Feburary

 

Indian Head Shaking solved

 

 

 

Some News I missed while I was on Holidays

Gold rush hits Uttar Pradesh: Archaeologists drill for buried treasure after godman dreams of 1,000 tonnes of gold hidden beneath abandoned palace.

 



Villagers travel to visit Shobhan Sarkar's ashram. The godman has sparked a gold rush by claiming to have dreamed the location of buried treasure.

More Stories click the following link - Dream of gold leads to government excavation in India, but no gold.

Ten 'big facts' about India

India often attracts generalisations and stereotyping, but more often it defies them. After all, it is an enormous and varied place with the genetic, linguistic, culinary and sartorial diversity which are usually found in a continent. Sam Miller, a former BBC Delhi correspondent who has spent more than half his adult life in India, has chosen 10 'big' facts about India.

Tiffin Time in Mumbai

Every day, Mumbai's dabbawalas deliver some 200,000 tiffin boxes of freshly made food from homes to offices in the city. Satyaki Ghosh documented this highly organised trade that has been a feature of the city for more than a century. There are about 5,000 dabbawalas in the city. The day begins with the collection of tiffin tins from private homes. These are transported by bicycle to the train station. Click here for slideshow.

February

 

Language School

 

 

Back to Language school. Last year I passed my oral and listening exam but this year my primary focus is to pass my written exam. I find it easier to speak Hindi, but struggle with writing Hindi. I can read Hindi with a slow space. Going to school everyday confines me to a more disciplined life. I met some foreigner who are also learning Hindi. I made few foreign friends. I am pleased with language study so far. Personally, I have gained confidence in Language speaking. I can approach people and strike up a conversation easily. Like I said before, language learning is boring but it is very important.

 

My friends at the gym commended me on my spoken language. I was very encouraged to hear them say that my Hindi has improved a lot.  The English accent here is very different too. Learning these accent does improve communication between the local and I. I like to learn as much as I can, except I don't want to wobble my head when I speck Hindi. What about wobbling my head becomes a habit? My friends will laugh at me and tease me ...lol.

 

Summer
 

Summer is on her way. I can feel the temperature raising. However, after Holi [Indian festival] one will know and feel summer is already here. The temperature is expected to change in March. However, I did survive summer last year, I survived monsoon and I did survive winter. Locals say that there are four seasons in India - they are: Summer, winter, monsoon and wedding season. Wedding season is finished now. This year so far I got three wedding invites and I made sure I went to these weddings. I am just trying to make friends and learn the culture by participating in it.

The great thing about summer is that it is Mango season. I love Mangoes ...love it! Mangoes are quite cheap here. It is a healthy way to hydrate oneself.



India National Election
 

NEW DELHI — India’s national elections will begin on April 7 and continue on nine separate dates until May 12, with results expected to be announced on May 16, the Election Commission of India announced Wednesday.

 

The vote is the world’s largest, with 814 million eligible voters set to choose 543 members of the lower house of Parliament. This election is widely considered to be India’s most consequential since 1977.

 

No party is expected to win an outright majority in Parliament, although the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party and its leader, Narendra Modi, enjoy a substantial lead in opinion polls. A total of 272 seats are needed to elect a prime minister, and a potpourri of regional parties will probably be needed to get a majority.

 

Early polls suggest that the Gandhi family, which has dominated Indian politics for most of the country’s 67-year history, could suffer its worst defeat ever, with some surveys predicting a rout for the family’s party, Indian National Congress. A slowing economy and repeated corruption scandals have tarnished the family’s image.

But this year, both the Bharatiya Janata Party and a new entry, the Aam Asdmi Party, hope to break those patterns. The Bharatiya Janata Party expects its message of good governance and development to have vast appeal, and the Aam Aadmi Party has emphasized an anticorruption platform that has led to enthusiastic responses in diverse urban areas.

There are many states security has been tighten to combat anti-social behaviour. There will be a lot of campaigning and demonstration. We hope for a peaceful election

Accommodation

This year I will be flatting alone. Last year I had a flatmate but he has returned home. I will be moving in May to another place. One of my friend is going back home overseas for a year. They asked me to house sit for them. It  is a bit posh apartment, however I said yes and agreed that I will pay half of the rent.

Now this is not the picture of my accommodation, however, sometimes I wish I would go camping. Just find a nice spot for a weekend camp and have some quit time and time to myself. However, I have asked around and looked around, there isn't much ground for camping. Nationals hardly goes camping in India.
 

My Selfie

 

Everyone I am doing well. This is my current self portrait. Thank you for your support and encouragement. I wait in great anticipation what this new year will bring for me. I will keep you informed. I better sign off now. Feel free to leave any comments below.

God Bless you all
Ravi