Hello again friends, and welcome to a very special edition of The Weekly Reader. I am writing to you today from the other side of the world on the sub-continent of India. While this country is splendid in a great many ways (or a ‘lot many,’ as the locals like to say), there is one thing it is decidedly not good for: watching ice hockey. So unfortunately, while my playoff crush Vancouver Canucks have taken a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven Stanley Cup Finals series against Boston, I have only been able to follow the action through the occasional scoring update via an intermittent WiFi connection. So rather than try to tell you things I don’t know about the NHL action, let me tell you instead some things I’ve learned about India.
It turns out that hockey is actually quite well-known here — it’s the national sport of India — but not the kind played on ice. In fact, despite reports that the temperature in Delhi where I spent the last week gets down as low as the 40s during winter, I personally doubt that this part of Northern India has ever seen a solitary ice crystal. I say that because the June heat in the region is more unforgivably hot than any weather I’ve ever experienced. When the temperature is 110 and the sun is beating down on the sandy surface, the fact that it’s a ‘dry heat’ isn’t much consolation. The air is so hot that both the surface of the sun and the depths of hell are jealous. You appreciate the breathtaking beauty of Taj Mahal even more when you think about the tens of thousands of laborers who must’ve shriveled-up like raisins building it.
I have learned much about the culture and history of India in my time here. From ancient kings fighting wars with each other over territory to foreign invaders from the Mongols to the Persians to the English, these lands have changed hands on many occasions. Some of the most fascinating attractions for sight-seeing are the many forts and palaces which have stood hundreds of years in defense of their occupants. It wasn’t until 1947 when India would finally declare its independence from British rule, with one nice residual effect for an American visitor being that it is very friendly to English. It is said that every few kilometers the local language and food will change, which is a testament to how diverse the culture really is here.
You can’t have a discussion about India without mentioning the population….and let me tell you, there are a LOT of people in this country! The urban areas stretch on forever, with every nook and cranny being stuffed full of people. This is most noticeable on the roadways, which are often narrow and always full of cars. The funniest part is that the rules of traffic as we know them just simply do not apply. It’s every man for himself on the streets of India….or should I say, it’s the man, his wife riding sideways on the back of his motorbike, and their kids sitting on the gas tank in front of him, for themselves. I’m not sure why anyone bothers to paint lines on the surface of the road, as it’s the number of cars which can be squeezed across the width of the roadways that dictate the number of mini-lanes in which traffic operates. The best description I can offer is that it’s like a game of tetris which happens all at once. The game pieces of varying shapes and sizes are the cars, trucks, motorcycles, auto rickshaws (small three-wheeled taxis which are everywhere), and other various vehicles which are simultaneously rushing towards the next jam; each one twisting and weaving and contorting itself until all the components finally fit together in one perfectly-interlocking blob. Only in this version, the complete rows don’t disappear and clear space for what else is coming up behind.
I could carry on forever talking about how different India is from what I’m used to. The climate, the congestion, the traffic, the culture, the religion, the food. But in closing, let me tell you what I’ve discovered is just the same: the people and the friendships. I came to Delhi on business as the client of a group doing systems development for my team back in the US. But by the time I left on Saturday, I had gained many new friendships which I will cherish for the rest of my life. A special thanks to the whole gang here who set aside much of their own time to show me around and make this such an incredibly rewarding and enjoyable experience. Your kindness and your hospitality will not soon be forgotten.
Be sure to check back with Fire That Cannon regularly for lots of news and notes regarding the Columbus Blue Jackets, the NHL, and whatever other fun Mary and Joe are having. Also check out the Fansided network’s coverage of the NHL and Stanley Cup Finals at the following sites: Too Many Men on the Site, Boston Bruins’ Causeway Crowd, and the Vancouver Canucks’ The Canuck Way.