Sunday, May 25, 2008

Exquisite Love: The Taj Mahal


Few words are necessary to introduce the Taj Mahal, the world's most famous monument to love.

I grew up in what I am firmly convinced is the most beautiful city in the world: Rome. I was used to seeing the majestic remnants of what once was the center of one of the most powerful empires ever existed, as a matter of daily life. So, no surprise if I have always thought that nothing could impress me.

However, the first time I saw the Taj Mahal I just stared at it, speechless and with tears in my eyes. I had never seen so much beauty in a building.

The Taj Mahal widely recognized and the finest example of Mughal art. It is dedicated to Arjumand Bano Begum also known as Mumtaz Mahal, wife of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan who was so in love with her that when she died of childbirth in 1631, he wanted to build something of such a beauty that would last for ever.
In 1983, UNESCO included the Taj Mahal along with the nearby Agra Fort in its list of World Heritage Sites.

In 1633, two years after Mumtaz Mahal 's death, work started on what was going to be the ultimate monument to eternal love. More than 20,000 people worked for 17 years to build the Taj Mahal.

Shah Jahan summoned the best architects and artisans of his time from as far away as Baghdad and Persia to erect a temple to love that would enchant hundreds of thousands of people for centuries to come.

The building is not as impressive for its size as it is for its exquisite architecture and perfect symmetry. The central body is a topped by a 35-meter high dome surrounded by four similar smaller domes. At the four corners of the plinth stand minarets. The minarets are slightly tilted outward so that if anything happened they would fall away from the main building. The four minarets have a purely ornamental function and are not used for religious purposes.

The whole construction is covered in white marble that it is less porous than that used in statues and it is less susceptible to corrosion and pollution. The fact that there are no factories in a radius of 50 kilometers and regular restoration works contribute to preserving the monument.

The whole edifice is inlaid in pietra dura of different colors. The same carving techniques are still used today by the descendants of the artisans that built the Taj Mahal for repair works. Their modern artifacts can be (unfortunately) seen in the many shops for tourists where your guide, rickshaw driver, bicycle wallah or taxi driver will take you whether you want or not.

For a more detailed description of the Taj Mahal and its history, click here.

GETTING THERE
If you are in Delhi, you can either opt for a day tour by bus (most hotels will be able to help you) or you can take the train. The Taj Express leaves early in the morning from Nizamuddin Station and the return train leaves Agra Cantonment Station in the late afternoon. It takes about two and a half hours each way. You'd be surprised at how efficient the Indian railway system is.
Once in Agra the best way to get to the Taj Mahal is to take an auto rickshaw. Ask the driver to go from the side access. It's a 10-15 minute drive form central Agra that will take you through a maze of small alleys and reveal an aspect of India that most of us do not want to think about.

WARNINGS
Whatever you do in India, never pay the price you are asked (except entrance fees to monuments). Bargaining is part of the culture. Just do not overdo it. Remember that 10 rupees (25 US cents) are nothing to us, but are a meal to them.

The driver will invariably tell you he knows a place where you can get silk, fabrics, carpets, jewels or anything else you may be looking for at a very low price. Usually they take you to a shop that pays them a commission, which ultimately you pay. And if something seems too good to be true… well you know…

At times, especially during peak tourist season, long lines form at the entrance of the Taj Mahal and other monuments. Someone is likely to approach you telling you they can get you in from a side entrance or help you skip the line. Again, common sense should prevail and if there really is another entrance don't you think people would be lining up there as well?

Once inside the chances of a guide approaching you to offer his/her services are very high. It's up to you. Some are good while some others just read from a guidebook.

Sunday, April 13, 2008

The mother of all own goals!!!!!

Soccer lovers, you can't miss this!!!

I was browsing Youtube and I found this hilarious own goal by a player of Hungarian club team FC Fehérvàr during the return match of the quarter final game of Magyar Kupa or Hungarian Cup between Debrecen VSC e FC Fehérvàr.

At about three minutes from the end, the referee assigns a penalty kick to Bebrecen. The score is 2-1 for Debrcem and a third goal would give the team a ticket to the semis.

Fehérvàr's goalie, Zsolt Sebök, makes the miracle and saves the penalty kick only to see his teammate Pavol Durica score ram in a great shot ... for the other team...

