My favourite monument in Delhi is the Jama Masjid. It has a "je ne sais quoi"... I find it mystic and majestic! And it is just beautiful! Check some of the pics that I took this weekend and judge by yourself!
Monday, November 16, 2009
Jama Majid, New Delhi
My favourite monument in Delhi is the Jama Masjid. It has a "je ne sais quoi"... I find it mystic and majestic! And it is just beautiful! Check some of the pics that I took this weekend and judge by yourself!
My favourite monument in Delhi is the Jama Masjid. It has a "je ne sais quoi"... I find it mystic and majestic! And it is just beautiful! Check some of the pics that I took this weekend and judge by yourself!
Sunday, November 08, 2009
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Dear readers... I will be adding some widgets and changing some little things on my blog in the nexts weeks. If you pass by and see something strange, no worries, it's me (and my internet skills)! Thank you for understanding!!! Nat
Monday, October 26, 2009
Jodphur - जोधपुर
This weekend I finally traveled again... after 3 months of staying home! Now that the weather in India is much cooler, traveling is again on the menu!
I went to Jodhpur, the so called "The blue city". To be honest, I didn't find many treasures. There are beautiful beautiful rajasthani style havelis and many many blue houses. But the fort is very similar to Jaisalmer (just from the outside) and I did not enjoy the pollution and the terrible dust, neither did my fellow travelers, Sachiko and Cibele. It was really bad!
However, I have to say that I found in Jodhpur the cleanest train station: nobody spiting on the floor or against the walls. I also found the less annoying rickshaw drivers: at our arrival, we actually had to go ask for a rickshaw which is strange considering that whenever you arrive at a tran station you usually have 30 or 40 rickshaw drivers asking "Where going ma'am?", "Maam, Hotel name, ma'am?", "You want rickshaw ma'am?". And what I loved the most about the city: there were the nicest and warmest people that I have seen so far in India. They will say hello, will not push you to buy things, will ask for a picture but no "5 rupees".
I stayed in a guest house called "Heaven Guest House". What a cheesy name I first thought. Well, Nisha, the owner of the Guest House actually choose well the name. It is almost like heaven... not the nicest decoration nor the party environment... however, a feeling like home. Really! I felt, for the first time in 1.5 years of traveling in India... no pressure at all to buy anything or eat at the restaurant... and she was actually very sweet. And so was her husband and son.
Well, and now... enough words! Here are some of my pictures. Enjoy!
Some pictures of Jodhpur Fort
The Blue City
Oops... not every thing is Blue!
This weekend I finally traveled again... after 3 months of staying home! Now that the weather in India is much cooler, traveling is again on the menu!
I went to Jodhpur, the so called "The blue city". To be honest, I didn't find many treasures. There are beautiful beautiful rajasthani style havelis and many many blue houses. But the fort is very similar to Jaisalmer (just from the outside) and I did not enjoy the pollution and the terrible dust, neither did my fellow travelers, Sachiko and Cibele. It was really bad!
However, I have to say that I found in Jodhpur the cleanest train station: nobody spiting on the floor or against the walls. I also found the less annoying rickshaw drivers: at our arrival, we actually had to go ask for a rickshaw which is strange considering that whenever you arrive at a tran station you usually have 30 or 40 rickshaw drivers asking "Where going ma'am?", "Maam, Hotel name, ma'am?", "You want rickshaw ma'am?". And what I loved the most about the city: there were the nicest and warmest people that I have seen so far in India. They will say hello, will not push you to buy things, will ask for a picture but no "5 rupees".
I stayed in a guest house called "Heaven Guest House". What a cheesy name I first thought. Well, Nisha, the owner of the Guest House actually choose well the name. It is almost like heaven... not the nicest decoration nor the party environment... however, a feeling like home. Really! I felt, for the first time in 1.5 years of traveling in India... no pressure at all to buy anything or eat at the restaurant... and she was actually very sweet. And so was her husband and son.
