HEAT AND DUST IN AHMADABAD

How does one adjust to environments with different temperatures?

Well, my experience this week tell me, its not easy. Thought have been in hotter places like Delhi it was a gradual acclimatization. But arriving in Ahmadabad in the early hours of Monday was not as bad as I thought. When I left England on Sunday it was a nice day at 25 degrees (but we complained) and arriving here it was about 35 after a 10 hour trip. It was very warm and hard for a human body to absorb. It got worse as the day progressed and later I heard it went upto 42 degrees.

I was tired and wanted to sleep before going to work but didn’t make much progress as the room AC didn’t work and the bed was so irritating. Having a wash was not that helpful too. Well how can it be when hot water flows out of cold tap.

This is my third time in Ahmadabad. I didn’t have much time during the first visit but going to the Gandhi Ashram was a highlight. The second visit in December last year gave me little time as I was here only for a week. that was however was enough to get used to the hustle and bustle of Ahmadabad.

Ahmadabad is a typical Indian city where the tradition and modernity blends. It growing fast and getting busier. A place known for business- Gujaratis are known for their business acumen are active national and international business. In the past they were known for textiles but now in many businesses. They are also known as philanthropist, specially in the past The famous Ambani family is from Gujarat.

The hotel I am staying is a boutique hotel run by the third generation of a family who inherited this wonderful mansion of about 12 room. They are getting more rooms soon as part of the building occupied by the government is now released to the family. This house was originally built by Mangaldas Garidaras, a hero of a rags to riches real life story. Visit http://www.houseofmg.com/

SEWA Bank is the organization I am working with. Another special organization catring to the financial needs specially of poor women of Ahmadabad. Presently this is a cooperative bank but a modern bank own by women. The bank is one unit of SEWA movement, Self-Employed Women Association, a register trade union which has been working for the upliftment of poor women laborers and workers. Learn more from http://www.sewabank.org/. A remarkable story of human spirit and determination by their leaders.

Today in office there were two treats given by two employees whose children have fared well in SSC- senior secondary certificate exams – parallel to OL. They have scored averages of 86 and 91 – very high standards.



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You are my Idol

Like the wind thats strong and mild
You wrap around me all the time
At times though like a tempest
You are also my breath

Like the trees in seasons
Changing colours all the time
When I look back at my journey
The same tree remained by my side

Like the ocean deep and blue
Waves that move fast and slow
You have carried me along
On a journey meant for Idols

Dreams do come true at times
But often they die in the morning
when I get up and look around
Like nature you are by my side.

A journey should not end
As long as you’re my Idol
This is just the beginning of
So many journeys to come

Snow in Jordan and Global Warming

How many of you are aware that there is a strong winter in the Middle East. Some of the countries go through very low temperatures.

My good friend, Swandip Sinha who is in Amman, Jordan at the moment has sent me this picture taken this week. Another friend in Tehran reported it was below zero at night.

The gulf sea currents make the countries in the north livable temperature-wise. However, with global warming more ice from the northern pole will melt and come down and in effect reducing the temperature of the Gulf Stream. This will in turn reduce the temperature of the Middle Eastern countries further down. So we can expect bitter winters in time to come, even in the Middle East.

How Small We Are

I have flown over the Himalayas many times in my life, specially during the last twelve months. This is Mt Everest I captured on Thursday, January 30, 2008. It was shrouded in clouds and suddenly clouds moved away giving this opportunity.

The view is beautiful and very scary. No camera can capture its majestic presence and you have to see it with your own eyes to feel the chilling effect. I remember my first sight of Mt Everest 10 years back even today. It never goes away.

These great mountains also remind me something else - that is how small we humans are compared the nature’s creations. We look so ordinary compared to these mountains. Of course the man has conquered many of these mountain peaks, may be a few brave explorers. But you have to see these to realize, how small we are.

Chorten Kora - going round the Stupa

The history of mythology is not only as old as that of the human race, but also very much interwoven. From the ancient Ramayana to Iliad and Odyssey to modern day classics; Ayesha, The Lord of the Rings to Eragon, - to name a few, all have proved repeatedly how much we love living that mysticism. The film industries all over the world have recreated and enlivened the world of surreal mysticism albeit for commercial reasons, tapping the man’s desire to experience that world.

