I just came back from India after a short trip of 3 weeks. Life in those 3 weeks was like a Digital Equalizer for me (sometimes refreshing and sometimes gloomy). A few snippets on the situations in India and Hyderabad in specific (Might serve as a musing corner for those who haven't been home since long).
First things first, every morning I wake up with a pre-decided food menu on my mind for the rest of the day. I draft the same to my mom and she fed me like a li'll kid. I should say I lived life king-size in this aspect. Most of my friends being in the U.S, I had spent most of the time with family unlike the last time.
Hyderabad has changed so much,
- More and more number of flyovers
- Increased traffic -> Increased pollution
- Drastic increase in the number of apartment complexes
- About 100% price rise on almost everything
- Roadside Beggars have stopped taking 1 Rupee coins
- Every Kirana store is now an authorized dealer for prepaid calling cards and everyone including rag pickers have cell phones and sometimes high-end ones.
- Most of the playgrounds vanished and gully cricket is still alive.
- A couple of big malls in the city, very big ones.
- Night life is awesome now, even at 2.00 AM the roads are busy and hotels are crowded.
- If the politicians are bored, they call for a 'bandh' which has become quite casual of late.