See ya India!

Well the pain is over.. and I have finished my MCSE course and am on my way to Bali!!!!!

Right now I'm sat in a flat in Mumbai waiting for my flight out early tomorrow morning, As I approach the end of my stay in India, I thought I’d summarise my feelings toward Shimla and this diverse and thought provoking country.

The lovely colonial hill-station of Shimla, perched high in the spectacular Himalayan Mountains provokes a mixture of emotions. I’m surrounded by strikingly tall pine trees pointing to blue skies full of graceful birds arching their way through the cool mountain air. The distant hills on a clear day reveal even higher snow-capped peaks just waiting for the adventurous explorer.

I’ve been here long enough to investigate my surroundings and soak-up local atmosphere. Not wanting to be quick to judge, I relegated my initial impressions to the back shelf. The place reminded me in parts of tawdry seaside resort, with diminutive bazaars touting kitsch to the tourist family-groups, shuffling wearily between rows of street-sellers with their bright pink candy floss, balloons, novelty toys and snack stalls.

I expected a picturesque hill-station in the mountains and instead there’s just an less than attractive blot on the landscape. The once lovely town is now reeling under the weight of ever increasing tourism. Shops, houses and hotels are squeezed into every conceivable location, there’s hardly a view of surrounding mountains which does not contain shabby buildings clung to the hillsides. Between buildings, if a space is to be had then it will be full with rubbish, rubble or ruin of some kind. The plastic bag population seems to multiply in India along with the number of people.

Regular road-shows and concerts are robbing the environment of its charm, the Mall was an area where people could enjoy a peaceful stroll in the evenings, but now you are more likely to hear someone screaming on a microphone and have to push through human traffic jams, making it a hassle to move around.

I’m disappointed, I expected more. Some of my friends back home were, I know, preparing to hear reports on remnants of surviving colonial influence on town planning and construction, atmosphere and taste. Instead Shimla is now an example of how to take a step backwards in town planning, and I suspect as in the rest of India, it’s a case involving corrupt officials and developers’ greed.

Quite frankly India is starting to wear me down, from my initial excitement the surroundings have started to quash my usual bright and optimistic outlook. The oppressive crowded and noisy environment, the hoards of people, the hocking-up and spitting everywhere, the smells and the heat, the pollution, the general ugliness, the lack of personal space, the stares, the cramped-conditions, the dirty drains, the insensitivity and sometimes thoughtlessness of people, the constant fight to walk down the street, drive anywhere, shop, get on or off a train or bus all come together to outweigh all other things. It aint a novelty no more.

There are diamonds in the rough, and brilliant ones at that. You can be prepared to have your breath taken away any number of times by endless encounters. India is a colour palate of experiences, but the impact of these things is artificially elevated by the grimness of the surroundings. People tend to romanticise India, but I can’t think of anywhere less romantic. Clearly I’ve only touched the surface of such a huge land, and perhaps I’m being unfair or quick to judge, but right now the way I feel is that what I have seen does not inspire me to dig too much deeper.

.. though I expect I'll feel differently after I've left :)

Monkey Business

There seems to be a dual population in Shimla, the alternative inhabitants swing from trees. Not only do they swing from trees they sit on benches, window ledges and chimney pots. They pad nonchalantly along the roads occasionally stopping to inspect their fingernails or chat to a friend.

On my morning walk to class today one little fella was sat munching on a corn cob. He finished his meal and then sat there with his hands held aloft clearly in need of a finger bowl.

I don’t need an alarm clock here. There is a juvenile group that meet for their morning aerobics in the tree outside my window at 6am every day. They play a game which seems to involve rebounding on my balcony window as much as possible. I tried to join in once and that’s the first time I’ve seen them laugh.

Also they charge an exorbitant amount for their picture taking.

The other morning, sticking to my usual ritual, I opened my balcony door and savoured the morning air (no pongy smells this morning for a change), then put the kettle on and charged into the bathroom for my shower. I had previously been shopping and arranged some fruit on the table, bananas, pears, and a half pound mango just ripening nicely. You can guess what scene awaited me when I came out of the bathroom, 2 full families of monkeys were passing the time of day chomping on my bananas and chucking the skins all around the room. Wouldn't mind much bit it meant I went without breakfast, and my half pound mango had disappeared as well!

Hmm, definitely a bunch of Cheeky Monkeys.

Just like home

The rains begin in Shimla.

After recent news of flooding in Mumbai, Shimla and its surrounding areas were lashed by quite a storm as I walked home from class the day before yesterday.

Its great to be here, 2000m high and cool, if not dry, after the heat of the summer in the rest of India. The rain reminds me of home, hmm. Now, if only I could get a pint or Guiness and cheese and pickle sandwich....