India Misadventures (Delhi 10/11 - 24/11 Part IV)

Just when I'm done recovering from my India trip and getting back into work gear, I hear some pretty shocking news that sets my head reeling:

Mumbai's just been under attack by gunmen again. Check out CNN and The Times of India out for the full story.

Excerpt from current headlines from The Times of India :

"NEW DELHI/MUMBAI: At least 101 people have been killed in attacks by gunmen in Mumbai, police said on Thursday.

"At least six foreigners have been killed and the death figure has gone up to 101 now," Ramesh Tayde, a senior police officer told from Mumbai's control room. In one of the most violent terror attacks on Indian soil, Mumbai came under an unprecedented night attack as terrorists used heavy machine guns, including AK-47s, and grenades to strike at the city's most high-profile targets -- the hyper-busy CST (formerly VT) rail terminus; the landmark Taj Hotel at the Gateway and the luxury Oberoi Trident at Nariman Point; the domestic airport at Santa Cruz; the Cama and GT hospitals near CST; the Metro Adlabs multiplex and Mazgaon Dockyard -- killing at least 101 and sending hundreds of injured to hospital, according to latest reports."

More stories here:

Scores killed in Mumbai rampage

Witness: 'I was splattered with blood'

Amanpour: Attack comes at crucial time for region

Gunfire follows witnesses fleeing violence in Mumbai

Videos - Live pics of terrorists

Videos - Taj Palace Hotel on fire

 

This is really disturbing. This is Taj Palace Hotel last night and this morning. It's one of the top 5-star hotels in Mumbai, where hostages are being holed up at this moment.

 

Taj Palace as I knew it in April 2007.

This was when it was under renovation..poor guys. What an unstable nation.

Colaba was one of the places hit by these attacks last night and also one of the places where I stopped by for McD lunch just 2 months back.

 

Luckily I didn't stay for two months more..coz knowing how much I may get addicted to McD's, I would be here too often and get shot in the head with my burger in my mouth lol.

Check out this pic of KFC I took last week in Hyderabad.

If you look closely you'll see a metal detector at the entrance. Each person that tries to enter KFC has to be scanned.

I understand if you have these at hotels and shopping malls..but KFC? They serve Chicken Nuggets, not Gold Nuggets ok?

Keke.

It's crazy. Bombing incidents happening one after another, like the case in Delhi in September. But I still have to go to this place often. And even more often in the future with a joint venture project that I'm pretty involved in.

Suddenly I wish I went for National Service during my time but I was 4 years too fast haha.

Btw, guns are quite easily available in India. You can't buy them off the shelf, but it's not too hard to get one either. One of the drivers who drove me around for the Expo 2 weeks ago carries a rifle in his car wherever he goes.

Whoever sits in the front passenger seat has to put the guard's gun between his/her legs keke. Sexy mou?

I thought India was quite peaceful despite bombings on several occasions. Looks like it's still a pretty wild place thanks to Islam extremists. I choose to have an objective view that Islam is a healthy religion that has educated and saved possibly millions of people, but these rotten apples are the ones who turn the whole picture upside-down. When religion turns to crusades based on misinterpretation of the rules, it's just awful.

Chattrapati Shivaji train station:

One thing I can never understand is why innocent Indians would be killed when these maniacs were looking out for British and Americans? Yes, go let it out there, but leave la the poor Indians alone right.

On a lighter note..look who just converted into a Muslim. Yes, it's no other than....

Wacko Jacko!

Our most controversial popstar is now known as Mikaeel haha.

I wonder if senior citizens are still required to SUNAT by Islam law. He'd better or else someone from some Fatwa council may sentence him to some bizarre punishment.

(picture thanks to Kennysia.com)

 

Anyway I'm back from Delhi...and as I promised you..pictures!

I'll start off with a place I came by in Hyderabad. The name also sounds very stimulating.

It's Ma-BOOB mansion.

Dunno why the name 'BOOB' is so popular here leh.

If you're in China or some country where the people are clueless about the word 'BOOB' then it's understandable. But English is the 2nd language here..there's no excuse why they can't choose a better word!

Unless it's done on purpose, of course. Imagine an employee saying 'I work in that Boob Company. That makes me a Boob-ie'. MUahahaha.

Here's another shop selling Body Parts. It was taken in September (I know, delayed post, but better late than never :P  )

 

OK, done with the Boobies topic.

 

The exhibition was in Greater Noida, a place about 1/2 hour to the east of New Delhi as in the following illustrasi.

As I mentioned in a previous post, the weather was absolutely hazy. It's not my camera lens ok, it's clean :P Apparently it's due to excessive vehicle emission, something like 175% over the safe limit. If it's considered hazardous by India standards, it's gota be REALLY hazardous.

Exhibitions in India are VERY costly. The price we paid for our stand:

Was about the same as what was paid for this stand in the October Shanghai Expo.

 

A bit costly right??

 

Imagine how much this Tata stand next to us would cost!

I think this stand's a complete waste of money. Since when did Tata need ANY advertising anyway.

Speaking of which..

I met the man himself at the exhibition. Yes, Ratan Tata, owner of Tata steel, Tata Cars, Tata Tea and Tata Everything.

This man is truly one of his own kind. An entrepreneur and industrialist, he grew Tata into a world reknowned name, especially for his fuel-guzzling and unreliable cars Tata Nano, probably the first commercial car to cost only Rs 100,000. That's about Rm 8,000 for a car, people. Families with 2 motorbikes can now rejoice. Check out Mr Tata's wiki here.

 

Ratan Zai from another angle.

 

One more Ratan for you.

 

He had such a big following. Much bigger than other people like..

 
This minister of some department with a white robe.

 

Or Mr Rungta, the Chairman of Steel Authority of India.

 

Or the Minister of Fertilizer and Steel, Mr Darlie proudly flashing all 32 teeth.

 

*FLASH*

*FLASH*

'No Colgate, please. I use only Darlie'

 

Then Mr Tata came really close to our stand....

 

Of course, that was the closest he ever got to our stand la. I didn't get to meet him. Oh well..too bad for..him. One day, Mr Tata, one day. xD

I can post a whole lot of photos of our clients but I don't think that's gona work out...so here's just one guy:

 

No, I don't know him! But I found him to be pretty funny. He saw that I had a camera and followed me all the way from the Expo center lobby to the car asking me to take a photo of him.

At first I didn't wanna layan la. Damn lazy to email him right.

Finally my good nature gave in and I took one snap of him. But that (the one above) turned out blur, so I said one more.. and he gave me:

 

Alamak that time damn hard to stifle my laughter man. He even did a little dance + Indian head shake before that pose wei. Finally he was happy. And he never expected me to send him the photo in the first place...he just wanted his photo taken.

Indians can be so amusing.

I'm realizing I gota get back to work so I won't be able to finish everything in one post so....

 

One pic for Wai Seng! (from the Great India Place Shopping Mall)

 

And last...

One more for the road - EVo in a Tuktuk! (also a September pic >_< )

 

Cheers!
-EVo-