Skip to main content

Kenya vs. Andhra

There is some organized running event about to happen in the SF bay area.  As organized sports go these days 'Marathons' have very low barriers to entry - to both organize and participate.  What with multitude of diseases against which humankind is losing a one way battle some yoyo comes up with a colored shirt and ribbons (that have hitherto not been claimed as proprietary by cancer survivors or aids walkers or liveweak organizations) and presto.

There is a new marathon event born every 2 miles.

So back to the title of this ramble.  I spotted natives of a southern province in India of which there are more than there are apps on Appstore and who reside in the California's Silcon Valley.  The region is known as Andhra Pradesh.

What I mean is not just spotted them but that they were actively running - without shoes.  Now when it comes to the tales of Have vs. Have Nots this one is a new flavor.  First you had people that had so much food to eat that they had to run after eating to get rid of the fat.  Compare to those that have to run to catch the food (in Kenya) or pursue tedium filled jobs (India) to fill their pouch.

Now we see a new entrant to this contrast.  That of the shoeless Indian.  So the theme of the story is about how the Indian diaspora in the bay area is competing head on with their Kenyan counterparts who are known to train without footwear for long runs.  The Greek messengers could never have thought that mail carrying business would turn into such a popular capitalist idea and that if they had known they would have run for it rather than invest in yoghurt.

So do not be surprised readers if at the next Olympiad the Gold goes to Kalluri Bhatiprollu Ranganathan instead of Wambosi Kenyata.

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...
2 comments
Read more

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...
2 comments
Read more

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...
Post a Comment
Read more