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.