First of all, I’m not the one assuming that snake charmers, brick-carrying donkeys and limited electricity are backwards. YOU are assuming that because that is what you think and that is what you are ashamed of.

Really! So using animals for labor instead of loaders and trucks is progress? I guess the whole industrial revolution wasn’t really a step forward?

You are right- I am not proud of the backwardness, the poverty and hunger that exists in rural India.

I hereby with the powers bestowed upon me as the self appointed president of the Akhal Bharathiya Sanskriti Aur Sampradhay Samiti designate you as official spokesperson of Desilog in Desiland Janata

Honour humbly accepted, dhanyavad.

I hereby with the powers bestowed upon me as the self appointed president of the Akhal Bharathiya Sanskriti Aur Sampradhay Samiti designate you as official spokesperson of Desilog in Desiland Janata

I’ll pose a similar question as Kurma, why can’t someone watch TV AND watch a snake charming performance? They can, and they do. Alot of people.

First of all, I’m not the one assuming that snake charmers, brick-carrying donkeys and limited electricity are backwards. YOU are assuming that because that is what you think and that is what you are ashamed of.

I’m not. It’s all part of normal life in India.

Your suggestion that I spend more time in the cities – for what exactly? Slightly higher access to electricity? Multi-plex theatres with AC? What benefit would I get from spending more time in metros? What’s wrong with the small towns and villages?

That being said, I do spend quite a lot of time in Delhi. Again, the electricity is not 24/7, donkeys still carry bricks there, cows still roam the streets, and yes, there is an occaisonal “gypsy” carrying a wicker basket — guess what’s in the basket? A cobra.

Pardesi Gori, First of all accept my sincere apologies. I only take issue with your “selective reporting bias” and not with you.

However, I bet if someone would only look at the quality of life in rural Arkansas and Alabama, that would make the US seem very backward indeed. Maybe you need to explore the Indian cities more?

Kurma, I was actually responding to PG’s assertion about people using snake charmers for entertainment…

I concur with most of your observations because I have lived the life and still do when I am visiting India. And believe me, I am not ashamed of anything Indian. Since technology leapfrogs over infrastructure, you do see in the “gulleys” of Banaras a street vendor with a basket of vegetables on his head and a cell phone stuck in his ear. Doesn’t make India any worse. Heck, I would take 8.9% annual GDP growth and the strong fundamentals fueling the Indian economy over our mature US economy anyday. Besides, a nation’s or a culture’s worth need not be measured by its economy.

I got a kick out of that term, hi-fi. I understood what it meant. By the way, which UP city? Not Banaras, is it?

Are you by any chance White Trash from this post as the tone is awfully similar.