Finally arriving in Gujarat after so many years, I had the great opportunity to question the beliefs I had long held about where I come from. Of course, all these thoughs relate to Ahmedabad, the largest and most progressive of all the Gujarati cities. I have no idea what Surat and Bhavnagar, along with any other places I may chose to visit, will have in store, and how they will differ. Still...Here are some thoughts:
1. Dude, this place is amazing. Well, at least the "progress" is, if you call "progress" the massive spread of shopping complexes, fancy and hip restaurants, malls, clubs, etc. Of course, you still can't get alcohol here, but I don't think that his hindered the growth. Also, I'm impressed by how many women wear jeans instead of traditional clothes. Furthermore, I was happily surprised to see so many young men and women stick together in groups of close-knit friends. So many women drive two-wheelers, sometimes having men sit behind them. I still envisioned a super-traditional society...not so. And technology has pervaded everything...nothing is safe from this sort of progress. Internet cafes are everywhere, as are televisions, mobile phones, and computers that rival what you can find in America. Really, I'm impressed.
2. This place is cleaner. Less air pollution, though it's still fairly bad. Mysore is still the worst I've seen. Ahmedabad is really improving, partly because of the forced conversion of autorikshas to CNG systems, which are more environmental than normal petrol. Mumbai has also implemented this. Seeing new green and yellow rikshas brings a smile to my face. This of course leads to my conclusion, which I previously knew, that if you fix the rikshas, you'll abate the pollution.
3. I can eat spicier foods than anyone in my family thus far. It's simply the strangest thing. I always thought that I couldn't eat such food compared to Gujus, but not so. Most people give me their food because it's too tikka for them.
4. It's nice to be in a place where I can read a lot of the words. Not only is there the occasional Hindi, but I can read about 2/3 of Gujarati words now...that's really helpful.
5. Alright, I'm sure I have more to say, but I'm really tired of blogging. So, that's it. Tomorrow, I leave for Surat.
Bas.
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