I first learnt about gap analysis on I-5 on the wide freeway that runs through Southern California. On the long ride from Los Angeles to San Diego - one can keep an eye on the beach or one can watch for all the gaps or variances in traffic patterns in any particular lane. These variances or gaps offer you the opportunity to pull ahead of the crowd.
According to Salim, the master of gap analysis on the CA Freeways, gap analysis makes the otherwise long and stressful drive a game, a challenge that makes the time melt away.
By the way, I disagree. I think gap analysis and its consequences take away from the sheer pleasure of driving along the coast - but then that is only the opinion of a passenger.
As is the following - cos even after having lived in Delhi for 2.5 years I will not drive on the streets of Delhi. Though I must say I am starting to become increasingly familiar with how things work.
But first a word about ishtlye - yes you might find buried in there the word style - but that is just the way the high faluting anglicized minority say it. If you are a true local that went to the is-school, then you have ish-style and ish-attitude and ish-savvy (ok plain attitude and savvy) that helps you survive and thrive in this city. The only thing that I as an outsider have is envy for the people who do.
So back to Gap Analysis. In Southern California - the highway has a median, 10 clearly marked lanes, and a homogenous collection of traffic - hondas, chevys, fords, toyotas, pickup trucks, sedans, buses, SUVs, freight trucks. There is a lot of opportunity for gaps, and it is upto the watchful driver to find and take advantage of the same.
In Delhi - Gap Analysis goes to a whole new level.
It isn't like there is 1 extra dimension , or even 2 . yes, there are 10 lanes - none of them clearly marked.
As a matter of fact only 2 are clearly marked - the rest are created by ingenious drivers. Some of them are not even paved and may include driving over emergency lanes, sidewalks, bike paths, dirt, rocks, stones, garbage and sometimes , regretably, a dog or cow. The rows resemble a brick wall more so than they do a traffic lane as cars wedge themselves into every available spot. The lanes are not discernible from the ground - but I am sure you would see them if you flew high enough up into the air.
The traffic is homogenous - trucks, sedans, SUVs, buses (killer and DTC) and then for a twist - motorcycles, scooters, bicycles (motorized and not), auto rickshaws, cycle rickshaws, hand carts, push carts, jugaads (locomotive engine attached to a container to hold people. animals or material), people.
This is compounded by the fact that some of Delhi's legal and illegal encroachments try to compete for a space on the road with the automobiles. Perhaps some ambitious person hopes to get these to participate in the traffic as well. The government has other plans and is trying to condemn and demolish them.
So in this complex sea of automobiles... pulling ahead, making right turns, exiting and entering a highway - all these would be huge challenges for the uninitiated. But there is a syshtem.. that takes my breath away (literally).
Just as in the jungle every type of animal has a role to play in the overall ecosystem, so it is on the streets of Delhi.
So for example consider how a right turn is made. The big truck or SUV inches towards the intersection offering blockage from people trying to pass on the right. The smaller cars line up to its right forming another barrier that extends a little ahead and behind. To its right the motorcycles, scooters and bicycles pull forward forcing the oncoming traffic to slow down - then the big guys all pull into the intersection and you have flow !!!
Everybody moves at about 5 mph (yes lots of burnt clutch plates in this city) so if there is a little nick here a dent there - no big deal - no real risk to life. Occasionally a limb gets entangled - but that is the price you pay.
Similarly the gaps - the little guys work in tandem with the big guys to create and open up the pathways - blaze new trails - and magically all available (sometimes unavailable) space is consumed forcing the traffic forward.
And they are all very comfortable with this friendly mix operating in chorus. Take one of the pieces away and you have utter chaos.
Like the one day I saw this motorcycle landlocked in a sea of buses. It was astounding... motorcycles and bikes usually manage to get out of everything but the buses were wedged so tight there wasn't anyway the bike could get out short of hoisting it atop a bus.
The problem we realized was that traffic had been very light that morning. In fact there was no traffic on the opposite side of the road. So a few people decided that that just was not right. It was far too big a gap to waste. The road had to be filled. And so they decided to travel north on a south-bound highway. This worked extremely well until some south bound cars entered the south highway. This raised the game to yet another level as now south and north bound cars traversed both sides of the highway and we had grid lock. Then a bunch of civic minded citizens had to get into the intersection and help the traffic cops sort it out.
