Elephants and Dragons

For me holidays mean resting, relaxing, reading and learning. I recently borrowed an audio book( audio books work best with me these days, given my 10 month old who would tear books to pieces. At our home the digital version of anything is more invincible than paper.) by Robyn Meredith called 'The elephant and the dragon. This was long overdue given that the book came out in 2006. It has been by far a very popular book in " India China Economy" domain.

I have just read 3 chapters amounting to 2 CDs in a set of 8 and loved it completely.
Ms.Meredith is a foreign correspondent for Forbes in India and China. She has managed to paint a realistic ( in my view) picture of what's happening to India and China and what it means to the world. This book is an absolute read for all Asians, Indians and Americans as well.

Since she is a news correspondent, through an audio book, she has taken us to the roads, airports and cities in India and I could also completely visualize her descriptions about Beijing, Shanghai and many other Chinese towns. You can relate the audio book to NPR broadcasts if you ever heard the public broadcasting station at 87.7 FM.

The verbiage excellently captures the actual feelings of post-globalization citizens and benefactors. Interestingly you do not get bogged down by statistics and appreciate what's happening in the East comprehensively and clearly. As a 20 or 30 something you may not have witnessed the reforms that were executed in both the countries ( 1978 - China 1991 - India) and how it changed the way things were done forever.

As a Easterner living in the West, this book led me to imagine the amount of opportunities these countries have in future and to sustain a 8% plus GDP growth given the enormous investments, labor and other resources going into the system.

A part of book tells why it has been easier in China to implement the infrastructure and not in India. Politician Kamalnath has attributed this to the Authoritarian rule in China where things happen at snap of the finger, as opposed to India where the government is decided by the people (Democracy) and thrown out of control if reforms are seen as some threat. Additionally corruption and red tapism slows down the process, making India an Elephant and not a tiger. Atleast it's progressing steadily like a druken man as the book quotes. China is ahead of the two and the Infrastructure is extremely modern and fast growing with newer technologies. A trip to China from India is like a trip to Singapore - a treat to eyes as I can conceive from Meredith's viewpoint.


Also this book is in sync with "my dreams for my country". Better roads, better facilities, better planning, less waiting and an Internet based living. Sitting in 2010 one can imagine more realistically about how India is going to change. A change that is inevitable, given that people are starting to believe in open competition, hence making voting decisions and older generations that are bein g replaced by better salaried young people who are receptive to new ways of living, giving rise to a less conservative and more modern culture.


A farmer's son is no more a farmer, he is sitting in air conditioned rooms with coffee machines and other amenities beside him at work. This boy wants to build a bigger life for his parents, wants to buy a microwave, AC or Flat screen TV, things unimaginable in his father's days.
Or take a girl, who if she was out of college ( provided she even made it to college) looking for jobs before 1990 would have landed on a clerical post, irrespective of her skills, but now is capable of supporting a whole family because she is a part of 2010 India. This has happened within my family.


Elephants and dragons were created when the east opened it's doors to the prosperous westerners. Suddenly East is a fertile land for young, energetic entrepreneurs.

Undoubtedly there is more to happen, newer challenges with free market, but it's all exciting and promising ! !

-Shrividya

Diwali

Diwali - The festival which is revered as the most sacred as well as the most fun-filled one in India. The festival signifies the beginning of a prosperous year, the victory of good over evil, the spreading of light to disperse the darkness in our lives and who can forget the delicious food and delicacies prepared by our moms.
Before nostalgia sets in, let me tell you guys about the Diwali Puja which took place on campus.

This year GISO hosted the Diwali puja along with ISA to bring together all Indian students and celebrate Diwali, thanks to the kindness & generosity of Dr.Durga Agarwal who came forward with the idea of a Diwali puja. Equally enthusiastic was Dr.Suresh Khator who, along with President Renu Khator ensured that the event was one of the finest in recent times.

Legend says that the Goddess of wealth Lakshmi visits Earth on Diwali and brings prosperity to her worshipers. So people clean their houses and adorn it with flowers, lights and rangoli. A traditionally decorated hall greeted the guests and adding to the festive spirit was the wide array of colors displayed in the Indian ethnic clothes worn by the students. The beautiful Rangoli at the entrance captured everybody's attention thanks to the efforts of the girls who made it. The function started with the Lakshmi puja. The sacred hymns and chants lent a peaceful, holy ambiance which rekindled the feeling of being in a temple. It transports you to a different world where you get spiritual peace.

As guests started pouring in, there was a profusion of joyful greetings. The curiosity and interest which the foreigners showed in the puja amazed me. They were eager to know about each of the rituals performed during the puja. They were all ears to hear the stories and legends associated with Diwali which we were happy to share. A delicious Indian lunch which followed the puja offered a perfect respite to the cravings for Indian food.

This Diwali gave me the satisfaction of celebrating it in the authentic Indian style (with only the firecrackers missing, i guess). I hope the others had the same feel- good factor lingering in them. Wish you all a very Happy Diwali!!

