Being a foreigner seems to get you a fair bit of status here. By definition, they know you are much much richer than they are. Even if you don't flaunt your wealth like the rich Indians do, the colour of your skin is all thats required. Probably hollywood imagary of Americans also goes a long way to forming their opinions. I'm also not sure how much of it is a hangover from colonial rule. The more educated ones aren't as succeptable to white-man worship but you still get a huge amount of respect.
We are meant to show ID at our work vehicle entrance and I dont have a photo ID but when we drive in: white-man with a laptop sitting in the backseat, they don't challenge you. They *WILL* do so however for any Indian, even if he is being driven in like us. In stores where they ask bags to be checked in before entering, they never challenge white folk either. You can walk pretty much wherever you want and there is a reluctance to apply the rules to you. The poor ones sometimes call you 'boss' too. I wont get used to that.
Sunday, September 02, 2007
Video trial
This is a first attempt at uploading a video. Actually this is from our city explorer afternoon that I've yet to write about. We were god-knows where in the quiet backstreets and came across this cow? and cart.
When Rome burns
When our 8 story tower at work catches fire, this is the firefighting equipment on hand. Don't panic though, they are kept pre-filled! That means its quicker to throw your four buckets of water on the fire and put it out. If thats not enough to put out a burning office block..I guess its a run off to find the nearest river...
BTW our office has no fire escape and only one entrance. :) Looks nice though.
Brigade road
This is the tourist 'centre' of Bangalore. It's absolutely horrible. Crowded, narrow, full of pushy street salesman, beggers, full of all the tourists and non-Indians of the city. Postings about our trip to find the 'real' Bangalore sometime soon.
Funny traffic #3
Like sands through the hour-glass. When the traffic stops, the cars fill in all the voids between the trucks, the auto-rickshaws move to fill in all the voids between the cars and the motorbikes make their way through any gap they can find.
Auto-rickshaws (tuk tuks)
These a pretty identical to Thai tuktuks, they variably run on 2 stroke, diesel, and some lpg apparently. They are either metered or priced by negotiation. These guys will turn their engines off in stopped traffic or at traffic lights to save gas and restart them via a crank handle down on the floor on the left hand side.
When the traffic starts moving or the lights go green you get a symphony of all the auto-rickshaw driver furiously cranking their handles to get started before the traffic gets moving. The motor bikes and some vehicles do the same.
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