...... 1 in 5 people in the world are Chinese.
There are 5 people in my family, so it must be one of them.
It's either my mum or my Dad, or my older Brother Colin,
or my younger Brother Ho-Cha-Chu?
But I think its Colin...
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Up close and personal with H/Bollywood
Last night we attended an evening with Ashley Judd of Hollywood fame, who is in India increasing awareness of HIV and the problems faced by the spread of the virus through the sex workers of India. The scary stat of the night is that married women in their 20's are the fastest growing group with HIV in India. Safe sex is not seen as a priority by the men, they are the ones paying they make the rules. An advertising blitz by the government both in print and TV is hoped to encourage men to take the lead in controlling the spread of HIV. The aim of the night was reached when Ashley Judd finished her speech, and the crowd was left to discuss the cause. Shaz jumped right in to talk about the possibilities and opportunities of helping in this crazy country.The night was great fun with a few of the who's who coming out to mingle with us. The up and coming actors were there early, the Moet was flowing and the beats were blasting from the 6th floor apartment in Malabar Hill, in the ritzy part of town. We were expecting a quiet night as we were told it would be a small group of 10 or so, but by midnight the apartment was packed with Bollywood B listers with a surprise visit from three of the top Bollywood blokes. For a while it seemed like a Bollywood film or music video was being shot in the apartment. One of the latest songs from a movie was playing and the actors all took position on the dance floor for an improv version of their parts in the film. It was brilliant!
3am on a school night and the party was winding down, the police made an appearance for some pockt money, the glasses were empty and we were wondering how we'd get home... as we are still very transportation challenged. On the street outside the apartment were all the nice new cars of the stars and not a cab to be seen.. so what else could we do..? "Anyone heading to Juhu??"
The next thing we know we were shifting a bottle of Bacardi off the back seat of a brand new Lexus 4x4 which, let me tell you, is much more comfortable that the local Westren Lines train we took to get to the party.
The owner Salman Khan decided he wanted to drive and there was a race through the empty Mumbai streets with a BMW 6 series convertible and a Porshe 4x4. We ended up at Salman Khan's house. Sharon and I looked at each other and thought what now..? It was my job to bring the bacardi in, so it looked like we were staying...He grabbed the Bacardi, poured a few and then showed the 3 car loads of people his new paintings.. It was a crazy night.. 4.30am now and its time to go but we couldn't leave without proof of the night..Now the pic may not seem like much at home, but on the Bollywood social scene, Sharon is in a pic with Indian Royalty! On the left is Hirthik Roshan and on the right Shah Rukh Khan
India... full of surprises...
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Laughter ;)
Monday, March 12, 2007
Much happens in a year...
A year ago on the 11th of March, Sharon and I took the plunge and got married! Wow a year!Quite a bit has happened with us and our family and friends over the last 12 months, relocations overseas for us it's India and others it's the UK, the joy of very welcome additions to the world with a few births and a few on the way, the sadness of loss of close family, a few more crazy couples were married, first days at school and everyone had a birthday some more special than others with the milestones of 60 and 30 hit by a few!
To all our family and friends who celebrated with us on the day or in the year since the big day, we thank you for enriching our lives with your gift of friendship and love.
Big thanks to Rachel and Matt of pascoe pop-art for making the canvas of the pic and getting it to India!
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Bombay Bliss
Well, it's been some time, but here I am. It's now March and Mumbai is starting to get hot. The dust seems to have increased and every single building around ours has decided to renovate. It's boom time in India and you can literally see the changing environment. It is a stark contrast to the filthy poor who insist on arriving on Mumbai's already crowded streets, leaving their rural lands for a better life. I wish I could tell them otherwise. This place is all about contrasts, the incredibly rich and the incredibly poor, the intensely rich coloured sari’s to full black burqa’s, the yellow Ferrari & white porch 4 wheel drive we often see racing up our road, to the bullock cart and 3 wheelers they beep at while dodging.
The unbelievable wealthy, step out of their magnificent homes, to roads that are pitiful (on a good day). The corruption somehow leads to bad roads. Those that do pay tax, do so unwillingly as, they don't have a say in where their tax dollars end up, there is no transparency in government, it's like winning the lottery when you get voted in, you are set up for life, as you'll be able to "take 90% for me, 9% for those around me & 1% for road improvement, oh, plus road contractor, if you I give you the job, you give me Rs xxxxx"...
