dimanche 9 septembre 2007

Namaste everyone,

I hope that you are doing well and that your summer was good. It’s been a while since I’ve sent any news, but I intend to fix that right away.

In my last newsletter, I related my experience hitchhiking in China and crossing Tibet, which wasn’t easy but very interesting. Today, after 5 months spent on the Indian sub-continent, I would like to give you a quick synthesis of my experience. Those who are interested in more details will find what you are looking for on my internet site at the following address : www.ludovichubler.com.

India, country of extremes

The biggest democracy in the world with more than 1 billion inhabitants, and soon to become (around 2030) the most populous country in the world, India is a place that doesn’t leave anyone indifferent. Its spirituality, its philosophy of life, the misery of a large proportion of its population, and its dirty and overpopulated cities are sufficient to make a strong impression on every visitor. India is impressive, but also exhausting. 5 plus months of hitchhiking in this country tired me out more than 4 plus years on the roads of the world, above all thanks to the untenable humidity and heat which sometimes reaches 50 degrees Celsius. Trucks were often like ovens, from which I emerged lighter by several kilos...

During my time in India, I had occasion to see different facets of the country. Here is a quick synopsis. You will find more details on my internet site.

Dynamic India

With a GDP growth of more than 8% per year, India is progressively becoming a real world power. My stays in Bombay and in the South of the country (Bangalore, Chennai) allowed me to visit the India of tomorrow : the India that will count more software engineers than the Silicon Valley, the India that today does activities outsourced by American, English, or French companies, but that tomorrow will create them, etc. Notably, my time in the city of Bangalore, the world capital of outsourcing, allowed me to go and visit call centers and other business working for American clients at a cost 4 or 5 times less than in the West. I would strongly encourage you to read my report of my time in the world of the BPO (Business process outsourcing) by clicking on the following link : .

Below, a photo taken in Bangalore during a course on "accent neutralization" that I attended, which enables young Indian to make themselves better understood on the telephone.

Poor India

Even if the emergence of a middle class of some 400 million people is indisputable, it cannot be forgotten that many hundreds of millions of others live in misery, piled up, one upon the other, in immense slums. Unfortunately, these life conditions are not improving despite current economic growth. During my time in India, I had the opportunity to interact with this population, notably by visiting numerous NGOs. The most exposure came from my time spent volunteering in Mother Theresa’s mission in Calcutta. This was a unique experience that was very rewarding. I would encourage you to read my summary account "the poorest among the poor" by clicking the following link :

The photo below is of the center where I stayed while doing a bit of volunteering.

Below, a photo taken in the city of Calcutta

  3rd "NGO discussion day" : Similarly to what I did in the cities of San Salvador (Central America, October 11th 2004) and Jakarta (Indonesia, September 16th 2006), I took advantage of my Indian stay to organize a new NGO discussion day. On August 11th 2007, 31 people coming from 17 different NGOs that work on the improvement of educational levels and quality of life in under-developed communities gathered in the city of New Delhi around a table. The objective of this one-day workshop was to enable NGOs’ managers to get to know each other and to help them find better ways to work together and possibly reach synergies (1+1=3). For further details about this event, please click on the following link.

Photos taken during this NGO discussion day below.

Spiritual India

In India, spirituality is everywhere. Wander for a few minutes in the city centre of Delhi, Calcutta, Bombay, or in any city, and you will pass numerous Hindu shrines on every street corner dedicated to Krishna, Vishnu, Shiva, Ganesh, or one of the innumerable other gods of this religion. Find yourself in Varanasi (ex-Benares), an important Hindu holy place, and you will see to what extent the spirituality is at the heart of the lives of uncountable Indians.

Below, several photos taken at Varanasi on the banks of the Ganges, a river which is both sacred and very polluted, in which the locals bathe themselves and from which they even drink without restraint.

A photo of a prayer shrine in a house. Most houses in India have a place set aside for worship and spirituality.

Below, a photo with the Sadhus, men considered holy in the Hindu world.

India made certain I encountered her various faces. One one side, that of a welcoming country, where visitors, especially foreigners, are considered like veritable gods and treated as such. Below, several photos showing this excellent welcome ...

On the other side, that of a country where the competition between locals is constant, and where the words "respect" and "organization" have little meaning (lines ups are not respected, driving is erratic, there is little politeness,etc).

By clicking on this link you will find 10 aspects of India that pleased me, and 10 aspects that disappointed me :

Below, the map of the route I traveled in India .

I will now travel toward the North of India then enter Pakistan. I will update you on intended route through the Middle East in my next newsletter, which I will send next month.

Before finishing, a photo of the incomparable Taj Mahal, the architectural marvel situated in the city of Agra, to the south of Delhi, and several photos taken during conferences I gave in India.

Have a great day

Ludo

Web www.sekoyamag.com

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