Ahhh, its 9pm here and the friendly young guy (hotel room service staff) has just come to take away the room service we ordered earlier (Peking Fried Rice - so green!, and Onion Dosai). The food has given me enough energy to get some thoughts down - we're both very tired today.
So today AeroIndia began and I went off to work. That entailed Sameer and I meeting downstairs for breakie at 7:15, before getting an autorickshaw across town to the hotel that the "Team Australia" members were staying at. That, so we could get an 8:30 bus (hired by the team) to the Yelehanka airforce base, where AeroIndia was to be held.
The bus trip was over an hour in length, primarily due to the security measures taken. By which
I mean our bus was borded with a sniffer dog, our ids checked etc. Then after debussing we went through a makeshift (as in a tent) security screening such as you would find in the airport - xray machine, metal detector, etc. This, all in a very chaotic, very Indian (from my limited experience) atmosphere of confusion, excesses of people, etc.
I don't wish to dwell on the airshow too much, but it was a mass of contradictions:- car spaces
drawn in white lime on the dusty rocky fields; old hangars airconditioned and used as the pavilions for display; migs, eurofighters, jaguars, etc. parked on display on the runway like at a carshow; 3-star Indian generals being driven around in 50s style cars; purpose built pavilions constructed by the wealthiest companies (e.g., Rolls Royce); the filthiest toilet I have ever witnessed; an almost complete lack of food stalls (yet a 5-star restaurant); and 2 x 2-hour air displays by modern fighters - so close you felt you could reach out and touch them and nothing could be heard in the pavilions other than the booming roar of the engines.
Whether it was wise for UNSW to attend will become clear across the next 4 days - certainly today we received few true visitors; though we did get lots of drivers, police and other support people come by just to grab freebies.
It was 7-ish when Sameer and I reached our hotel, and we were both feeling very tired. Maria and I had maintained some contact via SMS during the day. I knew that Maria had been sick in the morning (as I had - we both suspect the lunch of yesterday), had gone shopping locally as well as to "MG" (Mahatma Ghandi) road. One rickshaw driver had been so insistent that Maria just visit one shop (their standard approach as they earn commission) despite Maria's insistence to be taken back to the hotel, that Maria jumped out of the rickshaw when it was stopped at the lights. I found Maria had been sick with a bad heachache all afternoon and had sequistered herself in the room here. As I type now I note that she is in much better shape than when I first returned.
AeroIndia was tiring today. I'm not looking forward to the next 4 days of the same. We shall see how it goes. But for now goodnight.
So today AeroIndia began and I went off to work. That entailed Sameer and I meeting downstairs for breakie at 7:15, before getting an autorickshaw across town to the hotel that the "Team Australia" members were staying at. That, so we could get an 8:30 bus (hired by the team) to the Yelehanka airforce base, where AeroIndia was to be held.
The bus trip was over an hour in length, primarily due to the security measures taken. By which
I mean our bus was borded with a sniffer dog, our ids checked etc. Then after debussing we went through a makeshift (as in a tent) security screening such as you would find in the airport - xray machine, metal detector, etc. This, all in a very chaotic, very Indian (from my limited experience) atmosphere of confusion, excesses of people, etc.I don't wish to dwell on the airshow too much, but it was a mass of contradictions:- car spaces
drawn in white lime on the dusty rocky fields; old hangars airconditioned and used as the pavilions for display; migs, eurofighters, jaguars, etc. parked on display on the runway like at a carshow; 3-star Indian generals being driven around in 50s style cars; purpose built pavilions constructed by the wealthiest companies (e.g., Rolls Royce); the filthiest toilet I have ever witnessed; an almost complete lack of food stalls (yet a 5-star restaurant); and 2 x 2-hour air displays by modern fighters - so close you felt you could reach out and touch them and nothing could be heard in the pavilions other than the booming roar of the engines.Whether it was wise for UNSW to attend will become clear across the next 4 days - certainly today we received few true visitors; though we did get lots of drivers, police and other support people come by just to grab freebies.
It was 7-ish when Sameer and I reached our hotel, and we were both feeling very tired. Maria and I had maintained some contact via SMS during the day. I knew that Maria had been sick in the morning (as I had - we both suspect the lunch of yesterday), had gone shopping locally as well as to "MG" (Mahatma Ghandi) road. One rickshaw driver had been so insistent that Maria just visit one shop (their standard approach as they earn commission) despite Maria's insistence to be taken back to the hotel, that Maria jumped out of the rickshaw when it was stopped at the lights. I found Maria had been sick with a bad heachache all afternoon and had sequistered herself in the room here. As I type now I note that she is in much better shape than when I first returned.
AeroIndia was tiring today. I'm not looking forward to the next 4 days of the same. We shall see how it goes. But for now goodnight.
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