New Delhi

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Comment by cathy mccann on November 18, 2009 at 11:48am

Hey all, thanks for the advice. I want to travel as light as possible and not worry about losing or breaking my computer. I also tested some netbooks to see if that might suffice, but for now I think I will just skip the laptop. Just a few weeks now for me before I leave!

Comment by Toshie on November 17, 2009 at 10:55pm

Cathy,
Oh, I am soooo sorry! I guess I did not look for internet cafe hard enough... Laiah was great before my departure, giving me tons of great advice. Hope you have a great time!

Comment by Laiah on November 15, 2009 at 11:38pm

cathy-
i was in delhi for 3 months and brought my laptop and it was perfectly safe. otherwise, there is a computer you can use at homebase as well as a few internet cafes in walking distance from the new delhi home base in the hauz khas market. feel free to email me with any questions. otherwise have an incredible time!!!

Comment by Toshie on November 15, 2009 at 8:39pm

Hi Cathy,
I am glad the question came up, as we did not know before our departure: Yes, you will have access to WiFi at home base. Some volunteers did bring their laptops, and I did not hear anything about security issue, although I am sure all of us used common sense on this. One of the flats has a computer which you can use for 24 hours also. As to internet cafe, I was not able to find one in walking distance. If you like to be online frequently, you may want to bring your own. If (like me) you only check a few times a week, the computer they have should be enough. Hope this answers your question. You can reach me at my email: toshie1008@hotmail.com if you have any more question on day-to-day life, which is hard to find in guide book... (or at least that was the case for me.)

Comment by cathy mccann on November 10, 2009 at 4:47pm

Hi Toshie,
I am debating whether to bring my laptop. It's hard for me to live without it, but I worry about security and whether I'll be able to find wireless networks. Are there computers that are easily accessible (internet cafe or others)?

Comment by Toshie on November 9, 2009 at 10:51pm

I have sadly but safely returned to the States after spending the best three weeks in India. Any way I can help those who are preparing to leave, just send me a note either here or into my inbox. I will be happy to answer any question. You are going to have wonderful time of your life!

Comment by cathy mccann on October 17, 2009 at 9:05pm

I'm having great fun watching Bollywood movies--I expected singing/dancing/romance but I also find that some of them address current problems like corruption, poverty, overpopulation and the caste system. I was clueless as to how vast and diversified India is. In school and the university India (or any other non-western country) was rarely introduced in the curriculum.
I'm reading several books now but the movies (at least the street scenes of city and village life) give me an idea of what to expect. I won't take the movies too literally (I know they're just movies) but still it gives me a different take on modern Indian life. I've watched Rang De Basanti and Swades and am impatiently waiting for Lagaan, Water, New York among others. Thanks for the suggestions guys!

Comment by Rebecca Miles-Steiner on October 12, 2009 at 9:01am

Cathy - my two favorite Bollywood movies are 'Bunti aur Bubli' and 'Veer-Zara'. Those are both about 4 or 5 years old.

If you're looking for something older, you must check out "Sholay" (1975) - A 'Curry Western', it was heavily inspired by Leone's 'Spaghetti Westerns' and is said to have had an influence on a generation of incidents of young male violence. Regardless, it is India's highest grossing film of all time and a must see..

A few other Bollywood films I would recommend:

"Lagaan: Once Upon A Time In India" (2001) is fun and interesting. Not sure how historically accurate it is though.
"Saawariya" (2007) is good. It sorta has a Baz Luhrmann feel to it, which is intresting.
"Dhoom" (2004) is good, but I don't especially recommend "Dhoom 2".

I've found that watching Bollywood movies is really sorta hit and miss and all depends on personal taste. I've loved a movie by a certain director and haven't been able to sit through another movie by the same director and production house. If you're looking for more recommendations you can always google "best bollywood movies" and get an idea of what other people like.

Since I'm writing a short thesis already, I'll just throw two more cents in:
In terms of more serious movies, "Water" (2005), by Indian-Canadian Deepa Mehta is one of the most beautiful movies ever made. I highly highly recommend it.
Also, if you haven't watched any of Satyajit Ray's movies, you should do that as well.

Hindi cinema (Bollywood) is the most popular Indian Cinema form in the West, for sure, but if you have the time and a DVD sharing service like Netflix, check out some of the other Indian-Cinema regional forms - they're a small window into the other cultures and regions of India. Tamil cinema, in particular, has a lot of great stuff to offer.

Okay - one more cent:
One of my favorite non-fiction books on India is "The Great Hedge of India". Especially great if you're at all interested in history and travel adventure.


Hope this wasn't too much info!

Comment by cathy mccann on October 10, 2009 at 4:01pm

I'm reading up on India (historical and cultural) but I'm also interested in the lighter side of India. Does anyone have reccomendations for Bollywood movies with english subtitles?

Comment by cathy mccann on August 31, 2009 at 12:27am

Hey all, thanks for the heads up. I plan on traveling carry-on (just less hassle). I'll pack light and include some layered clothing. Getting the visa has been the easiest visa process I've ever been through - less than a week. I found a great BBC documentary call "The Story of India" and I've got a couple of books to read. It's amazing how many people are from, have visited or are familar with India; they all stress the diversity of the country. See ya!

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