I have just been involved in 2 days of workshops being run by the centre which is hosting me. The Centre for Rural Development sits with the Research Centre for Women's Studies. The workshops were marking the first anniversary death of the woman who established the centre and played a significant role in the women's movement in India. There is a strong spirit of activism in the place, and they have been dealing with major issues of selective abortion of female foetuses, family planning rights, lack of access to education and employment, family violence etc. Over recent years the women's movement in India has begun working to redress caste based disadvantage.
Lectures at the workshops covered a broad range of issues, including Dalit literature, support networks for prostitutes, and the corporatisation and corruption of health care. (there are advertisements everywhere here for 'full body scanning') They are sure to find something wrong with you that needs fixing if you can afford it. I found the workshops really interesting and it was useful to be able to reflect on some of their practices and issues and how they relate to the issues of disadvantage in Australia and disability rights approaches. I have met up with academics from a number of schools here and from Uni of Mumbai. Have arranged to give presentations to students in the school of educational technology, the centre for rural development, special education, and the Centre for the study of Social Inclusion.
The Ganeesh festival finished a couple of nights ago. All the really big Ganeesh statues were wheeled to the beach by large processions, lots of fireworks, smoke and noise. In the evening the beach was jam packed with people as far as the eye could see. Everyone seemed a bit flat once it was over.
Yesterday I was on the road with people from the Unit here visiting the Uni of Mumbai which has a large, pretty green campus not too far from where I am working. Attended a workshop in plush surrounds but had to navigate peak hour traffic back to SNDT. I should have walked, though the absence of footpaths makes that a challenge. the traffic seems to be almost total gridlock. It is amazing how resilient people can be, and the way they find to make do with what is. If road rules were observed no one would go anywhere. To make the roads carry about 10 times the potential traffic, lights have to be run, wrong sides of road and footpaths used, and horns used as the mechanism to make sure all this action is communicated quickly and crashes avoided. (though I have seen a couple of crashes)
Friday, September 24, 2010
Sunday, September 19, 2010
After a full week in Mumbai I am feeling settled into a nice routine. No longer feeling ovrwhelmed by crowds. Have moved into a relatively quiet area in Juhu which is near the beach and the University where Im working. I can walk the beach to work in about 40 minutes, but mostly catch a bus or rickshaw. I have discovered that not all of Mumbai is jam packed with people, animals etc. There are some wealthy areas that have intact roads and footpaths and are less intensely crowded near where I am staying(no cows). I also discovered the central area of Colaba, which has lots of historic buildings, art galleries, parks and the Gateway to India a huge gate marking the arrival of brits in India. (see pic)
The Ganeesh festival is ongoing, with another 3 days to run. There will be a short break (15 days) and then a festival for Ganeesh's mother begins.. I wandered deep into some very tight and crowded back lanes last night and ended up very trapped by Ganeesh revellers carrying their offerings in large groups with incense and some kind of red chalk filling the air, groups of men drumming and women dancing. It was great except I started getting mobbed by young kids grabbing my hands and jumping round excitedly. When eventually I felt the need to get out of there it was a very slow process as there was no passing the processions which travel very slowly and filled the lanes.
Begging is a bit of a problem at times. Initially I was giving some small gift on occasion but ended up getting mobbed from all directions. I am now just offering a prayer which seems mostly to end the exchange. I was hasstled quite severly on the way back to my hotel Friday night by 3 young men who ended up trying to tackle me by the legs while one tried my pocket. Not a very nice experience as I ended up having to get quite forceful before they backed off.
Settling into the workspace. I have got internet sorted now and my host Veena is arriving back at the Uni tomorrow so will start introducing me around officially. Te University is interesting. Classrooms are set up like when I started school in the early 70s. Same wooden chairs and desks I think and just as hot as I remember, pre aircon. The staff in the Cenre for Rural Development are warmng to me I think. 3 of them were a bit worried about how I am getting around and decided to catch the bus with me on Thursday. I think they were worried as Id caught the wrong bus the day before(the only nubers I can read are on the back) and had to walk a bit. Very nice of them. I have been reading some interesting stuff in their library and like the way they position social extension (community development) as being one of the 3 functions of universities. (teaching, research and development) I think we may have once described the University role like that in Australia.
