Adventure Life in India アドベンチャーインディア

You  can see a lot of landscape like this photo everywhere in India.
This is my challenging story to walk around in India.

こんな景色、まだまだ、ごろごろあるインド。
今回はインドの街歩きに挑戦。

Infrastructure of road in India is undeveloped state. Of course, the main road is already developed like this photo. 
Unlike advanced country, it is tough for you to walk on the road on your foot in this country.
So, I use a car and driver offered by our company in order to go to work and to live a life here.

When you only see this aspect, you would say I'm like a posh person. I introduce you some parts of how I live a life everyday in India.

On a holiday, I didn't have a plan to use my car. So, my driver took a day off. But I realized I needed to go to a bank to withdraw money for urgent use.
I had no choice but  to walk to a bank to get my cash.

インドの道路は、未整備な状態。もちろん、幹線道路は立派なモノも多いけど。

先進国と同じように、どこへでも自分の足で歩いていくには厳しい。仕事や生活を成り立たせるために、会社から車とドライバーを割り当ててもらってます。
ここだけ見ると、”どんなセレブ生活だ？”と日本人なら言うかもね。では、どんなインド生活なのか一部をご紹介。

ある日の休日、用事もなく車を使う予定がなかったのでドライバーは休暇。でも、どうしても至急、現金が必要になり銀行に行かねばならないことに。仕方ないので、家からお金を求めて徒歩移動に挑戦。

I walked on the road above.You may say "Hey! this road looks easy to walk".
In fact, those roads like above have fewer traffic Signals than main roads in India. But every Indian driver runs as fast as they drive in a high way. You have to across the road, avoiding those driver's cars. Which is quite dangerous.
Then in sidewalk...

上のような道路を徒歩にて。この写真だと、”なんだ、歩けるじゃねーか！”と言うでしょうね。実はインド、大通り以外は信号が少ない。けど、どんな道でも高速道路並みの速さで走るインドの車たち。これを避けながら、道路をわたるのです。かなり危険。
で、歩道はというと、

Construction tools were cluttered, and... 
工事道具が歩道にちらかされていたり、

They construct without any construction tools, and... 
でも工事道具なしで、工事をしていたり、

Suddenly, appeared pitfalls, and... 
いきなり、落とし穴が登場したり、

Cow(vehicle of God in Hindu) lead an ordinary life, and... 
普通に神の乗り物（牛）がいたり、

Monkey lead an ordinary life, and... 
普通に猿がいたり、

Indian driver runs fast on the road like high way by car. Nevertheless this man was riding the vehicle in a slow speed, and... 
高速道路のような道を、こんなのが走っていたり、

Nevertheless this man was sitting on the road and selling the vegetable. (Maybe, he cannot get money. Because nobody stop on this road.)

If you think something while walking, you are definitely caught in some Indians traps. Which is real Adventure World!

高速道路のような道で、野菜の路上販売していたり（売れないって）、
考え事なんてしながら歩くと、間違いなく何らかの罠にハマるアドベンチャーワールド。

I went through many traps,  I could go to bank to withdraw my cash.

In fact, sold goods on the street are not good quality. Because I think Indian's atmosphere get polluted by deep smog for industry, unfortunately. Indian's atmosphere make me pause to buy those goods from costermonger. Even if I had a chance to buy, I would hesitate to do so.
I write how to get vegitables in India for Japanese.

なんとかトラップをくぐり抜け、銀行を発見しお金を手にすることに。

そういえば、路上販売。残念ながらインドもスモッグがきつく、環境に良いとはまったく言えない。なかなか、路上販売ものは挑戦できないなぁ。機会があっても遠慮したい。
そんなインドの日本人の青果事情。

This is vegetable aisle of the supermarket. The photo was taken in a luxury market. Looks good, but that is very disappointing, because they are fade.

I eat Indian foods which is oily normally. Which has changed my body constitution. My body became to require vegetables. (you may say "that's incredible" If you know my life in Japan...) I found how to get any fresh vegetables on google and rumors. Which is "go to farm and buy fresh vegetables by myself".

スーパーの野菜売り場。ちなみに写真は高級マーケット。綺麗に見えるけど、萎びていて非常に残念な野菜たち。

オイリーなインド料理を食べているので、野菜を欲する体に変化しました。（日本の生活では考えられないね。。。）新鮮な野菜はないのか、調べたところ、ありましたよ、調達方法。農場に行き、刈り取った物を買い取る方法が。

This the picture of farm I went. when you want to buy some vegetables, you choose them and ask the staff to harvest them from the field and purchase them. They are really fresh. However, I  also know vegetables have been exposed to smog in this farm. . .
Incidentally, the name of this farm is Tej Farm. (Open from Oct. to Feb. every year)

Address: Farm No, 1 Sultanpur Farms, Gadaipur, Mehrauli, New Delhi
(If you will come from central Delhi, you pass Chhatanpurh metro station on M.G.Road. And, you will find the crossing M.G.Road and Gadaipur Mandi Road. You turn left on Gadaipur Mandi Road. Then, you go forward until you find Ad by "Sultanpur Farms". When you find the Ad, you turn right. Finally you turn left on first crossing.)

