I'm in Pune, India [en]

[fr] Ça y est, je suis à Pune! Plus de nouvelles plus tard, quand j'aurai dormi ma première vraie nuit ici (la nuit entre l'avion et la voiture roulant comme folle de Mumbai à Pune, ça compte pas). En attendant, lisez L'Inde, dix ans après...

I made it. After all these years of not managing to come back to India, here I am. The blood of a dozen mosquitoes on my hands, a bottle of Bisleri by my side, stomach full of delicious home-cooked food by my friend Nisha.

Travel went smoothly, aside the hour of waiting for our luggage at Mumbai (but these things happen). Mumbai airport is unrecognizable and so, so much nicer. A lot has changed in 7 (or 10) years.

I have a few photos already, and things to say (India is has always been about taking the time to do things, for me — and I will). But’s 11pm local time and I’m really tired. This is a good thing, because it means I’ll sleep and get over the jetlag quickly.

Keep an eye on Twitter, and Flickr.

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L’Inde, dix ans après… [fr]

[en] As the editor for ebookers.ch's travel blog, I contribute there regularly. I have cross-posted some of my more personal articles here for safe-keeping.

Cet article a été initialement publié sur le blog de voyage ebookers.ch (voir l’original).

Bon, j’exagère un peu: si ça fait dix ans depuis l’époque où j’ai vécu un Inde une année, ça ne fait cependant que sept ans depuis ma dernière visite.

Mais quels sept ans!

Complètement à chaud, des constats en vrac:

  • je n’ai mis dans ma valise ni guide de voyage, ni carte, ni dictionnaire Hindi: j’ai tout installé comme application iPhone ou sauvegardé dansEvernote
  • dans Evernote également, des photos de mon passeport, de mon carnet de vaccination, et de tout autre document de voyage précieux
  • pas de stress pour mettre la main sur une copie des tarifs des rickshaws! Un calculateur sous forme d’application iPhone existepour la ville de Pune, et probablement pour d’autres… (tuyau: cherchez le nom de votre ville de destination dans l’iTunes store)
  • une fois encore, j’ai fait le voyage Mumbai-Pune en taxi collectif organisé par un ami sur place (KK Travels) — sans un accroc, du gaillard endormi sur sa pancarte à la sortie de l’aéroport au dépôt à domicile, en passant par l’escorte privée jusqu’à la voiture et le changement de véhicule en cours de route (échange de passager, on rationalise les trajets de dépôt des voyageurs)
  • et puis tiens, venant de chercher le lien ci-dessus: tout est sur internet à présent (je vous avais déjà dit pour le train)
  • la traversée des bidonvilles de Mumbai par la grande route sent toujours aussi mauvais
  • il y a toujours plein de monde (à pied et en véhicule) dans les rues à 4h du mat’, et il faut toujours avoir le coeur bien accroché face au style de conduite indien

Bombay airport arrival has greatly improved in 10 years!

  • l’aéroport de Mumbai est méconnaissable: complètement refait, et aussi nettement plus civilisé (personne n’a tenté de se jeter sur mes bagages, ni de me proposer un hôtel ou un taxi que je n’avais pas demandé)
  • la ville a gagné en voitures et en magasins (et je n’ai encore pas revu la ville pour de bon, juste une petite expédition pour acheter de l’eau et deux-trois indispensables comme les anti-moustiques à mettre dans la prise)
  • le « beau supermarché » d’aujourd’hui est environ 5 fois plus gros et mieux fourni que celui d’il y a dix ans; on y trouve des pâtes Agnesi, comme à la Migros
  • la campus dans lequel je loge baigne dans le wifi; tout le monde a un téléphone mobile (c’était déjà quasi le cas il y a 7 ans, mais là c’est indéniable)
  • j’ai pris dans mes bagages mon ordinateur portable et mon nouvel iPhone, en plus de l’appareil photo de mes rêves; que de technologie, direz-vous — oui, mais un de mes plaisirs en voyage est de pouvoir partager ce que je vis (un téléphone avec bon appareil photo c’est d’un pratique, pour ça)
  • parlant de téléphone: mon opérateur (Orange) vend des paquets de données à l’étranger prépayés (ça reste cher mais toujours moins que les 15.- CHF/Mb du tarif « normal ») — dans le même ordre d’idées, il y une option voyageurs (Travel) qui permet de faire des appels depuis l’Inde pour 2.- la minute au lieu de 4.80… (ouille); c’est les vacances, et mon téléphone n’est pas juste un outil professionnel, c’est un moyen clé pour communiquer avec mes proches
  • les bouteilles de Bisleri ont été relookées
  • j’ai pris avec moi un peu moins de saris et de salwaar kameez, et plus de vêtements « occidentaux » (pantalons et haut) — la mode évolue et s’occidentalise de plus en plus (j’ai vu des choses durant ces premières 12 heures que je n’aurais jamais pu voir ici il y a dix ans).

