Opinion: Can India Change after the Delhi Rape Case?

She is gone.

Nameless, her ordeal continues to ramp up the debate and anger of the treatment of women in India.  When this young medical student went out of her home that day, she most certainly would not have thought that she would be attacked and ravaged by strangers.

The brutality of the attack is unimaginable.  

Some reports say the men forced an iron rod up her vagina.  While another, like the one below, says one of the perps used his hand to pull her uterus out.  The truth is to be verified.

unverified but imagine the horror

Regardless, an invasion is an invasion.  And the depth and severity should never be a factor.  No one should be allowed to steal another's right of control over his or her privacy and being.

Right after her death in Singapore, people in India took their grief to the streets.  CNN was there to cover it.  People were speaking about changing archaic laws and to expedite the processing of the case. In a way, the court of public opinion has already condemned those accused without trial.

One soundbite was very telling about what was really happening in India.

A young man said that when the news broke, the response from the police and politicians was inappropriate and diminished the case for what it truly was.  If this can be interpreted, public anger seemed more pitted against this than the actual case itself.

Of course, nothing happens from a one off incident.  And certainly Indians must have faced this enough times to feel that change is needed.  But just like the recent shooting in Newtown, CT, it just takes that one especially significant and/or brutal case to tip the balance. What really drove the engines of revolution though, is the attitude from the status quo.

The NRA in the US have been defiant about accepting any gun laws. The legislators and government officials in India have been apathetic, not just to this case, but to the many that have gone under the media radar.

CNN reported (as a side bar) the story of 17 year old that committed suicide after being gang raped. What they did not say was that even after reporting the crime to the police, the girl was told to accept it and marry her attacker.

Certainly, this isn't the first time that the police in India have failed its people.  There was a previous case of a young girl who went to the police to report that she had been raped, only to be raped again by the officer she went to for help.  And who can forget the Mumbai terrorist attacks, where officers with guns were seen in CCTV footage to be fleeing from the scene, leaving behind defenseless women and children to face the gunmen.

The question that faces India is the same that the US now has to answer.  Can it change?

I am not an expert in Indian politics, society or economics.  But I do have an opinion, one culled from listening to the people, and observing everyday life from both sides of the coin.

And my opinion is no.

India is controlled on all levels, by family dynasties.  These families perpetuate the glass ceiling so that it becomes really tough, if not impossible, for anyone to break their social strata.  And they use their political and industrial connection to make sure the legislation protects their interests.

What does this mean for the girl who goes out to watch a movie with her boyfriend and decides to bus it back home?

Nothing good.

Corruption is still rampant, and the trickle down effect means that public service is confused with self service.  The questions of human rights, morality and ethics just don't bear as much weight when people are allowed to choose who these are accorded to.

The 17 year old did not come from a Bachan, Ambani, or Khan background.  And her story almost disappeared deep into the bureaucracy.  Imagine if she was someone with stature.

Acting legend Amitabh Bachan, who is treated like a God in India, famously sent out tweets to register his disgust with the rape.  And I am sure there are others with status who are equally shocked.  The odd thing is though, with all their influence, and all their political connections, what have they done to exact change?

You must know that this is a country that allowed actors to go hunting endangered animals in reserves, and that let famous people who were in a hit and run to get off easy.

In a country where there are 1,241,491,960 people, where 68.7% live on less than US$2 a day, life is cheap in India.

As my ex-client once told me, if there aren't any poor people, who would be his servants? He is, by the way, part of a family dynasty. The attitude is common among the 'haves'.

From the reports that are slowing coming out, the 23 year old medical student was not rich by any means. But neither was her life cheap. She deserved better.

India has a long way to go if the rich, the influential, and the powerful do not make honest inroads into social change. If they don't, then the death of this girl and many others before her, would be in vain.

Check List: MNL brings on Christmas Cheer!

Really nice.

The PR alone was worth the effort. Considering Changi wins accolades all the time, I wonder why they have not considered something like this...

Airline News: Aegean's Christmas E-card

Aw.  Aegean is so thoughtful!

Click to play

Check List: TSA's Christmas BAN HUMBUG

It started in 2007.

Five years later, they decided to soften their stand...slightly. And typically, vaguely. Enough for one of their own to interpret rules the only way they are capable.

The TSA in the US has been banning snow globes for a while. This year, 'some' snow globes are allowed. I guess that is the same as some kids are irritating on a plane and some are not.

So for anyone going to the US this Christmas, be aware!

Check the TSA blog for more info.