I think these topics like "Call a driver" or "Choose any vegetables in the field" " sounds really posh, but in India case, I have various enemies and many events occur. It's like an adventure.( which is such as adventure game!)

写真は、農場の様子。野菜を指名し、刈り取った分、購入する感じ。すごい新鮮。ただ、この農場もスモッグにさらされてるんだけどね。。。
ちなみに、この農場はTej Farm。（開いているのは10月頃から2月頃まで）

住所:Farm No,1 Sultanpur Farms, Gadaipur, Mehrauli, New Delhi

（デリー方面から車で、メトロChhatanpurh駅を過ぎ、M.G.Roadから左斜め前方Gadaipur Mandi Roadに入る。道路が怪しくなるもまっすぐ前進。進行方向前方右にSultanpur Farmsの看板が出たら右折。一つ目の辻を左折でゴール。）

ドライバーや農場買い付けなんて話はセレブっぽいのに、その道中に発生するイベントはアドベンチャー。まるで、毎日がゲームの様に、いろんなイベントや敵が発生してしまうインド！

You know, One foot out the door and you can find this scene which is a daily occurrence. This is real Adventure World!

ほら、一歩外に出れば、こんな光景が日常茶飯事。アドベンチャーワールド！

Contract problem about my mobile phone 携帯電話の契約

This is iPhone5.
This is the challenging story of  my mobile phone about its contract in India.

Mobile tool(phone) is very important for my life in India. I use it to call my driver, to call delivery agent. It is not too much to say that "no mobile no life".
Unlike Japan, there is a two-stage to make a contract with phone in India. First, you purchase a phone, second, you buy a SIM card. (In Japan's case, you buy a set of SIM and phone.) If you want to purchase a phone, you just pay money. Which is simple. But making a contract on buying SIM card requires difficult negotiation with shop staff.
Normally, you select Postpaid(on demand) or Prepaid(charge the cache).
I will stay long time in India, so I chose postpaid. which was the dawn of the eventful.

iPhone5。

インド携帯電話契約に挑戦。

インド生活において、携帯電話は大変重要なツール。

仕事、プライベートで車を呼んだり、配達業者に連絡をとったりと、生活必需品ツール。

携帯電話契約は、日本と異なり、端末を購入し、SIMカードを購入する二段階。

携帯電話自体は、お金さえ払えば手に入る。SIM契約は店員との細かな交渉があり大変。通常、キャッシュをチャージするprepaidと、使った分を後払いするPostpaidを選ぶ。インド生活、長くなるので、Postpaidを選んだのが波乱の幕開け。

"Airtel" is the leading company of Indian mobile carriers. I filled out the registration form of the contract of Postpaid. You can buy Postpaid-SIM after you submit this form, ID copy and FRO document copy. Yes, I was also able to buy. But, the way the shop staff of Airtel spoke to me was so arrogant and he explained detail to me with his strong Hindi accent. Which made me tired.
At the end of his explanation, the shop staff told me that I need to receive a physical verification. That means they visit my house to make sure if I really live in the registered address. I thought this action was for preparing for a potential fear of terrorism. I also thought Indian people was surprisingly reliable to have this process. (In Japan's case, when you buy a mobile phone, shop staff only confirm document.)

In the result, nobody came to my home from Airtel. What was worse, my mobile phone was unable to make calls but only to receive as they controlled so. When I answered a call from Airtel staff, I couldn't understand what they were talking because of their strong Hindi accent. Finally I realized that my English skill was not enough to communicate with them.

インド携帯キャリア大手Airtelにて、Postpaid契約に必要な情報を用紙に記入。パスポート、外国人登録ドキュメントのコピーを提出すれば、Postpaid–SIMが買える。Airtelさん、客に対する説明が凄い横柄。説明を聞くだけで疲弊する。

説明の最後に、”physical verificationするから”、とのこと。”本当にその家（居住地）に居るか確認するから”の意味らしい。意外にきっちり管理されるなぁと思ったが・・・。

いくら待っても家にやってこない。電話は使用制限になるし、自分の英語力では解決できないことに。

Reluctantly, I asked for help to the local staff in our company, and I went to the Airtel shop again with him. The shop staff said to me,"you cannot use your mobile phone because you haven't gotten physical verification yet. So, our staff will visit your house tomorrow for physical verification''.

