tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77225662024-03-13T11:35:19.382+04:00@rgumental @dvisorAjith Prasad Balakrishnanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12359138218016503252noreply@blogger.comBlogger226125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7722566.post-13476206128250107782023-04-27T20:59:00.005+04:002023-05-07T16:50:15.136+04:00Travelogue - Taipei<p> <b><i>"He is not a God. He is just a human. He had his fair share of mistakes and successes"</i></b> - Remarked our guide Tony about Chiang Kai Shek, when I asked about the criticisms exhibited against him in the Chiang Kai Shek Memorial hall and museum in Taipei. </p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjJYFN7G75yCwZ-7pHVIej89cM7Rw7O11_XeZmPmtBV3cbZvrqErzAsWHxCGA9iVIQUVRoHYc-ARctfMzL79K4-_PMC7YPFa57koxfulEuOQuZriCUzU31xn-0ABK8LMHhM12psV0LudFXrE1VOwcWSIiPC6UMO_wXRU1mKhIR6U8XDq-uOYo/s1024/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-04-27%20at%209.55.29%20PM.jpeg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="929" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjJYFN7G75yCwZ-7pHVIej89cM7Rw7O11_XeZmPmtBV3cbZvrqErzAsWHxCGA9iVIQUVRoHYc-ARctfMzL79K4-_PMC7YPFa57koxfulEuOQuZriCUzU31xn-0ABK8LMHhM12psV0LudFXrE1VOwcWSIiPC6UMO_wXRU1mKhIR6U8XDq-uOYo/s320/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-04-27%20at%209.55.29%20PM.jpeg" width="290" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chiang Kai Shek with Gandhiji</td></tr></tbody></table><p>For long I had wondered how two regions separated by a narrow strait , has common cultural ancestries could evolve into totally different systems. Chiang Kai Shek Memorial hall was the answer to that. It is hard to imagine some museums inside China criticizing Mao /Deng so openly. Given all the openness of Japan and sporadic apologies of some politicians, they are yet to acknowledge publicly about its atrocities in Nanking and elsewhere during the war. Chiang Kai Shek museum describes his role in defeating Japan in WWII as well as details on how his actions in the post-war Taiwan contributed to the murder of many citizens. </p><div><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxT0SDrXQ-wfXy-tSdKCzpDdyTABH0FP-IB-LF7yB3K6mBS45RDkbJWm6NKiigu5zlSWV02GJFS8HegO_afvCapxWp784sVyzjYPuCwybsNthylgbXsz6PU0-HlgdWB1j2GMspRnt0iXWUuCEtsVSWv-2GX4xJMQx63ItOoRgWo5MwnW0xxjQ/s1024/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-04-27%20at%209.56.59%20PM.jpeg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="737" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxT0SDrXQ-wfXy-tSdKCzpDdyTABH0FP-IB-LF7yB3K6mBS45RDkbJWm6NKiigu5zlSWV02GJFS8HegO_afvCapxWp784sVyzjYPuCwybsNthylgbXsz6PU0-HlgdWB1j2GMspRnt0iXWUuCEtsVSWv-2GX4xJMQx63ItOoRgWo5MwnW0xxjQ/s320/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-04-27%20at%209.56.59%20PM.jpeg" width="230" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Criticisms against Chiang Kai Shek <br />in his memorial hall</i></b></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Tony continued.. <i>" In Taiwan we follow three tenets for democracy.. 1. Party is always below law, 2. Freedom to criticize anyone 3. No matter how good you are, you only have two terms to rule " . </i>This is in sharp contrast to what's there in China. </p><div><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin0kq1t7op4TBJAWU4MMPU2QzbCWvrqOWi3rmD63xlozs2qCj8pZZ5ToZLeLZrjYazt2Y2bE0robHR4yrRPQMEXaaga6PjLUuJncb2zIQTEM_mgRtCFqQzzTJXPxmirjwxfhWUtoTTtfW70X562L3aHQO6HTPbPM_ysbK3kqM26XnUzs_VW90/s1024/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-04-27%20at%209.57.24%20PM.jpeg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin0kq1t7op4TBJAWU4MMPU2QzbCWvrqOWi3rmD63xlozs2qCj8pZZ5ToZLeLZrjYazt2Y2bE0robHR4yrRPQMEXaaga6PjLUuJncb2zIQTEM_mgRtCFqQzzTJXPxmirjwxfhWUtoTTtfW70X562L3aHQO6HTPbPM_ysbK3kqM26XnUzs_VW90/s320/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-04-27%20at%209.57.24%20PM.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall</b></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>It is indeed an economic miracle that a country with practically very little mineral wealth developed into a global economic powerhouse in such a short period of time following the war. Chiang Kai Shek memorial museum threw light into that as well. Three economic policies - Land reforms which involved redistribution into small parcels, Compulsory education which improved the human capital, focus on improving women employment - were the cornerstones of it. Particularly, pro-women employment policies resulted in formation of many village based MSME's and improved the household savings rate. This boosted secondary and tertiary industries in state. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>China's sustained diplomatic isolation campaigns prevented Taiwan from entering into trade agreements with many countries, thereby limiting its reach of consumer based industries. Hence, quite a lot of firms in Taiwan like TSMC ( the global leader in semiconductor fabs ) focus on B2B sector.</p><div><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqh4ipwbXoR38l-nivbwnMklTS5Lb5kpekvSTS3p9HAc_GmHvGAnYc32VCHiNMjkd96G9vrRm3OIexgbDDK6sY-n1fJUT8OSImxtoSivIdyyAzT0FOqygGTHZ-7Bv-zOn6JrYO_6ZPClMIwSVBY_Pvm1hM_17wRpmfpeRX-2RxUZH7huYZvTg/s1024/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-04-27%20at%209.58.44%20PM.jpeg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqh4ipwbXoR38l-nivbwnMklTS5Lb5kpekvSTS3p9HAc_GmHvGAnYc32VCHiNMjkd96G9vrRm3OIexgbDDK6sY-n1fJUT8OSImxtoSivIdyyAzT0FOqygGTHZ-7Bv-zOn6JrYO_6ZPClMIwSVBY_Pvm1hM_17wRpmfpeRX-2RxUZH7huYZvTg/s320/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-04-27%20at%209.58.44%20PM.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Din Tai Fung Cuisine</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p>Taiwan is roughly the size of Kerala , quite mountainous (70% of area ) vis-a-vis Kerala (54%) . Long tunnels through mountains have developed Taiwan road network extensively - Something that I wish to see in Kerala. </p><p> Fresh water rivers in abundance has been a catalyst to the semi conductor industry as well. Population is cramped into a few urban clusters like Taipei, Kaohsiung , Taichung, Tainan & Hsinchu. Taipei is an urban marvel with the iconic Taipei 101 tower being the main landmark. State of the art urban transit systems and urban parks give a very comfortable life-style to the citizens. Standard of education is quite high. </p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM0qJlz_mJmoffHzXKZ5TeAHyOwX7sVTDJcEqsSazQFklHXKIhqJytzq36gQeFf35GiScZXihgwVaK2wjLvmG81jDMJei-HLtsFYW_yPTMIJ-rPlehk84sdN3acQhAb0WcaXUiT_6XPZCaRbArixxlMzQhzeujwRYX1ri-x8gzt6b0-HMQYZA/s1024/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-04-27%20at%2010.17.29%20PM.jpeg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM0qJlz_mJmoffHzXKZ5TeAHyOwX7sVTDJcEqsSazQFklHXKIhqJytzq36gQeFf35GiScZXihgwVaK2wjLvmG81jDMJei-HLtsFYW_yPTMIJ-rPlehk84sdN3acQhAb0WcaXUiT_6XPZCaRbArixxlMzQhzeujwRYX1ri-x8gzt6b0-HMQYZA/s320/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-04-27%20at%2010.17.29%20PM.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Queen's head volcanic formation at <br />Yehliu Geo Park</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p>Another unique thing about Taipei is the presence of 7-11 convenience stores in every corner of the the city. Apparently, after Seoul, Taipei has the highest concentration of 7-11 stores. This is perhaps in stark contrast with the evolving retail landscape in India, which is dominated by large supermarkets in malls. I think the urban transit systems is the major reason for the evolution of the same. If you live in a city where you have to drive for anything and everything, chances of you splitting up your regular grocery purchase in multiple visits to small neighborhood stores are limited. You would rather do a bulk shopping in a mall where you can park and shop in one go. Given the extensive MRT & bus system in Taipei which most people rely on, buying things from 7-11 stores whenever you walk home from MRT seem to be the most logical thing. It was indeed a heartening sight to see small kids aged about 7 - 9 years going to school in MRT's without the supervision of anyone. Indeed, Taipei reaffirmed by belief that efficient mass rapid transport systems are the way to reinvent urban life in India. <br /></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaxa6NyLmF5eWtFEpWkZiSrsEjJ1p9fMDsJo8XFV80EdV2vCNwVkgxBA4s5jJ1SmC6AaBDupH4uQNNeCy_T13OkoLlJHnsmYnI_ueK1ravXvvKA5Oi_XL3Ie7eI7z5k1Hh-yW9FCTPSrOrFKik8PwyFMpBD4LotxmEUVtB-Hf7CXpkKp9GNto/s1024/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-04-27%20at%2010.10.58%20PM.jpeg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaxa6NyLmF5eWtFEpWkZiSrsEjJ1p9fMDsJo8XFV80EdV2vCNwVkgxBA4s5jJ1SmC6AaBDupH4uQNNeCy_T13OkoLlJHnsmYnI_ueK1ravXvvKA5Oi_XL3Ie7eI7z5k1Hh-yW9FCTPSrOrFKik8PwyFMpBD4LotxmEUVtB-Hf7CXpkKp9GNto/s320/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-04-27%20at%2010.10.58%20PM.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Taroko Gorge</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p>We took day trips from Taipei to these places </p><p>- <b>Beitou & Yangmighshan National Park</b> - A mini Yellow-Stone as per travelers who have been to both places. Sulphur fumes coming out of dormant volcanos and hotsprings make it a unique eco-system unlike what is seen elsewhere</p><p>- <b>Taroko Gorge</b> - World's largest marble gorge. About couple of hours drive from Taipei, this is also an ecological marvel with many geologic formations and stunning views. </p><p>- <b>Yehliu National Park</b> - Again unique volcanic formations </p><p>- <b>Jiufen</b> - An ancient goldmine town made famous by movies of Japanese director Miyazaki. Quite similar to many European ancient villages . Reminded me of <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2014/07/travelogue-hallstatt.html">Hallstatt</a>, though not that beautiful </p><p>All these places require long walks and hikes. Infact, Taiwan is known as a hikers paradise.</p><p><b>A few tips to travelers </b></p><p>- If you have Indian passport, and have a US / Schengen visa, you can get an online entry permit</p><p>- Unlike typical tourist destinations, there are not many currency exchange houses in cities. You can change currencies in airport / banks ( they work only during regular office hours ) / Taipei 101. Taiwan does not seem to have focused much on tourism as a sector</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzGRlWqdRFtMvKdqtu8vvY3eBcCDfsA1jDTKuqpXtZO43OVXSNi5EGPEHpmtP3w2gfo2ZuD_nAaQZY' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Sulphur Fumes from volcanic area</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">- Plan your city commute by MRT. It is super efficient and connected to most places of interest</div><p></p><p>- Special Thanks to Shitha for helping us <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/teamtravelinternational/posts/609281876346677/?paipv=0&eav=AfZvF9R6odlaw7KsUUqIOGLa8dITDRvNXrrQotJbQAncLbWDYQAVKX8ndTfgrC9QgZA&_rdr">with many suggestions</a> and also taking us into Din Tai Fung - the famous Taiwanese Michellin star restaurant. </p><div><br /></div><p> <b><i><u>Read my Travelogues</u></i></b></p><div style="font-family: "times new roman"; margin: 0px;"><i><b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2023/04/travelogue-taipei.html" target="_blank">Taipei</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2023/01/travelogue-doha.html">Doha</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2019/06/travelogue-ho-chi-minh-city.html" target="_blank">Ho Chi Minh City</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2019/09/travelogue-hanoi.html" target="_blank">Hanoi</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2019/06/travelogue-barcelona.html" target="_blank">Barcelona</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2018/08/travelogue-silicon-valley.html" target="_blank">Silicon Valley</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2018/06/travelogue-siem-reap.html" target="_blank">Siem Reap</a></b><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2017/12/travelogue-new-york.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">New York</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2018/01/travelogue-washington-dc.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Washington DC</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2017/08/travelogue-amsterdam.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Amsterdam</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2017/07/travelogue-brussels.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Brussels</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/12/travelogue-osaka.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Osaka</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/12/travelogue-hiroshima.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Hiroshima</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/08/travelogue-cyprus.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Cyprus</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/05/travelogue-budapest.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Budapest </a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/03/travelogue-rome.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Rome</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/11/travelogue-bali.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Bali,</a><b> </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/08/travelogue-hamburg.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Hamburg</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/07/travelogue-berlin.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Berlin</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/07/travelogue-prague.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Prague</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/03/travelogue-cairo.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Cairo</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/02/travelogue-alexandria.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Alexandria</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2014/07/travelogue-hallstatt.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Hallstatt</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2014/05/travelogue-salzburg.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Salzburg</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2014/05/travelogue-vienna.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Vienna</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2014/04/travelogue-dachau.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Dachau</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2012/10/travelogue-st-petersburg.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">St Petersburg</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2012/09/travelogue-moscow.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Moscow</a><b>, <span id="goog_453304872"></span></b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2012/07/travelogue-istanbul.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Istanbul</a><b><span id="goog_453304873"></span>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2012/02/travelogue-seychelles.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Seychelles</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2007/05/visakhapatnam-aka-vizag.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Vizag</a></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Ajith Prasad Balakrishnanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12359138218016503252noreply@blogger.com0Taipei City, Taiwan25.0329636 121.5654268-3.2772702361788468 86.4091768 53.343197436178841 156.7216768tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7722566.post-13998681554685250312023-01-01T23:37:00.008+04:002023-05-07T16:50:33.653+04:00Travelogue - Doha<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">This was actually my second trip to Doha. The first was during the </span><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2010/12/triumph.html" style="text-align: left;">time when Qatar won the bid to host the World Cup 2022 back in 2010</a><span style="text-align: left;">. I still remember the cacophony of Vuvuzelas (made famous during the 2010 WC in South Africa) when the bid result was announced back then . I had wished back then that I could come back to see the tournament in 2022. </span></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJG0uGe4-edyMUWKQu2fq4Oz_CbAKxocU6j4A9u_nRNwvL7b0B95IQ2nT7jPxJfUBUvFoN1CaK_PHM4NhFNqfKLGtD0PpNAE34hEh1AU9y0W_MzgGbekKLo94SakQNC33fYOINHZbwazy8MZqgiXOPm8X55TZYXlMJH5r5QH-fLVQx-IXDz1k/s4032/IMG-3266.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJG0uGe4-edyMUWKQu2fq4Oz_CbAKxocU6j4A9u_nRNwvL7b0B95IQ2nT7jPxJfUBUvFoN1CaK_PHM4NhFNqfKLGtD0PpNAE34hEh1AU9y0W_MzgGbekKLo94SakQNC33fYOINHZbwazy8MZqgiXOPm8X55TZYXlMJH5r5QH-fLVQx-IXDz1k/w255-h192/IMG-3266.jpg" width="255" /></a></div><p></p><p>Two World Cups and 12 years later, we made it. Back in 2010 in Doha, Messi had scored to win an exhibition match between Brazil and Argentina. Fitting to that, the cup went to Argentina after a thrilling final. We went to see a pre-quarter match between Portugal & Switzerland. The match was a goal fest, the festive atmosphere at Lusail was indeed an experience. The fact that World Cup was in Middle East also gave a good opportunity for lot of Indians to see it. <br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4xNiJ9A1--J1cQ09sCAcKughUCvYkDRmw5tE6pz8QkDMkmWZ6hlyqtWJLt55ku_9-e2RMvoF52kIiS262qAqVmLGyCMWIlJc8K7CNAmGnHtdWD9JwMn3EU2qHo0a_uBzR2CsoipddC3A04w_6FSlpzm9qooUNPEaD9qBTVXmGvOofRiC-JOU/s4032/IMG-3220.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4xNiJ9A1--J1cQ09sCAcKughUCvYkDRmw5tE6pz8QkDMkmWZ6hlyqtWJLt55ku_9-e2RMvoF52kIiS262qAqVmLGyCMWIlJc8K7CNAmGnHtdWD9JwMn3EU2qHo0a_uBzR2CsoipddC3A04w_6FSlpzm9qooUNPEaD9qBTVXmGvOofRiC-JOU/s320/IMG-3220.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Much has been written about World Cup in different contexts. I choose to write this in a different context. In 2010, Qatar was a small city drivable in under an hour with not much traffic. There were a few big oil centric businesses, a few banks back then. </p><p>Today, Doha has a swanky metro system with four lines criss-crossing the city - arguably the best in the region . Quite a few large stations are built underground. Hamad International Airport is a Goliath in itself. Qatar Airways has grown atleast 5X from those times I think. The money that has been pumped into infrastructure investment here has been humungous. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjCFixmkSipx9WbttNYp65X7zTrDlW48zoWDbDzV3n9GZl1beCWDWpii-8sF1B-dd8JjqPhpArBwt7QjqjPNned5mat-94jRZdRdYXkhprHGgQlwKFKH6ec14pCj-b6N-D_eTiT4yneynCrQ-YDWJr4_-Ph7Y-KDfTjUJDiJPNklRy5XYIosMA" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2240" data-original-width="3360" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjCFixmkSipx9WbttNYp65X7zTrDlW48zoWDbDzV3n9GZl1beCWDWpii-8sF1B-dd8JjqPhpArBwt7QjqjPNned5mat-94jRZdRdYXkhprHGgQlwKFKH6ec14pCj-b6N-D_eTiT4yneynCrQ-YDWJr4_-Ph7Y-KDfTjUJDiJPNklRy5XYIosMA" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>Can a country or city build its way to prosperity backing on an event like World Cup ? This is the first time that the tournament is being held in a single city. Olympics typically happens in a single city. Just like hosting Olympics, the run-up to the tournament, demand for hosting of the teams , spectators etc caused an infrastructure boom centered around hotels, rental accommodations etc. Even cruise ships were pulled into Doha port to provide temporary accommodation options. </p><p>Will all this infrastructure & investment cause more businesses to come to Doha ? That's the true test of this World Cup extravaganza. The metro systems have resulted in commute being much easier . There is surplus properties in the market that will make stays affordable. Would this result in businesses relocating to Doha from cities such as Dubai & Riyadh ? That's something that I'm perplexed about. The country had petro-dollars . The rulers placed a bet on this event, not just from 2022 perspective, but also from another 10 or 20 years perspective. The bet is that the infrastructure investments for the tournament will accelerate new businesses coming here and will make it easy for Doha to catch up with Dubai in terms of economy & businesses. That's a tall ask. After living in Dubai, I admire about their boldness of "build it, they'll come" strategy even without the backing of petro-dollars. Qatar has also placed a strong bet in that direction with World Cup being a launch pad. </p><p>Let's see where it takes. I wish I can come back to Doha after another 12 years to see where the city has moved to !!!</p><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p style="text-align: left;"> <b><i><u>Read my Travelogues</u></i></b></p><div style="font-family: "times new roman"; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><i><b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2023/04/travelogue-taipei.html" target="_blank">Taipei</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2023/01/travelogue-doha.html">Doha</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2019/06/travelogue-ho-chi-minh-city.html" target="_blank">Ho Chi Minh City</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2019/09/travelogue-hanoi.html" target="_blank">Hanoi</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2019/06/travelogue-barcelona.html" target="_blank">Barcelona</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2018/08/travelogue-silicon-valley.html" target="_blank">Silicon Valley</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2018/06/travelogue-siem-reap.html" target="_blank">Siem Reap</a></b><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2017/12/travelogue-new-york.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">New York</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2018/01/travelogue-washington-dc.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Washington DC</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2017/08/travelogue-amsterdam.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Amsterdam</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2017/07/travelogue-brussels.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Brussels</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/12/travelogue-osaka.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Osaka</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/12/travelogue-hiroshima.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Hiroshima</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/08/travelogue-cyprus.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Cyprus</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/05/travelogue-budapest.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Budapest </a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/03/travelogue-rome.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Rome</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/11/travelogue-bali.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Bali,</a><b> </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/08/travelogue-hamburg.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Hamburg</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/07/travelogue-berlin.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Berlin</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/07/travelogue-prague.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Prague</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/03/travelogue-cairo.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Cairo</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/02/travelogue-alexandria.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Alexandria</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2014/07/travelogue-hallstatt.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Hallstatt</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2014/05/travelogue-salzburg.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Salzburg</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2014/05/travelogue-vienna.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Vienna</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2014/04/travelogue-dachau.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Dachau</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2012/10/travelogue-st-petersburg.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">St Petersburg</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2012/09/travelogue-moscow.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Moscow</a><b>, <span id="goog_453304872"></span></b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2012/07/travelogue-istanbul.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Istanbul</a><b><span id="goog_453304873"></span>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2012/02/travelogue-seychelles.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Seychelles</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2007/05/visakhapatnam-aka-vizag.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Vizag</a></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div></div></div><span style="color: #454545; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-size: 12px;"></span></div>Ajith Prasad Balakrishnanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12359138218016503252noreply@blogger.com0Doha, Qatar25.2854473 51.531039799999988-3.0247865361788442 16.374789799999988 53.595681136178847 86.687289799999988tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7722566.post-1152773877443169972019-06-22T20:13:00.005+04:002023-05-07T16:50:55.539+04:00Travelogue - Ho Chi Minh City<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Never before have I been in a country where people from two cities spoke so different politically over their country. Ho Chi Minh City, erstwhile Saigon, showcased as the ultimate triumph of will of people over the sinister American imperialism has a subtle reticence in anything and everything. There is a defiance against American atrocities & chemical weapons usage, there is a murmur against the rich ruling class that has emerged just like China inspite of communism, there is an undercurrent anger in the generation that was made to live outside of Vietnam for their parents being sympathetic to the old South Vietnam regime.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>The famous Napalm girl photo in Original</b></td></tr>