Je suis vraiment heureuse d’être de retour. Les odeurs, qui m’avaient relativement peu frappées lors de mon année ici, me prennent les narines et me renvoient dans le temps.

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Indian Scrambled Eggs Improvisation (Potato, Tomato) [en]

So, just because it was yummy and if I don’t write it down I’ll forget how I did it (and because some of you are jealous of my Indian cooking skillz), here’s what I threw together for lunch. (Words in bold will give you the list of ingredients.)

Indian Scrambled Eggs Improvisation 2

  • slice a medium-sized potato finely (I do it with the peeler)
  • chop some variety of onion in fine slices (I used one small yellow onion and one shallot that was lying around)
  • put a large amount of butter in a pan (+ some cooking oil so it doesn’t go brown), maximum heat (I never lowered the heat till the end)
  • add 1/4 teaspoon of black mustard seeds, 1 teaspoon of whole cumin (not black cumin, eek), and a healthy quantity of curry leaves (10-15 I guess — they freeze very well btw, best way to store them)
  • when all that has crackled for a bit, add potato and onion, salt generously, stir around (and keep on stirring while you continue doing what follows)
  • chop some garlic and a small green chili (freezes well too) rather finely
  • add that in the pan, and half a teaspoon of turmeric (keep stirring!!)
  • chop a tomato (I did one and a half) into rather small pieces
  • when the onions start looking tender and the potato slices start being cooked (shouldn’t take more than 5 minutes in total) add the tomato, and salt again
  • break 4 eggs in a basin (or however many or few you wish), salt, pepper, 1/4 teaspoon of garam masala (mine contains black pepper, cinnamon, black cardamom, and cloves) add chopped coriander leaves (they also freeze well), and beat that all up (don’t forget to keep an eye on the pan, you don’t want anything to burn)
  • by now the mix in the pan should be reasonably dry (if it’s swimming in tomato juice you’re in trouble), so add the eggs, and keep on stirring gently so the eggs start looking like scrambled eggs with lots of nice indian stuff inside
  • when the mixture seems dry enough and edible to you, you’re done!

I’d normally eat this with naan or a chapati or lebanese bread (sometimes easier to get by here), but as I had none available I just used a spoon.

Indian Scrambled Eggs Improvisation 3

Bon appétit!

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India [en]

I feel an itch to write about India. All these classes on Indian culture at university are bringing me back there.

There are so many things I have to say.

For a start, here is what I have been telling people these last three (heavens!) months when they ask me the usual questions.

So, how was the trip? Tell me about it!

I must admit I’m sick of hearing this question. And as university has just started, I’m again meeting a whole bunch of people I haven’t seen in over a year and who are impatient for news.

The trip was overall a very positive experience but the first three months were really hard… >>>

Would you say India is “behind” the West?

As much as I would like to be able to say that cultures are not to be hierarchically classified, and that they are all equal, but different, my experience of India has somewhat disturbed this position. Let me explain… >>>

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So, How Was the Trip? Tell Me About it! [en]

I must admit I’m sick of hearing this question. And as university has just started, I’m again meeting a whole bunch of people I haven’t seen in over a year and who are impatient for news.

The trip was overall a very positive experience. I would encourage anybody who has an occasion to have a similar life-experience to simply go for it.

I grew up a lot (but of course, one always grows up during a year) and feel that I belong to adult-land now.