Airline News: Airbus A380 - Promises Delivered?

Two days ago, British Airways released their A380 seat plan, in anticipation of their first whalejet flight.

Willie Walsh, CEO of IAG, BA's parent company revealed the following details:

Main Deck

• 14 First
• 22 Club World Business Class in a 2/4/2 configuration
• 119 World Traveler Economy Class in a 3/4/5 configuration

Upper Deck

• 53 Club World Business Class in a 2/3/2 layout
• 55 World Traveler Plus Premium Economy Class in a 2/3/2 layout
• 104 World Traveler Economy Class in a 2/4/2 layout

BA has bought 12 of the superjumbos and are taking delivery of their first in July of 2013.  No announcements of routes yet.

I don't profess to be an aviation expert, but I do have an opinion. Frankly, I don't see the big hype about the A380, or even the Dreamliner for that matter.  The makers of these aircrafts have all the best intentions in the world in developing new technologies that can, in theory, lead to a more comfortable ride for passengers.  And let's face it, that is a good thing considering the golden days of Pan Am are long gone and not returning.  So with the hassles on the ground, what goes on in the air does matter.

When Airbus starting hocking their plane around, the industry and the public got to view such wondrous possibilities.  Oh, the plane is way quieter than any predecessor.  Oh, there is so much space now even in cattle class.  Oh, we have great mood lighting and larger overhead bins.

And check out the grand staircase!

Airbus did a great job at selling the dream in their marketing mock ups, especially for premium classes, offering even options between salons and suites.

It's been what, over 5 years now since the first Singapore Airlines A380 flight.  Many other carriers have since flown theirs.  Has there been any difference?

Some swear that the plane is indeed quieter upon take off and landing. Personally, I didn't think that it was that much quieter compared to say the 77W.  Crew members I spoke to from different carriers concurred.  Fine, it is all anecdotal and some may say subjective.

So let's take a look at the seat numbers of the different carriers flying the A380.

© Business Traveler

Airbus's A380 capacity was designated to be 555 seats in a three class configuration.  That number was to gain maximum yields without the bells and whistles they sold in their marketing campaigns.

At 469 seats in total BA doesn't come in too bad.  At 516 seats, the greatest offender is Air France that tries to squeeze out every little bit of space in their A380, while Korean Air comes in at 407 seats.

So does the passenger benefit from the added space?  It depends.  If you are in the back of the bus, the experience will be no different from any other plane, primarily because the seat pitch of Y in almost all the carriers straddles between 31-32 inches.  If you are in business class, unless you are flying with Qantas, whose pitch is about 80 inches, you will still find the industry average of 55-60 inches to be the norm on the superjumbos of other carriers.  And if you are flying in first, well, if you aren't happy with the space in the front of the bus, then get a private jet!

So the truth is, space wise, it isn't any different from any other plane. Airlines have tried to sell their A380s as an improvement in products and services.  Indeed, SQ launched their new 1/2/1 'widest business class seat in the sky' during the inauguration of their A380.

Most airline customers though have not succumbed to the immense possibilities of the aircraft.  There are exceptions such as Emirates, which installed bars in their premium cabins and of course the now legendary showers in First Class.  Lufthansa decked out their First Class with a glorious toilet and changing room, in addition to noise insulating carpeting among others.  Korean Air has their shop in the sky and lounge areas in premium classes.  Singapore Airlines has their matrimonial double beds in Suites, although their official stand on what could happen on those beds is just hilarious.

If you think that just because passengers who fly premium classes get treated oh so special, well thing of this.  You know how an Y passenger is not allowed in the upper deck unless there is a Y cabin up there?  And you know how the wonderful grand staircase is off limits to Y passengers?  Well, because First Class in the A380 is always in the front of the plane, even J passengers are usually barred from using the grand staircase.

So the Grand Staircase on the A380 is a little like the one that was on the Titanic.  Luxurious but only for a very select few.  It is literally a staircase up or down to heaven,  depending on which deck First Class is on!

So after 5 years or so, the discussions and debates will no doubt continue.  Is it safe, is it noisy, is it luxurious etc.  

While the plane bears the distinction of being part of aviation milestone, no carrier will want to want to fly a plane that does not make economic sense (hallo A345).  

And so, at the end of the day, airlines have to strike a balance between coming up with the next big thing in aviation products, and yield management, something that has no formula or manual. 

For the passenger, it will still be a squeeze, the food will still taste mediocre and looking out of the window will have the same sensation regardless of the deck you are flying in.

