Off Tomorrow!

I am taking a mini break and actually traveling to the south. After all that grading (the necessary evil of an academic job) I am really looking forward to it. You see, because when I come back, I have still more copies to grade. Have you heard about death by grading?

Remember the Mind the Gap Post?

Mind the Gap- On London Tube

A few days back I wrote about mind the gap announcements on the London tube. Then I got a mail from Steve of Gonomad sending me a link to this news-

The woman behind the gentle, even voice which warns London's subway commuters to "Mind the gap" was fired after telling a newspaper she thought the transit network was dreadful.

Emma Clarke has been recording messages for London's sprawling subway network, popularly known as the Tube, since 1999. In addition to warning passengers to watch their step in walking between subway cars and the platform, she also reads the trains' stops, tells Londoners how long they have to wait until their next ride, and delivers service updates.

Emma Clarke clarified at the BBC-

"What I actually said was that travelling in a Tube train would be dreadful for me, listening to my own voice and seeing the haunted faces of commuters being subjected to me telling them to 'mind the gap'.

"I would find it quite an uncomfortable experience in the same way that when I call a company when I'm their on hold voice and it's me saying - please press 2 for accounts - it's a creepy experience to be honest."

A Mild Earthquake, Literally!

I was at my sister's place and had to start early to reach my place so that I could come to work. My little niece was as usual was keeping her US hours in India. So, she and my sis were making a lot of racket from time to time. In between around 4..45 am I woke up and thought everything around me is shaking. Then it passed. I convinced myself that I must have been feeling dizzy and rolled back to sleep.

Later, when I woke up at 6.15 am (something that I rarely do!) my sister told me it was really a mild earthquake.

Lazy Sunday Photo- The Big Ben, London

The Big Ben, Westminster, London

The Westminster area was the last place I visited in London. I came out of the train and followed the signs that said 'exit for London Eye.' It was already dark by then. After taking a boat ride on Thames, I headed back to the Westminster train station and then decided to follow the sign 'exit for Westminster.'

The parliament house and the Big Ben were so well lit, I was quite awestruck. I strolled around and took pictures for quite sometime. Being November, I was finding it a bit cold. After a while I didn't know what to do so I just stood and indulged in people watching.

Right next to me a guy was speaking in Hindi (my native tongue) on cell phone and was giving advice on relationships. He was telling his friend (in Hindi) "it is OK whatever relationships she had before marriage but after marriage make it very clear this cannot continue."

A young couple came out of the underground and their jaws dropped in utter amazement at the sight of the area. Then they quickly started clicking pictures. Of course, they had to request others to click themselves all huddled up. This was repeated quite a few number of times with various people (jaw dropping part if they were not a couple). Quite a few requests to take pictures came my way and with a few remarks too, "What a big camera, are you a pro?" Well, the honest answer is I am not. Of course I also asked one couple to take my picture after I had taken theirs.

I really I would have liked to stand there and watch the scene around for a long long time. But by 8.00 pm I was finding the cold too much to handle. So, I crawled back into the underground again to head back to Victoria.

Oktatabyebye- Remember that Air Ticket?

Remember that Oktatabyebye Photo Contest? I got to hear from them about the air ticket. I can fly from anywhere to anywhere in India. I am wondering where should I go? The pity is that it is for one person (and I have to pay the taxes), so either Sesha decides to come anyway or I go alone. Now if I go alone, I will really have to think where to go. There is always a nagging doubt about traveling solo in India. Oh, maybe Sikkim again? That was quite safe. Or visit a friend?

Now that is one thing I like about many countries abroad. You don't have to think twice about traveling alone.

This and That
These days Sesha is sitting in UK. Out of the three cameras guess how many he took? None!

I hate grading copies. The exercise leaves me depressed and slightly crazy, hence this disjoint post.

I may be ( in fact I would be, and no this is not the Oktatabyebye one) traveling next week, yippee!

The place where I play TT, painting and other work is going on in the building. The workers have put their beds in a corner in the Hall. How little people survive on. Don't know why, but adds to a lot of guilt about having a lot of luxuries.

Things I Don't Even Dream Of!

All Souls College, Oxford, UK

Of all the places I visited I liked my stay at the Oxford best. But that account will have to wait for sometime. While I was coming back, I was so tired and exhausted on the flight and yet I could not sleep at all. Also for the first time I had a middle seat. I still love the window seat! And then after the BA flight 143 landed about 10 minutes before time, it had to wait a long time to get a bay.

So, I emerged rather tired way past 2.00 at night. But what surprised me pleasantly was the process of immigration. It used to be chaotic or so I thought. But not this time. I was sharing this experience at Indiamike (IM).

And this is what Nick (the highest poster at IM) said in reply!

