Transportation

If you read or hear about cities in India, you will definitely hear about traffic and transportation. The biggest consideration is the issue of population scale. But in India, the scale of the vehicle size is small, and the number of people using public or private vehicles is huge. On a Vespa-sized motor scooter it is not uncommon to see 3 adults. It is also used as family transport. One kid on the handlebars, one in between the grown-ups, one behind. Yesterday in Vellore, a scooter was used for livestock transportation; driver, then 3 goats slung over the seat, passenger in back keeping the goats on. Scooter rodeo! In the autos, or tuktuks, about 3 adults can ride in the back seat, but it is not uncommon to see at least 5, with some standing and hanging out the side, like Gene Kelly in the film "Singin' in the Rain."

For the last few days, we have ridden in a large coach bus. When we stop in traffic, the scooter riders and tuktuk passengers look up at us. Both kids and adults are inclined to stare, and want to wave. I am always happy to oblige. I have learned that the observers want me to wave first.

 

City buses are well-used on the outside and inside. The windows are open, there is no air-conditioning. More men than women seem to patronize the bus system, and the women tend to congregate in the front of the bus.  I haven't boarded a public bus, so I am not sure if this is custom, or directed by signs and rules. At rush hours (really anytime) there can be three men to a bench seat, aisles full of standing passengers, including the stairs, and passengers hanging on at the door--again like Gene Kelly.

Ann Hargis & Mary Woods at a Vellore sari shop



Ann Hargis &  Mary Woods with Harish Food Center employees, Vellore

In Vellore, Ann H, Mary W & I were hosted by Dr. Rajamani's mother for a shopping and sightseeing outing. Driving at street-level in a 5 person car is a whole different story! Buses are huge, and seem like they would scrape your mirrors off; crush you against the next vehicle, or worse.  While there are lanes, it is not really a system drivers use here.  There are signs along the roads which read, "Lane discipline saves lives" or "Reckless driving kills." It is common to have in two lanes going one direction-- 2 tuktuks, a small cargo truck, a car and 3 motor scooters.  Most vehicles are so much smaller than a standard sized US car, that they fit. Some of us have turned to the "Chaos theory" to explain the success of it--in chaos there is order. President H compared it to a flock of birds rising to fly--one bird need ,only keep track of the bird on each wing, and the tail of the bird in front. As long as the bird doesn't touch any of these birds, the whole flock is successful as one.





Please check flickr.com "OSU CEAT" for photos.

 

catching up from Vellore Institute of Technology

Hey & Howdy from Katpandi, Vellore District, Tamil Nadu state India!

We had SUCH a busy schedule in Hyderabad, then left at O dark thirty for the flight from Hyderabad for Bengaluru on Thursday 3/13.

Bangalore is a garden city with gracious green  boulevards and lovely gardens. LOTS of traffic there too! Where as the majority of Autos aka tuktuk or auto rickshaws were yellow with black roofs in Hyderabad, in Bengaluru they were yellow with green tops.

We visited REVA  Group of Institutions, which is just now becoming a full university.  We were greeted in full style of the state of Karnataka with silk hats and wooden malas (leis).  The campus is quite new, and the buildings are of light grey granite and marble, which make made the campus seem spacious and cool. It is mainly residential and has hostels (dormitories) for about 5000 of the 6000 students. There are REVA busses that run throughout the city area to bring the other students to campus.

Ann, Amulya, Mary, Namruta, Julie

Two REVA students, Amulya & Namruta, were our guides for shopping at the state's handcrafts store & bazaar.  They were very helpful and great fun! That was the first time we made a pedestrian crossing in the busy traffic.  Yikes. When Namruta and Amulya graduate in April, they will wear beautiful saris for the occasion.  Most kids were dressed western or ladies in kurti & leggings (tunics). Saris are common everywhere though, from women ditch diggers, sanitation workers to homemakers to business women.



 That night the Raju family treated us to an exceptional modern India evening on the rooftop in downtown...we had drinks outdoors in the Sky Bar the lighting was all blue, and dinner at their Tower Kitchen.  It was breezy and the ladies' shawls were all billowing in the wind. I felt like Marilyn Monroe.

Tikalskys at Sky Bar in Bengaluru

We also visited Wipro companies campus, where OSU alum hall of famer Sridhar Mitta
was Chief Technology officer. This was soooo interesting and cool! It is a big self-contained campus like Google or Pixar. We learned about Wipro's founder, Azim Premji and his foundation's good work to promote educational training for engineering professors and campuses, which is innovative here.  The foundation is also working in K-10 education all around India to make it available widely and effectively. It was so exciting to see that company's desire to take action to change the world.

Next to PES Institute which is also just recognized as a university! Two Texas A&M alums  are running that university, and it is going great guns.

Next post will be about Vellore and general reflections so far.  Off to run around the real-est India we have seen. Will post again tomorrow!

I have not had good wireless access recently, so photos haven't been uploaded to this site or flickr.com "OSU CEAT" Thanks for your patience!

Tuesday March 12- OSU Alumni & University day

Today, OSU Alumni Day and Meeting for Universities interested in exploring some sort of partnership with OSU. Busy day for the Deans & their representatives.  The ladies explored a bit if Hyderabad-Some going to a Zoroastrian temple, a handicrafts bazaar, and a boutique for kurti, salwar kameez and Saris. Now off to meet members of government and industry from Andhra Pradesh at a farm retreat in the countryside.

Our day on Monday was busy from dawn til moonrise with meetings, ceremonies and the previously mentioned evening at Taj Falakmuna. We met with  OSU alumnus IT Minister of Andhra Pradesh state Sri Ponnala Lakhsmaiah at his office, and met the press.  We were very warmly welcomed by the minister and his staff. There is lots of active press in India from live 24 hour TV news, radio, and myriad newspapers in several languages.  This made the press meet, a little overwhelming & surprising for some--Mary W. was seated practically in the middle of all the camera lenses.

 In the afternoon President H. and Mrs. H helped Minister Ponnala present achievement awards to juniors and seniors in the engineering & tech fields, partner schools and businesses that have supported a success initiative for these students.  Each of the delegation was surprised and please to receive an award for friendship and cooperation with the Andhra Pradesh Society of Knowledge Networks, which sponsored the awards and with which OSU signed a Memorandum of Understanding that morning. 

Taj Falakmuna--- Hyderabad, 3/11/13

Monday night we were hosted by an OSU alum who is Minister of Info Tech for the state of Andhra Pradesh, Sri Ponnala Lakhshmaiah, for anabsolutely incredible dinner experience at a Taj (palace) overlooking Hyderabad. It is the Taj Falaknuma and it was built in the shape of a scorpion. We ate outside on a terrace that is the tail, underneath the stinger of the scorpion.

OSU has arrived at the  Dubai International Airport! The hospitality on Emirates Air was very warm and professional.  The views of Dubai from the air were something else.  The city is carved out of the desert, and the bay area is formed from man-made  islands.  Ann H said it resembles formal gardens like Versailles or Tivoli.  Of course we met a successful and interesting OSU alumnus on the plane.  Next up-Hyderabad!