8 - 15 Novembre 2005
That was a short but exciting discovery of India, or more exactly New Delhi (and one day in Agra). I went there with Max, Richard, Ivan and Steve for the W3C India Office Opening for almost a week. the first three days and the last one were working days, the weekend was recreation ! both were just incredible !
During the work days, we first went for a visit to local software companies. First of all discovering the (absence of) traffic rules and driving behaviours is just incredible ! then the difference within the population is just unbelievable : It was just amazing to be driven through Delhi all day, with all the miserable conditions of millions of people, and then suddenly you pass a gate, and you reach a building which is as modern as any of those you have in New-York or Tokyo, with the same level of equipment and so on, and with also at least the same level of skills you found in western hitech companies !
The official event we then participated will stay also in my mind for a while. We were considered as world-class stars, with a photograph crowd always shooting at us, meeting Indian officials and important people of the country, receiving prizes,... it was just the first time i've been receiving such a treatment ! amazing !
But, i was still looking for meeting the real India, not the top-class one. the 2 recreationnal days answered my hope ! travelling to Agra during 5 hours (for 200km !) was just (again) unbelievable. We saw a bunch of incredible things i would not be able to report. Funny signs on the road (like "It is prohibited to drive in the wrong direction"), incredible traffic conditions and jams, a lots of unexpected animals (boars, bears, yes chained brown BEARS, monkeys ...) and so on. Eventually we went to see the Taj Mahal, which is as beautiful as one can dream ! so perfect day !
The second day, i was alone, my colleagues having flew back. So i decided to experience Old Delhi. Definetly, it is not for those who are not comfortable with the crowd. I walked around different areas and went to few markets, and that was again incredible. The smell, the colors, the people, the pollution, the dust, the noise... all is here and far more ! look at the photos !!
This country, or the least the very very very limited piece i met, is stunning and exciting. I will come back for a longer and wider experience !!