I might do a little photo exhibition on the state of the roads in our suburb so you know why I’m harping on this, it is really very very bad. Road works are everywhere, they’ll dig a hole (by hand) patch it up (badly) and traffic jams will occur for the week or year it takes to fix. Mark has offered his technical services in our area, to the "juhu citizens society", but hasn't received any responses. It would be great to fix one suburb and see if others will aspire to do the same.
Somehow though, this city works, we could tell them how to be more productive, but the system works, it's all about to change, though I can't imagine how. The rickshaw drivers sleep in their rickshaws at night, the slum dwellers go to work, smiles are on the faces of the women cooking on the sides of the roads, kids don’t know any better than to shit and watch traffic go by, it seems the beggars and those on the streets are new to town or are part of a beggar racket. It is strictly advised not to give to beggars (by anyone Indian) & seriously, after a while, a tiny child holding a baby begging doest’t get sympathy from me anymore, instead it's annoying that they make me feel guilty, or that I have to quickly get to where I'm going, and the little filthy tugs, tug at my patience instead of my heart. Am I losing compassion? I’m taking the trains into town more often now and am a clear target, I can see them spot me, stop harassing an Indian and head to me. It's really very frustrating and I don't seem to ever get change from anyone, often they 'run out' and round up.
I’m surprised at how hard the poor actually do work, under Ghandi's leadership, no matter who you are or at what status you live, you must work, be proud of your job (there's pretty much always some one with a worse job than yours in this country). The street sweepers, the ladies who rummage through rubbish and sell scraps, the men in uniform who sleep whilst on guard duty, to the high society sari clad mothers boasting of the doctor & lawyer sons, to be employed is to be proud.
India is fast on track becoming a world leader, we’re pretty lucky to be here to watch the change (even if dust is in every molecule of my body) it will be very interesting to watch the change, and unlike China where they hide their poor and treat them like sub humans, India is different, their poor have dignity somehow, they are visible to the outsider, yet kind of invisible to the middle & upper classes. They co exist in two totally different worlds. The slums don’t pay any taxes, steal electricity and water yet have the same voting rights, and the politicians play dirty in gaining their votes. They live like rats yet have TV and cable, if an area is taken back by the government so it can be sold to a developer, the developer has to build a residential tower for the slum. (pretty basic I might add). No government, yet, is brave enough to eradicate the illegal slums as they’ll lose votes. It will be so interesting to watch.
I just wish Indians, the rich to the uneducated masses took some pride in their city. As Aussies, growing up with Clean up Australia Day, and the stiff fines for littering, we seem so offended by anyone dropping rubbish. Everyone litters here! It’s disgusting. The poor believe the ocean and rivers are natures rubbish dumps, bless nature, it takes the rubbish away for us. Any water way (usually lined by horrific smelling waterfront slum hutments) stinks to high heaven. I want to start a Mumbai Pride campaign. We were stoked to see the below in yesterdays front page however. The changing face of Bombay!
A night out at Leopolds.
Megan & Jason had an Indian wedding in February, it was Indian dress up to all of us, Mark and I were going come as an Indian chief and squaw. (couldn't find the costume). See the scarf I'm wearing? I must have dropped it getting out of the car, I've been looking everywhere. Wandering through Juhu village the other day, I saw a washer lady wearing it. Either our night watchman picked it up and gave it to her as a gift (everything we lose he 'puts away' for us, if we don't ask, it gets sold or given as contra for I can't image what!) or, she bought it off the rubbish ladies.
Megan & Jason, a bangle maker and moi.
The reception was the next night in Bangkok, on the 79th floor at V9. What a night it was, we met all of Jamie's expat and Thai friends and a couple of 'girl' singers. I don't remember too much past the singers (they must have spiked my drink), but apparently I had a ball.
The unbelievable wealthy, step out of their magnificent homes, to roads that are pitiful (on a good day). The corruption somehow leads to bad roads. Those that do pay tax, do so unwillingly as, they don't have a say in where their tax dollars end up, there is no transparency in government, it's like winning the lottery when you get voted in, you are set up for life, as you'll be able to "take 90% for me, 9% for those around me & 1% for road improvement, oh, plus road contractor, if you I give you the job, you give me Rs xxxxx"...
I might do a little photo exhibition on the state of the roads in our suburb so you know why I’m harping on this, it is really very very bad. Road works are everywhere, they’ll dig a hole (by hand) patch it up (badly) and traffic jams will occur for the week or year it takes to fix. Mark has offered his technical services in our area, to the "juhu citizens society", but hasn't received any responses. It would be great to fix one suburb and see if others will aspire to do the same.
