Dichotomic Perspective....
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
I'll post some pictures from the office and other things we've seen today, but first I wanted to devote a few lines to an interesting realization I've had.
Three days into my trip, India (at least Delhi) seems be a very graphic study in contrasts. I've posted several pictures of the opulent palace we're calling home. But immediately on the other side of the hotel gate, you're instanly greeted by a level of poverty with which most Americans aren't generally familiar.
I took the above picture about twenty yards from our office. This is one of many tents that constitute one of many makeshift villages in the area. I'm not the best photographer, and the car was moving (in crazy traffic, see my earlier note), so I only got the one. But the concept is clear. What makes this interesting, is what you would see if you stood in this tent and looked across the street (see the picture below).
In another example, a tent village (see below) is setup directly underneath an overpass of the state highway that is a half mile from our hotel (see below, below).
Anyway, I'm not trying to be a drag, but realization of the two worlds that occupy this same space helps one understand why it is such a big deal when I pay our young cab driver the equivalent of $40, only to later find out that 1)payment wasn't expected and 2)that dollar amount is more than the Indian government provides in monthly unemployment for those who qualify.
Something to think about. I'll post more cheery pictures in a bit.
posted by Dustin @ 8:19 AM,
