Okay, we are still behind many nations in sports. And many of the top players did not come for CWG. But still it is amazing...
We won two medals in gymnastics...
We won medals in field and track events. Yes, Dani Samuels did not come but to make a clean sweep of the discus throw is amazing. And the 4 X 400m women relay won the gold. That was wow.
Medals were expected in shooting as well as in wrestling and boxing. Badminton too given Saina Nehwal plays for us.
But hockey was unexpected...though I wish that we did not have to lose so badly to Australia!
What was also unexpected was the way the stadiums started filling up towards the end. My students and I went for a hockey match- women's hockey NZ versus South Africa (semi-finals) and Wales vs Scotland. The stadium was at least 2/3 full and everyone was cheering...
I do not know what it means in the long run or even if we can sustain this momentum. We will know soon for the Asian Games begin next month in China.
I did not want the CWG... but now I am not so sure. At least Delhi got some new infrastructure, though I do really wish they had not built the village on Yamuna floodplains. In addition, the ASI got into act and repaired some of the monuments.
I do not know...if our politicians had bit of sense then they would bid for games in other cities or at least spread it around a bit so that other cities too could bit of infrastructure, considering we seem to spend on it only when we have to put up a show.
Anyway, given the way CWG has been a success (successful corruption as well), the political parties are now dreaming of Olympics.
P.S. The hockey match was in the evening and it was 10 pm when it got over. We were 4 women and in Delhi, we could walk over to the Metro station, catch a metro to New Delhi Railway station, get an auto and get back safely. That was truly amazing.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Mothers and sons...
Growing up my biggest grouse was that my mother expected me to do all the housework while my brother escaped scot-free. Of course my mother had a ready excuse:
"He is left-handed."
So?
So he did not have to grind the dosa batter or do the coffee grinding or clean the table or learn to cook or mop the floor or any of the hateful thousand tasks my mother lined up for me.
My mother, whenever confronted, denies being more indulgent towards her son. But science is on my side. Here is the article from Guardian that confirms my suspicion: Mothers are more hard on their daughters irrespective of their origin.
"He is left-handed."
So?
So he did not have to grind the dosa batter or do the coffee grinding or clean the table or learn to cook or mop the floor or any of the hateful thousand tasks my mother lined up for me.
My mother, whenever confronted, denies being more indulgent towards her son. But science is on my side. Here is the article from Guardian that confirms my suspicion: Mothers are more hard on their daughters irrespective of their origin.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Life in the times of CWG
As I type, India has 20 medals. And there are questions asked about poor attendance.
I went to CGO complex as my DBT report was long overdue and I need the next years money to fund my lab. The CGO complex is next to Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. I took a taxi. It was a bad choice as events proved later.
The roads are a mess. One lane has been blocked for the CWG players and they are ferried about in AC buses (DTC low floor buses) with dark curtains so no one can see the players. None of the players were curious enough to peek out either. The remaining lanes are for us citizens and naturally everything was jammed. The police is out in full force with guns and bunkers. Reminded me of the high days of Khalistan movement when the bunkers were everywhere. It was spooky.
The JNS is a fortress. No car can enter. No parking allowed either. So I had to dismiss the taxi and walk down to the complex. At the entrance to the complex I had to show my identity card before I was allowed to enter.
Why would anyone in right mind attend the games?
Of course, the citizens do not exist. All the laborers have been deported out of Delhi. The most affected are daily wagers because no one seems to care as to how they will survive without money? And aren't we citizens? Don't we have the right to live in our country, in the city of our choice? What right does the government have to treat us as aliens?
I took an auto back. The autowallah put it right:
"The government better remember that the foreigners are not going to vote in the next elections. It is we who are going to vote."
Tomorrow I need to go to CSIR complex, which is near Pusa. Not looking forward to it. Though I think it might be easier as there are no stadiums close to the complex.
I went to CGO complex as my DBT report was long overdue and I need the next years money to fund my lab. The CGO complex is next to Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. I took a taxi. It was a bad choice as events proved later.
The roads are a mess. One lane has been blocked for the CWG players and they are ferried about in AC buses (DTC low floor buses) with dark curtains so no one can see the players. None of the players were curious enough to peek out either. The remaining lanes are for us citizens and naturally everything was jammed. The police is out in full force with guns and bunkers. Reminded me of the high days of Khalistan movement when the bunkers were everywhere. It was spooky.
The JNS is a fortress. No car can enter. No parking allowed either. So I had to dismiss the taxi and walk down to the complex. At the entrance to the complex I had to show my identity card before I was allowed to enter.
Why would anyone in right mind attend the games?
Of course, the citizens do not exist. All the laborers have been deported out of Delhi. The most affected are daily wagers because no one seems to care as to how they will survive without money? And aren't we citizens? Don't we have the right to live in our country, in the city of our choice? What right does the government have to treat us as aliens?
I took an auto back. The autowallah put it right:
"The government better remember that the foreigners are not going to vote in the next elections. It is we who are going to vote."
Tomorrow I need to go to CSIR complex, which is near Pusa. Not looking forward to it. Though I think it might be easier as there are no stadiums close to the complex.
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