What are some things about India that foreigners don't believe until they come to India?
So I'm about 72 hours off the plane in Chennai and here the facts as I see them here and now;Unbelievable traffic and pollution. Yesterday as a humble pedestrian, I was literally trapped in the middle of the road trying to cross for about 15 mins - there simply wasn't a gap in the traffic ( mostly motorbikes and auto rickshaws although also a great many cars/ and buses) and no one showed any signs of slowing to allow me to cross. The locals have a knack of managing it which requires a degree of skill and suicidal inclination which I have yet to match. By the time I made it back to my room my eyes were stinging and streaming tears from the exhaust fumes.Extremely dirty & smelly. What is it with the litter thing? Its everywhere. At the railway station today there was a guy endlessly sweeping the platform. I watched as he emptied a trash can into a garbage bag, spilling most of the contents onto the platform in the process, these he swept onto the rail tracks..Extreme poverty- I laughed out loud when i read someones comment on here about the Indian poor not being malnourished but instead being rather fit and wiry! I passed a guy at another railway stop who by any definition was definitely 'wiry' but what gauge I can only guess at. If he is still alive the next time I pass through there I will let you know but I would put his chances at somehere bewtween thin and thinner. (Sic)Heat and humidity;Actually i did believe that one but I guess it wont hurt to mention it.Good things:-Tea/Chai;The indians love it. I do too. And its for sale everywhere. And a glass will set you back about 7 rupee s( about 10cents US i think) None of your PG tips milky horse piss either. They brew it white with condensed milk I think. Anyway its incredibly thick and sweet, you can stand a spoon up in it..ok i made that last bit up but you get the jist.Cheap delicious VERY HOT food.Ive just had a delicious vegetarian curry for dinner.My mouth is on fire but my wallet hardly felt a thing ( even with a tip)
What do Chinese think of Ai Weiwei?
Some people is smart enough to introduce political factors into his/her artworks which adds a huge premium to its real value. Such kind of so called artists were common to find during the USSR time and their works were ridiculously over-rated by that time western market, but after USSR has gone, so did the value and price of their works. People who paid for their works before should be the biggest jokes in this world. Ai is just the CCP version of his USSR counterparts, neither Ai nor modern arts really have any influence in China... Even within the people who knew his name, they shared the pictures of his works more like a "freak show". But by serving the illusion of western audience about China, Ai made a killing in western market and was very financially successful. In general, Ai's work are something like the famous "Chinese food in US", which were thought by the westerners that represent China, but indeed no one in China ever know...My point is the real art is attached to the human nature which is long lasting; but fake one serves only politics which is short lived. To me I will not call the latter artist at all.This one used to be highly praised by western world, but after USSR died who remember this anymore?Behold the masterpiece of Ai
Why does the PLA defend the interests of the Communist Party of China over the well-being of Chinese citizens?
How exactly do you propose the PLA to "defend the well-being of Chinese citizens"?By... providing disaster relief?Dealing with bad weather?Serving as peacekeepers for the UN?Yeah... of course, you'll never see any of these pictures in the Western press. All you will ever see is this:Or this:Unfortunately, there's not been many fresh images such as these (super old, you can tell from the uniforms) for the Western media to use so they have to settle for menancing pictures of PLA goosetepping:OMG, marching soldiers, so scary, much panic, wow!As for people claiming "the PLA is just an extension of the CCP":How is that different from Obama being the Commander and Chief of the Armed Forces? Most nations out there have the head of state as the head of the military, that's how these things work. And since the head of state is also a leading member of his/her political party, then guess what, the armed forced are an extension of that political party.The only difference in China is that there's only one party, so naturally it will control the armed forces. Kind of a no brainer there...And let's not forget the other obvious fact:Soldiers are people too. I know, crazy idea, right?How much do you really think the average PLA soldier cares that his organization is "an extension" of the CCP? Does this automatically mean he will sacrifice his life for any member of the CCP, no questions asked?Hate to tell you this, but China isn't quite that good on brainwashing technology just yet, we're still decades behind the CIA in that department.If the CCP really gets out of hand, the army is no more or less likely to rebel. The average soldier comes from a poor family in a poor province, he's not likely to be sympathetic to the needs of the ruling class in China.
Can I carry a metal god idol in my check-in luggage on domestic flights in India?
There is no restriction in carrying metal idol in check-in luggage on domestic flights in India. It may even be carried as hand baggage provided it does not have sharp edges and is less than 7kg in weight.Details of the restricted items in Indian domestic sector can be noted here: Baggage tips and restricted itemsSome one had enquired about carrying a brass statue of goddess to which Go Air airline responded “Airline does not have any issue provided this is carried in check in baggage.” [Refer: Checked In & Hand Baggage-GoAir- Free Allowance ]Whereas, Indigo airlines replied that “All precious items have to be taken in cabin baggage, not in check-in. Regarding God idol, only airline officials will be say anything after seeing it.” [Refer: http://www.indigo-web-check-in.c...]