There used to be be separate Foreign/Indian queues for immigration, but this time they didn't segregate and everything moved faster. It could be that I picked, as the Captain says, a good arrival time, but the baggage hall seemed quite busy.

(Glad you had a good trip, and that they let you back into your own country ok )

Did you notice the last line? I even put it in bold. Did it ever cross our mind that they may not let you get back to your own country? I never take it for granted that I can enter another country but not being able to enter back in India? I mean the thought never even crossed my mind!

Managed Communities?

Saw this very fascinating post on the blog of Professor Robert V. Kozinets. I have tried to use Netnography, the methodology he proposed to study online communities. I always thought of consumer communities as self-formed or at least easy enough to join. And of course the one I use most is related to travel- Indiamike.com.

And then I came across this post on his blog about a company that manages communities for clients. He writes-

That raises a big question for me. Is there a difference between the kind of “community” or tribe you get in a “community” that is created or sponsored by a website and the one you get emerging spontaneously, implicitly motivated and flowering on its own.

Communispace is a fascinating company that pays people $10 a month to form an artifically constructed brand community (and yes, they use the brand community terminology). They sell “private” (as in gated and controlled) online communities. Every consumer is fully identified and accountable. “Bad” (non-participating) members are bumped off. Messages are moderated. Communispace acts as the buffer zone between the world of real consumers and the corporate customers.

I tried searching on the Communispace website like a harried customer who needs quick information to see if one could become a member of any of the communities there. Couldn't find much, only the feeling that the membership is by invitation only?

Sounds very strange, at least to me.

Lazy Sunday Photo- London Underground, Mind the Gap!

Mind the Gap, London Underground, UK

The phrase 'Please Mind the Gap' grew upon me slowly when I used the London Underground and the National Rail for two days. As a station would approach, the announcement system on the train would go crazy, announcing "please mind the gap" again and again. Once or twice it felt OK, then it became amusing. When I went into a souvenir shop later, I saw a mug with the same slogan, "Mind the Gap." Of course, I bought it.

Later, I googled and found this interesting stuff about Mind the Gap on the BBC-

The Recorded Announcement (Male)

The stern, shouting, male voice announcement for 'Mind the Gap' is being phased out. Fortunately, you can download Peter Lodge's 'performance' - and numerous other train announcements - from this Sound File site. As the webmaster of the site says:

His barked orders to cowering passengers continue to ring out in a recording which is already an historical document³.

The Recorded Announcement (Female)

The female voice for the recorded announcement of 'Mind the Gap' is nicknamed 'Sonia' by tube drivers. Why? Because her voice 'gets on yer nerves', they collectively reply.

Apparently 'Sonia' is thought to be a bit too posh in some circles. In recent tests somebody mimicking the voice of Marilyn Monroe proved to be a favourite.

Mind the Gap on the National Rail, Somewhere Between Victoria and Sutton

Pretty Young Things at the Hyde Park, London

Three Young Girls at Hyde Park, London, UK

While I was taking a stroll (with a colleague) at the Hyde Park, caught a glimpse of these three young girls ahead of us. They were speaking a foreign tongue but one could still make out the excitement in their voices. When they went some distance ahead of us, I thought they made a pretty beautiful picture along with the prop on the right and the colors of the park.

And to my complete surprise, the young lady in the middle suddenly stood on her hands and her friends merrily took her pictures. That is what London does to some people!

But We Changed the Clock!

Leeds City Center and the Bus Stop to the Left as Marked by Two Waiting Buses

My first real stop in UK was the city of Leeds where I was presenting a paper at a conference. It was a hectic trip. I landed at Heathrow on a Friday morning and then took a National Express bus to the Victoria Bus Terminus. From there, I took a Megabus to Leeds. Megabuses are definitely low cost but they also have a very small seat. The journey was supposed to be of 4 hours but due to the heavy Friday traffic it took 6 hours to reach Leeds. The next day morning I had a paper to present followed by a visit to Saltaire. Later in the evening was the conference dinner at the Royal Armouries.

So, it became past 11 at night when I came back to my hotel after the day's program on the Saturday. And then I had to take a Megabus to London at 6.15 the next morning. The hotel phone gave an option of stetting the alarm on my own but I could not figure it out. So, I asked the good people at the front desk to give me a wakeup call at 5.00 in the morning. And then after doing the packing, I collapsed to sleep.

I woke up with a start at 5.00 without any wakeup call. The wakeup call never arrived. By 5.45 I checked out and walked for 3 minutes to the bus stop. Being Sunday morning the roads were mostly empty. Only a place by the name of Blue Leopard had some people mingling about it. I could not figure out what it was. People came out of it for a smoke, some kind of employees hanged at the door. Another surprise was that there was activity at this place at the ungodly hour of 6.00 am.

