Posted in medicine on Feb 1st, 2008
When I was about 15, I went to New Delhi to visit my grandparents. After the customary murgh masala and tea binge, my grandfather pulled me quietly into his room. He touched my face with his index finger, tracing the constellation of acne that gave my face its unique topography.
He mumbled a few words, smiled, […]
Posted in music on Jan 29th, 2008
India boasts the world’s second fastest-growing economy and its second biggest populous. It’s home to the world’s oldest temples, fanciest resorts and tastiest restaurants (including Bill Clinton’s favorite).
But, just yesterday, once and for all, they finally hoisted themselves onto the world stage. And all it took was a little R-E-S-P-E-C-T.
By the powers that be — […]
Posted in prostitution, food on Jan 28th, 2008
On one side of the Himalayas, a country’s economy is blowing up. India’s awakening is the new American Dream. Pakistan, however, is not exactly stretching to pat their prodigal brother on the back. While India beams over IT services and semiconductors, Pakistan is brick-and-mortared by fertilizer, cement speculation and steel surpluses. Meanwhile, their docks load […]
Posted in fashion, immigration, children on Jan 25th, 2008
In middle school, people called me “Boooudha Booudha,” “Sand nigger,” “Apu,” “Towel head.” And now, as if some magical carpet sprinkled tandoori dust and sumac over America’s strip malls, all of a sudden, it’s cool to be brown.
Urban Outfitters is on board. They’re carrying head scarves. Comedy Central is all over it. They’re recruiting Arab […]
Posted in video games on Jan 19th, 2008
Little Arab kids’ll loose sleep over it. Late at night, lying in their beds, they’ll replay the game in their head. Every mistake mangled and magnified by over-joysticked thumbs. Every last instruction recanted with the tireless devotion of a…
Wait a minute — a good muslim?
That’s the hope at least. Developers and businessmen from across the […]
Posted in food on Jan 15th, 2008
On this auspicious day, everything is a little sweeter than normal on the Indian subcontinent. The country — and especially the agricultural state of Tamil Nadu — celebrates the final day of Pongal, a feast commemorating the end of harvest season. Sort of like a candied, vegetarian Thanksgiving. In true Indian fashion, everything during Pongal […]
Posted in transportation on Jan 14th, 2008
On the wings of my recent Indian asphalt survey, and with the news of Tata Motor’s new uber-cheap Nano car, I’ve been dreaming up crazy things for Indian automotive: IndianTaxiWebcam.com, HornOkPlease T-Shirts and bumper stickers, CabbieWag.com.
Cabs are the petri-dish of developing India — and I’m obsessed with the untapped layers of human sediment that must […]
Posted in transportation on Jan 13th, 2008
After some hairy driving this weekend, Brownie was reminded of his first trip to Mumbai. I had taken some friends who had never been to India before. To get home from the airport, we took an old British-style taxi with the standard mustachioed man behind the wheel.
The black and voluptuous vehicle skirted around the fringes […]
In the days after 9/11, we Americans huddled together and told one another that if we give up on everyday life — and the soy mocha frappuccino lattes that get us through them — then the terrorists win. We had to go through the motions. It felt unnatural at first. But the mind is plastic.
After […]
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