Fortunately this is not a frequent occurrence - about 4 times in 2.5 years !!! Yes Gap Analysis in Delhi is a far more sophisticated excercise than anything in Southern California. It will be years before the Americans comprehend or catch up with it !!
Monday, October 29, 2007
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Computers and the Raj
Everytime I see someone whip out their cell phone, I am reminded of the role I play in the incredible change sweeping over this country. When I hear talk of a INR 1lakh car, I know that the work I am doing is making a difference.
But I know that I am really really pushing my luck when I hear a government official talk about computerizing every single tax office in every single district, in every single state in the country.
Yes indeed - the government has embarked upon an ambitious plan to electronize (is that a word) the country's tax system. And they have awarded the contract to the best in the business, the only people who can do it.
The taxnet project is sponsored by the Finance Minister. It is executed by the senior most bureaucrat in the Ministry - the Secretary of the Revenue department. Governments come and go. The project outlasts all administrations.
Recently I had the opportunity to interact with the senior bureaucrat that was an integral part of designing and developing this project. He sits in the North Block - the set of offices located right outside the gates of the Presidential Palace - and across from the Lok Sabha. The entire complex was constructed by the British, the Presidential Palace having once served as the official residence of Lord Mountbatten. The external structure is quite impressive. Inside it is dark and cavernous. The furniture, aside from the computer, looks like it has been there since Independence.
After getting past the technical challenges, we started to talk about the challenges ahead. The member (as the Revenue Sec'y is often referred to) talked about the atmosphere when he first joined the administration 40 years ago...... within a few decades of the departure of the colonial masters.
"We had fewer people, and are hand written ledgers were more meticulous. .. The supervisor sat on a raised dais in the middle of the room keeping a watch on all the clerks much like an exam proctor. Clerks could not talk to each other without being noticed by the supervisor. If they needed a new pencil, theyhad to bring the old one in. Things have become much less disciplined them, and the quantity of work has increased."
Transforming this population to use computers with the ease of a pencil and register will be a very big challenge - and a very rewarding one indeed.
But I know that I am really really pushing my luck when I hear a government official talk about computerizing every single tax office in every single district, in every single state in the country.
Yes indeed - the government has embarked upon an ambitious plan to electronize (is that a word) the country's tax system. And they have awarded the contract to the best in the business, the only people who can do it.
The taxnet project is sponsored by the Finance Minister. It is executed by the senior most bureaucrat in the Ministry - the Secretary of the Revenue department. Governments come and go. The project outlasts all administrations.
Recently I had the opportunity to interact with the senior bureaucrat that was an integral part of designing and developing this project. He sits in the North Block - the set of offices located right outside the gates of the Presidential Palace - and across from the Lok Sabha. The entire complex was constructed by the British, the Presidential Palace having once served as the official residence of Lord Mountbatten. The external structure is quite impressive. Inside it is dark and cavernous. The furniture, aside from the computer, looks like it has been there since Independence.
After getting past the technical challenges, we started to talk about the challenges ahead. The member (as the Revenue Sec'y is often referred to) talked about the atmosphere when he first joined the administration 40 years ago...... within a few decades of the departure of the colonial masters.
"We had fewer people, and are hand written ledgers were more meticulous. .. The supervisor sat on a raised dais in the middle of the room keeping a watch on all the clerks much like an exam proctor. Clerks could not talk to each other without being noticed by the supervisor. If they needed a new pencil, theyhad to bring the old one in. Things have become much less disciplined them, and the quantity of work has increased."
Transforming this population to use computers with the ease of a pencil and register will be a very big challenge - and a very rewarding one indeed.
Monday, October 8, 2007
Delhi's Killing Machines
I have had no illusions about what a harsh city Delhi is. And today that truth hit home again.
The weather is brutal - intolerably hot in the summer, bitter cold in the winter. When it rains, there is flooding in the streets bringing traffic to a grinding halt.
Yes there are the beautiful broad tree lined avenues and the majestic buidlings of Lutyen's Delhi. There is also the incredible Red Fort sitting across the very serene Jama Masjid. There is the historic Qutub Minar and the Tughlakabad Fort.
And yet the common, and not so common man must fight with his fellow man, woman, cow, dog car, bus, bicycle for a spot to stand in this city, for a spot to park their car, for a spot in front of the bank cashier.
