This post is about a pet peeve of mine... and ironically although it is a pet peeve, in all honesty, over the past few years, I am very much guilty of having become quite accustomed to performing this peeve... which I guess makes me a... hypocrite!? :S
Every Indian knows what IST is... 'Indian Standard Time' means that no matter what the occasion, you always show up late for an appointment/meeting/get together... sometimes, it is being 'fashionably late'... but more often than not, it is just being irresponsible, insensitive and too lazy to actually show up places on time.
Now, why am I writing about this today of all days? Well, it is one week to the start of the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, and the venues and accomodations are still not ready. Any other major professional world sporting event would have had their facilities ready and tested 6 months in advance, but not in Delhi... because, after all, IST is the norm. It just wouldn't be 'Indian' if things were done professionally and on time for a change. Heaven forbid you question it, because if you did, it would be 'Anti-National' to do so. Instead it is better to blame foreign contingents for having standards which are just overly high. It is far easier to make excuses than accept your mistakes.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/commonwealth_games/delhi_2010/9025907.stm
The Indian middle class has eagerly bought into every western vice thrown at it over the past two decades. It is about time that it learns to accept some of its virtues, and those are of punctuality and professionalism. I really genuinely hope that somehow Delhi manages to get things done at the last minute, and that the games go off smoothly, because if not, it will really be a major embarassment.
Ironically, India was ranked as the '3rd most powerful nation in the world' just a few days back. Well, perhaps it is time to start acting like a powerful nation, rather than just flaunting the title.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Journey to the middle of nowhere...
In what will likely be my last trip outside of Vancouver this year, a group of friends and I took a road trip to a small town in Northern BC called Tumbler Ridge. Tumbler Ridge is a small mining town located north of Prince George and just south of Ft St John in the Peace River district of British Columbia. Despite living my entire life in this province, I had never been north of Kamloops on the mainland, and so the trip was kind of an eye-opener.
In fact, we had gone to drop a friend of ours off, as she had recently gotten a job there, and would be there for at least the next few months. We arrived in the town/village after a 16 hr drive from Vancouver. Although I don't appreciate it as much as I should, I must say that there is definitely a good reason as to why BC landscape is considered to be spectacular. Sections of the road between Pemberton and Lilloet were truly breathtaking, and we were really in awe of the land that god had sculpted.
Tumbler Ridge itself is basically a mining town, where most of the residents are transient, and no one really lives there for more than a few years at most, mainly due to the remoteness of the town, and the harsh climate (it goes down to -40C in the winter apparently). There are quite a few activities that you can take part in the summer, namely golfing, fishing, hiking, and hunting (none of which I had really ever done before). Unfortunately, the winters are not as pleasant, as the residents are basically confined indoors in front of their TV sets.
I must say, that the residents of this town are quite different from Vancouverites. While they may not be as metropolitan and refined as city dwellers, I really found them to be warm, open, funny and genuine, which is not always something you can say about Vancouverites. I was afraid that they might be stuck-up, boorish rednecks, but I was really pleasantly surprised to see that this is kind of a myth, and racism was not an issue at all. Essentially, if you were willing to adjust and blend into the community, the community would do its best to respect your values and traditions. This was really great to see.
I don't know how often I will be going up there to visit my friends, but it turns out that a small mining town is not as intimidating a place as it seems, and it was really a nice change from the mundane.
In fact, we had gone to drop a friend of ours off, as she had recently gotten a job there, and would be there for at least the next few months. We arrived in the town/village after a 16 hr drive from Vancouver. Although I don't appreciate it as much as I should, I must say that there is definitely a good reason as to why BC landscape is considered to be spectacular. Sections of the road between Pemberton and Lilloet were truly breathtaking, and we were really in awe of the land that god had sculpted.
Tumbler Ridge itself is basically a mining town, where most of the residents are transient, and no one really lives there for more than a few years at most, mainly due to the remoteness of the town, and the harsh climate (it goes down to -40C in the winter apparently). There are quite a few activities that you can take part in the summer, namely golfing, fishing, hiking, and hunting (none of which I had really ever done before). Unfortunately, the winters are not as pleasant, as the residents are basically confined indoors in front of their TV sets.
