Intolerance II

30.8.2010 von Jean Jacques.

I rarely get involved in political discussions, and when I do, I try to be diplomatic. Unless of course I do not like the verbal adversary at the time, in which case I am unlikely to even listen to his/her argumentation, worse, take the opposite side even if it does not represent my views, just for the sake of an argument.  It gets exponentially worse if alcohol intake is involved.

And in any case, who in his right mind would start a political discussion.

This is quite obvious when watching the live TV coverage of the British Parliament. Ninety percent of the honorable members present are fast asleep on the benches. Obviously they are recuperating from a long drawn lunch session at the local pub. The remaining 10 percent, usually 2 (it takes a minimum of 2 for an argument I guess) obviously managed to dose themselves correctly so as to reach their optimum debating skills at the right time. It must take quite a lot of practice.

Who needs politicians anyway? I am more and more appalled by their behavior and lack of achievement.I think one can summarize a typical 5 years in the office as follows:

First year: get acquainted. Nominate cabinet but especially visit a lot of countries.

Second year: develop policies and test the water. It is best if a lot of committees and independent enquiries with famous and trustworthy people (who have no clue on the matter) are started. But it looks good.

Third year: start a war. This is the best way to get the economy going and more importantly get those ratings back up. If you cannot afford a war, a good sex scandal will do.

Fourth year: is the tricky one. The non existing policies are not working, the budget overruns are larger that the planned income for the next millennium.

Fifth year: start of the new election campaign. Nothing else counts.

Anyway, I have not found that article (see previous post) again yet. I have however found a similar one. And when I say similar I mean similar. Practically a copy. That will get me going for sure…

So watch this space for more to come. 

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Sundays

29.8.2010 von Jean Jacques.

Will this be transfered to Facebook? Testing…

Not done much today. It has been pissing down with rain in any case.
Short 4 days week ahead, then long weekend in France.

Need to make a trip to the Apple shop this week to see if the USB adaptors for the iPad have finally arrived in this part of the world. If not, then I guess I shall have to rely on some of my relations in the US to get one for me.

Mind you, I am quite keen on a trip to Chicago. It has been a long while since I have been there.

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Intolerant (Part I)

27.8.2010 von Jean Jacques.

Once in a while, one ought to be serious. 

 Not too serious of course, but enough to keep the impeding grey cells burn out at bay as long as possible.

I read recently on line an article (I lost it in the meantime, but I will hopefully find it again before I publish this) which made me think…

A rare occasion some of you might say, but a fact nevertheless. I cannot say I have had sleepless nights about it, but all in all, I probably dwelled on the subject for a few hours, mostly whilst staring at the horizon above a sea of clouds.

I usually tend to end up in something approaching a transcendental state, when sitting on a plane at 30,000 feet. As far as I am concerned, the reason is the obvious lack of oxygen to the brain at this height. More likely however, are the large Gin & Tonics one is usually gulping down as soon as cabin service is permitted. Or could it be the lack of nicotine intake one has to suffer for hours on end, forcing one to think of something else.  And there is no denying it, I fly a lot.

I miss those Air France long couriers which offered a curtained off section with a bar where one could indulge in the odd cigarette. It did not bother anyone else and gave the chance to the likes of us, not only to indulge in that filthy but satisfying habit, but also make some interesting acquaintances. Mind you, most of the time it was the inevitable gay steward. More entertaining were the stewardesses (and there were around 1,254 of them on a Jumbo 747 before the latest economic crisis. Somewhat surprisingly the whole flight deck crew itself was to be seen once in a while. I always wondered who actually flew the plane.

Anyway, the said article was written if my memory is correct by some “unknown to me” US scholar on religion. I personally think we have here another case of a grant being misused.

The theme of the article was about tolerance or in this case, the lack of it in Europe and of course particularly in France towards the Barkha and the new laws (I am actually trying to find the details of the said law) being passed to forbid such things. Such ignominy would never occur in the US according the author.

That point alone made me mad to start with.

Do not get me wrong, I like our American cousins. There are quite a few things I do not like aboutn them but let’s face it, America is trying to “police” the world. And it is something we should be all grateful for, even if they do it for the wrong reasons and to my mind, very often, the wrong way. But at least something which surely is needed is being done. Take note EU leaders. The world security is more important than debating the value of an English sausage and whether in fact it can actually be called a sausage.

Not that Europe as a whole could not afford it. The 2009 GDP figures show the EU with 16,400,000 million dollars (and that is only with the 19 member states as opposed to the 27? today) compared to the USA with 14,200,000 and peanuts.

I wish 1 voice was possible in EU, but that is basically impossible.

Now I have lost my thread and I still cannot find the article… So you will have to wait.

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Back in Germany - 6 weeks now…

24.8.2010 von Jean Jacques.

It certainly has not been the best 6 weeks and that includes 2 weeks in India (see previous post). I do not know where to start, it is basically a big moan.