Aggression and fighting come naturally to the Delhi-ite - it is an essential ingredient for survival. The gentle politeness cultivated in other cities is looked upon with scorn in this city where it has the same chance of survival as an ice cube in the desert on a summer afternoon.
The metro has made a welcome difference to Delhi's appalling public transport system. Clean, shiny and reliable it is fast gaining popularity with Delhi-ites.
However - many still rely on the putrid green buses also known as the Blueline service to ferry them around the city. The drivers of Delhi are lawless and reckless , masters at gap analysis and often a little too optimistic about their ability to fit into a gap, and aggressive to the core. The Blueline bus drivers are all of this and often driving under the influence.
One frequently hears of them driving too fast down a heavily populated street and running over an innocent bystander. The drivers and conductors get paid based upon the amount of money they collect in a day. The faster they make it from point A to point B - the more ground they will cover. So everyday for them it is a desperate dash to get through the city.
For weeks now we've been hearing about the killer buses. Pedestrians run over in a crowded bus by a driver rushing through the city. My driver says that the blue line buses have been running over people for as long as he has been in the city. He thinks the news is being played up in the media because the government wants to get rid of the blue line. It wants to replace it with new buses more appropriate for the Commonwealth Games to be staged here soon.
There is a group of concerned citizens who are petitioning the government to eliminate the blue line from the city. There have been calls to impound these killer machines. There have been calls for the resignation of the transportation minister. And yet there is no talk of restructuring the $4/day salary that these drivers make, no talk of breathalyzers or compliance to traffic law.
Yesterday, a blue line bus ploughed through a crowd waiting at a bus stop. It ran over 16 people, 8 of whom died on the spot. The other 8 are in serious condition in the hospital.
How does a bus plough through 16 people and not stop ? The driver continued on leaving the destruction in his wake. They caught up with him further up the street, the crowd dragged him out and beat him up. He is now in police custody. His accomplices escaped.
There was rioting in the streets. Politicians came out with strong speeches. They shut down the Delhi-Agra highway. There have been new calls to eliminate the Blueline.
24 hours later the city is back to its usual business. Here is what one young person of delhi thinks about all this http://jayant7k.blogspot.com/2007/08/killer-blue-line-buses-in-delhi.html
1 bus ... 16 people..........how is it possible ? In one of the most densely populated cities in the world, a city that has been reduced to ashes 7 times in the course of its documented history, a city that has risen again each time, stronger and more vibrant than before. Human life just seems like another perishable, dispensable commodity.
Indeed this seems a phenomena in the region. Ministers and their entourages are known to zip through the city. Armed with a little red light atop the vehicle and a special horn, these groups rush through the city warning people and cars to get out of their way. One such entourage ran through the city of Aligarh in UP some 150KM from Delhi. They ran over an unfortunate fellow who did not make it out in time. There are numerous stories of drunken celebrities running over people sleeping on the pavements at night in their motor bikes or other killing machines.
And you cannot help but wonder - when will it stop ? What will it take to raise the level of consciousness, to elevate the concern for human life... all human life..
The weather is brutal - intolerably hot in the summer, bitter cold in the winter. When it rains, there is flooding in the streets bringing traffic to a grinding halt.
Yes there are the beautiful broad tree lined avenues and the majestic buidlings of Lutyen's Delhi. There is also the incredible Red Fort sitting across the very serene Jama Masjid. There is the historic Qutub Minar and the Tughlakabad Fort.
And yet the common, and not so common man must fight with his fellow man, woman, cow, dog car, bus, bicycle for a spot to stand in this city, for a spot to park their car, for a spot in front of the bank cashier.
Aggression and fighting come naturally to the Delhi-ite - it is an essential ingredient for survival. The gentle politeness cultivated in other cities is looked upon with scorn in this city where it has the same chance of survival as an ice cube in the desert on a summer afternoon.
The metro has made a welcome difference to Delhi's appalling public transport system. Clean, shiny and reliable it is fast gaining popularity with Delhi-ites.
However - many still rely on the putrid green buses also known as the Blueline service to ferry them around the city. The drivers of Delhi are lawless and reckless , masters at gap analysis and often a little too optimistic about their ability to fit into a gap, and aggressive to the core. The Blueline bus drivers are all of this and often driving under the influence.