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Anybody who gets a chance to be in Ho Chi Minh city (HCMC) should see the <a href="http://warremnantsmuseum.com/" target="_blank">war remnants museum</a>. Infact, the three places in the world where are the extremist and war mongering people should be sent, even for a paid holiday are - <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/07/travelogue-berlin.html" target="_blank">Berlin</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/12/travelogue-hiroshima.html" target="_blank">Hiroshima</a> and Ho Chi Minh city . Just like Hiroshima, agent orange after effects are beyond words. Generations that were born after the war still suffer the after effects of this poisonous chemical that was indiscriminately used during the Vietnam war.<br />
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Cu chi tunnels that tell the story of how Viet-Cong rebels fought and won against an overwhelmingly superior opposition is a tale not to be missed. Just like <a href="https://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/03/travelogue-cairo.html" target="_blank">pyramids are a testament to human endurance</a> during Pharaoh's rules, Cu chi tunnels show us how much a determined group of people can fight on with limited means.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Agent Orange Horrors - War Remnants Museum</b></td></tr>
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Vietnamese food has a healthy mix of rice, fish and vegetable. HCMC being a commercial hub, has a variety of modern food joints from McDonalds to traditional varieties. The puppet shows in HCMC are a great cultural mix of their Buddhist and Hindu origins .<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>With Viet Cong Guerilla Models</i></b></td></tr>
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Present day HCMC is a thriving metropolis. More than 8.5 million motor bikes keep the city of almost the same population chugging on. Recent China - America trade spat has resulted in an economic boom for Vietnam. Scores of Chinese businesses now export their wares to the west registered as Vietnamese businesses. Indeed, this economic prosperity has resulted in accusations against Vietnam that they are <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/salvatorebabones/2018/01/15/vietnam-is-following-the-asian-tiger-currency-formula-for-rapid-economic-growth/#e60ab254bed0" target="_blank">artificially keeping the currency undervalued</a>.<br />
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HCMC will leave you with an uneasiness. A tinge in your memories that will make you remember them whenever you hear about a war in any part of the world. They are not very different from an average Indian in terms of their daily struggles to live. Yet they smile at you, host you very well and would make you feel that you were a part of them.<br />
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<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><p> <b><i><u>Read my Travelogues</u></i></b></p><div style="font-family: "times new roman"; margin: 0px;"><i><b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2023/04/travelogue-taipei.html" target="_blank">Taipei</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2023/01/travelogue-doha.html">Doha</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2019/06/travelogue-ho-chi-minh-city.html" target="_blank">Ho Chi Minh City</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2019/09/travelogue-hanoi.html" target="_blank">Hanoi</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2019/06/travelogue-barcelona.html" target="_blank">Barcelona</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2018/08/travelogue-silicon-valley.html" target="_blank">Silicon Valley</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2018/06/travelogue-siem-reap.html" target="_blank">Siem Reap</a></b><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2017/12/travelogue-new-york.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">New York</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2018/01/travelogue-washington-dc.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Washington DC</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2017/08/travelogue-amsterdam.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Amsterdam</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2017/07/travelogue-brussels.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Brussels</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/12/travelogue-osaka.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Osaka</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/12/travelogue-hiroshima.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Hiroshima</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/08/travelogue-cyprus.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Cyprus</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/05/travelogue-budapest.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Budapest </a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/03/travelogue-rome.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Rome</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/11/travelogue-bali.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Bali,</a><b> </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/08/travelogue-hamburg.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Hamburg</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/07/travelogue-berlin.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Berlin</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/07/travelogue-prague.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Prague</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/03/travelogue-cairo.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Cairo</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/02/travelogue-alexandria.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Alexandria</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2014/07/travelogue-hallstatt.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Hallstatt</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2014/05/travelogue-salzburg.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Salzburg</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2014/05/travelogue-vienna.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Vienna</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2014/04/travelogue-dachau.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Dachau</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2012/10/travelogue-st-petersburg.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">St Petersburg</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2012/09/travelogue-moscow.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Moscow</a><b>, <span id="goog_453304872"></span></b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2012/07/travelogue-istanbul.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Istanbul</a><b><span id="goog_453304873"></span>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2012/02/travelogue-seychelles.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Seychelles</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2007/05/visakhapatnam-aka-vizag.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Vizag</a></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div></div>
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Ajith Prasad Balakrishnanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12359138218016503252noreply@blogger.com0Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam10.8230989 106.62966389.8247624 105.33877030000001 11.8214354 107.9205573tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7722566.post-7388955869684920692019-06-22T17:48:00.004+04:002023-05-07T16:51:20.567+04:00Travelogue - Barcelona<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b style="font-style: italic;">"</b><span style="color: #454545; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-size: 12px;"><b style="font-style: italic;">Allow me to state here how much I love Barcelona , an admirable city, a city full of life, intense, a port open to the past and future" </b>-- Le Corbusier</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Barcelona Port Area</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: "helvetica neue";"><span style="font-size: 12px;">The port cities that I have visited, always has a charm. Hanseatic City of <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/08/travelogue-hamburg.html" target="_blank">Hamburg,</a> The Dutch megapolis of <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2017/08/travelogue-amsterdam.html" target="_blank">Amsterdam</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2012/07/travelogue-istanbul.html" target="_blank">Istanbul </a>- the cocktail of East and West, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/02/travelogue-alexandria.html" target="_blank">Alexandria</a> - the yesteryear's gateway to the world - All these have a distinct culture which has been morphed by the sailors and traders who frequented to these ports for years. Barcelona is no different. Although the trading centric maritime traffic seems to be giving way to cruise liners and luxury yachts bringing more and more people to the town. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: "helvetica neue";"><span style="font-size: 12px;">I was here for Mobile World Congress - events like this represent the equivalence of yesteryear's maritime traffic, bringing people and companies from across the world to Catalunya. The week of MWC represents a time of the year when Barcelona is at its Zenith - perhaps only rivalled when a champions league final happens at Camp Nou with their arch-rivals Real Madrid. </span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Realtime 3D Avatar rendering @ MWC</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: "helvetica neue";"><span style="font-size: 12px;">From Chinese companies trying to battle the perception (reality ?) of IP theft to Moroccan IoT startups that crossed the Mediterranean in search of a wider market, Automotive majors exhibiting how the car has become a computing device to management consulting companies that have invested in technology startups like never before, the scope and breadth up on show at MWC is really unparalleled. In that essence, the diverse mix of technologies and ethnicities would have closely mirrored the entropy of Barcelona caused in historical times due to maritime traffic. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: "helvetica neue";"><span style="font-size: 12px;">The signature dishes of Sangria and Paella gives you a sense of its entropy. The cuisines up for grabs in Barcelona restaurants are just awesome in its taste and variety. Unlike typical European food, Spanish cuisine has a decent dose of spices as well as olive oil. The liberal use of Olive oil, vegetables and fish as well as the physically active lifestyle is paying good health benefits for the city. Spain is supposed to knock of Japan from the top position of <a href="https://qz.com/1427106/by-2040-spain-will-have-the-worlds-longest-life-expectancy/" target="_blank">Life expectancy by 2040</a></span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Paella - The signature Catalunya dish</i></b></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: "helvetica neue";"><span style="font-size: 12px;">My earliest memories of Barcelona is of the first Olympics that I followed in TV in 1992. It is said that the tourist inflows started in a major way from that point. </span></span><span style="color: #454545; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-size: 12px;">The historical quarter of the city is so much full of tourists that it gave rise to the <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2017/03/01/517071122/for-barcelona-tourism-boom-comes-at-high-cost" target="_blank">anti-tourist movements, perhaps the first city that saw such a movement </a> Barcelona made news couple of years back by fining Airbnb as well for this tourist inflow. The city has tremendous infrastructure for supporting the tourism sector though. An extensive subway network and public buses makes commuting pretty smooth. The airport is pretty large and impressive. Most shop keepers know English as well. And I didn't come across any visible symbol of Catalonia Independence movement as well.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-size: 12px;">The city's future lies in technology and tourism though. Catalan companies were quite active in scouring startups across the world present in MWC and embracing innovative solutions from them. MWC was a trademark show to any event organising cities as well. Score of volunteers at every entry point like airport & major metro stations helping the visitors, signboards at strategically important points. Indeed the organising efficiency of the city seems to have been a major factor in MWC sticking to this city for sometime. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-size: 12px;">So, till I get a chance to visit this city next time, hopefully to see as a tourist, <b><i>"hasta luego"</i></b></span><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><p> <b><i><u>Read my Travelogues</u></i></b></p><div style="font-family: "times new roman"; margin: 0px;"><i><b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2023/04/travelogue-taipei.html" target="_blank">Taipei</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2023/01/travelogue-doha.html">Doha</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2019/06/travelogue-ho-chi-minh-city.html" target="_blank">Ho Chi Minh City</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2019/09/travelogue-hanoi.html" target="_blank">Hanoi</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2019/06/travelogue-barcelona.html" target="_blank">Barcelona</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2018/08/travelogue-silicon-valley.html" target="_blank">Silicon Valley</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2018/06/travelogue-siem-reap.html" target="_blank">Siem Reap</a></b><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2017/12/travelogue-new-york.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">New York</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2018/01/travelogue-washington-dc.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Washington DC</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2017/08/travelogue-amsterdam.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Amsterdam</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2017/07/travelogue-brussels.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Brussels</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/12/travelogue-osaka.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Osaka</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/12/travelogue-hiroshima.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Hiroshima</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/08/travelogue-cyprus.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Cyprus</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/05/travelogue-budapest.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Budapest </a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/03/travelogue-rome.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Rome</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/11/travelogue-bali.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Bali,</a><b> </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/08/travelogue-hamburg.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Hamburg</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/07/travelogue-berlin.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Berlin</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/07/travelogue-prague.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Prague</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/03/travelogue-cairo.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Cairo</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/02/travelogue-alexandria.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Alexandria</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2014/07/travelogue-hallstatt.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Hallstatt</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2014/05/travelogue-salzburg.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Salzburg</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2014/05/travelogue-vienna.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Vienna</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2014/04/travelogue-dachau.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Dachau</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2012/10/travelogue-st-petersburg.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">St Petersburg</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2012/09/travelogue-moscow.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Moscow</a><b>, <span id="goog_453304872"></span></b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2012/07/travelogue-istanbul.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Istanbul</a><b><span id="goog_453304873"></span>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2012/02/travelogue-seychelles.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Seychelles</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2007/05/visakhapatnam-aka-vizag.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Vizag</a></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div></div>
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Ajith Prasad Balakrishnanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12359138218016503252noreply@blogger.com0Barcelona, Spain41.3850639 2.173403499999949441.1944764 1.8506799999999495 41.5756514 2.4961269999999494tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7722566.post-61909040223840993602019-05-31T18:08:00.006+04:002023-05-07T16:51:37.639+04:00Travelogue - Hanoi<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpFAgti4Mo4hCZ7Q0KZE2-SLTGMjXBueXe4AJTgnNd8QQSXZ48CXUNWBW5e4gGBZ_4ZAEGzpzSoEwLyKQuS6ArKWqij64iTR0ZVZcuOiT1tx9IY_541LluO4aIFFdyw05V85B7TWfaoDzIDdXPUX_7_L5OgrGAjbWG2XP1K2nEoWsEu5DrPF0/s4032/IMG_0526.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpFAgti4Mo4hCZ7Q0KZE2-SLTGMjXBueXe4AJTgnNd8QQSXZ48CXUNWBW5e4gGBZ_4ZAEGzpzSoEwLyKQuS6ArKWqij64iTR0ZVZcuOiT1tx9IY_541LluO4aIFFdyw05V85B7TWfaoDzIDdXPUX_7_L5OgrGAjbWG2XP1K2nEoWsEu5DrPF0/s320/IMG_0526.jpg" width="320" /></a><b><i><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><b><i><br /></i></b></div> </i></b></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><b><i> <br /></i></b>
<b><i><br /></i></b></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><b><i>One thing that you should do in Halong Bay is to take care of your smart phone while taking photos. The number of smart phones that are underneath the bay is substantial ! </i></b> - Remarked our guide while guiding us through one of the most exquisite wonders of nature.<br />
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The volcanic formations & caves that surround the bay makes you marvel at nature's creative ability. Same with the scenic locations in Tam-Coc . Both these places are a day's trip from Hanoi.<br />
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The city has a European feel with the central Hoan Kiem lake & surrounding areas on Fridays & Saturdays filled with performing artists, typically seen in many European cities. Neat and clean compared to typical Asian cities, Hanoi is typical of a capital city. Well paved & laid out roads, grand buildings with colonial backgrounds, historical figures - There is a Confucius Temple as well in the city. Travelling through the city gives you a feel of Lutyen's Delhi, but with smaller roads.<br /><br />
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If people in Ho Chi Minh City exhibited murmurs about the communist rule with Chinese Oligarchs controlling most businesses, Hanoi was quite the opposite. The anti-American feeling is quite strong. Ho Chi Minh's mausoleum is kept in Hanoi as an icon of the victory over imperialism .</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR2fBN8JNd0tKxbVOWNigJn-AtcsOrvbRAwtxuBsy4zxj6NOGDtdWEKTXD36xpmWF63iugHgaFMadilXIk95Lu7t-Akbh_Frp1xPvqrQXNnHFlTqqiIHjQoHtxqC31vz8ae8M8gwRLj0h-STUa5uR20OSyCekR19oPq7tG1AoDKB3GxRWAooo/s4032/IMG_0556.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR2fBN8JNd0tKxbVOWNigJn-AtcsOrvbRAwtxuBsy4zxj6NOGDtdWEKTXD36xpmWF63iugHgaFMadilXIk95Lu7t-Akbh_Frp1xPvqrQXNnHFlTqqiIHjQoHtxqC31vz8ae8M8gwRLj0h-STUa5uR20OSyCekR19oPq7tG1AoDKB3GxRWAooo/s320/IMG_0556.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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Quite paradoxically, if there is one person that Vietnamese should be really thanking for the last two to three years economic boom, it should be Donald Trump. From the thriving metropolis of Ho Chi Minh City to the touristy Hanoi, large electronics manufacturers with factories in China are making a beeline to Vietnam to escape the ramifications of trade war.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>I felt Hanoi is like a beacon of hope that the last vestiges of communism slowly transforms into a liberal , yet socially conscious society and not into an orthodox communist abyss like North Korea. The society is liberal, there are strong elements of social care, yet there is plenty of capitalistic businesses embracing all the modern business practices but all entrenched with a strong dislike for America<div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p style="text-align: left;"> <b><i><u>Read my Travelogues</u></i></b></p><div style="font-family: "times new roman"; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><i><b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2023/04/travelogue-taipei.html" target="_blank">Taipei</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2023/01/travelogue-doha.html">Doha</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2019/06/travelogue-ho-chi-minh-city.html" target="_blank">Ho Chi Minh City</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2019/09/travelogue-hanoi.html" target="_blank">Hanoi</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2019/06/travelogue-barcelona.html" target="_blank">Barcelona</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2018/08/travelogue-silicon-valley.html" target="_blank">Silicon Valley</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2018/06/travelogue-siem-reap.html" target="_blank">Siem Reap</a></b><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2017/12/travelogue-new-york.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">New York</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2018/01/travelogue-washington-dc.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Washington DC</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2017/08/travelogue-amsterdam.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Amsterdam</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2017/07/travelogue-brussels.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Brussels</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/12/travelogue-osaka.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Osaka</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/12/travelogue-hiroshima.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Hiroshima</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/08/travelogue-cyprus.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Cyprus</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/05/travelogue-budapest.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Budapest </a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/03/travelogue-rome.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Rome</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/11/travelogue-bali.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Bali,</a><b> </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/08/travelogue-hamburg.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Hamburg</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/07/travelogue-berlin.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Berlin</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/07/travelogue-prague.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Prague</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/03/travelogue-cairo.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Cairo</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/02/travelogue-alexandria.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Alexandria</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2014/07/travelogue-hallstatt.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Hallstatt</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2014/05/travelogue-salzburg.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Salzburg</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2014/05/travelogue-vienna.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Vienna</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2014/04/travelogue-dachau.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Dachau</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2012/10/travelogue-st-petersburg.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">St Petersburg</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2012/09/travelogue-moscow.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Moscow</a><b>, <span id="goog_453304872"></span></b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2012/07/travelogue-istanbul.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Istanbul</a><b><span id="goog_453304873"></span>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2012/02/travelogue-seychelles.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Seychelles</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2007/05/visakhapatnam-aka-vizag.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Vizag</a></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div></div><br /><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