One highlight for me has been the lunch in the caf. Ive tried about quarter of the menu and haven't gone wrong yet. I have also become addicted to their sweet hot milk coffees. There are about 20 young people working in the caf cooking and serving tables. one big difference between countries is the number of people working in a job. There are lots of young people being pretty gently inducted into the workplace. Ive noticed lots of watching and being told how to do things. Even getting my hair cut there were two young boys wathcng on, being called to lean in and watch closely at particularly interesting points, then going back to sweeping or rearranging scissors. I think we could learn a bit in this space.
The Ganeesh festival is ongoing, with another 3 days to run. There will be a short break (15 days) and then a festival for Ganeesh's mother begins.. I wandered deep into some very tight and crowded back lanes last night and ended up very trapped by Ganeesh revellers carrying their offerings in large groups with incense and some kind of red chalk filling the air, groups of men drumming and women dancing. It was great except I started getting mobbed by young kids grabbing my hands and jumping round excitedly. When eventually I felt the need to get out of there it was a very slow process as there was no passing the processions which travel very slowly and filled the lanes.
Begging is a bit of a problem at times. Initially I was giving some small gift on occasion but ended up getting mobbed from all directions. I am now just offering a prayer which seems mostly to end the exchange. I was hasstled quite severly on the way back to my hotel Friday night by 3 young men who ended up trying to tackle me by the legs while one tried my pocket. Not a very nice experience as I ended up having to get quite forceful before they backed off.
Settling into the workspace. I have got internet sorted now and my host Veena is arriving back at the Uni tomorrow so will start introducing me around officially. Te University is interesting. Classrooms are set up like when I started school in the early 70s. Same wooden chairs and desks I think and just as hot as I remember, pre aircon. The staff in the Cenre for Rural Development are warmng to me I think. 3 of them were a bit worried about how I am getting around and decided to catch the bus with me on Thursday. I think they were worried as Id caught the wrong bus the day before(the only nubers I can read are on the back) and had to walk a bit. Very nice of them. I have been reading some interesting stuff in their library and like the way they position social extension (community development) as being one of the 3 functions of universities. (teaching, research and development) I think we may have once described the University role like that in Australia.
One highlight for me has been the lunch in the caf. Ive tried about quarter of the menu and haven't gone wrong yet. I have also become addicted to their sweet hot milk coffees. There are about 20 young people working in the caf cooking and serving tables. one big difference between countries is the number of people working in a job. There are lots of young people being pretty gently inducted into the workplace. Ive noticed lots of watching and being told how to do things. Even getting my hair cut there were two young boys wathcng on, being called to lean in and watch closely at particularly interesting points, then going back to sweeping or rearranging scissors. I think we could learn a bit in this space.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Next 3 things
Families singing in groups down the road, taking Ganeesh with offerings to the beach on carts with candles, incense and food. Everyone excited, yelling laughing and chanting in the evening.
TV commercial asking peope not to litter with a skit of someone throwing a peel out the window of a car and hitting a westerner. Seems quite absurd given the total environment here. There arent any toilets for people to use so there is bound to be some mess..
Having my haircut more carefully and meticulously than ever before. Even trimmed my eyebrows and ears...
TV commercial asking peope not to litter with a skit of someone throwing a peel out the window of a car and hitting a westerner. Seems quite absurd given the total environment here. There arent any toilets for people to use so there is bound to be some mess..
Having my haircut more carefully and meticulously than ever before. Even trimmed my eyebrows and ears...
three things
There are so many things going on in Mumbai I think it worth just picking 3 things a day.
First train trip from Khar where I am staying to Central Station CST.
Saw my first monkey at the station tied to a rope heading up the stairs with a small boy.
Man on the tracks dragging along a dead dog by a rope.
Shanty houses built over swamp everywhere, with people living along the tracks hanging clothes on wire, living under tarp.
First train trip from Khar where I am staying to Central Station CST.
Saw my first monkey at the station tied to a rope heading up the stairs with a small boy.