The reception from our friends was great. Arrived home from the airport to find the house in order, a foot high post waiting in the kitchen (mainly bills of course).  Went out in the garden to find out a tent had been erected and table and BBQ and and and had been set up.

I did not have time to ask myself what was going out that the first friend and neighbour turned up through our secret passage through the hedge at the end of our gardens. With a big smile on his face, he announced that everyone was turning up at 12 for a BBQ and drinks.

No time for a shower or unpack, so the alternative was to have a first beer. It was not long before they all turned up, each one with drinks or food.  No need to say that most of us ended up in various degrees of inebriation. I guess it started where we left off almost 3 years ago.

It was pleasant enough and the bestway to ignore jetlag.

It went downwards from then on. I will not rave and pant about the office (it is not appropriate on Facebook) , but basically I am not sure why it was so imperative that I got back. Six weeks later, I am still asking myself the same question.

In the meantime I had to get myself a car and picked the little Mini Cooper. Sure I want something bigger and with at least 150HP but it will do for the time being. In fact I quite like it and I defy most to catch me around town.

So what has changed in Germany over the past alomost 3 years? Basically nothing as far as I can see. 

 

 

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India, incredible India

21.8.2010 von Jean Jacques.

OK, India is a mess. There is no question about that.

No infrastructure at all to start with and it is falling apart.However hard you try not to, you cannot avoid stumbling across the misery which is present everywhere.

On the other hand, the people are great, the food is excellent and if you can retire to a little peace of heaven like a 5 star hotel once in a while, it is a great place.

I was there on business. Not my first trip to India, but my first one in Delhi, which to my mind, is a step up on Mumbai. Despite the fact that there is a clear “Bollywood” influence in Mumbai which can be felt in the scene and going out places.

On business does not mean you always have to work at the weekend, and when in Delhi, one must do the so-called Golden Triangle and visit the town of Agra (where the Taj Mahal is) and the town of Jaipur famous for its old forts and a few other things.

How to get there? Plane is an option of course and probably quicker. Although the distances are around 250 km for each leg, with the state of the roads (I actually would not call them roads and believe a new word should be invented for the succession of pot holes mascarading as an un-identifiable thoroughfare) the expected average speed by car is in the low 50s (and I do not mean miles) . This is however how I decided to do it. At least one can see some of the countryside on the way.

Might as well do it the right way too. So a chauffeur was hired and a Toyota Novali (never heard of them before).

I was hoping to be able to get some sleep on the way, but it is basically impossible. One jumps from one pothole to the other. Once in a while there is a stretch of a few kilometers where one can accelerate to 80km. But that is only theory. You can try but the pre-condition is that you beep your horn all the way to warm all the trucks, who all drive on the fast lane (fast lane makes me laugh) and other vehicles (some of which do not have a name in the english language) that you are coming and wanting to pass.

It works once in a while and you can relax for a few minutes. Again, that is theory, because as a rule you will come up face to face with a cow who is strolling along, completely oblivious to the danger it is exposed to, or lying down in the middle of the road. And of course being India they have absolute priority due to their holy status. Mind you, I do not know what is better, a cow or an elephant…

In any case your progress is very slow, bumpy with non stop braking and accelerating jerks. To top it all, there are 2,500,314 horns (both the Bovidea variety and the ones found on vehicles) blaring out all the time all around you.

All still acceptable, till it starts raining. The usual heavy monsoon downpours. Then you cannot see anything anymore. You cannot slow down as you are already traveling at snail pace and any touch to the break pedal would mean an instant stop.

But eventually you make it. And it is well worth it in the case of the Taj Mahal for instance.

Did I forget to mention the odd camel and the 1.789.111 stray dogs and monkeys as additional hazards on the roads?

You have to go to the Taj very early, sun rise is the best time for the light and before the crowds arrive. They get more than 3 million visitors a year. That raises another question… The entry fee and the fact that those visitors will more than likely spend one or two nights at the hotel means that there is undoubtebly revenues being made. I wonder who pockets it all, because Agra like any other town is crumbling down slowly but surely.

The hotel I was in round the corner was certainly more than pleasant and I could have stayed there a couple of nights.

(Photos to come)

But there are only 2 days at the weekend, so after a bit of souvenir shopping (marble of course and it is heavy but the baggage allowance in business class allows for that), it is back in the car for the 250 back-braking kilometers to Jaipur. Some interesting views, but then again typical, coming out of town.

Late afternnon arrival, another very nice hotel although I would not like to step out of the hotel compound on foot. I did not either.

(Photos to come)

Quite a few things to look at in and around Jaipur and it nice to have a driver who knows his way round and had prepared a little tour for you.

By the way, that  perticular Sunday being the Indian National Day (Independance Day from the British) it is declared as a “dry day”… No alchool to be had. Is that a reaction maybe to the drunken Brits ruling in those days. I wonder…

A moment of panic there. No Gin & Tonic for aperitif? Fortunately that does not really apply to foreigners as long as you are prepared to give your passport number and fill up a form when ordering your drinks. That attracted a few black looks from the locals. I suppose I could have invited them to my table, but my expense account probably would not stretch that much, and believe me there are a lot of people in India.