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</div>Ajith Prasad Balakrishnanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12359138218016503252noreply@blogger.com0Hanoi, Hoàn Kiếm, Hanoi, Vietnam21.0277644 105.8341598-11.317223533840814 70.677909799999981 53.372752333840808 140.9904098tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7722566.post-19168052900065572722018-08-24T21:44:00.006+04:002023-05-07T16:52:02.883+04:00Travelogue - Silicon Valley<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><i>"This company has the best shot at getting a $10 billion valuation in 3 years .. Thats why I moved over there.. I want to retire when I'm 30 man.."..</i></b> Remarked a 20 something year old guy, who was walking behind me with a group of friends during a a windy & chilly night in Silicon Valley.<br />
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That was a prelude to what I was to hear and experience in the next six days in a place which is the epicentre of technology revolution thats sweeping the world. From health care startups working in cutting edge molecular & genetic level analysis to IoT companies working in precision irrigation based on atmospheric parameters, this visit to Silicon Valley really broadened my horizons.<br />
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Clusters of companies doing advanced work in many fields, sky-high salaries and stock options, real estate & apartment prices that most people cannot afford, the way this place has metamorphosed over the last 30 years or so means that chasing wealth is not an optionality but rather a compulsion and necessity for most people who want to live here. Indeed from an economic perspective, it feels like all the financial returns from different parts of the world owing to technological advances are aggregated here. And that manifests in many different forms - be it PE funds, angel investors, corporations promoting startup clusters with huge investments - and that works as a self reinforcing model for pulling in more talent and new innovations<br />
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I had a stereotypical image of Silicon Valley - or the area between downtown San Francisco in North to San Jose & Santa Clara in south - as an urban jungle. However , it is a vast expanse of land with enough greenery and is dotted with clusters of companies in different parts. Made me think geographically what competitive advantage this place has.. The geography is arid and dry in most places. If not for this eco system of companies, I don't think people would have preferred to live here. The expanse of the place is such that I really had to assess the commute distances from multiple offices in detail before committing times for different meetings. There are indeed only two things that I felt is unique to this place - access to talent & access to risk capital - and both of them have evolved over a period of time such that it functions as a competitive advantage which keeps on reinforcing itself. Indeed, it is just like that famous sketch of Uber model with talent, capital , companies - all building up on itself<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEighmv_tp4YNYmpdO1pPkouWuVLNpW38P5AXk6DqFLcjNug1b1u_hR0XbKhR8Vojn_Sac3Ix2tQptgqf_5EpV-RHBQ05b3_9XwgyoLt8_yTtSpceiUrxeENzA1sbZN6K8JDL3zHFA/s1600/uber_model.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="773" data-original-width="900" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEighmv_tp4YNYmpdO1pPkouWuVLNpW38P5AXk6DqFLcjNug1b1u_hR0XbKhR8Vojn_Sac3Ix2tQptgqf_5EpV-RHBQ05b3_9XwgyoLt8_yTtSpceiUrxeENzA1sbZN6K8JDL3zHFA/s320/uber_model.png" width="320" /></a><br />
It actually dawned on me as to why Uber originated here , rather than in a city like NY, Boston , London or any other European city.<br />
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The access to capital drives an efficiency culture here. And given this expanse of land and clusters of companies in different parts, metro systems are not really scalable here ( I met many people who has rarely taken Caltrain / BART even after living here for quite sometime ) . So, the only way in which you can navigate to different parts of the Bay Area is by a solution like Uber that values people's time brings in efficiency and is scalable. Having said that, being a metro enthusiast , I found BART and Caltrain to be extremely useful provided you plan your meetings considering the train timings etc.<br />
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This way of ruthless focus on maximising returns have a negative consequence as well. Many firms prefer youngsters who cal clock 16 hours a day at work. The economic value of someone who is married and have kids is in general lower than someone who is single and can slog. And thats one reason which many people remarked because of which people have moved into other emerging tech-hubs like Seattle , Boston & Austin - where family life is much more valued.<br />
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I stop here to make two bets<br />
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- Human life span will greatly increase in the next 50 years or so. Given the advent of computing power and the kind of precision treatment technologies that are evolving, a lot of diseases that were incurable before is treatable now<br />
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- IoT revolution is going to disrupt a lot of traditional companies in the next 10 years . There is going to be IoT devices in all places where there is a scope of increasing efficiency. And that attracts hot <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/aarontilley/2017/03/21/softbank-arm-chip-dynamiq-artificial-intelligence/#55a9d14bc06a" target="_blank">VC money</a> . Companies that don't get on to this movement are going to be left behind<br />
<br /><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><p> <b><i><u>Read my Travelogues</u></i></b></p><div style="font-family: "times new roman"; margin: 0px;"><i><b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2023/04/travelogue-taipei.html" target="_blank">Taipei</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2023/01/travelogue-doha.html">Doha</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2019/06/travelogue-ho-chi-minh-city.html" target="_blank">Ho Chi Minh City</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2019/09/travelogue-hanoi.html" target="_blank">Hanoi</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2019/06/travelogue-barcelona.html" target="_blank">Barcelona</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2018/08/travelogue-silicon-valley.html" target="_blank">Silicon Valley</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2018/06/travelogue-siem-reap.html" target="_blank">Siem Reap</a></b><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2017/12/travelogue-new-york.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">New York</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2018/01/travelogue-washington-dc.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Washington DC</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2017/08/travelogue-amsterdam.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Amsterdam</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2017/07/travelogue-brussels.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Brussels</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/12/travelogue-osaka.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Osaka</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/12/travelogue-hiroshima.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Hiroshima</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/08/travelogue-cyprus.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Cyprus</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/05/travelogue-budapest.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Budapest </a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/03/travelogue-rome.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Rome</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/11/travelogue-bali.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Bali,</a><b> </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/08/travelogue-hamburg.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Hamburg</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/07/travelogue-berlin.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Berlin</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/07/travelogue-prague.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Prague</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/03/travelogue-cairo.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Cairo</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/02/travelogue-alexandria.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Alexandria</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2014/07/travelogue-hallstatt.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Hallstatt</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2014/05/travelogue-salzburg.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Salzburg</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2014/05/travelogue-vienna.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Vienna</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2014/04/travelogue-dachau.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Dachau</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2012/10/travelogue-st-petersburg.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">St Petersburg</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2012/09/travelogue-moscow.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Moscow</a><b>, <span id="goog_453304872"></span></b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2012/07/travelogue-istanbul.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Istanbul</a><b><span id="goog_453304873"></span>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2012/02/travelogue-seychelles.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Seychelles</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2007/05/visakhapatnam-aka-vizag.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Vizag</a></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div>
Ajith Prasad Balakrishnanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12359138218016503252noreply@blogger.com0San Francisco, CA, USA37.7749295 -122.4194155000000136.9717915 -123.71030900000001 38.578067499999996 -121.12852200000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7722566.post-3214214373997788652018-06-17T19:23:00.003+04:002023-05-07T16:52:34.276+04:00Travelogue - Siem Reap<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><i>"No Country for Our People" </i></b>- lamented the guide as he took our boat towards the floating villages in Lake Tonle Sap. It was a bit weird. As we saw the networked array of boats converted into houses, shops, hospitals and even an orphanage, many questions came into our minds about the background behind this community living in the largest lake in Cambodia.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Floating Village - Orphanage, Lake Tonle Sap</b></td></tr>
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The origins of this floating village date back to the Khmer Rouge times when ethnic Vietnamese in Cambodia where pushed out . <a href="https://www.history.com/topics/pol-pot" target="_blank">Post Pol Pot's regime</a>, when they tried to return to Cambodia, they did not have any proof of identity or land ownership because of which they ended up settling in boats in Lake Tonle Sap. Gradually this settlement grew large and now they survive on tourism and humanitarian aids<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;"><b>Floating Village - Market, Lake Tonle Sap</b><br />
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Cambodia is a fascinating land in many aspects for a traveller. For a country having a very low unemployment rate but very few jobs in the organized sector , it doesn't really have a law and order problem. People value education. Tuk Tuk and cab drivers speak about how they take great efforts to send their children to school. Being a touristy city near the historic Angkor-Wat, most of the people here speak decent English<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Ta Prohm - Tomb raider Temple</b></td></tr>
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Most of the people here are in one way or other impacted by the horrors of Pol-Pot regime. Our guide to Angkor-wat remarked that his parents were taken away by Khmer Rouge regime. He was breast-fed and brought up by a neighbour. I felt memories of this sickening time may be keeping Cambodia relatively crime free inspite of very low per capita income and absence of any major industries. A foundation - <a href="https://www.hahnairfoundation.org/en/our-projects/kantha-bopha/" target="_blank">Kantha Bope</a> - established by a Swiss expat gives good maternity and health-care facilities for young children.<br />
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To me Angkor-Wat wasn't the highlight - It was Ta Prohm - a nearby temple where the famous movie Tomb Raider was shot. The complex which was abandoned for centuries now has gigantic trees that grew in between the pillars. This sight was something special. Rightfully preserved by Archaeological Survey of India in partnership with Cambodian Govt, this presents a mystical charm<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Angkor Wat @ Dawn</td></tr>
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The much fabled sunrise at Angkor-Wat turned out to be a damp-squib on a cloudy morning. The complex is extremely large and really tested our endurance to see it fully on a sunny and humid day. Angkor-Wat shows us a transition between Hindu Mythology and Buddhism. With the sculptures showing both stories, it gives you a perspective of those times. Similar experiences await you at Angkor Thom / Bayon temple. Considering the efforts put into this in an age of no machines, the efforts are comparable to that of Great Pyramids<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Snake & Scorpion Wine - Siem Reap</b></td></tr>
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The native scripts are similar to Sanskrit and Hindi . The cuisine is spicy , but not hot. Apparently they eat any creature <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fried_spider" target="_blank">including Tarantulas</a> . We even spotted a snake & scorpion wine bottle. Siem Reap is a thriving touristy location. Just like Salzburg latches on to Mozart's fame, Siem Reap uses AngKor extensively from handicrafts to Spa's. These locations are actually a solid business case studies as to how to develop an other-wise non-descript location based on a nearby historic sight<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Pub-Street - Siem Reap</b></td></tr>
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As we drove back to the airport, I felt Cambodia represents sort of an enigma. A superficial connect with Indian mythology helps us to relate to the people and culture. Yet at the same-time, it gave a feeling that there's much more to to this place that whats seen at the surface.<br />
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</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><p> <b><i><u>Read my Travelogues</u></i></b></p><div style="font-family: "times new roman"; margin: 0px;"><i><b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2023/04/travelogue-taipei.html" target="_blank">Taipei</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2023/01/travelogue-doha.html">Doha</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2019/06/travelogue-ho-chi-minh-city.html" target="_blank">Ho Chi Minh City</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2019/09/travelogue-hanoi.html" target="_blank">Hanoi</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2019/06/travelogue-barcelona.html" target="_blank">Barcelona</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2018/08/travelogue-silicon-valley.html" target="_blank">Silicon Valley</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2018/06/travelogue-siem-reap.html" target="_blank">Siem Reap</a></b><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2017/12/travelogue-new-york.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">New York</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2018/01/travelogue-washington-dc.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Washington DC</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2017/08/travelogue-amsterdam.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Amsterdam</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2017/07/travelogue-brussels.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Brussels</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/12/travelogue-osaka.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Osaka</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/12/travelogue-hiroshima.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Hiroshima</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/08/travelogue-cyprus.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Cyprus</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/05/travelogue-budapest.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Budapest </a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/03/travelogue-rome.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Rome</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/11/travelogue-bali.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Bali,</a><b> </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/08/travelogue-hamburg.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Hamburg</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/07/travelogue-berlin.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Berlin</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/07/travelogue-prague.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Prague</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/03/travelogue-cairo.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Cairo</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/02/travelogue-alexandria.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Alexandria</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2014/07/travelogue-hallstatt.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Hallstatt</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2014/05/travelogue-salzburg.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Salzburg</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2014/05/travelogue-vienna.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Vienna</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2014/04/travelogue-dachau.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Dachau</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2012/10/travelogue-st-petersburg.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">St Petersburg</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2012/09/travelogue-moscow.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Moscow</a><b>, <span id="goog_453304872"></span></b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2012/07/travelogue-istanbul.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Istanbul</a><b><span id="goog_453304873"></span>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2012/02/travelogue-seychelles.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Seychelles</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2007/05/visakhapatnam-aka-vizag.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Vizag</a></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div>
Ajith Prasad Balakrishnanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12359138218016503252noreply@blogger.com0Krong Siem Reap, Cambodia13.3550091 103.8551729999999213.1078061 103.53244949999993 13.602212100000001 104.17789649999992tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7722566.post-90659073559018008742018-05-19T22:59:00.000+04:002018-05-19T22:59:59.207+04:00Returning NRI guide !<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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So, it has been about 5 months since we left Dubai & moved back to India (Trivandrum ) after more than 6 years abroad . It was a decision that we took after much deliberations to leave a place that has been quite good on a personal front and move back here. And just thought of sharing a few perspectives that I feel could come handy for NRI's planning to come back<br />
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* There is never a "perfect time" for you to come back. When you look at your bank balance you may feel , well can I stay for couple more years. But the more you stay abroad, your kids will find it more difficult to come back<br />
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* Things won't be smooth.. You will be exposed to troubles that you are not familiar with. Internet would break, unruly traffic, low quality goods - you'll experience all that..And you'll realise that there are alternatives to all those.. You can easily take up backup internet connections, you find out times / roads where traffic is smooth, you learn about brands you can trust..It has been a learning process and it'll take time.<br />
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* Problems means there are opportunities. In almost all cities of India, you find a vibrant young generation trying to solve those problems & find business opportunities out of it. Entrepreneurial energy in India has grown up by leaps and bounds compared to time that I left India ( 2011 ) .<br />
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* Sales process in most consumer facing businesses in India is not matured yet. That has been my experience through buying a car / asking for the right credit cards / picking the right furniture.. Sales professionals are not yet ready in general to meet a customer who comes well researched about what he/she wants..They try to sell the same thing in same way. And you'll find that a bit frustrating, especially if you have the habit of researching about what you want very well and approach an institution. The concept of unbundling the product , selling many of those as ancillaries has taken hold in India - but most consumer facing professionals are not much aware of the product details and not well trained in the art of understanding the customer's needs<br />
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* Indian taxation and associated laws are still 20 years back from an NRI - Resident transition & vice versa..They still think that once you are an NRI you stay there till your retirement . The idea that someone can come back for a few years and then may chose to go back is not really distilled into the taxation rules & laws. You'll end up spending quite lot of time and effort in doing all these.<br />
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* Education - In general you' & your kids miss the well oiled process & teaching abroad. But the long term value in India I feel is that your kids will be exposed to different people from all strata of society ( rich / poor / ) and that should help them in the long run<br />
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* You can experiment with a lot of things without much problems.. Plant nurseries, composting , museums , short trips , travel to relatives ...That visa / passport concern from a travel perspective will be largely gone<br />
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* As you have seen the developed world, you tend to quickly realise the things to change , the opportunities and much more. Certainly , having seen & experienced multiple cultures is a very value added experience while returning to India.. You tend to discern things better. You tend to bring a new perspective to many conversations.. You tend to realise & correct the dogmatic things present in many people<br />
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* You would do better for yourself if you stop the habit of converting currencies & comparing it.. You are in India now & INR is the only currency that your should bother about unless you are travelling abroad.<br />
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* There would be times when the doubt kicks in - Whether the decision to return was right ..Remember that there are no perfectly right or wrong choices. You make a choice based on best available information and go all for it !.. Don't look back even if you are tempted to!<br />
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Above all, I think the most wonderful thing being in India is that you'll have plenty of opportunities to work on problems - be it industry / academia / govt - that can shape the destiny of the country going forward. Your international experience would be a valuable asset for that.<br />
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Ajith Prasad Balakrishnanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12359138218016503252noreply@blogger.com3Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India8.5241391 76.936637600000048.2728715999999984 76.613914100000045 8.7754066 77.259361100000035tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7722566.post-14673317158646104632018-01-03T08:40:00.004+04:002023-05-07T16:52:49.542+04:00Travelogue - Washington DC<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i><b>"I have a dream" </b>- </i>Thundered Martin Luther King Jr standing in front of Lincoln Memorial on 28-Aug-1963 . He did have a dream..Everyone who flocked to America had a dream. What makes the United States a land of opportunities ? To feel the answer, you have to visit Washington DC.<br />
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I visited Washington DC before NewYork . Yet, I chose to <a href="https://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2017/12/travelogue-new-york.html" target="_blank">write about New York first</a> and then DC. Thats because to illustrate USA, the best metaphor is NY. But to understand why USA has been so and so, there is perhaps no better substitute than Washington DC.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Lincoln Memorial</i></b></td></tr>
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The answers to that is present in the National Archives building made famous to the young generation by the movie National Treasure. In there lies three important pieces of history that has defined America - Bill of Rights, Declaration of Independence, Constitution . To most visitors, Declaration of Independence is the central piece of attraction here. To me, it was Bill of Rights.<br />