To see the video, with comment in Hungarian, click here.

Sorry, wrong runway... A true story!!

I thought this could only happen in movies!!

Location: Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai, India, aboard flight SQ421 from Mumbai to Singapore on April 11, 2008.

The flight was on time, boarding was proceeding smoothly. Once on board we were welcomed by the reassuring voice of the captain and the enchanting smiles of the flight attendants. Everything went by the manual and we left the gate five minutes before scheduled.

Then, it all began. After a wait of about 20 minutes on the taxiway, where we were treated to the sight of planes landing and taking off in front of us, the first announcement. At first it sounded like the too familiar "because of traffic congestion we will be a few minutes late." So far, no big deal.

Another 20 minutes or so go by and an angry captain starts saying "This is unbelievable," "I cannot believe it." He then tries to explain that the air traffic control (ATC) gave wrong directions and then he goes into some technical explanation of why we cannot take off from Runway 14, the one that had been assigned to our flight). He asks passengers to be patient -- as if we had any other choice -- and to wait a little bit more while he talks to ATC.

About an hour and a half after leaving the gate, the captain tells us that we have to go back to the gate and wait until the other runway, Runway 27, is available. He was furious. He kept saying "I have never seen anything like this," "It is unbelievable."

Once we were at the gate the captain explained what had happened. The plane, a B777-300 needs a full length runway to take off, but we were entering the runway at mid-point so the plane was supposed to go back and do a 180 degree turnaround to utilize the full length of the runway. However, because of the structure of the plane it was impossible to do the U-turn as there was some construction equipment near the runway and the pilot judged it to be too close to the runway to execute the maneuver safely. Moreover, the only way to access the runway at the top was to use two taxiways which were closed -- but not marked as such on the papers that the pilots receive from the airport authorities before the flight.

Result: We went back to the gate where we waited for about another hour until R27 was available. Total delay: three hours…

Unfortunately I have no way to hear the version of the ATC Mumbai, so I'll take the captain's word for it.

Sunday, April 06, 2008

Keeping the flickering flame of justice alive

April 28 marks the 32nd anniversary of a little known but landmark moment in the history of India and of the world's legal system.

For 21 months, between June 25, 1975 and March 21, 1977, President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, on request by then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, declared a State of Emergency under Article 352 of the Constitution of India. This in effect gave Gandhi the power to rule by decree, suspend elections and civil liberties.

It was then that the Indian Supreme Court was called to rule in the Jabalpur vs Shivkant Shukla case. The case centered on the legality of imprisoning people without court ruling. In a four-to-one decision, the court ruled that there was no recourse to courts in case a person was detained during emergency rule.

The contrarian voice, a thunder in the darkness of subservience to political power, was that of Justice Hans Raj Khanna, who passed away in February of this year at the age of 95.

Justice Khanna wrote in his dissenting opinion that the door of justice could never be shut for citizens, not even during the state of emergency. His courage and moral rectitude cost him the promotion to Chief Justice. When in January 1977 he was superseded for the post of Chief Justice, Khanna resigned.

In a brilliant essay entitled "Human Rights During Emergency" Soli J. Sorabjee, a former Attorney General of India, says that while civil rights may in exceptional circumstances be suspended, there are some fundamental rights, such as the right to life, the right to a fair trial and freedom from torture or cruel treatment, that cannot be suspended under any circumstances. Doing so "would destroy the basis of a civilized state and the rule of laws."

Let me quote the last paragraph of this essay: "It should never be forgotten that the ultimate justification for an emergency in a democratic State is to enable it to preserve vital values of a democratic society temporarily endangered on account of unexpected situations of exceptional gravity. Emergency cannot be declared for undermining the basis of democracy. […] In the absence of the Rule of Law, Lawlessness predominates, especially government lawlessness, when there is no authority to question government's action, no mechanism to control it and no institution to make it accountable and to check its excesses. However grave the emergency it should always be remembered that there exists an inseparable bond between legality, democratic institutions and the Rule of Law. Once that bond is severed, all ties with decent, civilised life have been severed and human beings become devoid of humanity."