Will I go back to India? I think the answer is YES of course. So much more to see and experience. Apart from that from a business point of view I am scheduled to go in the second half of October, after the Commonwealth Games. The current saga is worth following. Only 30 or so days to go and it is a mess. Nothing appears to be ready, the town’s - New Delhi - planned face lift is basically just a mud bath. Once again as it appears to be the rule in India, corruption is prevailing. God knows where the money is ending up. The governement is appointing one committee after the other as watchdog to the comitte which was appointed the previous day. At least this is how it appears to me after reading the local press in the past couple of weeks.

Anyway, yes I will go back and this time I am going for cricket. I have rarely seen a nation so devoted to it. Some international matches are scheduled India v Australia, but what I am interested in, is the local league.

All I can say is: Incredible India

 

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The gardens in July

31.7.2010 von Jean Jacques.

  Once a year during the summer in Hannover, a merry band of artists gather up and set up small stages in the Herrenhausen gardens. Thousands of visitors turn up every evening for the month long performance to meet up with friends, picnic and basically have a good time.

It is a very popular venue, although I am glad I have missed the last 3 years. It tends to be a little too repetitive and I was getting a little fed up seing the same acts.

I was also a little annoyed at the extroardinary length one has to go through to get tickets. And there is something seriously wrong here. Because of the apparent popularity, tickets must be ordered months in advance so that they can be dispensed based on whatever rule by the organizing body. For sure at least 99% of the requestors will not get one of these prized ticket.

No surprise though. Assume you have a party of 10 deciding in February that it might be a good idea to go in the summer. What usually happens is that every single one of the 10 will request at leat 15 tickets each hoping to a few. I know, that is the way we do it.

The problem with that is that the organizers are claiming a huge demand. How they distribute the available places is a mistery. Prices of course go up as well. All a bit crazy for something which is nice but not worth all that effort.

Anyway, as usual one of of got the 15 tickets and we made it.

Having not been for the last 3 summers, they were at least 3 new artists. The atmosphere is good though. Crowds have a pre-set itinary and rush from one stage to the other, usually getting lost on the way. As a result, it is rarely possible to see more than 3 shows.

But who cares, the atmosphere is good, plenty of drinks available if you are not driving ,I was this year, and the whole evening culminates with a good firework to the tune of the latest hit from Mozart or such like.

I’ll probably end up there next year again. I think I will order 100 tickets in advance.

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A few days in Langkawi

10.7.2010 von Jean Jacques.

I have not had a chance to comment on the place till today (August 25th). This is mainly due to the fact that my main computer (yes, the infamous iMac) is still on the waters somewhere between Shanghai and Bremen. It was my understanding it was due to arrive end of August (yesterday in fact) but no news up to now. The second fact is that, despite the fact that I love my new iPad, I cannot make blog entries with it. I can put a title but no way will it let me do more than that. I guess I have to thank Mr Steve Jobs for that and his aversion to Flash Adobe… I shall have to enquire with WordPress as to which solution they are working on and basically when they will switch to HTML5 (if that is the issue of course). Basically one is being controlled by a handful of people like Steve Jobs or Bill Gates to name just a couple. Not sure this is acceptable but there is little one can do. And I do not think Linux is a viable alternative.

In a round about way, this brings me to Langkawi. The idea was to have a few days holidays in between departing from Shanghai and coming back to Germany.

I arrived at the hotel late in the evening and after check in, was brought to the chalet (looking for a better word) on what I would describe as an elongated golf cart. It reminded me of one of my all time favorite TV series “The Prisoner” in the late 60s (17 episodes between 1967 and 1968 to be precise). Only those who are old enough ta have watched it will understand of course. I felt really in the “village”. When the portier / driver, who was more than a friendly chap, said if there were any queries, he could be contacted via reception and that his number was 14, that did it for me. Did I make the point?

 Nice enough resort, well kept, clean but not too much action available despite the fact that it was in the middle of football world cup.

That particular island is fine, but basically it is a collection of hotels and resorts. There was no real night life outside that I could see. Even the main town was a bit of a disaster to say the least despite the fact that it enjoys a “duty free” status.

So basically I spent a week reading, reading and reading a bit more. This is where the iPad came to its own. I think I read 7 or 8 books including the Stieg Larsson Trilogy, which I really enjoyed by the way.

I have in fact downloaded the film “the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” only  last night. So you all know what I am going to be doing this evening. Actually this is another first for me, I have rented the HD film version on iTunes (4.9 GB). Good thing I can connect the iPad to my rather large HDTV.

Anyway, those who know me, know that I travel light. Very light in fact. Imagine if I had to carry those usually thick 8 paperbacks. Where would I put them? I now know why I have read so little in the past 3 or so years. But now it has changed. Thank you Mr Jobs for the iPad. It works for me.

So all in all, Langkawi was fine, but a bit boring. Good thing I needed to decompress and had a lot on my mind to try and sort out. Wich of course I did not.

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