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nedlowe
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Name: Ned
Country: United Kingdom
Birthday: 5/27/1982
Gender: Male
Interests: Everything. Honestly. People always say this, but it is honestly true for me. I challenge you to find something I don't care about. Except football.
Expertise: IT. Finance.
Occupation: Computer related
Industry: Banking/Finance
Message: message meEmail: email me
Website: visit my website
Member Since:
5/3/2003
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| A body was found a couple of days ago in Mumbai. It belonged to a twelve year old boy. He had been playing cards for money with some older boys, 18 & 20, and when they finished he couldn't afford the 6 USD he had lost. So they took a sickle and cut him into pieces. This was reported on page 6 of the local Mumbai newspaper, next to an advert "Cuts cost, space and hassle. Just right for when the competition is cut-throat". Page one was a story about how the Indian cricket team is preparing to go to Australia. Page three contained the breaking news that the Tree Authority Committee is deferring its decision to cut down 80 trees next to a famous mosque. The kid was pretty poor though... | | |
| I just finished with my room service, and placed the tray outside - calling through for it to be collected. A hotel employee was turning the corner as I put it out.
After closing the door I looked through the spyhole to see if he would be kind and pick it up. Sure enough, he came over and bent down.
He then proceeded to go through the tray, grabbed a stray piece of bread, stood up and carried on with his business.
I don't know why this shocked me so much that I felt compelled to record it, but it did. So be it. | | |
| Saturday night and I'm posting on Xanga. This can mean only one thing; I'm back in Mumbai.
Last weekend was a lot more fun though - I went to Manila with some friends from Hong Kong and Singapore. The people out there certainly know how to enjoy themselves! I was sufficiently inspired by the experience to consider spending some time living out there.
I have been posting on Xanga for a few years now, and a random person would be able to gather quite a lot of information about me. I for one Google all people before I interview them. I only post photos and prose that I am happy for anyone to see, but still. And a lot of people are a lot less careful than I.
Since the dawn of time we have all had our embarrassingly stupid moments, our deviations, our secrets. But you wouldn't know it. Everyone pretends they conform to a sterile norm - a social Singapore if you will. But the online generation is leaving behind a trail of breadcrumbs: photos, forum posts and blogs.
This has led me to think about politicians and businessmen in the not-so-distant future. I make no secret of the fact that macro-politics has interested me for a long time and I worry about my Internet legacy. Except it is no different for anyone else of my background.
Political debate will initially be ugly. The old guard will get personal, releasing pictures of a drunken teenage opponent kissing a dog. After the television generation retires though, it becomes solely about the iGeneration. They cannot fight in this way - the risk of counterattack is too high.
But maybe this is a good thing. Maybe we will no longer pretend that we were born in an office cubicle. Maybe we will take it to the other extreme - why don't you have stupid pictures from your youth. Were you boring? Were you weird? People can be very cruel to the perceived loser.
Or maybe it's just another lonely night spent in solitude in Mumbai. Who can tell? Not I. | | |
| Everyone's accent is neutral to themselves. But what really is a neutral accent?
I have a relatively neutral English accent. Northern people assume I'm Southern, Southern people assume I'm Northern. But when I am talking to my friends with American accents, I notice my accent - you only have to say a word like "naughty" to notice that (hence why the American chicks love the English accent!).
However, as I spend more time outside the UK I have been (subconsciously) working on a truly neutral accent. This is of main use when in a taxi to make sure you are understood.
I am in Mumbai at the moment, and as I gave my destination to the taxi driver I noticed that I said this:
"Cha Ka La - P en G Pla Za"
This was for P & G Plaza, in Chakala. In my English accent this would be "P aand Gee Plar za".
Then I thought about how I would ask for my apartment in Singapore:
"In Ta Na Sho Nal Pla Za" - Obviously "In Terr Nash O Naal Plar Za" (International Plaza).
This led me to think about the accent I am working towards, and all the phrasing I use. And this made me realise:
I Want a Blad Di Saf Ef Ri Can Ex Ant!
So there you go. That's the neutral accent that is understood worldwide. Obviously years of dealing with people from different cultures and languages produced a neutral accent, which to British ears sounds strange. What a discovery! | | |
| It's been a while, so I thought I should give an update.
Singapore is going great - it's a lovely country. It is much better for me than Hong Kong was (however much I loved it there!) and I look back on the last year as basically an extended holiday.
I spend about half my time in Mumbai at the moment. It's an interesting place, but I have to say I don't like it as much as the other cities I spend time in. Maybe it will grow on me.
I have a nice place in Singapore - the places are pretty big there - living with a NZer called Karl. Open invite to anyone who wants to come visit me! | | |
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