Ok. Since a few days I am back in tropical Kerala. Yesterday I was in a bookshop and bought a few books. On is "Temples in Kerala". Another one on Kerala's history and a road guide with maps of Kerala. I decided to start visiting more important places around here and to inform myself better by bying maps... if the wanted ones are available. After going to the bookshop I stepped into the "Reliane Fresh" supermarket next door. Reliance is actually a phone company owned by the now richest man in the world, Mukesh Ambani. They also have a petrol pump chain and... supermarkets! Of the phone company I was not to satisfied until now, there seems to be a problem to recharge the money with these scratching cards... network problem or so, but maybe it's just because of the old age of the cell phone I'm using. The daily commercial phone calls and messages are unwanted, although I don't know what Reliance has to do with that. An unknown number calls you up, and excited about the new friend, after uttering your first hallo, you hear a woman's voice talking enthousiastically on some background tune about again another disgusting offer. Now, when I see those numbers flashing on the screen, my finger pushes the red button at once. If I would not delete the tonguetwisting messages about babeswallpapers, cricket, winning motorcycles and christmas at once, I would have certainly given you one of those here for FREE! But enough of the unimportant details, one must say that the petrol pumps (with shop!) and supermarkets look much more civilised than others due to cleanness etc. So I strolled in- it was not the first time I entered one of those- and let my eyes gaze on the shiny white lanes, well-structured isles and the decently red-clothed staff. What would you think when you would see Lays Chips or Lindt chocolate for double to 5 double prices in comparison to a well-filling to stuffing average lunch rice dish in a normal "hotel"(indian restaurant) which is only 15-25 IRS? Nice imported luxury. My eyes were tempted buy an array of Indian Sweet 'n Salty cookies when this Blue-shirted thin guy walked on to me, and I could smell his alcoholic breath when he stretched out his sweating hand and asked my name smilingly. In the middle between his middle-upper teeth there were two little darker white pieces. It seemed as if something had hit him there and the dentist would have place two other little triangles of a slightly darker colour in stead. He was there with his two boys to collect his wife, "my wife servant here". "My sons" His boys were smiling innocent when I shaked their hands with an empathic look. His wife came round the other side of the sweet'n salty isle, decently dressed in the long red Reliance-servant-robe. She avoided my look, maybe because Indian woman don't look men in the eyes, or maybe because I was the white guy in lungi, or maybe because she was ashamed about her husband. They went out, I continued my goalless search and decided not to buy any of these unnecessary things. When I asked Arun later he told me that Normal products like rice, vegetables and fruits are cheaper indeed than in the normal shops on the streets. So the disappearance of small private shops will probably also take place here; the supermarkets are relatively recently built here. When I arrived at the counter I said no to the 120 IRS 100 grams of Lindt Chocolate and went out without buying anything. There our drunken friend was waiting for me again on the sidewalk -which is btw significantely better than in the rest of the street- and shook my hand again (Indian men like holding eachoters hands in all possible varieties and time spans) and asked 'staying...stayi..' using his non-cooperative pronouncing system. I said "yes...yes" and went off.
They all want to go abroad and work in Europe or other "leading countries". It would be wrong to blaim them to have this wish, but their direct way of expressing it and their instant friendships stink. I also came here... why? Because I thought this would be paradise? Or because I would find here what I found nowhere else? Or some other dark or totally uncomplicated reason. Or is there no reason for reason? Anyway, it is not obvious to dive into another culture, climate, totally different circumstances. It is not obvious to adapt instantly to other traditions, codes of conduct, other ways of thinking. And then, try to find out what you consider better or worse than the conditions you grew up in and wether to change certain convictions or the make other even stronger. It takes time, effort and courage to find your way in the new environment. Why do they want to go abroad? For the money and luxury, as also abundantely presented in Bollywood films? Or because they are not happy in their situation for one or another reason? In Delhi, Max told me that if 5 of the richest men in India would give a fraction of their capital, it would be enough to pay all debts which Indian government has. Not to mention the deeprooted corruption and lazy uninterest which rules in all governmental institutions. basta