On June 29, 2006, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the military commissions instituted by U.S. President George W. Bush to try terrorism suspects held at Guantanamo Bay were illegal. The administration turned to the Congress, which it controlled the time, to pass a law to allow the president to keep the commissions alive.

While the Supreme Court has so far been the only constraint for the Bush administration in its so-called "war on terror," it has refrained from ruling on the most controversial point: The legality of denying habeas corpus to the prisoners at Guantanamo.

Let's hope that the news of the passing away of Justice Khanna will remind the U.S. Supreme Court that their role is keep the flame of justice alive and put (belated and partial) remedy to one of the most shameful moments in U.S. history.

Sunday, March 30, 2008

Singaporeans: Common-sense Challenged or Simply Rude?

I have now been in Singapore for exactly six months and I take the MRT to go to work. I love taking the train. Apart from being cheaper than the cab, especially after the recent fare increase, it gives an accurate picture of the people of a country.

I think after six months I should not be upset any more, still I cannot understand why Singaporeans show such a lack of manners (or rather common sense) on trains when they otherwise behave fairly orderly in most other occasions.

Location: Any SMRT station during morning peak time. The doors open and people just rush in as if their lives depended on it. People trying to get off have to shove their way out.

Once you're in, half of the carriage is taken up by few people reading the paper as if they were in the comfort of their homes. They do not budge as if reading the paper on the train is an inalienable right.

Not to mention the loud music form music players or the continuous shouting into mobile phones.

At the same time, I often see young people giving their seats up if there is an elderly person or a pregnant woman. This contradictory behavior really puzzles me.

I also agree that many of the things I find annoying are not "uniquely" Singaporean. Sometimes, I think it is just lack of common sense, then I remember I'm in Singapore, the land of "kia su" (a term that can be translated as "fear of losing out"). Being the first to get on the train before anyone can get off must surely bring about something good… what? I have no clue. Maybe next time I'll ask.

On interesting fact: Doing a bit of research on the Web, I found out that in 1979, then-Prime Minister Lee Kwan Yew launched Singapore's first Courtesy Campaign. This was replaced in replaced in 2001 by the Singapore Kindness Movement.

I do not dare imagine what this place was like 29 years ago…

Monday, March 24, 2008

Iraq: Five Years on

As of March 23, 2008, a few days after the fifth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq by the "Coalition of the Willing," the U.S. military death toll has reached 4,000, according to the Iraq Coalition Casualty Count, an organization that tracks the casualty toll in Iraq. If you include fatalities from all the coalition's countries, the Grim Reaper's toll rises to 4,308, or an average of 2.35 a day since March 20, 2003 -- the beginning of the War in Iraq, according to the organization's Web site.

The Iraq Coalition Casualty Count Web site puts the Iraqi Security Forces and civilian toll at more than 48,000 dead since Jan. 2005 and it warns that the toll is likely to be much higher.

It all started when U.S. President George W. Bush decided to rid the world of a dictator, Saddam Hussein, and eliminate Iraq's weapons of mass destruction (WMD), which a UN report said were highly unlikely to exist and which were never found, because they were not there in the first place (for more details on the Iraq Survey Group findings click here). Based on inaccurate if not outright fake evidence of links between Saddam and Al-Qaeda, Mr. Bush ignoring history (the Vietnam War and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan) embarked on Operation Iraqi Freedom with the official intent to restore democracy in the country.

Restore democracy? When was Iraq a democracy in the first place? And does the U.S. really care about democracy? Maybe at home, though I would rather call it a plutocracy, but surely not overseas.

What the U.S. means by democracy is "a friendly government" willing to support America's mission to maintain the title of world heavyweight champion.If it really cared about implementing democracy in the Persian Gulf region, it would not support the regimes of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states most of which have monarchies or similar political systems -- many without an elective parliament. The U.S. is also the major arms supplier to the region. The U.S. supports the local rulers in exchange for oil, gas and "friendship."

One may argue that after 9/11 there haven't been any terrorist attacks on U.S. soil. That does not necessarily mean that the Bush government policy to bring war to Iraq was right. It only proves that there aren't that many terrorists out there trying to destroy America. Firearms are easily available, as the recent shootings in U.S. schools prove. What would stop a terrorist from walking in a crowded shopping mall and open fire? Surely not the "Surge" in Iraq.

