Earwax Wallah

Earwax Wallah, Plate 2

In Bombay the street is both completely shared public space and there are many people who live on extremely meager earnings. We are talking about less than $1 a day. Which means that all sorts of things which might happen behind closed doors in the West happen out on the street. So it is not uncommon to have barbers or shavers on the street; or fruit stands or drink stands on movable carts; or people who will weigh you for a Rupee.

Or in this case, a professional ear cleaner, who will clean your ears for a low, low price.

All part of an informal economy which helps keep Bombay running.

India, Week 1

As some of you already know, I am in India for the next twelve weeks on a healthcare related project. These are some stream of conscious updates from week 1.

Ganesh Festival
Ganesh, son of Shiva and Parvati, is one of the most worshipped deities in the Hundu parthenon. In Maharashtra, the state which Bombay is located in, Ganesh and the Ganesh Festival is hugely popular. Ganesha is worshiped for 10 days and then in the Ganesh Visarjan (the clay idol), is immersed in the sea symbolizing a ritual see-off of the Lord in his journey towards his abode in Kailash while taking away with him the misfortunes of his devotees. Lately there have been issues with lesser quality, yet more affordable, plaster of paris Ganesh Visarjan being used which dissolve slowly and release harmful chemicals and metals into the lakes, streams and oceans throughout India.

Ganesha Festival

My colleague S and I went to Chowpatty beach in lower Mumbai to watch the festival at one of the larger immersion points. The day was festive and everyone was having a good time. People were coming up to us to both explain what was going on, ask us where we came from, ask for photos and to give us candies. It was a fitting celebration on the 10th anniversary of September 11th.

Three State Research Trip
After merely two days in Bombay, I set out for a three state research trip taking me to the north, center and western states to learn more about joint replacement in public and private hospitals.

Amritsar
Amritsar is located in Punjab, 25 km from Lahore in the north of the country. English is dominant, but Punjabi replaces Hindi as the local dominant language. While the same sign or announcement is shown 3-4 ways, this time Punjabi takes the lead. I ended up going to literally the middle of nowhere (off google maps) to visit a rural village. India is a big country of tiny villages, so it was good to see places outside of urban setting.

Rural Indian CowAmritsar Cargo

Delhi
The central administrative center, I watched a live bilateral knee (both knees) replacement – my first surgery ever. I felt prepared after watching surgeries online and examples from my client, but I was concerned that I wouldn’t be able to last throughout the three hour procedure. Luckily, I didn’t become nauseous or sick, but oddly was extremely hungry after the procedure, which I was told is normal.
My first Surgery in India involved Crocs

Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad is located in Gurjart in the west and was the home of Mahatma Gandhi’s ashram during his salt march to oppose British rule. We were only here for 24 hours, but was able to eat some local food.

All in all I am settling into some habits in Bombay. Luckily we have a cook come in every morning and prepare a vegetarian meal which is extremely fresh, if surprising: we don’t speak Hindi and she doesn’t speak English, so every morning opening the tiffins is like opening a present.

Delhi Kingfisher Stewardess

Week 2 has me in Bombay for the whole week, which in nice since it has been non-stop travel for the first 10 days of this project. Check out my Flickr Stream or my India set for updated India photos.

Coming Soon: Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey

Elmo by plemeljr
Elmo, a photo by plemeljr on Flickr.

Opening October 21st is Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey about Kevin Clash, who dreamed of working with his idol, master puppeteer Jim Henson. I met Kevin, very briefly, at the STS-135 Tweetup when he and Elmo talked with Astronauts Mike Massimino and Doug Wheelock. I showed him photos of Elmo and the astronauts and he was so excited that I was putting them online right away – Kevin’s childlike grace was inspiring.

I for one want to see this film, hopefully when I get back to the States. The trailer is below.

The Last Single-Space Parking Meters Removed from Manhattan Today

Park Meter by kevinmccauley
Park Meter, a photo by kevinmccauley on Flickr.

The Last Days of the Old Parking Meter:

The city will remove its last decommissioned single-space parking meter in Manhattan on Monday, transportation officials said, the start of a yearlong process that will eventually eliminate all the steel-and-sludge-hued meters in the city.

A few stragglers will still remain in Manhattan, in areas like the Upper West Side, but their brains will be removed and the inert pole repurposed for a new use: a bicycle rack.

A silent fixture of the streetscape that became an improbable icon of a car-choked metropolis, the Manhattan meter would have turned 60 on the day of its demise. The cause of death, officials said, was an acute case of obsolescence.

The old-fashioned, pole-mounted meter will now yield to the robotlike Meter of Tomorrow: a solar-powered box, equipped with Wi-Fi, that can handle eight parking spaces at once and can shut itself down on free-parking Sundays.
…
On Monday, only a few blocks from that historic site, the final meter, No. 101-0655, will be lifted from its perch on Frederick Douglass Boulevard, just north of 125th Street. Down the block, a sparkling new Muni-Meter has already been installed.