Everyone picks up a copy of Declaration of Independence, I picked up a copy of <a href="http://www.billofrightsinstitute.org/founding-documents/bill-of-rights/" target="_blank">Bill of Rights</a>.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>FDR Memorial</i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Korean war memorial - 19 soldiers scanning 360 degrees</i></b></td></tr>
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Written by James Madison in response to the demand to safe guard individual freedom and liberties, Bill of Rights is the set of first ten amendments to the US constitution. The first glance at Bill of Rights is sure to give you an <i>'ah its so out-dated'</i> kind of feeling. While that feeling to a millennial won't be unsubstantiated, the essence of bill of rights is that United States placed individual liberties as of paramount importance even above the constitutional limits.<br />
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These set of amendments gave foundation to the thoughts of inspiring leaders like Martin Luther King Jr to challenge the state, Rosa Parks to challenge the black-white segregation in public places, it gave countless others the belief to challenge the status quo and fight for a change through lawful means<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Wright Brother's Aircraft - @ Smithsonian National Air </i></b><br />
<b><i>and Space Museum</i></b></td></tr>
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In this age where the national boundaries are getting more firmer through the political events happening around the world, Bill of Rights ( which has to be read in conjunction with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Federalist_Papers" target="_blank">the 'Federalist Papers'</a> ) is a wonderful and inspiring pointer for the lawmakers today towards a set of questions - What should be the central philosophy of lawmaking - Nation or People ? What exactly is Nation ? Does it make sense to preach the concept of Nation to a set of population which is deprived of basic human necessities ?<br />
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DC houses some of the most visible symbols of United States - The Capitol ( Parliament equivalent ) , Whitehouse , a huge number of memorials and museums.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Touching A Piece of Moon @ National<br />Air & Space Museum</b></td></tr>
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The FDR memorial is one of the recent ones as well as most impressive ones. Dedicated to Franklin D Roosevelt who led America through the tumultuous part of 20th century inspite of this disabilities, this place captures various phases in his life and career through a series of quotes.<br />
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Smithsonian museums are treasures of humanity . This is a place in America where you should take your school going kids to. The air and space museum explains various aspects of aviation so beautifully. You could see the original aircraft that aviators like Wright brothers and Charles Lindbergh used . You can even touch a piece of moon! And all these are free for public (Read the <a href="https://siarchives.si.edu/history/featured-topics/stories/james-smithson-founder-smithsonian-institution" target="_blank">story behind Smithsonian here</a> )<br />
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The cold war era has got two outstanding memorials here -Korean War and Vietnam war memorial. Korean war memorial is an architecturally and symbolically interesting place. 19 soldiers scanning 360 degrees around them. The reflection plus the original 19 soldiers refer to the North 38 degree parallel which separated North and South Korea.<br />
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A thought is left at the end of national archives referring to Vietnam war - Why did these mistakes happen inspite of having such robust and well debated bill of rights and constitution ? Thats something worth examining in detail for someone interested in modern American history.<br />
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At the end of the day after experiencing DC, one can't help, but acknowledge that this city on the banks of Potomac River is indeed the guiding philosophy behind the fabled American dream<br />
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<div><p> <b><i><u>Read my Travelogues</u></i></b></p><div style="font-family: "times new roman"; margin: 0px;"><i><b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2023/04/travelogue-taipei.html" target="_blank">Taipei</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2023/01/travelogue-doha.html">Doha</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2019/06/travelogue-ho-chi-minh-city.html" target="_blank">Ho Chi Minh City</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2019/09/travelogue-hanoi.html" target="_blank">Hanoi</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2019/06/travelogue-barcelona.html" target="_blank">Barcelona</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2018/08/travelogue-silicon-valley.html" target="_blank">Silicon Valley</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2018/06/travelogue-siem-reap.html" target="_blank">Siem Reap</a></b><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2017/12/travelogue-new-york.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">New York</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2018/01/travelogue-washington-dc.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Washington DC</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2017/08/travelogue-amsterdam.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Amsterdam</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2017/07/travelogue-brussels.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Brussels</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/12/travelogue-osaka.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Osaka</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/12/travelogue-hiroshima.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Hiroshima</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/08/travelogue-cyprus.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Cyprus</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/05/travelogue-budapest.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Budapest </a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/03/travelogue-rome.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Rome</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/11/travelogue-bali.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Bali,</a><b> </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/08/travelogue-hamburg.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Hamburg</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/07/travelogue-berlin.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Berlin</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/07/travelogue-prague.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Prague</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/03/travelogue-cairo.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Cairo</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/02/travelogue-alexandria.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Alexandria</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2014/07/travelogue-hallstatt.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Hallstatt</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2014/05/travelogue-salzburg.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Salzburg</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2014/05/travelogue-vienna.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Vienna</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2014/04/travelogue-dachau.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Dachau</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2012/10/travelogue-st-petersburg.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">St Petersburg</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2012/09/travelogue-moscow.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Moscow</a><b>, <span id="goog_453304872"></span></b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2012/07/travelogue-istanbul.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Istanbul</a><b><span id="goog_453304873"></span>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2012/02/travelogue-seychelles.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Seychelles</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2007/05/visakhapatnam-aka-vizag.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Vizag</a></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div>Ajith Prasad Balakrishnanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12359138218016503252noreply@blogger.com0Washington, DC, USA38.9071923 -77.03687070000000938.7094553 -77.3595942 39.104929299999995 -76.714147200000014tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7722566.post-34198813107916587762017-12-31T01:06:00.004+04:002023-05-07T16:53:03.929+04:00Travelogue - New York<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b>Immigration Officer </b>: What is Your Name ?<br />
Boy Doesn't answer.<br />
<b>Officer </b>: C'mon son.. What is your Name ?<br />
Boy Doesn't answer.<br />
<b>Translating Officer </b>: Tuo Nome ? ( Italian )<br />
No answer..<br />
Officer looks at the card..<br />
<b>Translating Officer </b>: Vito Andolini from Corleone<br />
<b>Immigration Officer </b>: Corleone.. Vito Corleone<br />
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Godfather Part - II, backdrop . - A young boy, Vito , from Corleone arrives as an immigrant at Ellis Island, New York.. To countless immigrants in the earlier part of 20th century, Ellis Island was the gateway to a land of opportunities. It was an age where people immigrated to the United States through this place. While Statue of Liberty was the symbol of hope for an immigrant, Ellis island was the ultimate test. Immigrants got screened here for a variety of diseases, went through multiple rounds of paperworks and went into the place where capitalism cut its teeth - Manhattan.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/roRPGs9PLcA/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/roRPGs9PLcA?feature=player_embedded" style="clear: left; float: left;" width="320"></iframe>Over the last few years, one profession that I've started to admire is that of a tour guide. Thats an area where I've seen people scoring in 8 - 9 on my ten point scale of perfection. From Jess who took us through the <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/07/travelogue-berlin.html" target="_blank">world war and cold war ruins in Berlin</a> to Nobu who narrated the <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/12/travelogue-hiroshima.html" target="_blank">poignant stories in Hiroshima</a>, Adam in New-York was just as good as them. Passionately narrating the stories behind Ellis Island and Statue of Liberty, there was never a dull moment with him. Few videos embedded here<br />
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The modern sky-scrappers that adorn the NewYork skyline is built on the sweat and blood of immigrants who flocked here from around the world.. True to that spirit, the five Uber rides that I took here where manned by drivers from five ethnic origins . - Sierra Leone, Ecuador, Colombia, Fiji , Jamaica. As you walk through the iconic places like wall-street , WTC memorial, Times Square , Central Park, you hear that cacophony of ethnicities and cultures.. You hear about bitcoins being used as ransoms, you hear about the anguish towards new immigration, at the same time you hear people openly criticising ( or at times, abusing ) the new political order. Yet, a common thread unites everyone - a free spirit.. A free spirit or freedom to express yourself, a don't care - come what may attitude, a firm belief that you can challenge anything - thats omnipresent. And thats perhaps what's made NewYork what it is today, the rock-bed of free markets and trade.. Thomas Friedman's 'World is Flat' finds its essence in NewYork.<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/S8wYxdGMUz0/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/S8wYxdGMUz0?feature=player_embedded" style="clear: left; float: left;" width="320"></iframe><br />
Downtown Manhattan for a tourist is perhaps one of the most densest populated parts on Earth today. Crowded subways, sky-high hotel room rates, a series of hop-on-hop-off buses - but none serving the purpose as traffic is too crowded, impossible to get parking places,... As you cut through the bylanes near Times Square & mid-town, you wonder about what is so magnetic about the place. Madamme Tussauds as they say is better in London, Gulliver's Gate meets its match <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/08/travelogue-hamburg.html" target="_blank">even in a city like Hamburg</a>, Burj Khalifa is higher than Empire States building... The success of New York is its crowds..More crowd bringing in more excitement , and that works as a self reinforcing model.<br />
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As we waited in a Panera bread outlet, I saw a young Indian origin man placing his order. I see his surname on the display board. I hear him introducing himself (first name ) in a confident manner over the phone to some business contact... Out of curiosity, I searched for him on LinkedIn. And the his profile made me - wow!.. True to the spirit of free markets and trade, the best of the best flock here. And that'll drive NewYork and America forward for years to come , regardless of the political order.<br />
</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><p> <b><i><u>Read my Travelogues</u></i></b></p><div style="font-family: "times new roman"; margin: 0px;"><i><b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2023/04/travelogue-taipei.html" target="_blank">Taipei</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2023/01/travelogue-doha.html">Doha</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2019/06/travelogue-ho-chi-minh-city.html" target="_blank">Ho Chi Minh City</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2019/09/travelogue-hanoi.html" target="_blank">Hanoi</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2019/06/travelogue-barcelona.html" target="_blank">Barcelona</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2018/08/travelogue-silicon-valley.html" target="_blank">Silicon Valley</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2018/06/travelogue-siem-reap.html" target="_blank">Siem Reap</a></b><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2017/12/travelogue-new-york.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">New York</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2018/01/travelogue-washington-dc.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Washington DC</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2017/08/travelogue-amsterdam.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Amsterdam</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2017/07/travelogue-brussels.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Brussels</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/12/travelogue-osaka.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Osaka</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/12/travelogue-hiroshima.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Hiroshima</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/08/travelogue-cyprus.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Cyprus</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/05/travelogue-budapest.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Budapest </a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/03/travelogue-rome.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Rome</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/11/travelogue-bali.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Bali,</a><b> </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/08/travelogue-hamburg.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Hamburg</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/07/travelogue-berlin.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Berlin</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/07/travelogue-prague.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Prague</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/03/travelogue-cairo.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Cairo</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/02/travelogue-alexandria.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Alexandria</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2014/07/travelogue-hallstatt.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Hallstatt</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2014/05/travelogue-salzburg.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Salzburg</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2014/05/travelogue-vienna.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Vienna</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2014/04/travelogue-dachau.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Dachau</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2012/10/travelogue-st-petersburg.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">St Petersburg</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2012/09/travelogue-moscow.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Moscow</a><b>, <span id="goog_453304872"></span></b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2012/07/travelogue-istanbul.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Istanbul</a><b><span id="goog_453304873"></span>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2012/02/travelogue-seychelles.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Seychelles</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2007/05/visakhapatnam-aka-vizag.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Vizag</a></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div>
Ajith Prasad Balakrishnanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12359138218016503252noreply@blogger.com0Manhattan, New York, NY, USA40.7830603 -73.97124880000001240.590684800000005 -74.293972300000007 40.9754358 -73.648525300000017tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7722566.post-77496777304156546002017-08-04T16:10:00.004+04:002023-05-07T16:53:27.277+04:00Travelogue - Amsterdam<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b><i>"Some tourists think Amsterdam is a city of sin, but in truth it is a city of freedom. And in freedom, most people find sin"</i></b><br />
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<b><i>-- John Green</i></b><br />
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Amsterdam has quite a few of the things that many parts of the world consider immoral or illegal. But the beauty of this is that, if you go through the <a href="http://www.nationmaster.com/country-info/profiles/Netherlands/Crime" target="_blank">crime statistics</a> you tend to realize that the Dutch have found a way of alternative Governance suited for them. As Rick Steves puts in one of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYXiegTXsEs" target="_blank">this travel videos (The Value of Travel - A gem of a ted talk that you should watch )</a> , it is a different way of addressing a common problem. Indeed in Amsterdam, you run a higher risk of being knocked down by a cyclist than being a victim to a crime. Apparently, about 15000 cycles are retrieved every year from Amsterdam's canals<br />
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The 12th century dam on Amstel river that gave rise to this teeming metropolis of modern world is a treat for tourists. It has evolved from a trading outpost to one of the most liberal cities in the world. Just like any other continental European city, the traumas of 19th century wars are evident and preserved. <br />
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"<i style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">I keep my ideals, because in spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart." </i><br />
- remarked Anne Frank in her diaries during her hiding from Nazis.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Anne Frank's Statue in front of house where<br />she stayed during hiding</b></td></tr>
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Anne Frank's house - perhaps the most visited landmark in this city - is a place that one should not miss. It tells us the story of a brave little girl who defied great odds to leave an everlasting message to the humanity. It is perhaps the best place in Europe that one should take their teenage son/daughter to instil in them good perspectives for the rest of their lives.. Just like <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/07/travelogue-berlin.html" target="_blank">Berlin</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/12/travelogue-hiroshima.html" target="_blank">Hiroshima</a> and <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2014/04/travelogue-dachau.html" target="_blank">Dachau</a> has taught me, Anne Frank's house reemphasises the message that there there is no glory in war. There is just suffering for the humanity. When you walk around the Jewish quarters, you stumble upon these Brass bricks known as Stolperstein ( Stumbling Stones ) with names of holocaust victims and dates which serves as a grim reminder of the past.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Our Daughter's remarks @ Anne Frank's house</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Reading Anne Frank's story - Back @ Dubai</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Stolpersten (Stumbling Stones)</b></td></tr>
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The liberalism which is the hallmark of Amsterdam finds its ethos in multiple places. The Heineken Experience which tells us the story of how a small company grew up to be conglomerate. A can of Heineken in Amsterdam is cheaper than a bottle of still water. The free spirited and hippie nature of Dutch is also evident in Amsterdam Arena - the home of Ajax - the cradle of total football. The no-14 jersey of Johan Cruyff who passed away last year is preserved in the stadium.<br />
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Vincent Van Gogh - another famous icon of Amsterdam has a large museum dedicated to him. I've to admit that I'm not a great connoisseur of art . So, I wouldn't comment much about this place. However, judging by the numb<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Number - 14 Jersey of Cruyff<br />@ Amsterdam Arena</b></td></tr>
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er of visitors to this place, if you have some affinity towards art - you should not miss Van Gogh museum as well as the nearby Rijksmuseum<br />
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A city where the primary modes of transportation are bicycles , tram, metro and buses ; the fitness and sports culture is essentially an integral part of youth. A powerhouse in Hockey, Football , Athletics and Swimming, Netherlands figures quite regularly among the top 20 countries on <a href="http://www.medalspercapita.com/#medals-per-capita:2016" target="_blank">medals per capita</a> in Olympics<br />
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Perhaps the most impressive thing about Netherlands is how they have kept a popular city like Amsterdam not spoiling the beautiful country-side of Netherlands. 20 minutes to one hour drive from Amsterdam, you get to the quaint villages of Marken , Volendam and the famous windmills of Zaanse Schaans. The journey towards those places cover another engineering marvel - The Dutch Dikes. Many parts of Netherlands are below sea level. The Dikes restrict sea water from flowing in and creates large volume of fresh water reservoirs and it has an <a href="http://dutchdikes.net/" target="_blank">interesting history</a> in itself <br />
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Zaanse Schans with its windmills is a UNESCO heritage site. This is actually a reconstructed version of old Dutch wind mills which was done in 1960's and 70's . Being a windy plain, these type of windmills dotted the landscape of Netherlands hundreds of years earlier. You can see one even in Amsterdam city. Many of these were moved to Zaanse Schans to reconstruct what was once a thriving commercial centre in 18th and 19th century.<br />