P.S. Our excited web administrator could not contain his joy and uploaded the photos and videos of the event the very next day. Check them out at our website's gallery.

PARICHAY 2009!!

Parichay – the time of the year when fun, frolic & masti was high in the air and everybody had a rocking time. This year, Parichay attained a new height with the event going Housefull. The tickets were completely sold out before the event and we were overwhelmed by the response of the crowd. Thanks a million for your support!!!

The show started with the best moves of Shantanu & Shreyasee. They are the dance legends at UH and no show can be complete without them. Okay, it was a show for the freshers, so stealing away the limelight from the legends, the freshers jumped onto the stage and danced to foot tapping numbers. Boy, I must say we have got a very talented & energetic bunch of new students who gave spectacular performances on stage.

Remember the song “Dil hai chota sa” from the movie Roja?? It always makes me nostalgic of my childhood and it was made more beautiful by Deepthi who sang the song in an amazing mix of Hindi, Telugu and Tamil. It was soulful and captured the true essence of India - the diverse culture. Rohan and Shaunak also captivated the audience with their songs and got the audience singing to their tunes.

The real fun was the games round. Tribal Queen game was where the audience had to choose one person from their table and dress him up with newspaper and other decorations. The winner was the Statue of Uday who was dressed up with a crown on his head and even a torch in his hand. The other game was Longest Chain where the team had to make a chain with whatever was available with them. (I could even see a pair of socks in the chain..lol). The group from Houston Bridges made a chain which went half way around the hall and they bagged the prize!

The Mr & Miss Parichay contest was all about being smart and witty on stage where the participants had to introduce themselves in a hatke way & were asked naughty questions by the judges – Shilpa, Raashi and Vijay. And we got some really smart and hilarious answers. Rohan & Katha were crowned the Mr & Miss Parichay for their cool attitude and talents.

And Oh! Who could forget the Mismatch contest which was held at the beginning of the show? The people who turned up at the contest were extremely creative. A shoe on one foot, a heeled sandal on the other, a necktie around the head, a colorful beach shirt coupled with formal boots, it was fashion at its mismatched best.

Adding to the fun were the anchors – Saumitra, Fabian, Spoorthi and Madhura who were taking a dig at the “Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus” phrase. Finally there was the Jam session when people let their hair down and danced to the best of Bollywood songs. Had a gala time dancing with the enthusiastic crowd. It was a refreshing change to party hard in the middle of a semester. And to cherish this memorable time, we took lots of pictures. Check them out at the photo gallery of our website!!

-Rajatha

Orientation & Independence Day!!

As the 63^rd Indian Independence Day unfolds, India emerges as a young nation whose dreams and aspirations are recognized by the world over. Be it politics, movies, fashion or food, India is creating waves in the International circuit and is being appreciated everywhere for its unique appeal. The attitude of India is changing too. As Amitabh Bachchan’s Lead India campaign rightly points out that the new India does not boycott foreign made goods anymore, it buys out those companies instead. The world is holding its breath and watching the show.

This year, the GISO team not only decided to celebrate the spirit of the new India but also make the people aware of the grass root level problems which have been plaguing India. There is a shining India living in the cities but there is also an India without three square meals to eat. The time has come to bridge the gap between the two.

Starting off the Independence Day celebrations was an inspiring speech by none other than the President of UH – Dr. Renu Khator. The motivational videos shown after that made the audience realize the importance of an individual’s responsibility towards our motherland. A powerful presentation by Vikram Shete on the true potential of a united India added an interesting flavor to the show. A short play highlighting the problems of India and the ignorance of people towards these problems was brilliantly presented in a simple yet effective way.

We, as students in the U.S.A. , get a firsthand experience of what U.S. offers us and what India lacks. So we are the people who are responsible to take that one small step that would make a big change in India. Several organizations like Pratham and A.I.D. serve the country by funding projects to help the kids and the needy in India. Insights into their work were presented by their volunteers and it was great to see the response from the crowd who signed up with these organizations after the show.

Well, well, there were several interesting things before the show too. Hats off to the GISO volunteers who made the tricolor come out alive with their face painting stall. The very sight of the Indian flag adorning the hands & faces of the audience instilled a proud feeling of being an Indian. Also, the thumb printing of the Indian flag at the entrance took the patriotic fervor to a new high.

This Independence Day proved to be special for GISO because it was the first time that there were two events conducted on the same day. We welcomed the new students with the Orientation program which equipped them with the basic information required to kick start their new life in the U.S.A. The curious, eager look on their faces reminded me of my days as a fresher here when everything is new and you spend your time exploring the city, culture and the people around you.

A word of advice to the new students – be highly adaptive to any situation, keep your learning spirits high and absorb the good features of the American culture in your life. I guess Time = Money seems to be good lesson to start with. There are several more which you need to discover and make them part of your life.

Last but not the least, the time and efforts of the GISO team in putting together these events are praise-worthy. Three cheers to the team and the volunteers for their hard-work and brilliance!!!