Posted on November 24, 2016 under Thursday Tidbits with one comment

The women of the world. Doing the heavy lifting.

“ What is the biggest problem facing Canada? “

This question was posed by a grade 10 student from a high school in a rural Indian village. After being lobbed some really easy questions about where I was from and how was I adapting to the food, this young man at the back of the room caught me off guard. If I would have been quicker I would have responded, “ The United States,” just to see if they would understand the nuance of a remark like this.

My answer?

Canada’s shameful treatment of its First Nations people. I didn’t go into a great amount of detail nor will I expound in this space. Those who read my articles regularly know that my purpose in writing is primarily to entertain. There are enough other forums for people to express their opinion on weighty matters. I’m sure if I polled 100 people, I would likely get 100 different answers.

I promise (?!) that this will be my last comment on the demonetization crisis here in India. If you haven’t been following this, here’s a quick primer. Approximately 85% of all the cash in India ( and this is still a predominantly cash economy ) was held in two rupee notes: the 500 rs and the 1000rs. Our equivalent in Canada would be a $10. and $20 dollar bill. There are billions upon billions of rupees that people stash away ( including the Black Market – the primary target of this move ) avoiding the eyes of the tax man. On November 8^th. the Indian government declared these currencies worthless… overnight. You could swap them for newly minted notes but only in small quantities and for a set amount of time.

I will give you one concrete example of the magnitude of the problem. The bank machines will only dispense the new 2000 rs note ( $40 ) on a daily basis…. if you are prepared to stand in lineups for 3-5 hours ( in 30 + degree heat ) with NO Guarantee  that the ATM will have any notes left when you get there.

So, you finally get your first 2000 rs note and for lack of a better example, you want to buy some bananas from a street vendor who deals in small rs notes ( 10 rs is common ). So, he gives you 10 bananas for 50 rupees ( $1.00 ) and he is expected to give you back 1950 rupees in small bills? Not happening. These small merchants can’t sell their product. And the big guys are feeling it too.  Can you imagine going to Tim’s with every customer handing the clerk a $50. billl? They would run out of small bills very quickly…. which is exactly what’s happening at the local McDonald’s where I go for coffee. They have been turning away customers in droves although they are luckier than most because they take debit and credit cards, but only a fraction of the population has these.

Enough. It’s a complete mess and will take weeks if not months before the economy gets back on track. It is quite fascinating to watch it live. I was down to my last 90 rs ( $1.80 )  last Saturday before getting my hands on a fresh 2000 rs note. It was a very surreal feeling to not be able to get cash or buy anything at my local restaurants or from street vendors.

After considerable contemplation, I have decided to enter the convent. Now you stalwarts know that I never lie. Oh yes, I am a master of embellishment when telling a story but I refrain from outright lies. At the end of December, I will be relocating to a convent in the most southerly town in India called Kanyakumari. You old fogies can go look at your weather beaten atlases or an old globe (!) or simply Google it.

The pollution in Hyderabad has taken its toll and I’m going somewhere that has much better air quality… and it’s a five minute walk to the beach. I will be volunteering with a non profit organization run by an order of Catholic Sisters who still wear the traditional garb. I am hoping not to develop any bad habits. ( I can hear the collective groan! ). I expect that this will be a completely different experience. Hyderabad has been a wonderful education but my health comes first.

How many of you have ever watched Animal Planet? It is the only English language channel that I can get on my T.V. I am just about an expert on the animal kingdom!!!

Have a great day.

Posted on November 17, 2016 under Thursday Tidbits with 2 comments

Women Farmers Group

I have been asked repeatedly why I have decided to travel to India at this time of my life. I have given a variety of answers. I stumbled upon this quote the other day which says it best:

 

“ I shall pass through this world but once.

Any good that I can do,

Or any kindness that I can show,

To any human being,

Let me do it now,

And not defer it,

For I may not pass this way again.”

 

Stephen Grellet.