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As we were not equipped with an age-appropriate , yet truthful explanation for an inquisitive 4 year old kid, we decidedly gave a miss to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Wallen" target="_blank">De Wallen</a> and Coffee Shops :)<br /><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><p> <b><i><u>Read my Travelogues</u></i></b></p><div style="font-family: "times new roman"; margin: 0px;"><i><b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2023/04/travelogue-taipei.html" target="_blank">Taipei</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2023/01/travelogue-doha.html">Doha</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2019/06/travelogue-ho-chi-minh-city.html" target="_blank">Ho Chi Minh City</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2019/09/travelogue-hanoi.html" target="_blank">Hanoi</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2019/06/travelogue-barcelona.html" target="_blank">Barcelona</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2018/08/travelogue-silicon-valley.html" target="_blank">Silicon Valley</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2018/06/travelogue-siem-reap.html" target="_blank">Siem Reap</a></b><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2017/12/travelogue-new-york.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">New York</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2018/01/travelogue-washington-dc.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Washington DC</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2017/08/travelogue-amsterdam.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Amsterdam</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2017/07/travelogue-brussels.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Brussels</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/12/travelogue-osaka.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Osaka</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/12/travelogue-hiroshima.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Hiroshima</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/08/travelogue-cyprus.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Cyprus</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/05/travelogue-budapest.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Budapest </a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/03/travelogue-rome.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Rome</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/11/travelogue-bali.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Bali,</a><b> </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/08/travelogue-hamburg.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Hamburg</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/07/travelogue-berlin.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Berlin</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/07/travelogue-prague.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Prague</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/03/travelogue-cairo.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Cairo</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/02/travelogue-alexandria.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Alexandria</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2014/07/travelogue-hallstatt.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Hallstatt</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2014/05/travelogue-salzburg.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Salzburg</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2014/05/travelogue-vienna.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Vienna</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2014/04/travelogue-dachau.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Dachau</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2012/10/travelogue-st-petersburg.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">St Petersburg</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2012/09/travelogue-moscow.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Moscow</a><b>, <span id="goog_453304872"></span></b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2012/07/travelogue-istanbul.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Istanbul</a><b><span id="goog_453304873"></span>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2012/02/travelogue-seychelles.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Seychelles</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2007/05/visakhapatnam-aka-vizag.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Vizag</a></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div>
Ajith Prasad Balakrishnanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12359138218016503252noreply@blogger.com0Amsterdam, Netherlands52.3702157 4.895167899999933152.2151142 4.5724443999999327 52.5253172 5.2178913999999335tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7722566.post-78649321200134140162017-07-22T18:41:00.004+04:002023-04-28T09:24:00.484+04:00Travelogue - Brussels<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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To feel the conflict that Europe is going through, you need to visit Brussels ( Bruxelles ) .. Armed military Police in practically every sensitive location, visitors always mindful about their surroundings even while munching the delicious waffles. Refugees begging in some street corners, yet the humanity helping them - food coupons being distributed in many places, many of them getting employed in local shops. In restaurants, you could hear a plethora of languages - Flemish, French, German, English and much more.<br />
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Being the head-quarters of European Union and a multitude of other International organisations, one of the places that a visitor should not miss in Brussels is the European Union HQ building and the associated museum explaining the European history. A continent ravaged by wars from the times of Crusades to the World Wars and cold war moving into a concept of economic & political union permitting free movement of people and ideas. The humanist ideals are deeply embedded in their educational curriculum - Perhaps the reason as to why the young generation is at the forefront of helping refugees. And perhaps, no nation in Europe will disown them - Because many generations of Europeans have themselves been persecuted in the name of religion and politics<br />
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While the diamond industry is concentrated in Antwerp, Chocolatiers throng the by-lanes near Grand Palace. My initial thought was that the chocolate industry had<br />
its origins from the Belgian colony of Congo. Apparently thats not the case. Large quantities of cocoa were sourced from Africa. However, Belgium turned into a net exporter of chocolate only after the 1950's. A few family houses - Neuhaus, Godiva , Leonidas etc perfected their own standards and processes. To preserve the authenticity & standards, they have stayed away from outsourcing of manufacturing.. It is actually a case of free markets coupled with long-sightedness that has developed this industry in Belgium. We were fortunate to be taken through various aspects of chocolate making process at Neuhaus which was quite informative.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-4iskkg46o2hRaCia9hT76qbLpOlpDD2twA0iBzK8EkiiS22ar8rn5cOlbiFrOXvq-NCoTkGWQ2WEPeBhV4vWtJAe3XXptcVVrtOakXGkpXcUDRGlvOy7Tm-bbhCFrBv_65Z7XQ/s1600/IMG_1908.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-4iskkg46o2hRaCia9hT76qbLpOlpDD2twA0iBzK8EkiiS22ar8rn5cOlbiFrOXvq-NCoTkGWQ2WEPeBhV4vWtJAe3XXptcVVrtOakXGkpXcUDRGlvOy7Tm-bbhCFrBv_65Z7XQ/s320/IMG_1908.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Manneken Pis</td></tr>
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A stark difference of Brussels from other European cities is that this is a car-congested city even though it has got good public transport network. Apparently the tax system encourages you to to buy vehicles by taking mortgage. Brussels was a stark difference in that aspect from Amsterdam where practically everyone uses cycles or public transport. Another reason could be that this is a hilly terrain.<br />
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European cities have a nice way of converting interesting stories or themes into tourist attractions..Just like Salzburg uses Mozart's history to bring in tourists, Brussels uses the story of Manneken Pis .. Legend says that when Brussels was under siege, attackers setup explosives charges on city walls. But a boy named Julianske urinated on those explosives to defuse them. In his honour, a bronze statue was setup in the historic center of Brussels. And, the tourist industry has caught on this.. From chocolates to T-shirts to miniature models, Manneken Pis is omnipresent in Brussels<br /><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><p> <b><i><u>Read my Travelogues</u></i></b></p><div style="font-family: "times new roman"; margin: 0px;"><i><b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2023/04/travelogue-taipei.html" target="_blank">Taipei</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2023/01/travelogue-doha.html">Doha</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2019/06/travelogue-ho-chi-minh-city.html" target="_blank">Ho Chi Minh City</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2019/09/travelogue-hanoi.html" target="_blank">Hanoi</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2019/06/travelogue-barcelona.html" target="_blank">Barcelona</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2018/08/travelogue-silicon-valley.html" target="_blank">Silicon Valley</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2018/06/travelogue-siem-reap.html" target="_blank">Siem Reap</a></b><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2017/12/travelogue-new-york.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">New York</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2018/01/travelogue-washington-dc.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Washington DC</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2017/08/travelogue-amsterdam.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Amsterdam</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2017/07/travelogue-brussels.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Brussels</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/12/travelogue-osaka.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Osaka</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/12/travelogue-hiroshima.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Hiroshima</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/08/travelogue-cyprus.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Cyprus</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/05/travelogue-budapest.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Budapest </a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/03/travelogue-rome.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Rome</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/11/travelogue-bali.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Bali,</a><b> </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/08/travelogue-hamburg.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Hamburg</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/07/travelogue-berlin.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Berlin</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/07/travelogue-prague.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Prague</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/03/travelogue-cairo.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Cairo</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/02/travelogue-alexandria.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Alexandria</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2014/07/travelogue-hallstatt.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Hallstatt</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2014/05/travelogue-salzburg.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Salzburg</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2014/05/travelogue-vienna.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Vienna</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2014/04/travelogue-dachau.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Dachau</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2012/10/travelogue-st-petersburg.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">St Petersburg</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2012/09/travelogue-moscow.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Moscow</a><b>, <span id="goog_453304872"></span></b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2012/07/travelogue-istanbul.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Istanbul</a><b><span id="goog_453304873"></span>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2012/02/travelogue-seychelles.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Seychelles</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2007/05/visakhapatnam-aka-vizag.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Vizag</a></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div>
Ajith Prasad Balakrishnanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12359138218016503252noreply@blogger.com0Brussels, Belgium50.8503463 4.351721099999963450.689906799999996 4.028997599999963 51.0107858 4.6744445999999638tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7722566.post-47944260456573629992017-01-27T13:07:00.001+04:002017-01-27T13:07:53.870+04:00Why Trump should build his Mexican Wall ?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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In the by-lanes of <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/07/travelogue-prague.html" target="_blank">Prague</a>, next to Charles Bridge is this wonderful relic of cold war - John Lennon wall . Originally the paintings started appearing following the assassination of John Lennon, known for his liberal views & love for humanity. Gradually, this morphed into a rallying point for opposing the oppressive communist regime. Painted in white by authorities many times, the caricatures on this wall, which includes Beatles lyrics & many other humanity oriented phrases is now like a magnet that pulls travelers in Prague.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>John Lennon Wall - Prague</i></b></td></tr>
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I wish Trump begins constructing this wall. Few years later, caricatures will begin to appear on that, at-least on Mexican side. It'll become a rallying point for tourists to flock into Texas & Chihuahua,<br />
popping up the local economies of those states. <br />
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(<i>PS - The wall is estimated to cost anywhere between <a href="http://www.cnbc.com/2015/10/09/this-is-what-trumps-border-wall-could-cost-us.html" target="_blank">$15 billion to $25 billion</a>, with the bulk of it going to the man-power required to build this. And Trump should find abundant number of workers for that on both sides of wall. I suggest Mexican Government to support this exercise wholeheartedly for its economic & tourism potential. It is quite likely to be the project with highest IRR in the history of Mexico )</i><br />
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Ajith Prasad Balakrishnanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12359138218016503252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7722566.post-46799215319610160732016-12-17T10:45:00.001+04:002023-04-28T09:24:30.847+04:00Travelogue - Osaka<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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"Okini", said the clerk who issued us the tickets & subway card at Kansai airport. I had to google what it meant afterwards. It means 'Thank You' in Osakan dialect , but not so commonly used by the young generation apparently.. They prefer 'Arigatou' ( Thank You ) and 'Domo Arigatou' ( Thanks a lot ) . Little did we know that we were set to hear these phrases an innumerable number of times accompanied by bowing as a mark of respect.. That's Japanese society for you. Extremely polite, welcoming & helpful. Couple of days later, a gentleman who was rushing to his office, went extra-mile to help us locate a hotel that we were looking for. He even accompanied us right to the entrance of the hotel. <br />
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Okini was perhaps an early indicator for us towards another thing as well. Japanese society is <a href="http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/06/29/national/japan-census-report-shows-surge-elderly-population-many-living-alone/#.WFQrldJEmM8" target="_blank">rapidly aging.</a> Due to strong work ethic , career focus & extra-mile loyalty towards the companies that they work for, lesser number of marriages happen and less number of couples have kids. It was conspicuous everywhere. There were very few babies / toddlers everywhere. Ourselves touring with a three year old kid hence received smiles & attention at many places. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;"><b><i>Look whom I found in Japan - Dori & Nemo</i></b></td></tr>
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Osaka has got a really large aquarium ( called Kaiyukan ) . Being an ancient trading port, marine life & eco system is seeped into Osakan culture. Kaiyukan is a large & well maintained place. Perhaps one of the best I've seen so far. Well documented with elaborate explanations on different parts of marine life.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Japanese Meal - Part of 'Kaiseki' ( An elaborate set of meal )</i></b></td></tr>
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We had apprehensions about how would the Japanese food would be. Having tried Sushi once before, I wasn't really a big fan of that.. But have to say that if you are a Non-Vegetarian & likes spicy food, you would find the Japanese food to be quite OK. They have rice along with all meals. And they have a 'curry' - which is quite similar to the Indian curries, but made out of beef / pork / chicken etc. They have a high proportion of leaf based dishes & less of fruits. Some researchers say that this kind of healthy meal with the Domo Arigatou bow & lots of walking keep them healthy & fit.. Indeed, even if you a city dweller, transferring from one subway line to another in a major station could involve walking of about a Kilometer .<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Artificial Penguin Habitat in Kaiyukan</i></b></td></tr>
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To feel the pulse of Osaka, you need to take a walk into their shopping streets - Dotonbari & Shinsaibashi - Suji .. You get a feel of Chinatown in various south east asian cities, but more pricey & of remarkable quality.<br />
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Yen is a high denomination-based currency. Yet, prices tend to be quoted upto the lowest unit. i.e, it is not uncommon to hear prices like 3281 yen for a T-shirt. Being from India, prices to be quoted like that is uncommon.. It could be like 3200 rupee or 3300 rupee , but very rarely any random number between 100's. Perhaps this has got something to do with the deflationary spiral that Japan had gone through. People tend to value even a single yen. And money is treated with a lot of respect. If you are paying at a shop or hotel, you are expected to place the cash / card into a tray & then the cashier takes it.<br />
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Osaka has Universal Studio as well. Though did not cover that. We used Osaka as a base to cover <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/12/travelogue-hiroshima.html" target="_blank">Hiroshima </a>, Kyoto & Nara . I hope to return here some day to see the <a href="http://www.japan-guide.com/blog/sakura16/160405_osaka.html" target="_blank">Osaka castle area during Cherry Blossom</a> . There is an interesting architectural structure in Nishi Umeda, Osaka - Two skyscrapers connected by an <a href="http://www.osaka-info.jp/en/facilities/cat10/post_294.html" target="_blank">escalator at the top</a>. Constructing this kind of a building in a seismically active country requires some serious skill.<br />
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Osaka ( or in general, Japan ) is a unique experience for people coming from west. First Asian country to industrialize. Comparable to US & Europe in technology & engineering. Amazing trains & public transport systems. A unique cultural experience with many nuances, Japan has much to offer to a traveler. <br />
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Other interesting aspects about Japanese society that I came across in this trip either as part of observation or conversation. <br />
A) <a href="https://www.tofugu.com/japan/surgical-masks-in-japan/" target="_blank">Why Japanese tend to wear surgical masks</a> ? <a href="https://www.japantoday.com/category/lifestyle/view/why-do-japanese-people-wear-surgical-masks-its-not-always-for-health-reasons" target="_blank">Another perspective</a><br />
B) <a href="http://www.financialsense.com/contributors/matthew-kerkhoff/why-japanese-yen-safe-haven-currency" target="_blank">Why yen is a safe haven</a> ? <br />
C ) <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-21992700" target="_blank">Why Japan lost its electronics crown</a> ?<br />
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</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><p> <b><i><u>Read my Travelogues</u></i></b></p><div style="font-family: "times new roman"; margin: 0px;"><i><b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2023/04/travelogue-taipei.html" target="_blank">Taipei</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2023/01/travelogue-doha.html">Doha</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2019/06/travelogue-ho-chi-minh-city.html" target="_blank">Ho Chi Minh City</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2019/09/travelogue-hanoi.html" target="_blank">Hanoi</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2019/06/travelogue-barcelona.html" target="_blank">Barcelona</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2018/08/travelogue-silicon-valley.html" target="_blank">Silicon Valley</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2018/06/travelogue-siem-reap.html" target="_blank">Siem Reap</a></b><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2017/12/travelogue-new-york.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">New York</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2018/01/travelogue-washington-dc.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Washington DC</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2017/08/travelogue-amsterdam.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Amsterdam</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2017/07/travelogue-brussels.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Brussels</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/12/travelogue-osaka.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Osaka</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/12/travelogue-hiroshima.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Hiroshima</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/08/travelogue-cyprus.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Cyprus</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/05/travelogue-budapest.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Budapest </a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/03/travelogue-rome.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Rome</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/11/travelogue-bali.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Bali,</a><b> </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/08/travelogue-hamburg.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Hamburg</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/07/travelogue-berlin.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Berlin</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/07/travelogue-prague.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Prague</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/03/travelogue-cairo.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Cairo</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/02/travelogue-alexandria.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Alexandria</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2014/07/travelogue-hallstatt.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Hallstatt</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2014/05/travelogue-salzburg.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Salzburg</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2014/05/travelogue-vienna.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Vienna</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2014/04/travelogue-dachau.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Dachau</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2012/10/travelogue-st-petersburg.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">St Petersburg</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2012/09/travelogue-moscow.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Moscow</a><b>, <span id="goog_453304872"></span></b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2012/07/travelogue-istanbul.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Istanbul</a><b><span id="goog_453304873"></span>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2012/02/travelogue-seychelles.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Seychelles</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2007/05/visakhapatnam-aka-vizag.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Vizag</a></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div>
Ajith Prasad Balakrishnanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12359138218016503252noreply@blogger.com0Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan34.6937378 135.5021650999999634.4848083 135.17944159999996 34.902667300000005 135.82488859999995tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7722566.post-36515693129035511172016-12-09T15:48:00.002+04:002023-04-28T09:25:08.054+04:00Travelogue - Hiroshima<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i>"Till she was about 10 years old, she grew up like just another girl. She was strong & was a member of athletic team in her school. In 1954, she developed swellings in her neck , ears and upon being admitted to hospital, was diagnosed with Leukemia and was given maximum of one year to live.. It was in hospital that she learned about the legend of folding a thousand origami cranes to have a wish fulfilled.. She completed 1000, but her wish to live further was not fulfilled. She died in 1955, when she was 12"</i> -- Remarked our guide Nobu (a native of Hiroshima) in an emotional, yet composed tone, as she detailed the poignant story of Sadako Sasaki, a survivor of Atom bomb who went on to die later due to the effects of radiation she suffered when she was barely two years old<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Sadako's Origami Cranes</i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">Hiroshima Atom bomb dome seen through<br />
the peace memorial & flame<br />
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Immortalized by a monument dedicated to her next to the Hiroshima memorial peace park and decorated with Origami cranes, this is a place that can tell you in the most impactful way, the effects of nuclear weapons on humanity. Her story is detailed in <a href="http://amzn.to/2gIsqeX" target="_blank">a famous book</a> as well<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>An illustration depicting the immediate state of survivors </i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>The infamous 'human shadow'. A person standing near a building during bombing apparently melted away leaving a shadow of his body on the building which was otherwise whitened due to bombing</i></b></td></tr>
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The most famous landmark is the Atomic bomb dome, a building that miraculously survived the bombings.
