who let the dogs out?

NTC Thursday October 29 2009 3:30 am

..... who let the dogs out?

Stray dogs, not really 'wild like coyote dogs' are everywhere. Some make their way onto campus. They roam the streets with the cows, the people, the scooters and cars. 'Free roaming dogs and cows' do not seem to bother anyone. I have witnessed no aggressive dogs or cows – just motorized vehicles. The animals are well fed as the roadside piles of garbage & trash are everywhere. This is all taken for granted and part of the culture. The only trash cans/receptacles I have seen are those located on campus. These photos were taken standing on the rock wall which acts as a fence along the roadside boundary for NTC. The trash lies against the wall for a few hundred yards. Difficult to say on which side of the wall it originated.

With the increase emphasis on “going green” that I read in the daily newspapers, and with Christians around the globe finally recognizing how important 'creation care' is, one wonders if India will soon see both some cosmetic changes to the landscape as well as attitude impacting activity – hopefully with Christians taking the lead! Time will tell.

People will eventually try and burn some of the trash piles. Campfires are always burning by the many outdoor restaurant carts. So the valley is filled on a daily basis with a foul stench and smoke fog (not as bad as the pollution in Delhi though!) For my Creston friends, it can sometimes get like the CV when the Idaho farmers decide that since the wind is blowing north it is time to burn their fields.

Sometimes the dogs get into night-time barking contests which echo through the valley. It is loud and constant, and I wake up most nights.

From yesterday's newspaper:
1.The sports section is dominated by photos and writing on the sport of professional cricket. Editorials complain that Indian cricket fans suffer from 'sports fatigue' and are calling for a shorter season. (I've heard this song elsewhere.)
2.7% of the Himalayian glaciers disappear each year
3.The Indian government has issued a travel alert, encouraging its citizens to refrain from traveling to neighbouring Pakistan due to escalating terrorism violence in recent weeks.this is disappointing news as many Sikh's from the State of Punjab wish to visit next week for Gurpurah – the birth anniversary celebration of Guru Nanak Dev, who was born near Lahore, Pakistan.
4.Speaking of religious travel, the Indian government annually financially supports Indian Haj, the annual pilgrimage of Muslims to Mecca. Air India has Haj airfare Delhi or Mumbai to Jeddah listed at 16,000 rupees while the regular traveller pays 80,000 to 90,000 rupees. Criticism comes for both Muslims and non-Muslims. The first group is sensing that such special assistance gives them a bad name, while the second group feels that the debt-ridden national airline Air India is receiving indirect 'bail-out' money. George tells us that one state in India will provide scholarship money for Christian Indians to do pilgrimage to the Holy Land. (let's play fair I guess)