AGRA: Suit Clad Toddlers and Extreme Badminton
So, after unsuccessfully navigating train announcements in Hindi and choosing the right platform I made it with a whole 90 seconds to spare on my train to Agra, but besides that plain sailing.
The main attraction of the place is obviously the Taj Mahal and the Taj Ganj area, being the 16th century construction workers village has now become a ghetto of a different nature catering to the overpaid an undereducated foreigners such as myself.
To go into real detail on the Taj Mahal itself wouldn't do it justice, or make this an interesting read so I'll keep it short: I was expecting something amazing and even after some of the great things in Delhi the sight of the place from a distance and the intricacy of the work close up really did mean it was every bit as good as I'd hoped.
Taj Ganj as an area isn't too far removed from Pahar Ganj in Delhi, although it being slightly less densely populate did at least mean that the flat rooftops hadn't been built upon to the point they resembled a game of drunken Jenga and the locals could find some peace 5 stories up if not a ground level.
Perhaps the most fascinating part of this besides the obvious use for rooftops of laundry, plants, goat storage etc. was the most dangerous game of badminton I;m ever likely to see.
The rooftop itself was only appropriate in the sense that it was the size of a badminton court, although did lack of few other keys things such as a net, and areas to run past the line that didn't result in instant death.
No adjoining rooftops meant that chasing a lob over your head to make a shot would ultimately cost you more than a point to your opponent.
Nonetheless, the kids seemed to enjoy the game with the same sense of amazing spacial awareness that the adults demonstrate everyday when operating any mode of transport.
This is not where the similarities of kids vs. adults over here ends however. One of the most endearing qualities of the Indian culture regardless fo caste is the desire to look your best at all times, whether it be the wealthy in designer clothes or those far less fortunate spending the hard earned rupees on brightly coloured saris and suit jackets, shorts and ties for the boys.
As a result the number of kids running around not in Sponge Bob Squarepants, Hello Kitty or Power Rangers emblazoned clothes but jumpers, waistcoats, ties and dresses.
And it's from here that the mannerisms of the kids also resemble the adults. This is especially true of the younger kids that have made tourism their source of income, where the st kids meet, greet and serve with all the professionalism and decorum of seasoned professionals.
Watching two small boys talking in the street next to a motorbike with thoughtful body language and controlled gesticulation would make a silent observer assume that the conversation is more likely to be about the "knackered carburettor" than whether or not there may be chicken nuggets for tea.
So Jaipur next and as I write this after my first day of two in the city the first 12 hours have been eventful to say the least which is quite an achievement considering they were between an 11pm arrival and an 11am breakfast. More to follow.
So, after unsuccessfully navigating train announcements in Hindi and choosing the right platform I made it with a whole 90 seconds to spare on my train to Agra, but besides that plain sailing.
The main attraction of the place is obviously the Taj Mahal and the Taj Ganj area, being the 16th century construction workers village has now become a ghetto of a different nature catering to the overpaid an undereducated foreigners such as myself.
To go into real detail on the Taj Mahal itself wouldn't do it justice, or make this an interesting read so I'll keep it short: I was expecting something amazing and even after some of the great things in Delhi the sight of the place from a distance and the intricacy of the work close up really did mean it was every bit as good as I'd hoped.
Taj Ganj as an area isn't too far removed from Pahar Ganj in Delhi, although it being slightly less densely populate did at least mean that the flat rooftops hadn't been built upon to the point they resembled a game of drunken Jenga and the locals could find some peace 5 stories up if not a ground level.
Perhaps the most fascinating part of this besides the obvious use for rooftops of laundry, plants, goat storage etc. was the most dangerous game of badminton I;m ever likely to see.
The rooftop itself was only appropriate in the sense that it was the size of a badminton court, although did lack of few other keys things such as a net, and areas to run past the line that didn't result in instant death.
No adjoining rooftops meant that chasing a lob over your head to make a shot would ultimately cost you more than a point to your opponent.
Nonetheless, the kids seemed to enjoy the game with the same sense of amazing spacial awareness that the adults demonstrate everyday when operating any mode of transport.
This is not where the similarities of kids vs. adults over here ends however. One of the most endearing qualities of the Indian culture regardless fo caste is the desire to look your best at all times, whether it be the wealthy in designer clothes or those far less fortunate spending the hard earned rupees on brightly coloured saris and suit jackets, shorts and ties for the boys.
As a result the number of kids running around not in Sponge Bob Squarepants, Hello Kitty or Power Rangers emblazoned clothes but jumpers, waistcoats, ties and dresses.
And it's from here that the mannerisms of the kids also resemble the adults. This is especially true of the younger kids that have made tourism their source of income, where the st kids meet, greet and serve with all the professionalism and decorum of seasoned professionals.
Watching two small boys talking in the street next to a motorbike with thoughtful body language and controlled gesticulation would make a silent observer assume that the conversation is more likely to be about the "knackered carburettor" than whether or not there may be chicken nuggets for tea.
So Jaipur next and as I write this after my first day of two in the city the first 12 hours have been eventful to say the least which is quite an achievement considering they were between an 11pm arrival and an 11am breakfast. More to follow.
posted by aboutabwoy at 4:02 PM
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