The Bhutanese live this every moment of their lives. Their beliefs are mythical and mystic. Mountains are sacred and inhabited by holy spirits and the ones who attempt to enter their habitat is repelled, punished and return with a mysterious decease or a person who dirties a holy well, gets ill and the cause or remedy unknown succumbs to a mysterious illness. Even the educated will consult a spiritual Lama, a priest before deciding on personal and professional moves.

Now the film industry in the country approaches such topics, the same way the west have been doing in the past. Chowden Kota- going round the stupa or cons tabulation is a new movie in town I went to see with a couple of friends, and enjoyed very much assisted by sub-titles.

The story in a nut shell is like this. A remote village Yangste in eastern Bhutan is demonized by an evil spirit, and the frightened villagers approach a high Lama for advice, who subdues the demon spirit. He asks the villagers to build a “stupa” and also to find a pious maiden to be enshrined within, who will meditate on behalf of all humans and sentients. This happens to be a pretty princess in the neighboring Arunachal province, India. She is approached by villagers on the day before her wedding and on her wedding day, on the advice of a deity who comes in a dream, she decides to sacrifice her love and life for their benefit. She meditates inside, enshrined and leaves this world forever on the fourteenth day.

The written history of Chorten Kora does not mention the princess or her sacrifice. But its her legend not the history the people of Bhutan want to believe and celebrate every year after year

I am no film critic but for me it was a good movie with beautiful natural settings, good acting and music, despite not having high tech wizardry that the west depends so much on, making this movie, a fresh experience, a change from the usual.

“Inclusive” Technology - the need of the hour

DVB-T was big news in Sri Lanka yesterday. - the launching of the test transmission of DVB-T. It received wide media coverage. There were many references to this by bloggers too- some specialists and also others who have an interest. While for a few it was a break through or a big step in a country’s broadcasting format or technology, for the most in the country, it didn’t mean anything. Simply Nothing. How many of you, the educated know what DVB-T is ?

Why is technology so distant to us, especially in the developing world ?

When television first came to Sri Lanka, I was in my late teens and it was simply magical. It reached the people faster than a forest fire. It was not only faster but also much easier than getting a land phone. Getting a telephone was a challenge, as one had to reach people in high places, then visit the local exchange office and then wait for “loops”. It was, in fact, very loopy. This was in the capital city, not only in other parts of the country. Then all these changed with the advent of mobile technology.

I am not sure when I got my first mobile, probably in the late 90s. It was a simple phone, but today, I use a phone with new features and services – bluetooth, sms and roaming, etc. These have helped me and millions of people in developing countries to communicate. The mobile technology has reached out to the average man who is even living in the periphery. Now, he too is included in this world. This is inclusive technology.

Can we say the same about other technology in our countries? How distant it is from the average man? “Internet” is an example. How prohibitive is access to the internet? Is it for a segment of the people who can afford it or for the people in areas with better communication infrastructure? Is it exclusively for a section of the society? Is it to distance the average man further? And now DVB-T.

In a way, technology is not to be blamed, but the way we have failed in taking the advancement in technology to the benefit of a wider group. Finding an answer to this is the challenge we face. There are a few lessons we can learn from “microfinance” – the buzzword in development. Microfinance is not rocket science; it is simply banking services for those who didn’t have access to such services, sometimes not wanted by the big banks. Microfinance has taken financial services such as savings, loans, insurance to millions of people around the world, through inclusive finance. Today even the multinational banks are into microfinance, trying to downscale their operations to reach a low income but a wider and profitable market segment. Using mobile phones for fund transfer and palm pilots for record keeping in the field are two successful experiences in the South Asia where microfinance and technology have blended seamlessly. And technology should go the full distance.

This posting is in no way to devalue the importance of technology in our lives, but an attempt to remind that it is equally important to know what it means to us.

A Snow “Rain” in Thimphu

It’s snowing in Bhutan and the country is celebrating. – A traditional holiday on the first day of snow. So I am writing this from an empty office.

For a country in the Himalayas, snowing is important. It adds wetness to its already parched and dry mountains. And later the snow will melt and feed rivers. In an economy dominated by agriculture, a good snow fall raises the hopes of the nation.- it is “raining”.

The current snowfall is expected to continue. Snow piles will create road blocks and bring traffic to a standstill. The network of road over the mountains will be the most affected. Thimphu will be cut off from other parts. The country will grind to a halt as infrastructure and support services are ill equipped to cope up with such pressures.

There is always another side- a twist at the end.

Well, why worry about all that now..? I am packing my bags to go to a friend’s for lunch.

It is snowing heavily now.

Let’s celebrate!!!