By 6.10 there was still no sign of a bus and I was wondering what is it that I am doing wrong? Is this not the correct bus stop or the timings have changed or what? By 6.20 I was getting desperate. So, I decided to ask the people at the door of the Blue Leopard if they had any clue about the bus.

A young lad told me I was at the correct bus stop and then asked me what time my bus was. I told him it was at 6.15. Then he pointed out to a town clock and said, "But we changed the clock, look it is only 5.20 in the morning. We put it back by an hour this night!" I had of course read about changing of clocks but as nothing like this happens in India, I could never figure out what this meant! Now that I have experienced it, I am not going to forget it in a hurry.

I finally understood why the wakeup call never came. It must have come through an hour later. Also, it was a cold and windy morning and I did not enjoy the prospect of spending an hour at the freezing bus stop. Luckily the train station was just next door and it was covered. So, I went in and waited for an hour there. And of course later when it became 6.10 am again, the bus promptly came. This time it also took the appointed 4 hours to reach London.

Thumbs Up for BA

British Airways, Terminal 4, Heathrow, London, UK

My tickets for the UK trip were booked with the British Airways. Gradually, it is coming to a stage when I do not feel that enthusiastic about flying anymore, but then it is rare that I get to watch back to back movies ever in my life, apart from a flight. I will write more about the flight later but this is to give the BA thumbs up for a different reason.

I found the prices in UK a little bit strange. Buy something and you will drown in change. I mean if the price is 5.94 pounds you get 4 coins of 1 penny each. A few purchases later, my handbag was full of small change that was unfamiliar. Try as I might, I could not get rid of them at the speed at which they were coming.

So, finally when I took the flight back home, I still had a lot of loose change. Then I spotted a good thing. Along with the Bose headphones (that don't work at times) was an envelope where BA in collaboration with UNICEF was asking to give the loose change (that is anyway useless for me at my home destination) for the fund. So that is where all the loose change went from my handbag. I believe this is a really good idea.

Lazy Sunday Photo- Lady Guide at Saltaire, UK

The Charming Lady Guide at Saltaire, UK

The trip to Saltaire, a world heritage site near Leeds was organized by the good people at the conference that I attended. The trip was wonderful and a detailed account would come a little later.

The charming lady in the picture guided our group for the part of the way. Later, we met near the church for cakes and tea/coffee and I managed to chat with her. She said her pictures are already on the web and I told her I too would be putting up one. It is such a pity that I could not catch her name.

While we were standing outside and chatting, it was overcast, windy and cold. Still, very little can keep me indoors. So, I was chatting with her and feeling guilty all the time that I was keeping her out of doors. She said her family long back lived in India and she comes to the South every year.

Later, she held my hands and said, "Oh dear, you are so cold, why on earth are you standing outside?" I told her I love being out of doors but I would certainly not keep her standing in the cold.

And she has not been a resident of Saltaire since birth (as I had assumed) but she has lived in various countries, including the Caribbean and she came to Saltaire just seven years back.

You Can Go Anywhere You Want!

The Parliament House and the Big Ben, Westminster, London

I was standing in the London underground at Westminster (near Big Ben and London Eye). I wanted to go to London Victoria. My sense of direction is absolutely pathetic, I can get lost even in a telephone booth if it has two exits. I had no clue which platform to go or which line to take. I of course had a map of the underground but maps always look like a tough puzzle to me, not yielding any clues about anything.

My best bet is to ask others and I have always benefited from the random kindness of the strangers. I had quickly realized that the people with the green vest (some sort of officials connected with the underground system) were the kindest. So, I approached one and asked "Hi, Can I go to Victoria from here?" I got a big grin and a reply, "You can go anywhere you want!" And then he directed me to the correct platform. I thanked him profusely. I again was told, "The pleasure is all mine!"

I am really grateful to people who give me the directions, because without them, I am dead. And I do hope I will slowly get to go anywhere I want!

Some Pictures from the Recent UK Trip

The Radcliffe Square, Oxford, UK

Finally, I managed to put a little bit of tiredness of the trip behind and upload the pictures from my recent UK trip.

I did had a wonderful time at all the three places that I visited, Leeds, Oxford and London. As this was for work, could not do much justice travel wise to any of them. Still, travel is always good and all my visits abroad has been for work till date. Among all the trips abroad, this one ranks really at the top.

Lazy Sunday Photo- The London Oxford Route

Took this one on a moving bus, from Oxfrod to London. Loved the colors of fall and as there is no fall in the northern India, loved them all the more. And I am not yet home. Tomorrow, I should be back.

Not Yet Home

Fall Colors in London (Picture by a Colleague)

Not home yet but almost at the end of the trip. It was not that cold and yes there has been sun almost on all days. I guess I am getting tired now but in all this has been a wonderful trip. Bigger accounts and more pictures when I come back. And thanks a lot for the comments in the meanwhile.