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Published: July 14th 2006
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"Blood Donors Galore" - That was one of the headlines in the New India Express the day after the Mumbai bombings.
I was watching the news pretty much incessantly when it broke. I noticed how different the reporting of this atrocity was from the reporting of 7/7 just over a year ago.
At first it was fairly similar - confused reports about blasts, uncertaintly of the timings, steadily escalating death tolls and avoidance of blame. However whilst in London this swiftly changed to finding a culprit (and then shooting the suspect), here the press reports lingered on the gruesomeness of the attack - dismembered bodies, picking up body parts, lost relatives and one little boy who lies unclaimed in hospital.
Still over 24 hours later there was no consensus on who may be responsible other than 'terrorists' and Manmohan Singh had not made an official statement for the grieving families (though the New India Express reported that Tony Blair had). The first thing that was being covered was the recompensation fee to go the bereaved families and the fact that all funeral costs will be waived. This is Indian practicalities coming to the fore - many of those who
died were the sole breadwinners for their large families.
I'm heading to Mumbai tomorrow myself, and then out to Tanzania on Monday, so my time here in India is coming to an end
In amongst Tuesday's horror, there is still the lighter side of life and this as ever involves talking to the people here. I have met a variety of people and have answered many many many questions. Here are just some of the encountes over the last 2 and a half months:
Me at hotel reception: Are you the Manager?
Proud looking man at hotel Reception: No Madam, I'm the guestologist
Kalari wide boy: I like cowboys. They ride horses. I am going to learn to ride. Are there cowboys in England?
Man in hotel who was was stood outside my door everytime I opened it: Your name Golden Ring. When you go your beautiful country?
Me: November
Man: Ah, you visit our beautiful Kerala til then!
Me: No
Man: Why not?
Me: Because I have work to do
Man: In your country?
Me: No. In Tanzania
Man: Tanzania? That is in Africa?
Me: Yes
Man: Why you go Africa? They have no food
there.
Stall seller: Your good name?
Me: Susie
seller : Suji! An Indian name.
Two lies I have told. Guess which one I am ashamed of...
Boy in internet cafe: Are you married?
Me: yes
Boy: Do you like Coldplay?
Me: yes.
Man on train: How old are you? I know!! I know! . You're forty.
Me: yes
Kalari wide boy: Are you married?
Me: no
wide boy: Ah. You batchelor. Just like me!
Me on phone to room service: Hello, is that roomservice? May I have a horlicks please?
waiter: tea?
Me: No. Horlicks
waiter: tea?
Me : Horrrlicks
Waiter: tea?
Me: No. It's on the menu. Next to Bournvita and hot chocolate. Horlicks. The drink.
Waiter: water?
Me: No. Nevermind. It doesn't matter.
Waiter: Ah, Horlicks!
Man on train: Are you married?
Me: yes
Me at a bus station chai shop : Tea please
Chai wallah: Pepsi?
Me: No. Tea. Chai. Chai.
Chai wallah: Pepsi.
Me: No. [Pointing at huge steaming
pot of tea]. Chai. Tea.
Chai wallah: Pepsi.
Me: No. Tea.
Chai walla ?:Ah, tea (with a 'why didn't you say so?' look on his face)
Kalarippayat student: Are you married?
me: no
student: why not?
Me at stall: Water please.
Seller: Pepsi?
Me: No. Water.
Seller: We no have (he has bottles and bottle of water lined up behind him)
Me . Yes you do. Water.
Seller. Pepsi?
Me: No. Water.
Seller. No.
Me: Nevermind.
Seller. Ah! Mineral water (with a 'why didn't you say so?' look on his face)
Woman in hotel: are you married?
Me: yes
On signing in to the Air Tel office when my sim card wasn't working, under 'Purpose of visit' the preceding visitor had put
'to meet a woman'. I don't know if he had any success, but my sim card started working as soon as I took it out to show them it wasn't.
Woman on bus: are you married?
Me: no
Rickshaw driver after stopping to look at the scenery at Ponmudi proudly showing me his foot over the
back of the seat: "Look!"
Me - on seeing a leach crawling out from it -
Ricksaw driver : You hating?
Me - head in hands
Corrections and Clarifications
The actress I mentioned earlier is Hindu - not Muslim as previously stated.
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