One frequently hears of them driving too fast down a heavily populated street and running over an innocent bystander. The drivers and conductors get paid based upon the amount of money they collect in a day. The faster they make it from point A to point B - the more ground they will cover. So everyday for them it is a desperate dash to get through the city.
For weeks now we've been hearing about the killer buses. Pedestrians run over in a crowded bus by a driver rushing through the city. My driver says that the blue line buses have been running over people for as long as he has been in the city. He thinks the news is being played up in the media because the government wants to get rid of the blue line. It wants to replace it with new buses more appropriate for the Commonwealth Games to be staged here soon.
There is a group of concerned citizens who are petitioning the government to eliminate the blue line from the city. There have been calls to impound these killer machines. There have been calls for the resignation of the transportation minister. And yet there is no talk of restructuring the $4/day salary that these drivers make, no talk of breathalyzers or compliance to traffic law.
Yesterday, a blue line bus ploughed through a crowd waiting at a bus stop. It ran over 16 people, 8 of whom died on the spot. The other 8 are in serious condition in the hospital.
How does a bus plough through 16 people and not stop ? The driver continued on leaving the destruction in his wake. They caught up with him further up the street, the crowd dragged him out and beat him up. He is now in police custody. His accomplices escaped.
There was rioting in the streets. Politicians came out with strong speeches. They shut down the Delhi-Agra highway. There have been new calls to eliminate the Blueline.
24 hours later the city is back to its usual business. Here is what one young person of delhi thinks about all this http://jayant7k.blogspot.com/2007/08/killer-blue-line-buses-in-delhi.html
1 bus ... 16 people..........how is it possible ? In one of the most densely populated cities in the world, a city that has been reduced to ashes 7 times in the course of its documented history, a city that has risen again each time, stronger and more vibrant than before. Human life just seems like another perishable, dispensable commodity.
Indeed this seems a phenomena in the region. Ministers and their entourages are known to zip through the city. Armed with a little red light atop the vehicle and a special horn, these groups rush through the city warning people and cars to get out of their way. One such entourage ran through the city of Aligarh in UP some 150KM from Delhi. They ran over an unfortunate fellow who did not make it out in time. There are numerous stories of drunken celebrities running over people sleeping on the pavements at night in their motor bikes or other killing machines.
And you cannot help but wonder - when will it stop ? What will it take to raise the level of consciousness, to elevate the concern for human life... all human life..
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Oh Beijing!!!
I've been to Beijing twice now. And I loved it both times.
The first time we went there were about 14 of my colleagues from India aboard the same Singapore Airlines plane. For all of us this was our very first trip to China.
There were thunderstorms over Beijing - obviously they hadn't quite perfected the chemicals they were to shoot in the air to prevent showers ; or perhaps our arrival was not deemed to be as important as the opening of the Olympic games - our flight was diverted to a little airport, whose name I shall never know, for 4 hours. It was a mere 30 mins away from Beijing and had no storms. It was a very large airport, but we could not disembark as it did not have an immigration and customs facility there. So 4 hours later we finally landed in Beijing.
As an American citizen, I was very nervous about coming to a communist state. I kept my hands in full view at all times, and tried to follow whatever rules I could. We arrived at the immigration counter - same chaotic mess as in Delhi. More flights than counters, lines snaking around the arrival hall - and stern looking immigration officials...
With a slight twist - they had little boxes on their counters which lit up and allowed you to let the Chinese goverrnment know what you thought of the immigration officer .... not quite ready to believe that they had actually decided to put the customer first - I went with the politically correct 5 out of 5. I was rewarded with a stamped passport and a blank stare.
The cabs were nice big Hyundai Sonatas. Hyundai ? China ? Whatever... The streets were well-maintained, wide - just like the American highways, planted with lots of trees. Traffic moved in an orderly pattern. Beijing is getting ready to put up a fine show for the Olympics. Sigh! How would I ever live in Delhi after this ?
Eventually we arrived at our very nice Starwood Hotel which looked just like any other hotel anywhere in the world - Are we in China yet ?