The only tangible result of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom is that more people from all sides have been killed in these five years than Bin Laden or any other terrorist might have ever imagined or hoped for.

Unfortunately, the real winner of the match is not democracy but terrorism.

As two of the greatest men of all times, Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela, have proven, violence is not defeated by violence.

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Fragrances and flavors of India (1)

The pungent smell of freshly cut onions, the enveloping fragrance of masala and curry, the theme song from a Bollywood movie, the vendor peddling breakfast and chai, the man screaming (literally) into his mobile phone -- you know, the distance -- and the ear-piercing cries of a baby, were the smells and sounds that greeted me as the night compartment of the train from Agra to Jaipur was lazily coming back to life after the long night ride.

I just love it. Traveling across India by train is the best way to taste the myriads of flavors that the country has to offer.

From the green and hilly landscape of Uttar Pradesh to the dry desert of Rajastan it is like going to sleep into one world and waking up on a different planet. The only thing that makes you realize that it is just another facet of universe India is the omnipresent seller of chai (spiced milk tea), the national drink. Chai will keep you warm early in the morning while you wait for your -- usually late – train; chai will be there to greet you when you wake up in the morning; chai is the spark to a brief conversation with your fellow chai drinkers; chai will kiss you goodnight after a day of tribulations.

(A chai stall outside the Taj Mahal in Agra)



Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Singapore Air's new business class seats... F for FAIL!

After more than five hours of flight, we finally landed. I got up from my seat with a back pain.

Economy class syndrome? No, Singapore Airlines' new business class seat on a 777-300ER to Seoul!

I know. I shouldn't complain, and I am not, really. Just I feel that with all the money SIA has invested in the new seats, which the airline claims to be the widest in its class -- the fares it charges -- and with all the hype around the new seating arrangement, where all seats have access to the aisle, I expected something really... "unique".

Alas, the first "shock" was that the seats recline "only" about 45 degrees. The alternative is to call a flight attendant and ask to turn it into a flat bed. Fantastic if you are flying by night, impractical if you just want to take a short nap or just stretch a little. And about stretching, if you want to do it, you have to sit sideways. YES sideways... That's how I got my back ache...

Will I fly it again? Given a chance, any time. Much better that coach!

Monday, February 25, 2008

Colorful Chennai

Over the centuries, Chennai, the capital of India's southern state of Tamil Nadu, has grown from a fishing village into the fourth-largest city in India.

The city, also known as Madras, has not, however, lost its multicultural legacy, which ranges from the Pallavas to the Cholas, from the Mughals to the Portuguese, the Dutch and the British. Evidence is the range of architectural styles of the many historical buildings that dot the city.

One of the most representative examples of the local heritage is Kapaleeswarar temple, a fine example of Dravidian architecture.

This temple, located in the Mylapore district of Chennai, can be easily reached by taxi or three-wheeler from the city center.

As its name (not so obviously) suggests, the temple is consecrated to Lord Shiva. Kapalam means bowl [made out] of [a] skull and Easwara is another name of Shiva. According to Hindu mythology, at the dissolution of cosmos, all that remains is Lord Easwara holding a bowl of skull, from which the next cosmos will come out.

Kapaleeswarar, whose original structure dates back to the 13th century, was rebuilt by the Vijayanagar kings in the 16th century. Some say it was first built in the 7th century by the Pallava kings, on the site that now hosts Santhome Cathedral. The cathedral, about a mile from the temple, takes its name from the apostle St. Thomas, who is said to have lived and preached in the area in the middle of the 1st century AD.

The temple is painted every seven years in the bright colors of the Hindu tradition. However, according to my guide, the temple was repainted in 2006 (or 2007, he wasn't too sure) only two years after the regular maintenance as the local authorities were not satisfied with the results of the scheduled paint job. Whatever the reason, the temple looked gorgeous in its brilliance.

The most striking feature of this temple is the 37-meter-high gopuram, or pyramid-shaped tower, which is characteristic of Dravidian architecture. The gopuram is carved with intricate designs representing scenes from tales of the Hindu mythology.