Down the line, flying the A380 may lose its 'new tech' appeal, leaving behind  no real difference or unique value in the flying experience.

Tales from a Trip: The Les Miserables Lessons for Travel

The new Les Miz movie is about to debut on Christmas Day with previews already making their rounds.

So for the past few days, I've been getting panda eyes from lack of sleep and lots of crying, pouring over anything Les Miz on the web.

The story stands the test of time because of its universal themes.  Hope, redemption, love, forgiveness, starting fresh, paying it forward.

Now how is Les Miz relevant to a travel blog?

I've always wondered why people travel.

For some it is work driven.  You get put on a plane, then into a hotel, sent to offices for meetings, forced into bits of over indulgent evening entertainment, maybe get an hour to yourself, then put back on the plane home.

For others, it is pleasure driven.  It a respite from the day to day of your life. Perhaps a sort of escape. Or even a way to validate the goodness of your existence and reality when you visit countries that aren't as prosperous as yours.

There are many reasons of course.  But the most pressing question would be: What do you truly see and hear when you travel?  Or is it just a geographical difference for you?

Not too long ago, I visited a friend in London.  We were planning to spend a Sunday together.  However, he got tired out after staying out at the clubs the night before.

It was not a big deal.  This was London.  Lots to do.

I went to Greenwich.   It is a World Heritage Site and I make it a point to visit these locations during my travels.  There was a weekend market where I had a wonderful traditional beef dish that was coated in melted cheese.  The air was a little nippy and the hot meal was superb even if you had to stand on the streets to finish it off.

I wasn't sure of where else to go and ventured into a nearby area that had wonderful architecture.  Didn't seem very busy so I walked around.  Then I heard something amazing.

It was coming from one of the buildings.  I zeroed in on the music and peered through a window but could not see much. I made out the shapes of a few people around a piano.  They must have seen me, this Asian gawking though the glass. They must have thought I was weird.

Truth is I love musical theater.  And the quick realization that I had stumbled upon a class of sorts of musical theater students rehearsing something was like a gift. Their voices were resplendent.  And through their singing, I could make out parts of a story, and imagined how it might be staged.

I stood next to the window for about an hour, trying to be discreet, and hoping security would not be called on me.  I admired the sense of dedication and passion that was communicated through their voices.  I felt re-energized somehow.

I realized that some of my best travel experiences have been unexpected.  And largely due to just exploring without expectations. If one can draw parallels, it is like Marius only seeing Eponine as this concept of a person, rather than seeing her as someone who loved him enough to sacrifice her own happiness for him.  If we travel with fixed ideas about people and destinations, we lose the benefit of what they can truly provide.

Travel without really opening up your eyes and ears to what is around you, rather than what you project to your environment, limits the beauty and the lessons from your experience.

I was in Istanbul in winter.  It was dead cold.  Snow up to the knees.  My day tours were semi-disasters.  And my life was threatened at one point by a bunch of thugs.

Still I wanted to make the best of it.

I made the Grand Bazaar my comfort zone.  At least it was warmer than the outside, central, and had lot of things to do and see that could keep me busy for hours.

Being winter, customers were pretty thin, and Asian faces even lesser.  I was an immediate target.  Eventually I made contact with a few shop keepers.  Some of them were young and it became easy to start chats with them.

They started out trying to scam me to buy their stuff at inflated prices.  I was a little too savvy to be tricked.  And eventually the barriers came down and we began to communicate well.

The more we talked the more we realized that we may have had pre-conceptions about each other that were not true.  Many of the shop keepers were not from Istanbul.  They came from neighboring cities and towns and were lured by the promise of a better life in the capital.  Most came to the consensus, for those that lived there, that Istanbul was not the gilded city.  It was a dangerous one where they would not even venture out at night if they could help it.

It was something I learned the hard way.  And I experienced something that I never thought I would. I faced a crisis.  And it forced me to be creative in how to get out of it. I did, but it rattled me.

I turned to the shop keepers as an outlet to vent and to get some kind of support. They gave that to me. I received kindness and sympathy.  I remember a blue eyed Turk saying he would leave the shop early to have dinner with me, because being alone in the dead of winter in Istanbul truly was not a good idea.

I realized how important it is to render help when you can.  Even a kind word may be helpful.  The shop keepers gave a little bit of security back to me at a time when, as a lone traveler, I felt violated.  They did not have to, they just did.  Just as Jean Valjean in Les Miz paid it forward after he was saved, it is important to extend the blessings that has been given to you.

