Yesteryear's GPS

In a country with such a high saturation of technology, this scene struck me a bit by surprise. I guess this paperclipped map could help get the driver there. Road visibility might be something to consider. 

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Konark Temple - Ancient Sundial wonder

A shared post from a friend on Facebook reminded me about one of the amazing sites I visited in India - the Konark Sun Temple. A 13th century Hindu temple in Bhubaneswar, this UNESCO World Heritage site filled with incredible carvings, but its significance goes beyond this. 

In 2009, I wrote several blog posts about the temple, including one just on the wheel.  My guide had explained that the wheels could accurately determine the exact time and day, but he didn't go into many specifics. The video above includes a great deal more details about the wheels as a sundial, as well as other wheels that likely serve as a moondial.

According to the narrator, modern knowledge about the temple & its wheels is very limited, with much of its mysteries concealed by yogis. 

Hearing again about these ancient wonders puts me in awe. Such an incredible combination of knowledge and beauty. What kind of impression will future civilizations have of our current society?

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A "Sifty" Christmas Display

Seoul Station has a rather unique Christmasy sculptural display on its plaza. These columnar sculptures looked more substantial until I walked closer. To my surprise, they were constructed out of layered colanders. The plastic red and green utilitarian objects were plastic tied together. I presume the columns were weighted down and otherwise stabilized to prevent tipping by wind or vandals. 

Note the large LCD screens in the background, so typical of Seoul.

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Relic and Timeless Beauty

Yes, even in the highly modernized society in Seoul, these relics still exist. I don't recall ever seeing a Korean inside utilizing a phone booth. Not possessing a cell phone is virtually unheard of, with most citizens (even the older generations) sporting a smartphone. Soon our kids won't even know what these glass booths are for. 

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Our Own Personalized "Marching" Ants

November 21, 2000

Being in Africa, I've had to make some adjustments in how I store food, since there are quite an abundance of small ants. You'll see the tiny critters marching merrily along the cupboards, walls, etc., looking for food. They can even get in what I thought was a sealed ziplock bag! Anyway, it is also not uncommon to see the little critters at school. I even saw a couple crawling inside the clear front label of the new iMac computers. Mentioned it to the director, who didn't seem phased. Today, I went to make a change on an iMac and had to tip it to access the bottom. When doing that, I noticed something dark where a clear plastic cover was. Looking closer, I noticed movement - ants and a whole bunch of eggs - they had made a nest in the computer! That took the director's attention. We think the ants may have entered at the tiny holes in the base. Luckily, the space they were in seems quite well sealed (from the main guts of the computer). I checked a couple more computers next to that one and saw nothing. I then took a closer look at the computer I was projecting from - those couple of ants marching up the ethernet cord didn't look so innocent anymore. Sure enough, another nest. The janitors are going to check the rest tonight. Certainly I never thought of this computer dilemma!

Apologies for no photos

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A Bit of Mali

Beaded Dogon Woman - Oil
by Melissa Enderle

One of my projects this summer involved going through and scanning photos I had taken while living in Mali, West Africa. During the time I had taught there (2000-2002), I did not have a digital camera. So glad that changed, as I have taken a LOT of photos since then! Some of the photos made it into the Shutterfly book I made on Mali, just as I had created for Tunisia, Serbia, India, and my travels in Myanmar and Cambodia.

My time in Mali was also before I began blogging. Only those who were part of my email distribution list received my writings. Reading through some of them, I felt that perhaps a wider audience might be interested in some of my observations and discoveries while teaching and traveling in this poor, but fascinating country.

Stay tuned for more!

Click here to view this photo book larger

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Cutsey or Glitzy?

Cell phone covers and accessories are a big thing in Korea. From glitzy to cutsey to utilitarian, you can find them all, firmly clutched in the hands of smartphone users. Some of the cutsey ones are quite massive and bulky. Not my taste...

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Seoul Lotus Lantern Parade; Traditional with the Modern

Interspersed amongst the parade members wielding small lanterns and others banging drums were the large floats. Although traditional in theme, the sculpted hanji paper dragons, Buddhas, pagodas, haetae beasts, and elephants were also distinctively modern. Some of the exceptionally well-crafted pieces were animatronics; Dragons breathed out flames, rhinos appeared to walk, and an elephants moved their articulated trunks in and out. Truly magical. 

The next day, I saw some of the floats near the temple. Without illumination and the contrast of the night sky, they were still beautiful, but lacked the magic I had seen just hours before.  

See more floats from the Seoul 2013 Lotus Lantern Parade on my Flickr site. 