Man on the tracks dragging along a dead dog by a rope.
Shanty houses built over swamp everywhere, with people living along the tracks hanging clothes on wire, living under tarp.
Arriving in mumbai
Getting off the plane feeling pretty knackered and out into the hot bustle (28 degrees midnight, 4am Adl time) while queuing to get a ticket to go into a queue to get a prepaid taxi voucher I saw Sunil again. He gave me his card and very nicely said to give him a call if I ran into trouble while in Mumbai. I headed to a cab, little black thing, maybe 60s Austin. I had to hold my door handle to stop it falling in my lap all the time and we stopped every few minutes while the driver jumped out, opened my door, grabbed the water bottle under my seat and refilled the radiator. (can you believe it) I had google earthed the hotel I had booked and thought it near the airport, maybe 10 min. I was wrong. We drove and drove. I was feeling pretty sick. I didn’t mention but my beautiful son had been home sick from school coughing his guts up all over the house for the past week. I had asked him to try not coughing on me to no avail. I knew it was coming on the evening before I left, and felt pretty bad on the plane. Now I was aching and coughing and very tired... The incredible crowds on the road, seeming lack of any road rules and constant beeping and dodging of all except the unconcerned cows and dogs everywhere; sickness and fatigue all contributed to an overwhelming feeling of OMG what the hell have I got myself into...
I have travelled a fair bit in some pretty rough places, but a long time ago. I really wasn’t expecting the degree of culture shock and had made some wrong assumptions about the wealthy side to Mumbai I had read about. I did know 60% of the population live in slums, but I didn’t realise how pervasive the crowding, and poverty would be.. getting finally to my hotel in the middle of the busiest most cluttered narrow streets filled with dogs people sleeping and begging on broken footpaths, piled with rubble and rotting stuff.. i finally crashed into my room feeling very insecure and wondering how the hell I would last months here..
I have travelled a fair bit in some pretty rough places, but a long time ago. I really wasn’t expecting the degree of culture shock and had made some wrong assumptions about the wealthy side to Mumbai I had read about. I did know 60% of the population live in slums, but I didn’t realise how pervasive the crowding, and poverty would be.. getting finally to my hotel in the middle of the busiest most cluttered narrow streets filled with dogs people sleeping and begging on broken footpaths, piled with rubble and rotting stuff.. i finally crashed into my room feeling very insecure and wondering how the hell I would last months here..
Monday, September 13, 2010
Uneventful flight. Spent the 3 hours in transit at Changi airport chatting with a young engineer from Mumbai, intermittently interrupted to take photos of travelling couples (mainly Asians) wanting to be photographed sitting on a bridge over a fish pond we happened to be sitting by. The pond contained massive goldfish and was surrounded by what I took to be gaudy plastic multi coloured flowers. After chatting for a while and taking the odd snap, Sunil pointed out the plants imperfections (catipillar holes) and that they were real. , i’d forgotton what plants can look like when smothered in heat and water.
Sunil describes Mumbai; the only place to live as everywhere else is dull. Sunil also let me know I was arriving at just the right time as Ganeshi festival is starting tomorrow. Ganeshi he explained being the elephant headed god which scored its head when a jealous god had cut off his head in a rage over a tiff with someone else, and feeling guilty quickly stuck on the first head he could find. Time was of the essence for this type of surgery... Hense the elephant looking god. The moral of the story is something along the lines of new beginnings. You hang a ganeshi or pray to Ganeshi when something new starts like a new house or car Sunil explained. Sunil says he LIKES the gods stories but isn’t too much of a believer. Having been in Mumbai 2 days can see why he likes them. The Ganeshi festival runs for 10 days. Last night(Sunday) sitting outside a small diner with the street filled with cows, incense, families, women in saris, people, people, people.. and processions of carts of young men playing drums, women dancing, fire crackers banging and Ganeshi being wheeled along, bright and colourful, and lovely surrounded by flower candles and incense. AMAZING!!!. Having had moments of severe doubt about spending time here I suddenly felt this was the best place to be.. I didn’t mention It was a balmy night (of course) and I was eating probably the best food ever from this little shack..
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