Worth a visit to this temple are also the bronze statues of 63 nayanmars, or Shaivite saints that decorate the outer courtyard. The statues are carried in a parade throughout the city on the eighth day of the 10-day Arapattu Moovar festival, held each year between March and April. Another popular festival is Theppam, or float festival, held in late summer in the temple's vast tank.

Kapaleeswarar is a popular pilgrimage site for supposedly being the site of a miracle by Saint Gnanasambandar who sang a hymn to Lord Kapaleeswarar in order to resurrect a dead girl.

On a more cultural note, the temple is famous for being associated to
Thiruvalluvar, a 1st century BC Tamil poet-saint who supposedly wrote the Thirukkural, one of the most revered works of Tamil literature. The Thirukkural, or Sacred Couplets, is a collection of aphorisms and moral rules that has had a profound influence on the cultural debate of the region.

Last, a few words of advice. First, like in all Hindu temples, you are not allowed to bring your shoes in. You can leave them either outside the temple (at your own risk) or in the shed to the left of the temple's entrance. A tip when you pick them up is appreciated.

Second: once in the temple you are likely to be approached by a "student" who will start guiding you through the temple. They are pretty good guides so it's worth listening to them. At the end of the tour give 40-50 rupees per each member of the group. If the guide complains, do not waste your time. Just give him the money and say that if he is not happy the alternative is nothing. Never give them what they ask for, even if it seems a small sum.

I was approached by three "students." Only the first one got my attention and my money.




For more photos of the temple and its festivals, click here.

Friday, February 15, 2008

Here We Go Again

Here we go again. The U.S. says one thing and does the opposite. And of course it finds a perfectly (to them) reasonable explanation and justification.

The U.S. has announced it will shoot down a spy satellite of which it lost control. Only last year the U.S. administration strongly criticized China for conducting a similar operation aimed at testing an anti-satellite system.

It is hardly surprising that the Pentagon and the White House claim that the operation is done in the name of world safety as the satellite will go out of control and plunge into the atmosphere by the end of March. Hardly the first satellite to fall on Earth...

According to James Jeffrey, a national security adviser, Mr.
Bush has ordered to destroy the satellite because there is a greater chance of injuries to human beings beyond those usually associated with the re-entry of satellites into the atmosphere.

The satellite contains about 450 kilograms of hydrazine rocket fuel used in booster rockets. Hydrazine is a highly toxic chemical and can produce grave damages to humans. Hence the need to destroy it. True, but most of it would burn during re-entry.

The U.S. also claims that the difference between what the Chinese did and what the U.S. will do is that the satellite the U.S. plans to shoot down is on a lower orbit and will be hit when it is about to re-enter the atmosphere and all pieces of debris will be completely destroyed upon entering the atmosphere. After the Chinese experiment, several hundreds pieces of debris were tracked orbiting around the Earth posing a danger to other satellite.

Still, there is no assurance that there will be no big chunks of space trash left after the impact.

I am no satellite or space technology expert, so I take their word for good (sort of...). Still, I see no reason why the satellite could not be left to its fate and let burn on re-entry like all other satellites at the end of their life-cycle do.

I (and I am not alone here) believe there are further motives behind the move.

One is that as it is a spy satellite it is likely to contain sensitive data, software and/or hardware that the U.S. would not be happy to see fall in anyone's hands, least China or Russia. The Pentagon, in the incarnation of Marine Gen. James E. Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that any sensitive technology would be destroyed on re-entry. So, once again, where is the need to destroy the satellite while still in orbit?


Still, the administration refuses to give any information about the satellite...

The answer may lie in the fact that the U.S. has not conducted a similar test since 1985. With China successfully shooting down a satellite last year, the U.S. may feel compelled to prove that they are not second to anyone.


And what about other countries that have satellites up in the sky and say they want to shoot it down when it comes to end of the run? Isn't this reminiscent of Cold War practices when the Soviet Union and the U.S. engaged in an arms race, each legitimizing the other's actions by "testing" a new defensive weapon?

The only difference between China and the U.S. is that the U.S. is telling the world what they are about to do -- maybe because they know they couldn't hide it anyway -- and the Chinese just did and then told everyone.

Sunday, February 10, 2008

Why Hillary Clinton

This is a message of hope. Hope that the American people will wake up from the torpor in which they have lived for the past seven years and do something for which the world will be grateful: Put a woman in charge at the White House.