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The Basics of Modern Society

This morning I read an article in The Hindu newspaper entitled "Half of India's homes have cellphones, but not toilets" and cut it out to comment about it. Upon returning home from school, I had to wait until the two hour daily power cut was lifted before I could begin blogging about the topic. Once the power went back on, I was able to use the water filter, make some chai on my gas stove, and heat up some dinner in my microwave oven. The power went off briefly again, then the internet was down for a few minutes. Again, the power went off, forcing me to write in the dark (using my wonderful MacBook Pro) and without AC to counteract the high humidity of Chennai.

I looked back at the Census 2011 statistics highlighted in the article, comparing Indian residents in rural and urban areas. While the typical Indian household is cross-generational, 37% live in one-room households. I have three bedrooms and live alone. Only 17% of rural residents (and 62% urban) have tap water from a filtered source. Nearly half of all Indian households lack a toilet; I have three. Unlike most rural residents, I can cook my food over gas - and not with firewood. Less than 1% of rural households have a computer with internet (8.3% for urban); I have a laptop, smartphone, and iPad. Contrast this with cell phone statistics; nearly 50% of rural and 64% of urban households possess a cell phone. Walking through slum areas, I can attest to this high number - in fact, some young men in these areas try to master texting with the phone in one hand and answer a call with the other. Less than five percent (and surprisingly under 10% in urban) own a car or other four-wheel vehicle. Urbanites (35%) utilize a scooter/motorcycle, while 46% of rural households use a bicycle.

The power has just come on again, in time for me to hit publish - once my wireless is up and running. I have no right to complain, for I have access to more than almost all those living in India and in many developing countries.

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Chennai: Growth of Income, Increase in Pollution

Anyone who has lived in Chennai for even a few years can attest to the significant number of changes that have occurred in the city. It is no longer the sleepy fishing village present just 30 years ago. Industries such as the IT sector, automotive manufacturing, and cell phones have contributed to the rise of the middle class. Those with additional income desire to own a vehicle; public transport or bicycles are no longer satisfactory. In April 1998, there were only 975,915 vehicles. Twelve years later, that mushroomed to 2,658,083. From the months of April to September of this year, over 540,000 additional cars joined the already congested streets. 

While this means more Chennaites enjoying the freedoms of their private transport, it also brings with it an increase in pollution - both air and noise. Well over 20 years ago, vehicular emissions tests with certificates were enacted, but it hasn't been enforced. In the average emissions testing center in Chennai, only 200 vehicles undergo the test every month. Traffic police are starting to do some surprise checks, but with the fine of only 100 rupees $2.20, I doubt that such measures will bring much change.

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Twice the Reception

In India, cell phones are rather ubiquitous. I've seen gypsy-like people set down their huge bag of trash to answer their phone, cell phone conversations occurring in one-room shacks, and skinny grannies in the bus pull out cell phones from the blouse of their saris. Amidst the huge piles of flowers of the muddy street in the Georgetown area of Chennai, I happened to snap a shot of one vendor passing the time by simultaneously operating two cell phones.

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At the Golden Arches

As we were warned, the congested traffic of Bangalore quickly caught up to us. Its many one-way streets made it hard to navigate. Well-trained eyes spotted the “Golden Arches” of a McDonald’s, which would enable my friend to try out a Maharaja burger featured in a movie. Located in a still-unfinished shopping mall on the outskirts of Bangalore, this was one of 17 McDonald’s in Bangalore. To the right of the door framed by an arch of red and yellow balloons was good ‘ol Ronald himself, smiling on the bench and posing for photos as giggling Indians sat next to the statue or on his lap. The flame from a brass Hindu lamp reminded us that this was not the USA. Sari-clad grannies stared briefly at us before resuming munching on their fries. Young 20-something (many likely part of Bangalore’s booming IT industry) were rather oblivious, focused more on their cell phone conversation. Also curious as to what a Maharaja burger tasted like (and because there were no hamburgers to be found on the menu), I also ordered Maharaja Sandwich, along with some fries. It basically was a veggie burger with a slightly spiced sauce, a bit of lettuce and tomatoes. The burger was ok (a juicy hamburger with bacon and cheese would have been better), and the fries were fine. But we didn’t come here for the food; we came for the experience.

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Onward to Bangalore

Our ride to Bangalore revealed a familiar rural scene; a plethora of rice fields, interspersed with some sugar cane fields. People were busy working in the fields, some by hand, a few using a few tractors, and others utilizing cattle. Women sifted grain by hand. Men loaded straw onto already overflowing wagons. We passed by brightly painted bullock carts moving along the side of the road. On one, a man slept on top of a large mound of hay being hauled by two cows. Sleepy men dozed in an open truck full of produce. Large truckloads of thin branches passed us. Other trucks served as public transportation vehicles. The wider road took us through plenty of small towns, providing us brief glimpses of village life.