Somehow though, this city works, we could tell them how to be more productive, but the system works, it's all about to change, though I can't imagine how. The rickshaw drivers sleep in their rickshaws at night, the slum dwellers go to work, smiles are on the faces of the women cooking on the sides of the roads, kids don’t know any better than to shit and watch traffic go by, it seems the beggars and those on the streets are new to town or are part of a beggar racket. It is strictly advised not to give to beggars (by anyone Indian) & seriously, after a while, a tiny child holding a baby begging doest’t get sympathy from me anymore, instead it's annoying that they make me feel guilty, or that I have to quickly get to where I'm going, and the little filthy tugs, tug at my patience instead of my heart. Am I losing compassion? I’m taking the trains into town more often now and am a clear target, I can see them spot me, stop harassing an Indian and head to me. It's really very frustrating and I don't seem to ever get change from anyone, often they 'run out' and round up.
I’m surprised at how hard the poor actually do work, under Ghandi's leadership, no matter who you are or at what status you live, you must work, be proud of your job (there's pretty much always some one with a worse job than yours in this country). The street sweepers, the ladies who rummage through rubbish and sell scraps, the men in uniform who sleep whilst on guard duty, to the high society sari clad mothers boasting of the doctor & lawyer sons, to be employed is to be proud.
India is fast on track becoming a world leader, we’re pretty lucky to be here to watch the change (even if dust is in every molecule of my body) it will be very interesting to watch the change, and unlike China where they hide their poor and treat them like sub humans, India is different, their poor have dignity somehow, they are visible to the outsider, yet kind of invisible to the middle & upper classes. They co exist in two totally different worlds. The slums don’t pay any taxes, steal electricity and water yet have the same voting rights, and the politicians play dirty in gaining their votes. They live like rats yet have TV and cable, if an area is taken back by the government so it can be sold to a developer, the developer has to build a residential tower for the slum. (pretty basic I might add). No government, yet, is brave enough to eradicate the illegal slums as they’ll lose votes. It will be so interesting to watch.
I just wish Indians, the rich to the uneducated masses took some pride in their city. As Aussies, growing up with Clean up Australia Day, and the stiff fines for littering, we seem so offended by anyone dropping rubbish. Everyone litters here! It’s disgusting. The poor believe the ocean and rivers are natures rubbish dumps, bless nature, it takes the rubbish away for us. Any water way (usually lined by horrific smelling waterfront slum hutments) stinks to high heaven. I want to start a Mumbai Pride campaign. We were stoked to see the below in yesterdays front page however. The changing face of Bombay!
Two weeks after arriving, my brother, David arrived. He went back home, quit his job, and returned, he’s doing yoga in Mysore! Jo Shaw came and went and now my folks are here, currently roaming around Rajasthan. This place gets into your blood as Jo & David will validate. Mark and I are keen to get on the road ourselves – and we will now as we have a Thunderbird! More on that later.
I have been flat out at work, and after 2 months of being here, we launched Gold Coast Tourism into India. We made the papers and even a 'hip & happening' TV show (After Hrs) on the best parties of the week.
The singer is Megan....a good friend who lives locally & is married to Jason, who works at the JW Marriott.
A night out at Leopolds.
Megan & Jason had an Indian wedding in February, it was Indian dress up to all of us, Mark and I were going come as an Indian chief and squaw. (couldn't find the costume). See the scarf I'm wearing? I must have dropped it getting out of the car, I've been looking everywhere. Wandering through Juhu village the other day, I saw a washer lady wearing it. Either our night watchman picked it up and gave it to her as a gift (everything we lose he 'puts away' for us, if we don't ask, it gets sold or given as contra for I can't image what!) or, she bought it off the rubbish ladies.
Megan & Jason, a bangle maker and moi.
After 2 hours sleep we were in a rickshaw (had to wake one up), and scooted off to Thailand for Jamie's wedding to beautiful Fon. We travelled to Sukathai for this very regal of weddings. It was a truly beautiful affair, poor Mark had to deal with Delhi Belly in Thailand.
I'm embaressed to admit, the food highlight was a good old beef burger. It's been awhile between cows.
The reception was the next night in Bangkok, on the 79th floor at V9. What a night it was, we met all of Jamie's expat and Thai friends and a couple of 'girl' singers. I don't remember too much past the singers (they must have spiked my drink), but apparently I had a ball.
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