I must say, that the residents of this town are quite different from Vancouverites. While they may not be as metropolitan and refined as city dwellers, I really found them to be warm, open, funny and genuine, which is not always something you can say about Vancouverites. I was afraid that they might be stuck-up, boorish rednecks, but I was really pleasantly surprised to see that this is kind of a myth, and racism was not an issue at all. Essentially, if you were willing to adjust and blend into the community, the community would do its best to respect your values and traditions. This was really great to see.
I don't know how often I will be going up there to visit my friends, but it turns out that a small mining town is not as intimidating a place as it seems, and it was really a nice change from the mundane.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Random News...
A couple of items in the news have caught my attention lately. Of one, I have a definate opinion. The other... not so much.
Ground Zero Mosque
9 years ago, after 9/11 there was much discussion and debate over what would go on at the site of the former World Trade Center. At that time, I don't think anyone ever would have imagined that a plan to build a mosque at the site would ever possibly be considered.
To be clear, the mosque would not literally be constructed at the site where the World Trade Center was located. However, when the buildings collapsed, there was massive damage to the adjacent areas, even blocks away. And it is at some distance that the Islamic Center would be located.
This is a tough one. On one hand, America espouses itself as a bastion of democracy, tolerance and freedom of expression. Therefore, there should really be no opposition to the project. But I can understand the sentiments of New Yorkers, and why they would be so upset with the idea of constructing a mosque in such an area, after the events of that terrible day. You would also think that perhaps Muslims would be a bit more sensitive to the sentiments of those opposed. Its a crappy deal, but unfortunately, 9/11 has made the world tougher for those who follow Islam. It will be interesting to see which side backs down ultimately, and what the reprecussions will be.
Match Fixing
On this issue, I have a much clearer opinion. What the hell is wrong with Pakistani Cricket, and more precisely the Pakistani Cricket administration? After their fellow countrymen greeted foreign cricket players with bulletholes in their buses last summer, it now seems as if the players themselves are determined to go abroad and completely screw up the game. Although nothing has been conclusively proven yet, a decade after match fixing first surfaced, it appears to have resurfaced, and it seems as if some of Pakistans best cricketers are involved.
In the midst of the suffering caused by the terrible flooding there right now, it is quite sad that the countries players would abuse the national pastime like this. I have always had a lot of respect for the talents of Pakistani fast bowlers, and it is really a shame to see that rather than throwing cricket balls around, they are throwing their careers and their integrity away instead.
Ground Zero Mosque
9 years ago, after 9/11 there was much discussion and debate over what would go on at the site of the former World Trade Center. At that time, I don't think anyone ever would have imagined that a plan to build a mosque at the site would ever possibly be considered.
To be clear, the mosque would not literally be constructed at the site where the World Trade Center was located. However, when the buildings collapsed, there was massive damage to the adjacent areas, even blocks away. And it is at some distance that the Islamic Center would be located.
This is a tough one. On one hand, America espouses itself as a bastion of democracy, tolerance and freedom of expression. Therefore, there should really be no opposition to the project. But I can understand the sentiments of New Yorkers, and why they would be so upset with the idea of constructing a mosque in such an area, after the events of that terrible day. You would also think that perhaps Muslims would be a bit more sensitive to the sentiments of those opposed. Its a crappy deal, but unfortunately, 9/11 has made the world tougher for those who follow Islam. It will be interesting to see which side backs down ultimately, and what the reprecussions will be.
Match Fixing
On this issue, I have a much clearer opinion. What the hell is wrong with Pakistani Cricket, and more precisely the Pakistani Cricket administration? After their fellow countrymen greeted foreign cricket players with bulletholes in their buses last summer, it now seems as if the players themselves are determined to go abroad and completely screw up the game. Although nothing has been conclusively proven yet, a decade after match fixing first surfaced, it appears to have resurfaced, and it seems as if some of Pakistans best cricketers are involved.
In the midst of the suffering caused by the terrible flooding there right now, it is quite sad that the countries players would abuse the national pastime like this. I have always had a lot of respect for the talents of Pakistani fast bowlers, and it is really a shame to see that rather than throwing cricket balls around, they are throwing their careers and their integrity away instead.
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