Bangalore greeted us with its many trees, gardens, and parks of various sizes. It had a decidedly more urban and westernized feel, with its larger sidewalks and collection of Western stores. With a population of around 6 million, Bangalore has grown over 35% in the last decade. It has been transformed from “The Garden City” to India’s Silicon Valley. A majority of call center calls make its way through this city once noted for its pleasant climate and parks. Construction of additional modern-looking IT and communications complexes continues on a massive scale.

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Technology in India

Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/25735051@N00/339450589

While reading an Indian photography magazine this evening, I came across some interesting technology statistics. They show how widespread technology is - in some aspects - while how deep the "digital divide" is in other aspects.

Mobile Phones:

• The number of mobile users in India will increase from 200 million to 400 million by 2010.
• The number of cell phones increases by 9.22 million each month (July 2008)
  
• Only 38.76 landlines are in place (July 2008)
  

Computers

• 6.5 million computers shipped in 2007 - a 20% annual growth
• 1.8 million laptop purchases in 2007, vs. only .98 million in 2006

Internet

• Growth in number of users from 2000 to 2007: 660%
• 40% growth (56 million in September 2007 up from 40 million in 2006) in the number of internet users
• However, this represents only 3.7% of the total population of India
• 4.57 million broadband users (June 2008)
  

IT Industry in India

• Exported $31 billion in software/services in 2006-2007 - a growth rate of 32.6%
• In the last 10 years, IT revenues grew tenfold, from $4.8 billion in 1997 to $47.8 billion currently.
• Projections for IT industry revenues for 2010 are anticipated at $60 billion.
  

Data source: Smart Photography, September 2008, p. 30-31,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communications_in_India

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Internet and Cell Phone Use in Serbia

Cell Phones in Serbia
For the first seven months I was in Serbia, I resisted getting a cell phone. I didn't see it as a "must-have" and certainly did not base my self-worth or importance on having one. Finally I succumbed and bought one. Once the phone itself was paid for, I found that costs were quite low. There were no monthly fees and a $15 card lasted my text messaging (I had to learn how to do that on a phone) and calls for about 3 months. Try to do that in the US! The phone card minutes method also ensures that you cannot go over your purchased amount, hence no huge cost surprises from chatty teens’ phones. You can even send a text message to the parking service, taking money off your phone card instead of plugging a meter. The reasonable rates and ease of adding minutes, and capped spending amounts make owning a phone commonplace.
Everyone from gradeschoolers to grannies in villages seems to have one. In the congested busses where you barely have room to stand, people still manage to answer a call or send the ubiquitous text message. As soon as the plane lands, everyone whips out their phones and makes a call – as if it’s a mandatory thing. According to a recent newspaper article, Serbia has 5.2 million mobile phone users out of a population of 7.5 million.

Internet Usage
Contrast that to Internet usage. According to 2006 statistics, only 24% of Serbians use the Internet – or about 1.5 million people. This rate is below former Yugoslav republics such as Slovenia (55.6%), Croatia (32%), and Macedonia (27%). It is ahead of Bosnia (20%), Montenegro (16%), and Albania (3%). Compare that to Sweden and Portugal, where about 75% of citizens use the Internet. Connectivity in rural areas is rare (about 12%) and only 17% of women use the Internet. Of those connected, about 77% are still using a dial-up connection. Even here in Belgrade, there are areas of the city where dial-up is the only option. Thankfully I have a cable modem connection, although its speeds are nothing to brag about. Proposed solutions include liberalizing the telecommunications market, government reaching out to threatened social groups, and an improved legislative framework that will encourage Internet usage through various measures. A healthy dose of competition would certainly help – that and some training in western customer service standards/expectations.

I also found the types of Internet usage interesting. Top three types of sites accessed include: music, education, and science. Religion, pornography, and politics nearly tied for the lowest rank.

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Our Own Personalized Marching Ants - 2000

Being in Africa, I've had to make some adjustments in how I store food, since there are quite an abundance of small ants. You'll see the tiny critters marching merrily along the cupboards, walls, etc., looking for food. They can even get in what I thought was a sealed ziplock bag! Anyway, it is also not uncommon to see the little critters at school. I even saw a couple crawling inside the clear front label of the new iMac computers. Mentioned it to the director, who didn't seem phased. Today, I went to make a change on an iMac and had to tip it to access the bottom. When doing that, I noticed something dark where a clear plastic cover was. Looking closer, I noticed movement - ants and a whole bunch of eggs - they had made a nest in the computer!
That took the director's attention. We think the ants may have entered at the tiny holes in the base. Luckily, the space they were in seems quite well sealed (from the main guts of the computer). I checked a couple more computers next to that one and saw nothing. I then took a closer look at the computer I was projecting from - those couple of ants marching up the ethernet cord didn't look so innocent anymore. Sure enough, another nest. The janitors are going to check the rest tonight. Certainly I never thought of this computer dilemma!

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