Well, and now... enough words! Here are some of my pictures. Enjoy!
Some pictures of Jodhpur Fort
The Blue City
Oops... not every thing is Blue!
Friday, October 23, 2009
What do you think about India and Indians?
When they first meet me, many Indians ask me "So, what do you think about India and Indians?". I usually try to avoid answering and escape with a "It's nice" or "It's big" or even "It's very different from my country".
I believe my opinion would not really satisfy my interlocutors. But here is the truth, or, I should say MY truth!
Although this country is a kaleidoscope of micro-cultures, religions, cults, where a generalization can become hard or unfair, I can't deny that I found some very common attributes to many Indians, from North, South, East ow West, rich or poor:
- Very strong and heavy impact of family values and religion
- Very divided society and a very present cast system that leads to discrimination of Indians by Indians (which I believe is really sad)!
Then I would also say that there is a huge lack of hygiene among the population and lack of care for common Cultural and Historical heritage. There is this "I care about me, my family and my house but I don't care about the others". Someone that has an extremely clean house and is very careful with hygiene at home, will not think twice before throwing garbage anywhere, spitting and peeing in the side road or in a corner of Jaisalmer fort, somewhere in Lodhi Gardens or on the walls of Delhi Jama Masjid.
And although I am sure my next words will create a big wave of "how do you dare saying that?", I would add that the "I care about me" mind often leads to a lack of respect for others. For example, there is no respect for queues and that is everywhere... train station or 5* Hotel. The worst is that most of the time, others who are waiting in line will find it very normal when someone who just walks in passes in front of them. Another example: bathrooms in cafes, restaurants or offices. It's not difficult to find people who don't flush after using it which in my opinion is not nice (at ALL!!!) for the next person.
I would also say that the normal educational system (which excludes IITs and other very famous universities recognized for their excellence) is very poor. A student needs to score at least 30% (only) in the 10 and 12th board exams to pass! I have found a huge lack of creativity or even pro-activity in many people I have met at work, although they have the so called "MBAs".
Having said all this... I can't forget to say that I have also met many Indians who do not fit the bill. Mainly the young cosmopolitan generation, well educated and who, many times, has had the chance to travel abroad, creative, not religious at all and not family oriented at all. I have met super clever and pro-active people with an amazing energy who are artists, designers, etc... I have met many loving and caring people involved in many non-profit activities and initiatives.
I remember telling "My truth" to one of my very good friends and her answer was:
"Nat, many young Indians like me just don't recognize themselves in this culture and values but the tradition and the influence of parents is still too heavy for us to get out of it."
Finally, I must say that I believe the new generation of Indians is feeling in between two worlds, two cultures. I remember one of my colleagues, a Jain, who whenever we would have a team outing would order just meat! And another one, a Sikh, telling me that he is not religious and doesn't believe in any form of god, wearing his turban because "his parents would have a heart attack" if they knew.
As one of my best friends usually says to kind of summarize the malaise happening in the Indian society nowadays, "Yes, I am an Indian national, but culturally speaking, I do not feel Indian".
When they first meet me, many Indians ask me "So, what do you think about India and Indians?". I usually try to avoid answering and escape with a "It's nice" or "It's big" or even "It's very different from my country".
I believe my opinion would not really satisfy my interlocutors. But here is the truth, or, I should say MY truth!
Although this country is a kaleidoscope of micro-cultures, religions, cults, where a generalization can become hard or unfair, I can't deny that I found some very common attributes to many Indians, from North, South, East ow West, rich or poor:
- Very strong and heavy impact of family values and religion
- Very divided society and a very present cast system that leads to discrimination of Indians by Indians (which I believe is really sad)!
Then I would also say that there is a huge lack of hygiene among the population and lack of care for common Cultural and Historical heritage. There is this "I care about me, my family and my house but I don't care about the others". Someone that has an extremely clean house and is very careful with hygiene at home, will not think twice before throwing garbage anywhere, spitting and peeing in the side road or in a corner of Jaisalmer fort, somewhere in Lodhi Gardens or on the walls of Delhi Jama Masjid.