The first three months were really hard, looking back. My solitary arrival, sickness the second day, a landlady I didn’t get on with and who gently kicked me out, illness and money problems in Delhi – all that was no fun.

The worst at that time was solitude. I was suffering from culture shock, slightly depressed, didn’t know whom to trust, and I had the feeling that try as they might, the people I confided in couldn’t truly relate to what I was going through. That was normal, of course – just as we have trouble imagining what it is for an Indian to land in our culture.

I wrote a lot during that time: my logbook, and “culture shock” notes – which I can’t really find courage to go through and sort out, as they send me back to deeply into those “hard times”.

Meeting Nicola in Delhi and the subsequent weeks in Rishikesh did me a lot of good. I had people to talk to, and got a chance to see how much I had already adapted to this strange culture. Going back to Pune was not too hard, as Mithun‘s family had kindly accepted to put up with me until I found a flat.

The third and last “part” of my journey is the longest – after having met Aleika and settling down in her big and protected home.

When I am asked what I did “over there”, I often answer (amongst others) “babysitting”. People often laugh a little.

It was much more than that, of course. Not everybody gets the chance of living with a baby before having their own. And I must say Somak and Aleika really let me take an important place in Akirno‘s life – I’m very grateful to them about that. It really contributed to making my Indian adventure such a great life experience.

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Would You Say India is Behind the West? [en]

As much as I would like to be able to say that cultures are not to be hierarchically classified, and that they are all equal, but different, my experience of India has somewhat disturbed this position. Let me explain.

Of course cultures are different, and there are probably few cultures more different from mine than the Indian one. But India is importing, or let’s say: absorbing, a lot of western culture.

Even though India will remain India, and people there do not want to lose their culture, there is an attraction to the West and an inclination to imitate it.

I think these streaks of western culture can allow a comparison – although I am of course aware that what I am saying here is disputable.

  • Take birth control and sexual education: India is way behind.
  • Take ecological awareness: India is way behind.
  • Health facilities: behind.
  • Quality of education: behind.
  • Social services: behind.

That doesn’t mean to say India is “bad”. I really love India. I think lots of positive things about this country. But it has some really horrible sides for me.

  • I find it dreadful to see people breaking rocks under the scorching sun on a heavy traffic road (convicts work). I find it even more dreadful to hear people saying “but then what work would these poor people do?” when you ask why machines couldn’t do the work.
  • I was horrified to learn that small children are maimed so that they will be more efficient “employees” in the begging-business (that was confirmed to me by a family member who has been counsellor in human rights for many years in NGOs).
  • I find it unacceptable that many people do not have access to education, and that even for those who do, schooling is so often bad – especially for those who do not have the money to bribe themselves into the best schools.

Worst of all – it is in my opinion the root of all the “problems” in India, and in any case, preventing any revision of the system in place: corruption. Corruption is everywhere, from the top to the bottom of the social ladder. Your speeding ticket is Rs 100? No problem, give 50, don’t ask for a receipt, and everybody is happy. It is almost official.

Some will say it is part of the system, that you cannot get rid of it, that it is necessary in Indian culture. I don’t care. Of course, policemen take bribes because they are not paid enough. So do all the clerks and small officials. But somewhere, up higher on the ladder, some people are making very big bucks out of the system, while there is no staff in the hospitals, no money for schools, holes in the roads and droughts in Gujurat. That is wrong.

Linked to the corruption problem, there is the screaming lack of law enforcement. I have been told that the Indian constitution is quite a good one – but what is the use of laws if nobody respects them? And that is what the situation is in India.

Of course, there are horrible things in the West too. And there are beautiful things in India. The picture above is not meant to be complete – it is a list of dark sides.

I am probably also reacting to the Myth of India you find in the West. Most people who “love India” in my country have never been there and shrink back in horror when I describe what everyday life there was like for me. And I had a rather cosy home, I would say.

People tend to emphasise only the “spiritual” side of India. I am not talking about that here, you will have noticed – although it is what I am studying. In short, I don’t think people in modern India are more spiritual than here. But that is another chapter.

I love India, but I have been there, and I am critical. I can be critical with my own country too, of course – but that isn’t what I’m doing here : )

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