A couple of vegetarians decided they would take no risks eating the local food - they ventured out on foot looking for a grocery store at which to buy fruits and vegetables that they could peel, cut and eat - and be certain that it was not contaminated by any living creature. On their way back they were accosted by some rather aggressive ladies of the night. They returned to the hotel with their honor and fruits and vegetables intact. But no one protested, nor trotted out the fruits, when I volunteered to find them vegetarian food at the local restaurant. As the only woman in the group, I found my company sought after - not for my legendary charm, but because I would discourage their aggressors from approaching me !!!!!
Work was relatively easy since we had the office address printed in Chinese and the doorman made sure the cab driver knew where to bring us and most people in the office speak English. The folks at work knew where to bring us to lunch and what to order - so we had some of the finest chinese feasts - mostly vegetarian. I did try the famous Peking duck (Beijing duck just isn't the same) - definitely a highly cultivated culture experience if you ask me.
Across from the office was a shopping center.. jam packed with shops selling apparel, sports shoes, toys, traditional chinese gift items, porcelain, tea sets, prayer beads, pearls, silk fabric, electronics and my favorite - Grade 1 and 3 Rolex watches. We had been warned, prices quoted will be about 4x what you should pay. We spent many hours and many more Yuan there.
We bargained with gusto - releasing a spate of emotion from the young sales women. My colleague thought it was peculiar that there were only women working in the stores - after much speculation - we asked a chinese colleague - who came up with my favorite theory (untested for authenticity or feminism) - Women are far more outgoing and friendly - they are better at sales than the men, who tend to do the heavy lifting and carrying from the markets. That is why you don't see any men in the front of the house.
My boss - who is rumored to have a colourful life after hours - insisted on treating me to a foot massage. I was a little suspicious until he promised that this is where his wife went. It was the best foot massage I've ever had... and I'm an expert - having had massages in Singapore, Australia, Thailand, several places in India, California, Phoenix, Scottsdale and Las Vegas. PHENOMENAL!
On Saturday we took a conducted tour that included a visit to Tianmien Square - I stood in awed silence looking upon a square that could stand half a million people and people's republic dining hall that could serve a sit down banquet to over 10,000. From there we traipsed through the Forbidden City - grand despite the feverish activity to renovate it prior to the Games and then onto the Great Wall.
Never have I anticipated something so much, only to be totally let down. I am not big on historical monuments, but living in India, I've started to develop a healthy interest - the Great Wall was just that - a great big wall in the middle of spectacular scenery - an ugly reminder of the battles fought and the pains to which people must go to protect their way of life. Yes it is a wonder of engineering and carto-something-ing. But I am in no hurry to climb it or get to the other side. Like the Taj Mahal, it looks exactly like the picture - just no great love story to tease the imagination.
No trip can be complete without a trip to an Indian restaurant - after 10 days of Chinese vegetables - even the bad Indian food tasted good !
No trip to China is complete without a trip to the theatre. Our tour guide got us tickets to a spectacular show - combination of acrobatics and gymnastics. I have never seen anything like it !!!!!!!! INcredible stuff that defies the imagination.
And in 2007 no trip to China is complete without viewing the spectacular Bird's Nest - the steel structure in which the opening ceremony will be held next year - or the Cube of Water which will host the swimming events.
China in 2007 is a vibrant, exciting place. I met a colleague on assignment from the US who told me that a Fauchon had just opened up in her neighborhood. No the Rolex she was wearing was real, and yes there were plenty of people in China who did that and rode in Mercs and Beemers! You are no longer in Kansas.. nor Poughkeepsie!
The first time we went there were about 14 of my colleagues from India aboard the same Singapore Airlines plane. For all of us this was our very first trip to China.
There were thunderstorms over Beijing - obviously they hadn't quite perfected the chemicals they were to shoot in the air to prevent showers ; or perhaps our arrival was not deemed to be as important as the opening of the Olympic games - our flight was diverted to a little airport, whose name I shall never know, for 4 hours. It was a mere 30 mins away from Beijing and had no storms. It was a very large airport, but we could not disembark as it did not have an immigration and customs facility there. So 4 hours later we finally landed in Beijing.
As an American citizen, I was very nervous about coming to a communist state. I kept my hands in full view at all times, and tried to follow whatever rules I could. We arrived at the immigration counter - same chaotic mess as in Delhi. More flights than counters, lines snaking around the arrival hall - and stern looking immigration officials...