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The peace museum is perhaps at the heart of the pacifist doctrine that has been a part of Japanese Politics after the war. It details various tales of survivors, people who perished and the tale of destruction & radiation effects that has impacted the city ever since.<br />
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I asked Nobu, 'Whats taught in Japanese schools about Japan's role in war' . She told it is taught not in a straightforward way. Japanese attacks are portrayed as attacks on military installations, while the US bombings were taught as attack on civilians.. She also told that in this age of internet, it has become easy for people to access information. But there is no right or wrong answer about these events in Japan. Indeed Obama also stopped short of apologizing for this act on civilians.<br />
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Hiroshima , city of seven rivers has come a long way from that fateful day in 1945. City has hosted Asian games in 1994, hosted a number of world leaders, the latest being Barrack Obama this year. Hiroshima is the headquarters of Mazda motor corporation as well. Unlike the other major Japanese cities, Hiroshima does not have a subway system. Nobu attributed that to the fact that city is in a river delta & it is not suitable to build subways because of the watery nature of soil. A few tram coaches which survived the bombing is still being run today as a memorial<br />
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After Obama's visit this year, Shenzo Abe, the Japanese PM is set to visit Pearl Harbour later this year. It is indeed a remarkable gesture aimed at reconciling differences over a troubled past. <br />
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Hiroshima is a place which can remove even traces of extremism or war mongering from a human soul.. Indeed 6th Aug 1945 was a day when humanity stood still.<!--Begin Viator Partner Widget--><style type="text/css">
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Hiroshima trip was my first experience with 'Shinkansen' (Bullet Train ) as well. 330 KM from Osaka to Hiroshima was done in about 80 minutes. Have to say that, it is indeed an engineering marvel.<br />
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</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><p> <b><i><u>Read my Travelogues</u></i></b></p><div style="font-family: "times new roman"; margin: 0px;"><i><b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2023/04/travelogue-taipei.html" target="_blank">Taipei</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2023/01/travelogue-doha.html">Doha</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2019/06/travelogue-ho-chi-minh-city.html" target="_blank">Ho Chi Minh City</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2019/09/travelogue-hanoi.html" target="_blank">Hanoi</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2019/06/travelogue-barcelona.html" target="_blank">Barcelona</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2018/08/travelogue-silicon-valley.html" target="_blank">Silicon Valley</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2018/06/travelogue-siem-reap.html" target="_blank">Siem Reap</a></b><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2017/12/travelogue-new-york.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">New York</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2018/01/travelogue-washington-dc.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Washington DC</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2017/08/travelogue-amsterdam.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Amsterdam</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2017/07/travelogue-brussels.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Brussels</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/12/travelogue-osaka.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Osaka</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/12/travelogue-hiroshima.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Hiroshima</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/08/travelogue-cyprus.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Cyprus</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/05/travelogue-budapest.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Budapest </a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/03/travelogue-rome.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Rome</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/11/travelogue-bali.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Bali,</a><b> </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/08/travelogue-hamburg.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Hamburg</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/07/travelogue-berlin.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Berlin</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/07/travelogue-prague.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Prague</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/03/travelogue-cairo.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Cairo</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/02/travelogue-alexandria.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Alexandria</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2014/07/travelogue-hallstatt.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Hallstatt</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2014/05/travelogue-salzburg.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Salzburg</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2014/05/travelogue-vienna.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Vienna</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2014/04/travelogue-dachau.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Dachau</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2012/10/travelogue-st-petersburg.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">St Petersburg</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2012/09/travelogue-moscow.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Moscow</a><b>, <span id="goog_453304872"></span></b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2012/07/travelogue-istanbul.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Istanbul</a><b><span id="goog_453304873"></span>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2012/02/travelogue-seychelles.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Seychelles</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2007/05/visakhapatnam-aka-vizag.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Vizag</a></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div>
Ajith Prasad Balakrishnanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12359138218016503252noreply@blogger.com0Hiroshima, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan34.3852029 132.4552926999999733.966231900000004 131.80984569999998 34.8041739 133.10073969999996tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7722566.post-71973753260355655562016-11-12T14:21:00.000+04:002016-11-12T19:29:45.707+04:00Demonetization - The Missing Link<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Indian PM made a highly risky political & economic move by removing 500/- & 1000/- rupee notes from circulation. The move aimed at curbing black money & fake currency seems to be getting equal amount of support & criticism from different quarters at the time of writing.<br />
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Currency is the lubricating factor on which economy runs. The Indian currency base as of Mar'16 is represented in the table below<br />
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<b><i>Currency Note Value ( In Rs Billion) Volume(In Billion) Value% Volume% </i></b><br />
<b><i> 10 320 32 1.95% 40.8%</i></b><br />
<b><i> 20 98 5 0.6 % 6.2%</i></b><br />
<b><i> 50 194 4 1.2% 4.9%</i></b><br />
<b><i> 100 1578 16 9.6% 20.1%</i></b><br />
<b><i> 500 7854 16 48% 20% </i></b><br />
<b><i>1000 6326 6 38.6% 8.1% </i></b><br />
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This brings an interesting reading . The volume of 100 & 500 rupee notes in circulation is almost identical . Assuming that demand for various denominations is a key factor behind printing decisions, there is a huge demand for 500/- rupee notes. As per the classical economic 'equation of exchange' ( MV = PQ ) , Monetary base ( It could be M0/M1/M2/M3 ) X velocity of money ( equals GDP . Over the last few years, <a href="https://www.rbi.org.in/scripts/PublicationsView.aspx?id=13363" target="_blank">velocity of money in India has been decreasing in India</a>, inspite of increase in monetary base. Government doesn't publish stats as to what is the velocity of money for different currency denominations. But the increased demand of 500/- rupee note coupled with overall decreasing velocity of currency is most likely to be due to the hoarding potential of 500/- ( and similar case with 1000/- ) . So, Modi has a justified case - 500/- & 1000/- are one of the means in which unaccounted money is stashed away. <br />
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Now, how is removing 500/- and 1000/- going to affect economy. This is where I think the planners did not get their act together. If you remove 500/- and 1000/- , you are going to remove close to 87% of the monetary base by value & 28% by volume. You are going to supplant that part of economy by 2000/- and an increased circulation of 100/- rupee notes. Now how many 2000/- and extra 100/- rupee notes are you going to need to get back the monetary base to the same level ?<br />
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If you assume that all of the present 1000 rupee notes and say one-half of 500/- rupee notes are going to be replaced with 2000/- , the number of 2000/- rupee notes to be printed works out to be about <b><i>5.13 billion notes</i></b><br />
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The case for extra 100/- is a bit more trickier. If half of the monetary base of 500/- is converted into 100/- , the replacement print is going to be about <b><i>39.3 billion</i></b> notes ( current circulation of 100/- as you can see from the table is <b><i>16 billion</i></b> ) . But this is not so straightforward either. If someone goes to a shop and gives a 2000/- rupee note for an 800/- rupee product, the shopkeeper needs to give 12 hundred rupee notes in balance. Now, this is going to put a huge demand for 100/- rupee notes. And it won't be easy for banks /Govt / RBI to cope up with the increased demand for 100/- rupee notes. <br />
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<b><i>Imagine the below red-line ( volume ) as an air-pocket ( economic activities ) trapped under a semi flexible structure. You are going to pinch the 500 & 1000 into zero, but by opening a 2000/- band and an increased band of 100/- .. The trapped air under the 500/- and 1000/- would manifest as pressures at 2000/- & 100/- </i></b>. The increased pressure on those bands could be equated as a need to print more notes. Unless the circulation of 100/- notes is dramatically improved , economic activity is going to get hampered seriously . <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgigv6yV4qNiXyvFKUHrZGChd4ZKfvedZbt6IiSwUFfFYF7gbVT894EHykz8YKS1Mdv82tOVc4nhPHgQMnOKiLP6jApNla1UuGBPfj1NaXNq5lbpy3d8zxM8yaiYi1nBWMAIrWaUQ/s1600/notes_currency.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em;"><img border="0" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgigv6yV4qNiXyvFKUHrZGChd4ZKfvedZbt6IiSwUFfFYF7gbVT894EHykz8YKS1Mdv82tOVc4nhPHgQMnOKiLP6jApNla1UuGBPfj1NaXNq5lbpy3d8zxM8yaiYi1nBWMAIrWaUQ/s400/notes_currency.png" width="400" /></a></div>
This is where I feel Government should have acted differently- It should have simultaneously come up with denominations of say<b><i> 250/- , 400/- , 750/- along with recalibrating of ATM's</i></b>. Otherwise, doesn't matter how much ever 2000/- they are going to print. it'll just manifest as increased scarcity of 100/- to the common man & small time traders. Already the impacts are seen in the economy where inspite of the availability of 2000/- , business is not smooth as usual.<br />
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Hence, I think this is going to put a serious deflationary effect on economy at the grass root level. On the positive side, real estate prices are going to come down, cash-less ( cards / wallets ) businesses are going to get a boost . <br />
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<b><i> </i></b></div>
Ajith Prasad Balakrishnanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12359138218016503252noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7722566.post-20503795919246041562016-08-05T23:52:00.000+04:002016-08-05T23:52:04.373+04:00Money, Credit & Banking in Rural India<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: georgia, source serif pro, serif;"><i>Excerpts from a conversation with a person who works as a cleaning staff in Dubai. Actual conversation happened in Hindi. </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, source serif pro, serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, source serif pro, serif;"><i><b>Me:</b> So how do you save money in India?</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, source serif pro, serif;"><i><b>Him:</b> I transfer money to my uncle’s bank account. He takes it and gives it to my father. He keeps it.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, source serif pro, serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, source serif pro, serif;"><i><b>Me:</b> So, a person keeps the all the money of earning members in your family?</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, source serif pro, serif;"><i><b>Him:</b> Yeah, and he lends out money at 2% interest to our immediate & extended family members & friends when someone needs it</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, source serif pro, serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, source serif pro, serif;"><i><b>Me:</b> (My finance mind starts to work) Well, why don’t you open an NRE account? You get 4% interest tax free on savings account and 7.5% on fixed deposit (Thank God, I didn't advise Stocks & Mutual Funds)</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, source serif pro, serif;"><i><b>Him:</b> Banking doesn’t work for us Sir. Our financial needs are different</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, source serif pro, serif;"><i><b><br /></b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, source serif pro, serif;"><i><b>Me:</b> Can you explain?</i></span></div>
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<i style="font-family: georgia, "source serif pro", serif;"><b>Him:</b> Sometimes for my daughter’s school fees, I need some money urgently. Maybe for some agricultural expenses, I may have some unanticipated need. If I go to banks, they ask for many paperwork. Not at all easy. Not fast. </i></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, source serif pro, serif;"><i><b><br /></b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, source serif pro, serif;"><i><b>Me:</b> So, your family based financing model works for you in these situations?</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, source serif pro, serif;"><i><b>Him:</b> Mostly yes. The lending is not based on my savings. It is based on need</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, source serif pro, serif;"><i><b><br /></b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, source serif pro, serif;"><i><b>Me:</b> So, how does your family system ensure that the people whom you lend to, return the money back with interest?</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, source serif pro, serif;"><i><b>Him:</b> Sometimes people make delays in payments. But, no one defaults. We don’t lend to everyone. It is within a circle of extended family & friends in village.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, source serif pro, serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, source serif pro, serif;"><i><b>Me:</b> But does this lending business make profit? Lending at 2% won’t make much money.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, source serif pro, serif;"><i><b>Him:</b> Sir, this is not done for profit. This is a system to manage our financial needs of everyone in the family with the little money that we save. If everyone puts money in their individual bank accounts, when need comes, no one in the family can raise a huge sum quickly</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, source serif pro, serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, source serif pro, serif;"><i><b>Me:</b> So, is this how most of the savings are done in your area?</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, source serif pro, serif;"><i><b>Him:</b> Yes. Wherever these kind of arrangements are not there, commercial money lenders exploit people.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, source serif pro, serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, source serif pro, serif;"><i>As I sat bank and thought about that, I felt it made eminent sense. Modern banking works on the basis of <b>“individual”</b>. And all economic theories over that are fundamentally based on the concept of maximizing profit. When the capital available with individual is limited, and the needs are very much basic like health, education & food, you cannot really work on the basis of a person-based banking. A collective usage of capital, even though the returns are limited works best to satisfy the needs of an extended group of people, who otherwise might not be eligible for normal bank credit. The extended group factor is another way of ensuring low probability of default as the defaulter will have much more to lose in an extended family setup. As profit maximization on lender’s side is not the objective, he doesn’t jack up the lending rates, doesn’t go after new customers and so on. Probably this is the reason why modern banking is yet to take a strong foothold in rural India. Rural India will get financial inclusion when some business model emerges to tap into this kind of credit functioning. I can think of Co-Operative banking prevalent in some parts of India as a close-by model. But that’s a bit higher on the value chain where the needs addressed are for starting a business, setting up a shop, buying a vehicle etc.. This is a problem where needs are much more basic and the time to raise money is quite limited.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, source serif pro, serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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Ajith Prasad Balakrishnanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12359138218016503252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7722566.post-7355107189713562942016-08-02T22:50:00.001+04:002023-04-28T09:25:55.829+04:00Travelogue - Cyprus<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Let me start with a caveat. We could not even cover one-third of Cyprus. The country, even though it looks to be a tiny island in Mediterranean, has a lot to offer for more than a week. We were there just for 4 days including the travel dates.<br />
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We landed at Larnaca on a Wednesday morning. Took our rental car and drove straight to our <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g190380-d497463-Reviews-Aphrodite_Beach_Hotel-Latchi_Paphos_District.html" target="_blank">wonderful hotel @ Latchi</a> .. The cross country drive from South East of Island to the Western side took about 4+ hours ( 170 odd KM ). Cyprus represents a unique fusion of Greek, Turkish & Continental European cultures. Its cuisine is distinctively Mediterranean. Not just fish & squid, but the European influenced beef & pork as well. You drive on the left side of the road ( i.e, British system ) . <br />
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<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="423" scrolling="no" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fargumentaladvisor%2Fposts%2F857041857796179%3A0&width=500" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" width="500"></iframe>
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Cypriot beach areas are of two-three distinct kinds . If you are a party-hopper , would suggest you to look for options near <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayia_Napa" target="_blank">Aiya Napa</a> . Cities like Larnaca & Limassol offer good beaches, but often crowded as per reviews. If you are looking for a reasonably quiet & calm place, I would suggest Paphos / Latchi / Polis areas ( where we stayed ) . <br />
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Legend says that <a href="http://www.greekmyths-greekmythology.com/myth-aphrodite-adonis/" target="_blank">Aphrodite and Adonis</a> met in the beaches of Cyprus. There is an area which is kept as <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g190380-d1930708-Reviews-Baths_of_Aphrodite-Latchi_Paphos_District.html" target="_blank">Baths of Aphrodite</a>. Interesting thing is that there are many nearby areas which has the Geological formations similar to the Aphrodite rocks. But when you have an interesting story in mythology, why not market it and make a hype :)<br />
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The specialty of many of these beaches is that these are pebble filled beaches.You take a dip and lie down on the shore, there is virtually no sand that sticks on to your body. The salt content of the water is very high. In general, Mediterranean has high rates of evaporation thereby making the water much more saltier. So, when you swim, if you are not wearing goggles, you'll experience a strong burning sensation in your eyes because of the high-saline nature. This feeling is much more than any of the beaches that I've been to. But doesn't make the experience bad. Infact, I'd rate Cyprus beaches perhaps as the best that I've been to.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivHnyyCdzWJyqMqoEFEmAfIOD4bCGQrtIRvXUAW4IvtVWpUAUCgkO_ISF0YXx33rrWuL5NPVG1UYpk5hFPCqMKw_DiLZrrMu0inMr1IeO8lBvOGJbhRW17b3fGsLcjxUKbOamZCA/s1600/IMG_4444.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivHnyyCdzWJyqMqoEFEmAfIOD4bCGQrtIRvXUAW4IvtVWpUAUCgkO_ISF0YXx33rrWuL5NPVG1UYpk5hFPCqMKw_DiLZrrMu0inMr1IeO8lBvOGJbhRW17b3fGsLcjxUKbOamZCA/s320/IMG_4444.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blue Lagoon @ Latchi - Best place to swim in Cyprus</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Donkeys are valued very much in Cyprus. There is a Donkey sanctuary, a soap that the locals produce out of Donkey milk and lot of other handicrafts centered around Donkey. Cyprus being a mountainous terrain, locals used donkeys to transport the cultivation into different parts of the island. Donkey's importance is highlighted in many of the wineries that you come across. We visited one in the quaint <a href="http://www.sternawinery.com/index.php" target="_blank">surroundings of a village</a><br />
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Modern day Cyprus is a financial & legal center which gained fame as a base of many investment funds,but which came crashing in the infamous <a href="http://www.economist.com/blogs/freeexchange/2013/03/interview-athanasios-orphanides" target="_blank">Cyprus financial</a> crisis a few years back. It is a classic case study for anyone interested in Macro-Economics as to what would happen when banks become much more financially large than the country's economy itself. <br />
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The scars of the financial crisis still remain. As you exit Larnaca, you see a notice stating that Cypriots are allowed to take out only 1000 Euros when they go out. But you can see plenty of signs indicating that the economy is picking up. Many Property Ads, Villas under construction, latest BMW models in Limassol, restaurants & hotels filled with tourists even in the blazing July climate and much more. It is not a cheap place to holiday either .<br />
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Cyprus is a divided nation. Those scars still remain. We didn't go to Nicosia. But from what we heard, it is a very different world on the other side of the border. <br />
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Cyprus is perhaps one of the few small-islands which has something to offer on history , culture, partying, cuisine. What you have on offer is not a deep historical or profound cultural experience like <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/03/travelogue-rome.html" target="_blank">Rome</a> and <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/07/travelogue-berlin.html" target="_blank">Berlin</a>. You should not expect depth in anything, but those glimpses itself would leave plenty of pleasant memories for a lifetime :)<br />
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</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><p> <b><i><u>Read my Travelogues</u></i></b></p><div style="font-family: "times new roman"; margin: 0px;"><i><b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2023/04/travelogue-taipei.html" target="_blank">Taipei</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2023/01/travelogue-doha.html">Doha</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2019/06/travelogue-ho-chi-minh-city.html" target="_blank">Ho Chi Minh City</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2019/09/travelogue-hanoi.html" target="_blank">Hanoi</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2019/06/travelogue-barcelona.html" target="_blank">Barcelona</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2018/08/travelogue-silicon-valley.html" target="_blank">Silicon Valley</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2018/06/travelogue-siem-reap.html" target="_blank">Siem Reap</a></b><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2017/12/travelogue-new-york.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">New York</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2018/01/travelogue-washington-dc.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Washington DC</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2017/08/travelogue-amsterdam.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Amsterdam</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2017/07/travelogue-brussels.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Brussels</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/12/travelogue-osaka.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Osaka</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/12/travelogue-hiroshima.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Hiroshima</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/08/travelogue-cyprus.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Cyprus</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/05/travelogue-budapest.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Budapest </a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/03/travelogue-rome.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Rome</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/11/travelogue-bali.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Bali,</a><b> </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/08/travelogue-hamburg.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Hamburg</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/07/travelogue-berlin.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Berlin</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/07/travelogue-prague.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Prague</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/03/travelogue-cairo.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Cairo</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/02/travelogue-alexandria.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Alexandria</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2014/07/travelogue-hallstatt.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Hallstatt</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2014/05/travelogue-salzburg.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Salzburg</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2014/05/travelogue-vienna.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Vienna</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2014/04/travelogue-dachau.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Dachau</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2012/10/travelogue-st-petersburg.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">St Petersburg</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2012/09/travelogue-moscow.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Moscow</a><b>, <span id="goog_453304872"></span></b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2012/07/travelogue-istanbul.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Istanbul</a><b><span id="goog_453304873"></span>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2012/02/travelogue-seychelles.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Seychelles</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2007/05/visakhapatnam-aka-vizag.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Vizag</a></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div>
Ajith Prasad Balakrishnanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12359138218016503252noreply@blogger.com0Cyprus35.126413 33.42985899999996533.465089 30.848071999999966 36.787737 36.011645999999963tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7722566.post-59431701306925649562016-05-05T22:31:00.001+04:002023-04-28T09:26:27.359+04:00Travelogue - Budapest<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Two of the things that I definitely wanted to visit in Budapest were statues. One was of a person whom I googled up couple of weeks before - Imre Nagy. The other one was of Ferenc Puskas, one of the greatest footballers ever.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Imre Nagy Statue Overlooking Hungarian Parliament<span style="text-align: left;"> </span></td></tr>
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Imre Nagy was out of a peculiar novelty. One of the best political satires of all time in Malayalam - Sandesham - has a reference to him amidst a political conversation . Something that highlights the ubiquitous political awareness of a keralite in the early 90's.<br />
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Ferenc Puskas who led the invincible Magic Magyars of 1950's is part of football folklore. Someone who failed at perhaps the most important game of his career - World cup final 1954 . Hungary of today seems to have totally forgotten him. There is a stadium dedicated to him in the city. But other than that, Puskas seems to be totally forgotten. We had quite a bit of difficulty in tracing out the exact location & identifying the correct tram & metro tracks. It was pretty disappointing that the city does not have anything better to celebrate the Magic Magyars<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ferenc Puskas statue at Becsi Ut, Budapest</td></tr>
