Skip to main content

Modi's Maidan Visit

That's right.  Maidan.  As in field or a park.  Modi set out from India on his maiden voyage to visit the US on a US invitation after providing him the much denied Visa. A 'Water under the bridge' (where does all this water go is for another blog as is discussion on which bridges are particularly amenable for this type of activity) event was reported before said Visa was granted.

Coming back to the subject at hand  - PM Modi's maiden visit to America included visiting maidans like Central Park.  Also on the agenda was Madison Square garden (which is not a garden or a maidan rather a large arena which may or may not be square - math was not America's strong suit) and some other gardens including Rose Garden which happens to be next to the Oval office at the White House that contains a black President.

Madison Sq Gardens fondly referred to as MSG is where everyone wants to be seen in when visiting America but when it comes to eating food they do not want any MSG in it.  So much so that Modi had hot water (if the same reports were to be believed) at a private dinner Obamaji served in his honor.  I think it is always better to have hot water (fasting or not) rather than find oneself in hot water (fasting or not), perhaps the only excuse might be if he was visiting with the President as they both enjoyed a dip in a thermal spring together.  Besides no spring in fall (thermal or otherwise).  I think that is on the agenda for next year when Obama visit's Modi in India and they go to the Himalayas for this event.

Sorry for dithering all over -- but as readers know this blog has always been true to dithering - Same reports indicate Modi enthralled the Indian diaspora in all venues (maidans that contained maidens and those that did not) where the diaspora were allowed.

Indians have diasporas like nobody's business and they are eager to be enthralled no matter what.  I think the term  diaspora has been exclusively crafted to define the expat Indians including the term expats.  Both expats and diaspora are heard more in conjunction with defining Indians living abroad rather than any other ethnicity (in any city).

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Presumptive Society

Today's world is hyper connected.  I am not so sure what it means but you hear it a lot.  It is probably hyper but not sure how connected it is.  Sugar (fermented or not) is available in many ways than before and so getting hyper is easy.  It is probably more a threat than cocaine since it is sold legally. And what is this connected stuff?  Most people I encounter seem disconnected from reality.  So going back to this assumption that we are connected there are subtle and no so subtle instances of how brands and companies and middle men try to portray someone - A linkedin profile for somebody working for X years at a place advertises to the connected network that so and so is CELEBRATING X years @ Such and Such Inc. Do we know if (s)he is celebrating or cringing?  Perhaps a better way to portray will be - So and So LASTED X years @ such & such inc. Then it exhorts the readership to go ahead and congratulate them for this lasting effe...

Of Jims and Johns

Here is another essay on the subject of first names. As in birth names. Or names provided to an offspring at birth. While the developed world tends to shy away from the exotic like Refrigerator or Coca Cola for their new production there is a plethora of Jims and Johns and Bobs or Robs. Speaking of which I do not think there is a categoric decision point at the time of birth if a child will be hereafter called as Bob. I mean have not yet met a toddler called Bob or Rob for that matter. At some point though the parental instinct to mouth out multiple syllables runs out and they switch from calling the crawler Robert to simply Robbie to Rob. Now speaking of - it is strange that the name sounds like something you would not want Rob to do - i.e. Rob anyone. Then why call someone that? After all Rob Peter to Pay Paul is not exactly a maxim to live a young life? Is it? Perhaps Peter or Paul might want to have a say in it? Then there is this matter of going to the John. Why degrad...

On the go(zay masta) in Japan again

Cool cat the Japanese are Tokyo at dusk  My second visit to this land of the rising sun after almost a decade. Back then clearly I was wet behind the ears product manager and likely didn’t pay attention to all (efficient) things Japanese. But today I did and of course continue to be impressed. It is as much the obvious stuff like on time travel that is both clean and comfortable and all that which makes it possible. The impressive landmark and landscapes that these humans have put together despite their cramped (or because of it) surroundings and precarious geological conditions could amaze a novice architect among us. But it’s also the little things that someone had to think about which have a phenomenal impact on day to day lives that make the Japanese stand apart. Below are few random examples- 1. Providing a very fine machined wooden toothpick in every packet of wooden chopsticks. The said chapsticks are simply set on the To Go counter of any food vendor/ convenience store wher...