It is extraordinary that I have received remarkable kindness from others. When you travel without your name cards and histories, nobody knows who you are, and you have a clean slate. People relate to you as a human being.

Jean Valjean stole a load of bread and was jailed for 19 years.  Inspector Javert refused to see that a man could be more than just one act, that the breadth of life was not determined by something done in a few minutes, that every person was capable of more.  If everyone was like the priest who bought Valjean's soul for God with silver, and assumed that everyone was innately good, imagine the possibilities.

Everyone deserves a clean slate, a fresh start, to gain hope and to receive love.

When I travel, I am exactly how I want to be, and who I am when I look at my own spiritual mirror.  I don't have to play a role for the benefit of others.  I don't have to live it up or live it down.  I am happiest when I meet people from those living on the streets to those managing empires.  They only have to deal with the person I am now, not the complications of past lives.

Again, it is rather like Les Miz isn't it?  If Valjean had not broken parole to start a new life in the small town, he would not have been allowed to prove his worth and eventually to begin a new chapter as mayor.

So, I carry with me the importance of the lessons from Les Miz everywhere I go. Hope, redemption, love, forgiveness, starting fresh, paying it forward.  Travel isn't just about stepping on different soil or being in my comfort zone for me.  It really is microcosmic of Life itself, where you must connect on a human level and experience differences to grow and to renew.  Every place I go, every face I see, is a renewed opportunity to write a new positive chapter with someone else in some other place.

And that is truly why I travel.

I take pictures of my foot on the ground to remind me that I am but a guest of the land
and for that one moment I was there.

IFE: Girl's Generation New Album sports Aviation theme

Love it or hate it (I love it), Kpop is everywhere.  And Girl's Generation is right up there in the top billers.

Their second Japanese album sports a retro airline ad look, which is just adorable!  I can do music reviews but that is for another blog.  What I can say though is that the imaging is very appealing, especially since GG now appeals to a global audience.  It is a fitting tribute also especially since their music features heavily in airline's programming.

Check out how the image is featured in their music video.

Travel IQ: Is the water safe to drink in Thailand?

A friend asked me this question.

Speaking from my own experience, traveling from Bangkok to Chiangmai, Pattaya to Hua Hin, Khao Lak and Khao Yai and beyond, I have found the tap water safe to drink.

Of course, this is anecdotal evidence and any traveler must keep his wits about him. And there are other factors to consider such as the disposition of the traveler and whether the place he is visiting is a remote location or a major city.

What IS known is that as of 1999, the Mahidol University confirms that the water in the metropolitan Bangkok area is potable.  In fact the water of most of the big cities in Thailand do meet WHO standards.

Naturally, to err on the side of caution, you may be advised to buy bottled water, especially since it is cheap in Thailand.  But think about the delicious green curry you want to experience in restaurants across Thailand.  Do you think that those restaurants would be cooking with bottled water?

Have you heard of tourists dying from eating green curry?

Just a thought.

Shop Talk: A German Christmas Gift

It is no secret that I love Germany.  Not so much Lufthansa unless you are flying First Class, and/or have access to their lounges across Europe.  A monopoly over Euro-skies means advantages for members.

Well, I just received a surprise.

My friends from Germany gave me a little birthday gift that is also appropriate for the holiday season.  And the best part is, it is culturally German.  Well, it is one of those things families there pick up over the Christmas period, other than hot red wine at the Christmas markets.

I will write about the wonderful Christmas Markets in Germany later.  But take a look at this beauty!

Kinder Advents-Kalendar: Joy in  Box

It is called Advents-Kalendar.  And I learned there are many different types.  You may already know this brand.  It is Kinder chocolates,  you know, the ones with the little toys inside the egg.  Eat the calories, burn them off playing with the toys!

Well, come Christmas time, they sell these specially themed boxed gift sets.  The fun starts the moment you receive one.  Firstly, you get to tinker with the box and turn it into a  piece of 3D art.  Then you notice that there are little perforated doors on the front, with numbers from 1 to 24 on them.  Each represents one of the 24 days to Christmas.

So the idea while you are anxiously waiting for Christmas to come,  you get to open one window per day, and enjoy the goodie inside!  But it is only one per day, until Christmas rolls around and you get even more presents.

This is a gift that doesn't end the day you receive it.  It goes on and on with a huge climax at the end!  So once again the Germans have gotten it right.  They made something sweet, creamy, large with a promise of a big bang at the end!

Perfect!

THANK YOU! I LOVE THIS GIFT!

Now if only you can gift wrap 6 ft of joy....