28/ or rather 29 June—India Arrived @ Hotel Star Plaza. The drive here reminded me a lot of Tijuana: wide boulevards, crazy traffic circles, gated hotels next to half-finished construction. India is ahead of the U.S. in gated communities, but we are catching up. Glad I read The White Tiger before arriving. Saw the turn-off for Gurgaon, the area where he served as a driver. Also the India Gate with the statue of Gandhi lifting out the masses from the muck. [Correction: This is the Salt March statuary!] Which the main character disparaged. As I saw the empty cars with drivers hanging out nearby I also recalled the book. I saw people sleeping in the street, but that was not unusual in San Diego. It was only when we turned off the main street into the hotel neighborhood that the sight of stick figures sleeping on their rickshaws that the dramatic difference became apparent. I sat on the plane with a couple from Nepal who are devotees of Sai Baba, so we had an interesting conversation about him, their family, and Nepal. Kabita said the extremes of poverty were not as great in Nepal as they are in India—that people at least had food and shelter. [Her husband’s name was Krishna.] The hotel is nice, what I would expect for people on a budget like we are. I felt bad I had no rupees for tips. I tried in 2 airports in the U.S. to get some: one had no Indian rupees; the other advised against buying $10 worth, since the service charge was $9.95. Not to mention a lousy exchange rate. I wonder if the muzak will be on all night. . . . Well, it’s atmospheric anyway. Then again, I’m hearing something from outside. Don’t think it’s the muezzin since it’s 1:00 a.m. But I’m definitely not in Friday Harbor any more! Comments are closed.
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Author Rebecca Moore is Professor Emerita of Religious Studies at San Diego State University. She is currently Reviews Editor for Nova Religio: The Journal of Alternative and Emergent Religions and Co-Director of The Jonestown Institute. Archives
December 2021
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