Posted on November 10, 2016 under Thursday Tidbits with 2 comments

One of the many street level farmers’ markets

 

Food.  Lots of food. Lots of spicy food.

It has been almost two weeks since I arrived in India and my stomach is slowly adapting. While I haven’t had any problems with the intake of food so far, I know my body is going through culture shock as it tries to figure of what in the hell I’m up to. As I said in Monday’s post, “ life only begins at the end of one’s comfort zone.” I’m sure if you’re in India as a tourist and are only staying a short time, you can work around food issues, especially  if you’re in the big cities. But if you’re staying awhile, then you better be prepared to adapt. “ When in Rome….”

I think breakfast is the biggest adjustment. At home, my breakfast is bland to the nth. degree. I start every day with a cup of black coffee ( more on this later ), and a slice of raisin toast with peanut butter. Then it’s out the door for a brisk 8K walk. The walking here is very challenging. I’m still trying to figure this one out.

Hyderabad is known for its spicy cuisine and breakfast is just another meal laced with all manner of wonderful seasonings. It just feels weird washing down breakfast with curd ( sort of like yoghurt ) just to cool the mouth down a bit. I now have a fairly intimate knowledge of idli, dosa, sambar, coconut chutney and wada. And I have now nearly mastered the art of eating with my hands… one hand that is. I have not progressed to that rarest of art forms of eating with one hand and texting with the other , which is as common as walking and  chewing gum around here. It took the CEO and the Executive Director to demonstrate the refined art of eating with one meat hook! It’s amazing what you can learn when you’re hungry. One of first nights that they let me out in public with Nagendra,  we went to a small outdoor restaurant to have chicken biryani, and a gaggle of young boys chortled the whole time watching me ( try to ) consume this popular entrée with my mitts.

My new best friend, Nagendra has been my go to guy for food. His English is limited and my Hindi is not what it used to be (!) , so ordering food is a delicate mix of gesturing, pointing and translating. Somehow we’ve made it work and I am now comfortable enough that the last few days, I’ve been able to wander off and get my own grub. A major grocery store is a few miles away and I am able to get whole wheat bread and a jar of peanut butter… for emergencies. Oh yes. My breakfast haunt is Bheema’s hotel. The café opens at 7:00. By this I mean , the doors open at 7:00 but they do not begin to serve until a small shrine in the corner is prepared. Candles and incense are lit and the incense is carried to different parts of the room as a sign of reverence, I believe. The first day I found it odd but now I have come to admire this ritual. Take time and give praise before eating seems pretty sensible to me.

One thing that has struck me, and I’m not one bit surprised, is that language is so crucial. I have a much deeper appreciation for our new Syrian friends as they try to make their way in a language that is completely foreign to them. Most times I have a translator with me but I don’t want to use this as a crutch or else I won’t learn anything. I have learned how to say “ my name is Len MacDonald “ in Hindi. It’s a start.

Ok. I have one eeny teeny complaint. Coffee. I love the thimble sized cups of coffee that I can get at breakfast ( for 15rs or about .30 ) but there’s not enough caffeine in it to get a squirrel’s heart started. In order to lock in some kind of routine ( an early morning cup of good, strong, black coffee ), I must acquire a coffee maker. The quest began in earnest on Tuesday. Qadheer is my designated chauffeur at the office and a really nice guy. We went scouting and after a few unsuccessful attempts, a drip coffee maker, very much like the one we have at home, was sitting in front of me. Having just purchased a big bag of coffee moments earlier, I was salivating at the thought of a large cup of java at suppertime. There was a small problem. They didn’t have any others in stock and the young clerk was adamant that I could not buy it. Very menacing thoughts ran through my head. The poor unsuspecting young man probably had no idea what a two week coffee drought looked like. I took a couple of deep yoga breaths and left the store. I will let you know when “ the eagle has landed.” !

Have a great day.

P.S. I must admit that I shed a tear when I watched the CBC video of Alaa’s arrival at the airport in Halifax.