I am not an U.S. citizen, therefore I cannot cast my vote in favor of Mrs. Clinton. However, I feel that I need to say something about a country that claims to be the role model of democracy and then allows torture, denies habeas corpus to hundreds of prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay and supports non-democratic regimes such as Saudi Arabia. Still, it is a country the world looks at for guidance and leadership.

I am not an advocate of terrorism or violent revolution. I am strongly in favor of change when it follows due process. Also, I assume that the Democratic candidate will win the presidential race.

Going back to the point: Why Mrs. Clinton and not Mr. Obama. It's a gender choice, not a racial one.

Women account for more than half of the world's population. Nevertheless, women represent a minority within a majority.

In the affluent, democratic and developed world, women represent the minority of the work force, the minority of corporate executives, the minority of political leaders.

In the less affluent, less democratic and less developed world, the number of women who receives basic schooling is much smaller than men, their financial clout is irrelevant and they represent the majoriy of the victimes of violence.

For more accurate and comprehensive reports, please see the Web sites of the U.N. agencies for women WomenWatch and UNIFEM.

So why a wealthy, educated, successful woman at the White House would make a difference? Wouldn't a black president represent an equally landmark achievement by a member of a minority? Wouldn't Obama inspire millions of people in the U.S. and abroad? Surely he would.

Consider, however, that within the black communities around the world, women are still at a disadvantage. A black man (as opposed to a woman) would still be seen as a man by more than half of the world.

Mrs. Clinton, as a woman, will be able to inspire women regardless of race, social background and geographical location. And even if comes May and she is not nominated as the Democratic candidate, she will have given women all over the world one more reason to fight for their rights. If she is nominated and is elected in Novemebr, she will inspire them for at least four more years.

Disappointing Bintan

I went to Bintan Lagoon Resort on Bintan Island, Indonesia for Chinese New Year (Feb. 7-10, 2008). To be precise, I went for the two days before CNY. The island is about one hour by high-speed ferry from Singapore's Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal.

I had high expectations as people here in Singapore just kept telling me how nice, beautiful and relaxing the place was. Bintan is the place Singaporeans go when they want to get away form the hustle of the city. My vivid imagination was picturing a tropical paradise with desert white beaches, palm trees and crystal clear waters...

I got a wake up call as soon as we arrived at the ferry terminal in Bintan. Hordes of employees form the various resorts were waiting for even more tourists to be loaded on a bus and sent to their "holiday retreats." I was hoping for something less crowded, smaller establishments -- like those I found in Malaysia.

Next was the resort itself. It is a huge building with two wings - east and west. The room was old and damp. The bathroom had mold in several places and little ants were coming out of a hole near the basin. I know I am in a tropical region, but that was a bit too much. Luckily I did not see any other six-legged guests.

Food was another painful experience. The evening I arrived (Feb. 5), I had dinner at the Kopi-O restaurant. It turned out to be a buffet dinner with so many people that I could not relax and just had a steak from the a la carte menu and went back to my room (to tell the truth I also had some work to do...).

Breakfast was the same... just add dozens of children running and shouting...

The only positive note on the culinary front was the Surf & Turf restaurant on the beach. It's a restaurant where they serve only grilled seafood and meat. Hard to go wrong there... I decided to try it the second night and I had a huge lobster with a glass of white wine (water would have been a better choice). I felt much better.

For the rest, I spent most of my time strolling on the beach (get a strong sunblock -- equatorial sun BURNS!), which was the main point of going there.

To tell the truth I also went to Bintan because it is supposed to be a mecca for spa addicts like myself. I went to the Banyan Tree resort following the recommendation of the spa queen of the office. It was indeed a great experience, but it came at a steep price. I never paid that much for a massage in Singapore, not even at the Fullerton Hotel, which is not kown for its low prices.

Last but not least, I was glad I went back to Singapore on the first day of CNY. The place was stormed by hundreds of vacationeers in search of the tropical paradise... It looked like an ants nest...

The 1-billion-dollar question: Will I go there again? I don't know. Maybe one more time, at least to have a look at another resort. Though, I still feel I'd be way better off and satisfied if I went to some lesser known places.