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The turning point in Puskas & Nagy's lives was the soviet invasion of 1956. Puskas returned to Hungary only in the 90's . Nagy was incarcerated & executed , and secretly buried , only to be re-interred in the late 80's after the soviet withdrawal . Nagy was a communist, who fought along with Bolsheviks, but later-on fell out of favor with the Soviets because of his disagreement with the Stalinist policies . <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Glittering Hungarian Parliament overlooking Danube</td></tr>
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Hungary as a nation suffered under two of the most notorious regimes of 20th century - Nazis & Stalin. Many of the survivors from the concentration camps of Nazis ended up in Gulags of Russia. This history is captured in detail in <a href="http://www.terrorhaza.hu/" target="_blank">Terra Haza</a> ,a Nazi & Soviet torture cum prison complex converted into a museum. It is a testimony to the fact that extreme policies on any side of political spectrum can be extremely dangerous to the humanity. It is also a reminder to the society that one should not color a political philosophy as good or bad. In this case, many of the victims were members of the Hungarian Communist party ( Like Nagy ) and perpetrators were also from a section of communist party who agreed with the Soviets.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beer Bike / Pedal Bar on Budapest Roads</td></tr>
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Present day Budapest is a thriving Metropolis . I could spot offices of many modern technology companies like Flextronics , Microsoft & Samsung. Heard from a fellow traveler who came all the way from Durban to attend a tech conference that the Government is grooming up this place as Silicon Valley of the Europe. Public transport is excellent . The oldest subway in continental Europe is an engineering marvel just like Moscow Metro . Trams criss-cross the city. It is a reminder to modern day city planners that a city need not be very rich to develop public transport infrastructure.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Szechenyi Baths, Budapest</td></tr>
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The home town of Harry Houdini, really has a magical charm. Perhaps most evident in the night-time view of the parliament building & Buda Castle from the Danube. <br />
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Hungarians has a special way of relaxing. The public baths are a common sight. People from every strata of the society come to places like this for a relaxing day. These are mixed baths . I guess places like this are much needed in Indian society . It removes ones inhibitions . And it promotes a habit between men & women to see each other respectfully, irrespective of what an individual is wearing.<br />
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Goulash / Beef & vegetables soup & Chicken Paprikash are the speciality dishes in Hungary. Indians would definitely like these. A bit spicy & really tasty<br />
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Budapest is like a phoenix raising from ashes. A city that has been unduly oppressed for long seems to be finally getting its due in the 21st century <br />
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</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><p> <b><i><u>Read my Travelogues</u></i></b></p><div style="font-family: "times new roman"; margin: 0px;"><i><b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2023/04/travelogue-taipei.html" target="_blank">Taipei</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2023/01/travelogue-doha.html">Doha</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2019/06/travelogue-ho-chi-minh-city.html" target="_blank">Ho Chi Minh City</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2019/09/travelogue-hanoi.html" target="_blank">Hanoi</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2019/06/travelogue-barcelona.html" target="_blank">Barcelona</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2018/08/travelogue-silicon-valley.html" target="_blank">Silicon Valley</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2018/06/travelogue-siem-reap.html" target="_blank">Siem Reap</a></b><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2017/12/travelogue-new-york.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">New York</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2018/01/travelogue-washington-dc.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Washington DC</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2017/08/travelogue-amsterdam.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Amsterdam</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2017/07/travelogue-brussels.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Brussels</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/12/travelogue-osaka.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Osaka</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/12/travelogue-hiroshima.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Hiroshima</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/08/travelogue-cyprus.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Cyprus</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/05/travelogue-budapest.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Budapest </a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/03/travelogue-rome.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Rome</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/11/travelogue-bali.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Bali,</a><b> </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/08/travelogue-hamburg.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Hamburg</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/07/travelogue-berlin.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Berlin</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/07/travelogue-prague.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Prague</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/03/travelogue-cairo.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Cairo</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/02/travelogue-alexandria.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Alexandria</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2014/07/travelogue-hallstatt.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Hallstatt</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2014/05/travelogue-salzburg.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Salzburg</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2014/05/travelogue-vienna.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Vienna</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2014/04/travelogue-dachau.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Dachau</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2012/10/travelogue-st-petersburg.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">St Petersburg</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2012/09/travelogue-moscow.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Moscow</a><b>, <span id="goog_453304872"></span></b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2012/07/travelogue-istanbul.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Istanbul</a><b><span id="goog_453304873"></span>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2012/02/travelogue-seychelles.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Seychelles</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2007/05/visakhapatnam-aka-vizag.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Vizag</a></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div>
Ajith Prasad Balakrishnanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12359138218016503252noreply@blogger.com0Budapest, Hungary47.497912 19.04023499999993947.154509499999996 18.394787999999938 47.8413145 19.68568199999994tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7722566.post-25808912606950717872016-03-31T22:34:00.002+04:002023-04-28T09:27:02.308+04:00Travelogue - Rome<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Roma ? Roma ? - Quipped a long faced gentleman who walked into our waiting area for EK095 at Dubai T3 - to make sure that he's getting into the same flight.. He reminded me of Paolo Maldini, former Italian captain and one of the finest footballers I've ever seen. <br />
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This was a much anticipated trip for me. The cradle of modern civilization, legal systems, urban planning - all could be traced to this city. Like most other European cities, the city & civilization developed around a river (Tiber) and the seven hills surrounding it. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Raphael's "School of Athens"</td></tr>
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Huge crowds throng the Vatican city - the center of Christianity , but more importantly, the place that houses the artworks of Raphael and Michaelangelo. Incredible Frescos dominate the Vatican Palace. Every picture has a story behind it. Not just the Biblical stories, but images that capture various phases of Roman & Greek times. I remember this particular painting by Raphael where he combined the times of <a href="https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/renaissance-reformation/high-ren-florence-rome/high-renaissance1/v/raphael-school-of-athens" target="_blank">Aristotle, Plato to the younger self of Michaelangelo</a> and numerous other philosophers & scientists. Just after Raphael's Rooms, you get to Sistine Chapel where you can see the full glory of Michaelangelo's skills. No photographs permitted in Sistine Chapel unfortunately though. <br />
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Just like <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/03/travelogue-cairo.html" target="_blank">Cairo,</a> Vatican City is a place that you should explore by a guide. As you would be lost in this place without someone who can explain the significant places & exhibits with the stories behind it. The smallest city state or country has only about 400 odd citizens including the cardinals & Swiss guards.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBwX8Gs5I4lDXTtKvh5QyLawL1qxRuyBS-dGcGngMWumjL739CSUCo1O3FRb8HR8AL4wSj8ZswGgfSrJ6vKrnAJ32tzNF3gDYFhj5Lx27FKV_uyArKX2Tg7Cs8SwRvBrmrAv7dHQ/s1600/IMG_4048.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBwX8Gs5I4lDXTtKvh5QyLawL1qxRuyBS-dGcGngMWumjL739CSUCo1O3FRb8HR8AL4wSj8ZswGgfSrJ6vKrnAJ32tzNF3gDYFhj5Lx27FKV_uyArKX2Tg7Cs8SwRvBrmrAv7dHQ/s320/IMG_4048.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Colosseum - From the top</td></tr>
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Colosseum - The scale & enormity of this structure is really imposing. Multiple restoration attempts are going on to repair parts of that which have been damaged. The grandeur of this structure has been truly captured in Ridley Scott's Gladiator. If you visit this place, highly recommended that you take the ticket to see underground chambers or dungeons as they call it .<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7CM_Iu2XbcOIh7xE6jKNMrLRlTJef-4Eiw0x4laF9IteusCMEbP6zn1bT6GswI5kWxTGEi07YhCyoqeZ6WNNKIYgZyRYKBt_STT-YHvb6QEnFW6ZpEf8fhxemzNvUDf8NLvQWJQ/s1600/IMG_4070.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7CM_Iu2XbcOIh7xE6jKNMrLRlTJef-4Eiw0x4laF9IteusCMEbP6zn1bT6GswI5kWxTGEi07YhCyoqeZ6WNNKIYgZyRYKBt_STT-YHvb6QEnFW6ZpEf8fhxemzNvUDf8NLvQWJQ/s320/IMG_4070.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roman Forum - Site of Marc Antony's Speech</td></tr>
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<i>"Friends, Romans, Countrymen, lend me your ears ..." - </i>The legendary speech by Marc Antony after Caeser's murder happened right in the midst of these historical ruins, <br />
collectively called as Roman Forum. The ruins are again best explored with a guide. It has numerous monuments touching practically every Roman historical figure that you would have heard of from the time of Romulus & Remus to Constantine & even beyond. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3OKrsDI98dJBplx86tWpvowrD-mwMfwPYJ_61Sc30Dirwo-FwDcRnZsq-e09rr9cJJHN-LbNnp8NUsLoyq_7gklmLQKBg5OIiQq9IeQoSPIsvp2lGpZgsS1sLhZ0SlWNyFx4EYQ/s1600/IMG_4102.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3OKrsDI98dJBplx86tWpvowrD-mwMfwPYJ_61Sc30Dirwo-FwDcRnZsq-e09rr9cJJHN-LbNnp8NUsLoyq_7gklmLQKBg5OIiQq9IeQoSPIsvp2lGpZgsS1sLhZ0SlWNyFx4EYQ/s320/IMG_4102.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pantheon - One of the ancient pagan temples</td></tr>
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Indeed the influence of Roman culture & systems were so profound that all the following empires adapted many things from them. The word Kaizer & Czar often tagged to the emperors in Germany & Russia comes from the word Caesar. The Aqueduct systems used by Romans to bring water from distant places to the city is still used in a few places.<br />
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Rome will make us think about the humble beginnings of many things that are the bedrock of modern society.. An empire that was more controlled by a Senate ( sort of a Quasi - Parliament ) , the birth place of Republicanism and much more. <br />
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And Italian food that you get in Italy is very different from the servings in most Italian restaurants in India or Middle East. Pasta, Pizza , Wine, Gelato - Without these, the Italian experience is incomplete !!!</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><p> <b><i><u>Read my Travelogues</u></i></b></p><div style="font-family: "times new roman"; margin: 0px;"><i><b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2023/04/travelogue-taipei.html" target="_blank">Taipei</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2023/01/travelogue-doha.html">Doha</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2019/06/travelogue-ho-chi-minh-city.html" target="_blank">Ho Chi Minh City</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2019/09/travelogue-hanoi.html" target="_blank">Hanoi</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2019/06/travelogue-barcelona.html" target="_blank">Barcelona</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2018/08/travelogue-silicon-valley.html" target="_blank">Silicon Valley</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2018/06/travelogue-siem-reap.html" target="_blank">Siem Reap</a></b><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2017/12/travelogue-new-york.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">New York</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2018/01/travelogue-washington-dc.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Washington DC</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2017/08/travelogue-amsterdam.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Amsterdam</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2017/07/travelogue-brussels.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Brussels</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/12/travelogue-osaka.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Osaka</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/12/travelogue-hiroshima.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Hiroshima</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/08/travelogue-cyprus.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Cyprus</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/05/travelogue-budapest.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Budapest </a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/03/travelogue-rome.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Rome</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/11/travelogue-bali.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Bali,</a><b> </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/08/travelogue-hamburg.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Hamburg</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/07/travelogue-berlin.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Berlin</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/07/travelogue-prague.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Prague</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/03/travelogue-cairo.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Cairo</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/02/travelogue-alexandria.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Alexandria</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2014/07/travelogue-hallstatt.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Hallstatt</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2014/05/travelogue-salzburg.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Salzburg</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2014/05/travelogue-vienna.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Vienna</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2014/04/travelogue-dachau.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Dachau</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2012/10/travelogue-st-petersburg.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">St Petersburg</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2012/09/travelogue-moscow.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Moscow</a><b>, <span id="goog_453304872"></span></b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2012/07/travelogue-istanbul.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Istanbul</a><b><span id="goog_453304873"></span>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2012/02/travelogue-seychelles.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Seychelles</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2007/05/visakhapatnam-aka-vizag.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Vizag</a></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div>
Ajith Prasad Balakrishnanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12359138218016503252noreply@blogger.com0Rome, Italy41.9027835 12.49636550000002441.524646 11.850918500000024 42.280921 13.141812500000025tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7722566.post-22806801748011056782015-11-10T20:21:00.001+04:002023-04-28T09:27:23.448+04:00Travelogue - Bali<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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So we were at this island two weeks before the 'Rinjani' explosion & Chotta Rajan's arrest here made news. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRJV1PRwpmpDk1iEy-JSRVvfd7Sm0rwqA3QyUqfw2fZ7ayK-ttsDq8QobsTwJFCcUfEiG0cMmeluBvOW730HQ5eDuFTRio9ioePIfIcEqAf5_hj0Ui9ko5WHZi-CxOer2uu2RaKw/s1600/IMG_3785.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="110" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRJV1PRwpmpDk1iEy-JSRVvfd7Sm0rwqA3QyUqfw2fZ7ayK-ttsDq8QobsTwJFCcUfEiG0cMmeluBvOW730HQ5eDuFTRio9ioePIfIcEqAf5_hj0Ui9ko5WHZi-CxOer2uu2RaKw/s320/IMG_3785.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Uluwatu - One of the best Views in Bali</td></tr>
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Indonesian Rupiah or IDR is one of the most depreciated currencies that I've come across. People discount the last three zeros in the currency :) .. Despite not being a net exporter of fuel, Indonesia seems to have kept the fuel rates at very low levels ( Actually comparable to middle east levels ) , thereby resulting in huge pressure on currency . Most of the fuel consumed here apparently comes from Brunei. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQbScm0n8lPcuQlAbKOYRacO8R3zueT7I75WCl3KTXQlEEZ8_sOcvUCNmuhGev_N5e2eXT2OfL-OR1OfoWI_zxASS1lHlSQ1IFpISHn9IEYnBSIjn2w5s2x-ue0MV4zm_0NFahSw/s1600/IMG_0142.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQbScm0n8lPcuQlAbKOYRacO8R3zueT7I75WCl3KTXQlEEZ8_sOcvUCNmuhGev_N5e2eXT2OfL-OR1OfoWI_zxASS1lHlSQ1IFpISHn9IEYnBSIjn2w5s2x-ue0MV4zm_0NFahSw/s320/IMG_0142.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rice cultivation / Rice Garden</td></tr>
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On the demand side, the tourism industry is booming. The Island seems to have emerged from the downturn that came along with the bomb blasts of 2005. Even though the currency is very weak, nothing from food to souvenirs is cheap for tourists. Essentially, as the demand is there, the prices are also marked-up . Government seems to be investing well in the infrastructure as well.. Largely good roads, an exceptionally large airport, very little law and order problem.<br />
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One of the most fertile countries we have been to - practically all varieties of crops and fruits seems to grow here. Probably, that's because of the volcanic soil .Organic farming & associated culinary is a major tourism activity here. And if you are into that, I would say, don't miss out on that aspect in Bali. The way in which they cultivate rice is quite interesting . Hill slopes are leveled to create a terrain with many steps where paddy is planted. <br />
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Highlight of Bali was <a href="http://www.most-expensive.coffee/" target="_blank">'Luwak Coffee' </a>for me. Apparently, one of the most expensive variety of coffee sold across the globe , it tastes good as well :) . And you should not miss the Luwak coffee plantation tours if you are in this island. We picked up a packet of Luwak Coffee :) .. Believe me, you won't have any apprehensions in tasting this once you see them making it<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCduuAGX-1VQnyQ81LiqXFKYdHhSG_nZlApT8qGgokK5VAToJycPfJm_lGySlEy_KxkhhgL0qk6JoXMhSPZWQWN3wsAGRK4wVXAzfWE51EeWNzFcfcLd7MmNJYCS0CXc3rFOH_jw/s1600/IMG_0105.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCduuAGX-1VQnyQ81LiqXFKYdHhSG_nZlApT8qGgokK5VAToJycPfJm_lGySlEy_KxkhhgL0qk6JoXMhSPZWQWN3wsAGRK4wVXAzfWE51EeWNzFcfcLd7MmNJYCS0CXc3rFOH_jw/s320/IMG_0105.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Luwak Coffee + a variety of others</td></tr>
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Bali has something to offer for all segment of tourists -- From the party hopping crowd to the old age couples, you have a range of attractions from water sports to spirituality available here. <br />
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I got a feeling that the Balinese population is deeply religious . Every well-off family apparently builds a temple next to their house. So, this temple building is probably the next biggest economic activity after tourism & allied businesses.<br />
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The interior roads of Bali gave me a feeling that I was travelling in Rural Kerala ( especially Northern Kerala - minus the political part ) .. Curved roads, small rural shops , lush greenery all around . <br />
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As usual with any island nation, many spots with good views, apparently you need to spend time to travel to North Bali if you have to experience the natural splendor in its full glory.<br />
<br /><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><p> <b><i><u>Read my Travelogues</u></i></b></p><div style="font-family: "times new roman"; margin: 0px;"><i><b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2023/04/travelogue-taipei.html" target="_blank">Taipei</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2023/01/travelogue-doha.html">Doha</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2019/06/travelogue-ho-chi-minh-city.html" target="_blank">Ho Chi Minh City</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2019/09/travelogue-hanoi.html" target="_blank">Hanoi</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2019/06/travelogue-barcelona.html" target="_blank">Barcelona</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2018/08/travelogue-silicon-valley.html" target="_blank">Silicon Valley</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2018/06/travelogue-siem-reap.html" target="_blank">Siem Reap</a></b><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2017/12/travelogue-new-york.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">New York</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2018/01/travelogue-washington-dc.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Washington DC</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2017/08/travelogue-amsterdam.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Amsterdam</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2017/07/travelogue-brussels.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Brussels</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/12/travelogue-osaka.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Osaka</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/12/travelogue-hiroshima.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Hiroshima</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/08/travelogue-cyprus.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Cyprus</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/05/travelogue-budapest.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Budapest </a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/03/travelogue-rome.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Rome</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/11/travelogue-bali.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Bali,</a><b> </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/08/travelogue-hamburg.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Hamburg</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/07/travelogue-berlin.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Berlin</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/07/travelogue-prague.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Prague</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/03/travelogue-cairo.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Cairo</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/02/travelogue-alexandria.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Alexandria</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2014/07/travelogue-hallstatt.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Hallstatt</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2014/05/travelogue-salzburg.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Salzburg</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2014/05/travelogue-vienna.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Vienna</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2014/04/travelogue-dachau.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Dachau</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2012/10/travelogue-st-petersburg.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">St Petersburg</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2012/09/travelogue-moscow.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Moscow</a><b>, <span id="goog_453304872"></span></b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2012/07/travelogue-istanbul.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Istanbul</a><b><span id="goog_453304873"></span>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2012/02/travelogue-seychelles.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Seychelles</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2007/05/visakhapatnam-aka-vizag.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Vizag</a></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div>
Ajith Prasad Balakrishnanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12359138218016503252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7722566.post-59625112153327244632015-10-10T12:38:00.000+04:002015-10-10T12:38:01.213+04:00Internet.org , Net Neutrality & Why Zuckerberg is Right ?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Seldom has people's ignorance surprised me so much than last month when this entire episode of Digital India & Internet.org played out in the <a href="http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/info-tech/no-link-between-internetorg-and-digital-india-profile-pic-feature-facebook/article7699229.ece" target="_blank">mainstream & social media</a> . Regardless of whether or not you are supporting digital India , its absolutely ridiculous to even think that changing your profile pic will <b><i>"register you as a supporter"</i></b> of internet.org . Facebook or any other corporation does not work on any form of democratic decision making in such initiatives ( and they should never ) . So, whether you change your profile pic or not has got nothing to do with internet.org <br />
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It also made me think about a point that I emphasized in my <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/04/why-internet-should-not-be-neutral.html" target="_blank">last post on this subject</a> . People tend to be taken in when you put a liberal dose of words like 'liberal' , 'neutral' , 'equal' , 'democratic' - so on and so forth. The central point in trying to understand this entire proposition is accepting the fact the internet connectivity that you and I enjoy has a cost. And it is congested at many points in many degrees. When a service has an underlying cost,the best way to utilize it rationally is in making people the right amount of money for the right kind of service. <br />
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Facebook is not just doing this out of altruistic intentions . They too have a selfish motive. And that motive is to create an underlying eco-system where people are connected based on their social interactions ( <a href="http://techcrunch.com/2013/01/24/my-precious-social-graph/" target="_blank">the social graph</a> ) so that they can do good amount of targeted advertising or monetize any other kind of revenue generator that they may bring along. But if they end up creating a platform that gives connectivity and access to millions of people who cannot afford to have that otherwise, it should be welcomed .. The potential that internet connectivity (even if limited ) can bring to the lives of rural population is really great. Scores of small scale business owners are seeing 'market' differently after the advent of e-commerce. Whether that's in the field of agriculture / education / anything else, having an accessible connectivity is a game changer. Internet.org is a platform designed keeping all this in consideration.. It does not support apps that are bandwidth heavy, it welcomes third party apps - Actually it promotes an android / ios type ecosystem for the unconnected world. <br />
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Few arguments that have been put against internet.org are<br />
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(1) If Facebook is so altruistic , why don't they just subsidize a data-connectivity charge for the rural population ?<br />