So,,,  I tried to wait at home again but nobody came, too.

When the local staff in our company heard this devastation, he said "Awful!! It's stress test against foreigners.".

仕方なく、会社スタッフに助けを借り、再度Airtelショップに行くも、”physical verificationが済んでいないから利用できないだけ。明日行くから！”と言われ、待ってみたけど、、、また来ないの繰り返し。
この惨状をみて、ローカルスタッフも”ひどい。外国人に対するストレステストだ”と言い出す始末。

Local staff flipped out about all this events and he told me that I should change the carrier of my mobile phone. So I made a re-contract with "Vodafone-India". The shop staff of Vodafone was really gentle. But again, the shop staff said to me ''you have to receive physical verification''. Of course I started to worried about. Do I have to suffer from a stress test again? 

My prediction had came true. Nobody came to my home,,,,

When we went to the Vodafone shop again, the shop staff said "Your physical verification has been approved, so you do not have to do anything anymore".

What did he say? What's going on about counter-terrorism??

(Local staff thought FRO document was very formal, So Vodafone approved my contract only with this document without doing physical verification, maybe. God only knows.)

I just don't feel satisfied with those events. But I can use my mobile phone now. The local staff said '' let's not to chase those problems anymore.''  I decided to follow his opinion.

I can use my mobile phone now, but this result didn't uncover the secrets of India very much. India is intersting...

Airtel has sent me an apology email... It's too late!!

インド人スタッフがブチ切れて、キャリアを変えようと言われ、Vodafone-Indiaにて再登録。こちらは紳士的。Postpaid契約の最後に、またまたphysical verificationするからと言われ、もしや、ストレステストの再来になるのか？と心配しながら、家で待っていると、、、やっぱり来ない。。。

インド人スタッフと一緒に再びVodafoneショップに行くと、”承認されてるし、もうphysical verificationはなくていいよ。”と言う。

ちょっと待て。じゃぁなんなんだよ！！！

（外国人登録文書はとても公的なものだから、Vodafoneはphysical verificationなしでOKとしたのだろうと、ローカルスタッフが言ってますが。神のみぞ知る。）

なんだか、釈然としない形でこの問題は終結。電話が使えているので、これ以上深追いをしないでおこうと、インド人スタッフの意見を聞き、この問題を忘れることに。

電話は使えるようになったけど、インドの秘密を暴くには程遠い結果に。

今更ながらにAirtelが、対応が悪く申し訳ないなどと言うメールが。。。遅すぎ。

Rock Garden in Chandigarh ロックガーデン チャンディガル

This is the challenging story of  minor tourist site in India.

"Rock Garden" is the garden which is located in Chandigarh, capital of Haryana and Punjab on north of Delhi. 

インドのマイナー観光地に挑戦。
”Rock Garden”は、デリーの北、パンジャブとハリアナの州都チャンディガールに。

Nek Chand  established this garden with waste things he collected. It took him over the past few decades to build it . The reason why he made it was because he wanted to gather people here in Chandigarh as a sight seeing spot by making this garden.

I saw a group of local school students visit there. They seemed to attend a camp school there.

Nek Chandが、廃品を集めて何十年もかけて庭園にした観光地。
インド人の観光名所の様子で、中高生集団が見学に来たり、日本で言うところの林間学校の雰囲気。

This beautiful garden was made by rock, tile cracks, light bulb socket, and vase etc. .
I didn't plan to go to this garden. I called in the garden during my spare time in my business trip in Chandigarh.

岩、割れタイル、電球ソケット、花瓶などを組み合わせで、きれいな庭を構成。

Along the way, this garden showed sculptures and monuments made by waste things. which most Japanese thought was not garden, I felt it's rather like old tombs. (Because Japanese old tombs are decorated with monuments.)

I can not recommend that you visit  there only to see this garden from far Japan, but   if you got tired of major tourist sites in india, I think this place is worth a visit.

途中、彫刻が出てきたり、廃品で作ったモニュメントが出てきたり、日本で言う古墳のような感じ。メジャー観光地に飽きた方なら楽しめるかも。

Started to live in India インド生活のはじまり

"Live in India" is the blog about Japanese business man who has started to live in India.

When I was in Japan, people said that staying in India must be tough and its environment must be completely different from Japan's.

Is that true?

This blog is the record about the man who challenges boldly many things to uncover the secrets of a mystery of India. This blog is for Japanese who are not familiar with India. 

インドにて生活を始めた日本人のブログ。

日本で聴くインドの状況は、街は汚く、生活はハード・・・と日本とは随分異なる様子。

本当なのか？
謎に包まれたインドの秘密を暴くべく、インド生活にて様々な事柄に果敢に挑戦する記録。