And although I am sure my next words will create a big wave of "how do you dare saying that?", I would add that the "I care about me" mind often leads to a lack of respect for others. For example, there is no respect for queues and that is everywhere... train station or 5* Hotel. The worst is that most of the time, others who are waiting in line will find it very normal when someone who just walks in passes in front of them. Another example: bathrooms in cafes, restaurants or offices. It's not difficult to find people who don't flush after using it which in my opinion is not nice (at ALL!!!) for the next person.
I would also say that the normal educational system (which excludes IITs and other very famous universities recognized for their excellence) is very poor. A student needs to score at least 30% (only) in the 10 and 12th board exams to pass! I have found a huge lack of creativity or even pro-activity in many people I have met at work, although they have the so called "MBAs".
Having said all this... I can't forget to say that I have also met many Indians who do not fit the bill. Mainly the young cosmopolitan generation, well educated and who, many times, has had the chance to travel abroad, creative, not religious at all and not family oriented at all. I have met super clever and pro-active people with an amazing energy who are artists, designers, etc... I have met many loving and caring people involved in many non-profit activities and initiatives.
I remember telling "My truth" to one of my very good friends and her answer was:
"Nat, many young Indians like me just don't recognize themselves in this culture and values but the tradition and the influence of parents is still too heavy for us to get out of it."
Finally, I must say that I believe the new generation of Indians is feeling in between two worlds, two cultures. I remember one of my colleagues, a Jain, who whenever we would have a team outing would order just meat! And another one, a Sikh, telling me that he is not religious and doesn't believe in any form of god, wearing his turban because "his parents would have a heart attack" if they knew.
As one of my best friends usually says to kind of summarize the malaise happening in the Indian society nowadays, "Yes, I am an Indian national, but culturally speaking, I do not feel Indian".
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Friday, August 21, 2009
Support Pardada Pardadi Educational Society!
Pictures of my first visit to PPGVS
Some of you might not know it yet but I have a new job! Yes, finally I think I found the one job that is close to what I would call a “dream job”.
I am the communication manager of an NGO called Pardada Pardadi Educational Society. Our mission is to empower and uplift girls from rural areas in order to create a new generation of socially and financially independent women.
Currently, over 1000 girls attend Pardada Pardadi Girls Vocational School in Anupshahar (Uttar Pradesh, India). Not only, they learn subjects such as Maths and English, but also and they develop vocational skills in home textile work. The home furnishings produced as part as the student’s vocational training are then sold in order to generate revenues to the school.
I go every month to the village and try to spend at least 1 week with my new friends. After 1.5 years of being in India, I am finally going to learn Hindi. The girls have decided that they should teach me! It is really a great fun to see those little girls having time to enjoy their childhood! You might not believe it but in such villages, it is common to find girls who get married at 14 years old! And still there is a lot of girl child infanticide!
It is quite hard to convince the parents to send their girls to school because they have this idea that a girl doesn’t need education. And even when they value girls’ education, they need their help in the fields. Those people live way under the poverty line. There is no electricity. The familly often shares the same and unique room of the house.
One of the ways to convince the parents is to provide them incentives such as uniforms, books, shoes, three meals a day and bicycles. In addition, PPES came up with this fantastic idea of giving 10 rupees for each day a girl attends school. But the money is not given to the parents or to the girl directly. PPES deposits it in a bank account that students will access upon graduation, after 21 years old or after geting married (after they are 18 years old).
Isn’t it great?! I simply love it!
I remember the first day I went to the PPES school, months before starting to work with Pardada Pardadi. It was so special that few months later, I left my corporate job and became a full-time member of the Pardada Pardadi family!