With a slight twist - they had little boxes on their counters which lit up and allowed you to let the Chinese goverrnment know what you thought of the immigration officer .... not quite ready to believe that they had actually decided to put the customer first - I went with the politically correct 5 out of 5. I was rewarded with a stamped passport and a blank stare.
The cabs were nice big Hyundai Sonatas. Hyundai ? China ? Whatever... The streets were well-maintained, wide - just like the American highways, planted with lots of trees. Traffic moved in an orderly pattern. Beijing is getting ready to put up a fine show for the Olympics. Sigh! How would I ever live in Delhi after this ?
Eventually we arrived at our very nice Starwood Hotel which looked just like any other hotel anywhere in the world - Are we in China yet ?
A couple of vegetarians decided they would take no risks eating the local food - they ventured out on foot looking for a grocery store at which to buy fruits and vegetables that they could peel, cut and eat - and be certain that it was not contaminated by any living creature. On their way back they were accosted by some rather aggressive ladies of the night. They returned to the hotel with their honor and fruits and vegetables intact. But no one protested, nor trotted out the fruits, when I volunteered to find them vegetarian food at the local restaurant. As the only woman in the group, I found my company sought after - not for my legendary charm, but because I would discourage their aggressors from approaching me !!!!!
Work was relatively easy since we had the office address printed in Chinese and the doorman made sure the cab driver knew where to bring us and most people in the office speak English. The folks at work knew where to bring us to lunch and what to order - so we had some of the finest chinese feasts - mostly vegetarian. I did try the famous Peking duck (Beijing duck just isn't the same) - definitely a highly cultivated culture experience if you ask me.
Across from the office was a shopping center.. jam packed with shops selling apparel, sports shoes, toys, traditional chinese gift items, porcelain, tea sets, prayer beads, pearls, silk fabric, electronics and my favorite - Grade 1 and 3 Rolex watches. We had been warned, prices quoted will be about 4x what you should pay. We spent many hours and many more Yuan there.
We bargained with gusto - releasing a spate of emotion from the young sales women. My colleague thought it was peculiar that there were only women working in the stores - after much speculation - we asked a chinese colleague - who came up with my favorite theory (untested for authenticity or feminism) - Women are far more outgoing and friendly - they are better at sales than the men, who tend to do the heavy lifting and carrying from the markets. That is why you don't see any men in the front of the house.
My boss - who is rumored to have a colourful life after hours - insisted on treating me to a foot massage. I was a little suspicious until he promised that this is where his wife went. It was the best foot massage I've ever had... and I'm an expert - having had massages in Singapore, Australia, Thailand, several places in India, California, Phoenix, Scottsdale and Las Vegas. PHENOMENAL!
On Saturday we took a conducted tour that included a visit to Tianmien Square - I stood in awed silence looking upon a square that could stand half a million people and people's republic dining hall that could serve a sit down banquet to over 10,000. From there we traipsed through the Forbidden City - grand despite the feverish activity to renovate it prior to the Games and then onto the Great Wall.
Never have I anticipated something so much, only to be totally let down. I am not big on historical monuments, but living in India, I've started to develop a healthy interest - the Great Wall was just that - a great big wall in the middle of spectacular scenery - an ugly reminder of the battles fought and the pains to which people must go to protect their way of life. Yes it is a wonder of engineering and carto-something-ing. But I am in no hurry to climb it or get to the other side. Like the Taj Mahal, it looks exactly like the picture - just no great love story to tease the imagination.
No trip can be complete without a trip to an Indian restaurant - after 10 days of Chinese vegetables - even the bad Indian food tasted good !
No trip to China is complete without a trip to the theatre. Our tour guide got us tickets to a spectacular show - combination of acrobatics and gymnastics. I have never seen anything like it !!!!!!!! INcredible stuff that defies the imagination.
And in 2007 no trip to China is complete without viewing the spectacular Bird's Nest - the steel structure in which the opening ceremony will be held next year - or the Cube of Water which will host the swimming events.
China in 2007 is a vibrant, exciting place. I met a colleague on assignment from the US who told me that a Fauchon had just opened up in her neighborhood. No the Rolex she was wearing was real, and yes there were plenty of people in China who did that and rode in Mercs and Beemers! You are no longer in Kansas.. nor Poughkeepsie!
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