,
Au revoir mon amie!
-Anna
annasadventuresinbangalore 