I knew I wanted to make an impact! I wanted to change lives of hundreds of little girls. Guess what, I am trying hard to make the change happen... but in the meanwhile, it’s Pardada Pardadi who changed my life! For the first time in a long time I can say that I love what I am doing!
My lovely organization is currently participating in the Global Giving Challenge, the internationally recognized online marketplace for charity. Global Giving helps donors to find projects the care about.
In order to win a permanent spot on the website, we need to raise $4000 from at least 50 unique donors. Help us!!! Every donation helps and makes a difference.
Donate and start making an impact!
How to help further:
- Send an e-mail or sms to your friends/family and tell them about us. Ask them to suport us!
- Blog about us and add our widget on your blog/site
- Follow us on Twitter and tweet about about us!
- Don't forget to become Pardada Pardadi's friend on Facebook and send messages to all your friends
- Subscribe to our bi-monthly newsletter on our site and send it to your colleagues and friends
- Add a supportive sentence and our GlobalGiving profile link to your personal and professional e-mail signature. As an example: "I am supporting Pardada Pardadi in the GlobaGiving Challenge"
Pictures of my first visit to PPGVS
Some of you might not know it yet but I have a new job! Yes, finally I think I found the one job that is close to what I would call a “dream job”.
I am the communication manager of an NGO called Pardada Pardadi Educational Society. Our mission is to empower and uplift girls from rural areas in order to create a new generation of socially and financially independent women.
Currently, over 1000 girls attend Pardada Pardadi Girls Vocational School in Anupshahar (Uttar Pradesh, India). Not only, they learn subjects such as Maths and English, but also and they develop vocational skills in home textile work. The home furnishings produced as part as the student’s vocational training are then sold in order to generate revenues to the school.
I go every month to the village and try to spend at least 1 week with my new friends. After 1.5 years of being in India, I am finally going to learn Hindi. The girls have decided that they should teach me! It is really a great fun to see those little girls having time to enjoy their childhood! You might not believe it but in such villages, it is common to find girls who get married at 14 years old! And still there is a lot of girl child infanticide!
It is quite hard to convince the parents to send their girls to school because they have this idea that a girl doesn’t need education. And even when they value girls’ education, they need their help in the fields. Those people live way under the poverty line. There is no electricity. The familly often shares the same and unique room of the house.
One of the ways to convince the parents is to provide them incentives such as uniforms, books, shoes, three meals a day and bicycles. In addition, PPES came up with this fantastic idea of giving 10 rupees for each day a girl attends school. But the money is not given to the parents or to the girl directly. PPES deposits it in a bank account that students will access upon graduation, after 21 years old or after geting married (after they are 18 years old).
Isn’t it great?! I simply love it!
I remember the first day I went to the PPES school, months before starting to work with Pardada Pardadi. It was so special that few months later, I left my corporate job and became a full-time member of the Pardada Pardadi family!
I knew I wanted to make an impact! I wanted to change lives of hundreds of little girls. Guess what, I am trying hard to make the change happen... but in the meanwhile, it’s Pardada Pardadi who changed my life! For the first time in a long time I can say that I love what I am doing!
My lovely organization is currently participating in the Global Giving Challenge, the internationally recognized online marketplace for charity. Global Giving helps donors to find projects the care about.
In order to win a permanent spot on the website, we need to raise $4000 from at least 50 unique donors. Help us!!! Every donation helps and makes a difference.
Donate and start making an impact!
How to help further:
- Send an e-mail or sms to your friends/family and tell them about us. Ask them to suport us!
- Blog about us and add our widget on your blog/site
- Follow us on Twitter and tweet about about us!
- Don't forget to become Pardada Pardadi's friend on Facebook and send messages to all your friends
- Subscribe to our bi-monthly newsletter on our site and send it to your colleagues and friends
- Add a supportive sentence and our GlobalGiving profile link to your personal and professional e-mail signature. As an example: "I am supporting Pardada Pardadi in the GlobaGiving Challenge"
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