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Let's face it - Facebook is not just altruistic . It is a corporation which needs to come up with business models. If a business model goes hand-in-hand with social change, there's no reason to oppose that. Also, these data-caps / bandwidth subsidies etc goes with an underlying assumption - it is that people are rational to use it appropriately. That is not often correct when it comes to the rural masses. One of the reasons cash subsidies in lieu of public distribution systems have not worked out well in developing world is that the cash is utilized for unintended things - alcohol / gambling / entertainment - other than the primary intended areas - education / food / health . The same goes in this context. A large percentage of population is quite likely to use a subsidized & unrestricted bandwidth in movie downloads / videos / games . <br />
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(2) Would this stifle the chances of a small company incoming up with a next generation app ?<br />
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- If you glance the annual reports of any telecom company , you will realize the fact that data connectivity is the main driver of revenue growth . Telecom companies always have an incentive to market data plans that make more and more bandwidth heavy applications to the end consumer. Infact a subsidized platform like internet.org ( that offers bare basic internet with limited sites ) would be a good launchpad for telecom companies to upgrade customers to the next level of unrestricted internet. So, I would say that fear is unfounded - except may be for monopoly markets. And telecom in India is not at all a monopoly.<br />
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Any platform or connectivity has a cost - and someone needs to bear that cost - In this case, that cost is carried by telecom players, facebook and any other <a href="http://www.wired.com/2015/05/internet-org-expands-net-neutrality/" target="_blank">partner on this platform</a><br />
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Internet.org should make your connectivity charges much cheaper. Today as we are paying a flat fee for unrestricted content, we are effectively cross-subsidizing a bandwidth heavy gamer / movie downloader. If any of you have used Google Apps platform, internet.org is an extended concept of that . And I think in this case, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/zuck/posts/10102033678947881" target="_blank">Zuckerberg</a> is more correct than Tim Berners Lee <br />
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Ajith Prasad Balakrishnanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12359138218016503252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7722566.post-20503837993998260172015-08-04T19:03:00.001+04:002023-04-28T09:27:47.904+04:00Travelogue - Hamburg<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Hanseatic city of Hamburg, as they address themselves is quite interesting. The word Hanseatic comes from the German word Hanse / Hansa signifying the league of cities or merchant association formed to align the policies to maritime trade.<br />
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If the Southern German cities like Stuttgart & Munich are known for their automobile expertise, Hamburg is about shipping & transportation. A huge container port with a beautiful harbour, Hamburg embodies the shipping culture into itself. The maritime museum dedicated to various aspects of shipping from history to engineering , the infamous Reeperbahn ( Hamburg's red-light district ) , Hafencity - A modern city formed out of old harbor area & reclaimed land, a la-Venetian style canal system , the city is quite engaging in itself. </div>
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The star-attraction in this city was undoubtedly a place called <b><i>'Miniature Wunderland' </i></b>. See the pics & Video .. This is a place where you should take your kids in the age group 10 - 15. Anyone can enjoy it though.</div>
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It actually made me realize why Germany is still an engineering super-power. Kids who grow exposed to this as well as the Maritime museum will develop a keen interest in engineering & shipping. Those interests will be honed naturally in a growing teen. Probably this is the way in which the automobile industry in southern Germany builds engineering talent as well . Compare this to the state in India where only a miniscule proportion of the engineering first year students know what they are really getting into.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A model in Miniatur Wunderland</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">One of the rail models in Miniature Wunderland</td></tr>
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Hamburg, just like Singapore, preserves the harmony with nature exceptionally well.. There is this beautiful 'Lake Alster' , right in the middle of the city. Unpolluted, serene, Alster cruise will really make you wonder if you are truly in a big city like Hamburg. Apparently, many millionaires have bought homes on the shores of Alster, pushing up the real-estate prices to sky-high levels</div>
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Just like <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/07/travelogue-berlin.html" target="_blank">Berlin</a>, Hamburg is exceptionally well connected with U-bahn & S-bahn services,. We never hired a cab in the two days spent here. <br />
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Hamburg is bidding for <a href="http://www.dw.com/en/hamburg-outlines-details-of-2024-olympic-bid/a-18585886" target="_blank">2024 summer Olympics</a>. I wish I can return to see the games then in this wonderful city!<br /><br /></div><div><p> <b><i><u>Read my Travelogues</u></i></b></p><div style="font-family: "times new roman"; margin: 0px;"><i><b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2023/04/travelogue-taipei.html" target="_blank">Taipei</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2023/01/travelogue-doha.html">Doha</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2019/06/travelogue-ho-chi-minh-city.html" target="_blank">Ho Chi Minh City</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2019/09/travelogue-hanoi.html" target="_blank">Hanoi</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2019/06/travelogue-barcelona.html" target="_blank">Barcelona</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2018/08/travelogue-silicon-valley.html" target="_blank">Silicon Valley</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2018/06/travelogue-siem-reap.html" target="_blank">Siem Reap</a></b><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2017/12/travelogue-new-york.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">New York</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2018/01/travelogue-washington-dc.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Washington DC</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2017/08/travelogue-amsterdam.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Amsterdam</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2017/07/travelogue-brussels.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Brussels</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/12/travelogue-osaka.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Osaka</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/12/travelogue-hiroshima.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Hiroshima</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/08/travelogue-cyprus.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Cyprus</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/05/travelogue-budapest.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Budapest </a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/03/travelogue-rome.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Rome</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/11/travelogue-bali.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Bali,</a><b> </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/08/travelogue-hamburg.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Hamburg</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/07/travelogue-berlin.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Berlin</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/07/travelogue-prague.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Prague</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/03/travelogue-cairo.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Cairo</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/02/travelogue-alexandria.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Alexandria</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2014/07/travelogue-hallstatt.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Hallstatt</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2014/05/travelogue-salzburg.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Salzburg</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2014/05/travelogue-vienna.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Vienna</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2014/04/travelogue-dachau.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Dachau</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2012/10/travelogue-st-petersburg.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">St Petersburg</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2012/09/travelogue-moscow.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Moscow</a><b>, <span id="goog_453304872"></span></b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2012/07/travelogue-istanbul.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Istanbul</a><b><span id="goog_453304873"></span>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2012/02/travelogue-seychelles.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Seychelles</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2007/05/visakhapatnam-aka-vizag.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Vizag</a></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div>
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Ajith Prasad Balakrishnanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12359138218016503252noreply@blogger.com0Hamburg, Germany53.5510846 9.9936817999999952.9475631 8.702788299999991 54.1546061 11.28457529999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7722566.post-6816133928558083902015-07-18T11:03:00.002+04:002023-04-28T09:28:49.020+04:00Travelogue - Berlin<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Berlin lives & breathes history. No other city in the world would have gone through these many transitions in the last 100 years. From the rule of Kaiser William II, Weimar Republic, Nazi rule , war destruction, cold-war divide, re-unification, I wonder what all a 100 year old Berliner would have gone through. A 5 KM radius from Brandenburg Gate bears a number of sights relating to these times and much earlier as well.<br />
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The most remarkable thing about Germany that I've felt is the openness to admit mistakes. That is in-built into their culture. And Berlin has beautifully combined this openness & its apology to humanity with symbolism so that it is ingrained in every child who grows up in this city. Every historical memorial has an interesting twist or the other.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Holocaust Memorial - Berlin</td></tr>
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Perhaps the most poignant one is the <b><i>holocaust memorial </i></b>next to Brandenburg gate. Built at a staggering cost of about 25 Million Euros by Peter Eisenman , anyone's first reaction would be - "Is this a staggering waster of money" ? .. But as you explore this and listen to the stories ( Narrated by our <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g187323-d735931-r266772742-Original_Berlin_Walks-Berlin.html" target="_blank">wonderful guide Jess</a> ), you tend to realize the rationale.. You cannot build an eye-candy to 'celebrate' this dark chapter in history of mankind. The idea is that one should feel a hollowness, should spare a thought for the millions murdered, it should leave an uneasiness in your mind - all for a reason - so that anything like this should never be allowed to repeat. As you sit back and think about it, I think this monument makes great sense. Locate quite near to Hitler's bunker ( which is all covered now - Only a car park is there at the site ),<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Site of Hitler's Bunker</td></tr>
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this is a sad reflection of the generation whose life & aspirations were taken away from them<br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-in.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=IN&source=ac&ref=tf_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=argumentaladv-21&marketplace=amazon&region=IN&placement=0141032391&asins=0141032391&linkId=&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;">
</iframe> <b><i>The Neue Wache ( New Guardhouse )</i></b> is an interesting memorial along the same lines. Originally built during the time of Kaiser William III, dedicated & rededicated<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Neue Wache , Central Memorial for the <br />
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many times, this houses a statue of a mother crying over her dead son in a war. The building has an opening in the ceiling exposing the statue to the changing weather of snow & rain.<br />
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Almost opposite to this, is this area called <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bebelplatz" target="_blank">BebelPlatz</a> where Nazis did the infamous book-burnings . An empty shelf underground which can be seen though glass stands as the memorial. Engraved on a plaque next to it <span style="font-family: inherit;">- <span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><i>"<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">Das war ein Vorspiel nur, dort wo man Bücher verbrennt, verbrennt man am Ende auch Menschen" ( </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">"That was only a prelude; where they burn books, they will in the end also burn people" ) </span></i></b></span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">East German Mural painting giving a propaganda about how</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">good life is under Communist Rule</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc0O-KPamB4WeG2DtLnjJ2_ua8wUBYT3eslISJQDxnDjLxPf682ZJOEHa2_HLwhVlOWKeAq62d0svpysFtEDGE-dJYdsfXR-tQuKob02nG0dPkmqO4LY58huaX4gQXeFMKQm0lLw/s1600/IMG_1188.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc0O-KPamB4WeG2DtLnjJ2_ua8wUBYT3eslISJQDxnDjLxPf682ZJOEHa2_HLwhVlOWKeAq62d0svpysFtEDGE-dJYdsfXR-tQuKob02nG0dPkmqO4LY58huaX4gQXeFMKQm0lLw/s320/IMG_1188.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A photograph of an East German uprising crushed by Soviets.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The photo is of the same dimensions as the painting</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;"><br /></span><span style="color: #252525; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">This symbolism is not just limited to the war era. There is this Mural painting by East Germans depicting " how good" is the life in East Germany during the cold war time. Next to it, there is a photo of the same length which frames a picture of an uprising in East Germany which was crushed by the communist rulers with Soviet backing. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span face="sans-serif" style="color: #252525;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;"><br /></span></span>
<span face="sans-serif" style="color: #252525;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">The area from the holocaust memorial to Check-Point Charlie & beyond is referred as <b><i>'Topography of Terror</i></b>' which has several of the infamous Third Reich buildings of SS, Gestapo & much more. </span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span face="sans-serif" style="color: #252525;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">Numerous graffiti adorn most of the sections of Berlin wall as well as check-point Charlie.</span></span><br />
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To sum it up, Berlin beautifully combines history, its apology to the world and sensitizes </span>the current generation of the past . Happened to <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>At Check-Point Charlie, The military check point separating<br />
Berlin into different zones during the cold war</b></td></tr>
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hear a teacher explaining the Nazi rule, war & its aftermath to a set of school kids. The way they are explaining is by telling the history objectively - telling the kids that our nation made terrible mistakes once upon a time - takes a lot of candidness<br />
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There are a large number of museums / exhibitions in the city. We could see Reichstag only from outside as well. To cover this city fully, one would need a full week I think.<br />
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Perhaps the city with the most integrated public transport system that I've seen so far. Buses,trams, U-bahn, S-bahn. If you are physically fit, there is no reason for you to hire a cab to see this city. The 3 day Berliner pass was well worth it with discounts in museum entries as well.<br />
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Highly Recommended if you are in Berlin - <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g187323-d735931-Reviews-Original_Berlin_Walks-Berlin.html" target="_blank">Original Berlin Walks</a> . Perhaps the best way to experience this city </div>
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</div><div><p> <b><i><u>Read my Travelogues</u></i></b></p><div style="font-family: "times new roman"; margin: 0px;"><i><b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2023/04/travelogue-taipei.html" target="_blank">Taipei</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2023/01/travelogue-doha.html">Doha</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2019/06/travelogue-ho-chi-minh-city.html" target="_blank">Ho Chi Minh City</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2019/09/travelogue-hanoi.html" target="_blank">Hanoi</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2019/06/travelogue-barcelona.html" target="_blank">Barcelona</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2018/08/travelogue-silicon-valley.html" target="_blank">Silicon Valley</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2018/06/travelogue-siem-reap.html" target="_blank">Siem Reap</a></b><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2017/12/travelogue-new-york.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">New York</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2018/01/travelogue-washington-dc.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Washington DC</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2017/08/travelogue-amsterdam.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Amsterdam</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2017/07/travelogue-brussels.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Brussels</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/12/travelogue-osaka.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Osaka</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/12/travelogue-hiroshima.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Hiroshima</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/08/travelogue-cyprus.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Cyprus</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/05/travelogue-budapest.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Budapest </a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/03/travelogue-rome.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Rome</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/11/travelogue-bali.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Bali,</a><b> </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/08/travelogue-hamburg.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Hamburg</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/07/travelogue-berlin.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Berlin</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/07/travelogue-prague.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Prague</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/03/travelogue-cairo.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Cairo</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/02/travelogue-alexandria.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Alexandria</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2014/07/travelogue-hallstatt.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Hallstatt</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2014/05/travelogue-salzburg.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Salzburg</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2014/05/travelogue-vienna.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Vienna</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2014/04/travelogue-dachau.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Dachau</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2012/10/travelogue-st-petersburg.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">St Petersburg</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2012/09/travelogue-moscow.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Moscow</a><b>, <span id="goog_453304872"></span></b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2012/07/travelogue-istanbul.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Istanbul</a><b><span id="goog_453304873"></span>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2012/02/travelogue-seychelles.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Seychelles</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2007/05/visakhapatnam-aka-vizag.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Vizag</a></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div>
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Ajith Prasad Balakrishnanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12359138218016503252noreply@blogger.com0Berlin, Germany52.520006599999988 13.40495399999997552.210736099999991 12.759506999999974 52.829277099999985 14.050400999999976tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7722566.post-43835492250609837552015-07-01T18:22:00.001+04:002023-04-28T09:29:20.364+04:00Travelogue - Prague<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i><b>"None of us remember how or when we reached back. But all of us reached back hostel at some point in time"</b> </i>- Overheard from a group of students who were discussing about last night's party. That signifies Prague for the youth . Perhaps one of the cheapest partying capitals of the world. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Prague @ Night</td></tr>
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The first impression that you get once you land in Prague is just like any other modern European city - impressive duty free shops, modern cars, you would find it difficult to spot any of those remnants of socialism or communism. City is very well connected by a tram, metro & bus service . <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Astronomical Clock</td></tr>
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<b><i>What Not To Do in Prague</i></b><br />
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We took an unplanned cruise through river Vltava which flows through the Czech capital. Perhaps, I'm drawn a lot more into these cruises after the magnificent <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2012/07/travelogue-istanbul.html" target="_blank">Bosphorous cruise in Istanbul</a> . Prague has nothing much to offer in this cruise other than Czech Music & good food - and perhaps a few photographic opportunities. So, if you are in Prague, this is something that one should not waste their time & money in.<br />
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<b><i>What To Do in Prague</i></b><br />
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Take a walking tour escorted by a guide - We did this next morning and was really good. You are taken on top of Prague Castle Hill and from there, you start the walk down all the way seeing the castle, nearby shopping streets , Charles Bridge & Astronomical Clock.<br />
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Musicians, Portrait artists & road-side vendors along with the crowd gives sort of an old-life charm to Charles Bridge .A relic of the old Roman Empire - <i style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">Kamenný most </i>as they call in local language - the bridge is perhaps the most visited landmark in Prague<br />
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What captured my imagination in Prague was a different landmark - <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/arts/john-lennon-wall-in-prague-painted-over-graffiti-starts-again-1.2838925" target="_blank">John Lennon's wall - </a><br />
It was interesting to see the outpouring point of protests of an oppressed society. More on this in a separate post later<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Charles Bridger @ Night</td></tr>
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Franz Kafka lived in Prague . His house is converted into a museum now. If you are into those kind of philosophies, it could be an interesting visit as well<br />
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The so called Velvet revolution changed the face of Prague. For Czechs, it was an immersion into the end-less world of opportunities. Its leader & first democratically elected president of Czechoslovakia - Vaclav Havell - has a unique place in the heart of people over here. The airport in Prague is named after him.<br />
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Prague's beauty is that it is converging point of the new world partying crowd & the old / middle aged crowd who throng to see the medieval part . It gives an impression that everyone - from the street-side artist to the elite rich can enjoy life here .<br />
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</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><p> <b><i><u>Read my Travelogues</u></i></b></p><div style="font-family: "times new roman"; margin: 0px;"><i><b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2023/04/travelogue-taipei.html" target="_blank">Taipei</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2023/01/travelogue-doha.html">Doha</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2019/06/travelogue-ho-chi-minh-city.html" target="_blank">Ho Chi Minh City</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2019/09/travelogue-hanoi.html" target="_blank">Hanoi</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2019/06/travelogue-barcelona.html" target="_blank">Barcelona</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2018/08/travelogue-silicon-valley.html" target="_blank">Silicon Valley</a>, <a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2018/06/travelogue-siem-reap.html" target="_blank">Siem Reap</a></b><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2017/12/travelogue-new-york.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">New York</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2018/01/travelogue-washington-dc.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Washington DC</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2017/08/travelogue-amsterdam.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Amsterdam</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2017/07/travelogue-brussels.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Brussels</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/12/travelogue-osaka.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Osaka</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/12/travelogue-hiroshima.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Hiroshima</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/08/travelogue-cyprus.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Cyprus</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/05/travelogue-budapest.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Budapest </a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2016/03/travelogue-rome.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Rome</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/11/travelogue-bali.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Bali,</a><b> </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/08/travelogue-hamburg.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Hamburg</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/07/travelogue-berlin.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Berlin</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/07/travelogue-prague.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Prague</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/03/travelogue-cairo.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Cairo</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2015/02/travelogue-alexandria.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Alexandria</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2014/07/travelogue-hallstatt.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Hallstatt</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2014/05/travelogue-salzburg.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Salzburg</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2014/05/travelogue-vienna.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Vienna</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2014/04/travelogue-dachau.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Dachau</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2012/10/travelogue-st-petersburg.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">St Petersburg</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2012/09/travelogue-moscow.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Moscow</a><b>, <span id="goog_453304872"></span></b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2012/07/travelogue-istanbul.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Istanbul</a><b><span id="goog_453304873"></span>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2012/02/travelogue-seychelles.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Seychelles</a><b>, </b><a href="http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2007/05/visakhapatnam-aka-vizag.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Vizag</a></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div>
Ajith Prasad Balakrishnanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12359138218016503252noreply@blogger.com0Prague, Czech Republic50.0755381 14.4378004999999849.749331100000006 13.79235349999998 50.4017451 15.083247499999981