Simon and I honeymooned in India in the fall of 1990. As one of the
largest populated countries in the world, India was a nation we were
eager to explore. From a family standpoint, Simon's mother, Pippa
Nason, was born in Calcutta during World War II, and we had many friends
from India that we worked with at McKinsey. And we had little money
and lots of time so it seemed a great choice for our long adventurous
honeymoon. We were right. We had a splendid time in India, setting the
stage for our first couple decades of great life partnership.
21 years later I find this is still a fascinating country. I love the warm people, spicy food, colorful clothing, bustling markets, riotous traffic, and majestic palaces. And I find a country that has changed alot. Here are some of the changes I see from 21 years ago.
1.) Technology is ubiquitous. For my mom's 49th birthday, I called her from Delhi on our honeymoon. It cost me $100 on a land line - Happy Birthday, Mom! Now the country brims with cell phones, computers, and wifi. We Skype with friends and family from our Indian hotel rooms. Shopkeepers pull out their IPhone 4s (35,000 rupees or $US 636) to take pictures of us (more accurately, the two girls). Families of 4 zoom by on one motorcycle with one of them texting on a cell phone. School girls call their friends from auto rickshaws. And schools in India heavily advertise technology education, even using IPads.
2.) Speaking of schools, education is a huge priority in India. Billboards, newspaper advertising, wall posters are everywhere advertising for schools and education. Our tour guides and drivers place their kids into private English speaking schools so their children are fluent in Hindi and English (and a second Indian language potentially also). In private school their school year is longer than in America; they have only about 7 weeks holiday in total plus extra days for Indian celebrations per year. Newspapers report the results of students testing for entrance exams into universities. Education taught in an English medium is viewed as the path to prosperity for future generations of Indian children.
3.) Also powering the future are investments in city infrastructure and energy efficiency. When we flew into Mumbai 21 years ago, we landed at a ramshackle third world airport and then took 3 hours to get through customs in a disorganized mob of passengers. Today the airports we have traveled through in Delhi, Dehradun, Varanasi and Jaipur are beautiful first world terminals, typically with only 30 - 50% of gates occupied, built in anticipation of future growth. Delhi has a metro system now, and most of its public transportation runs on natural gas, resulting in noticeably less air pollution. Controversial hydropower is being planned and built on the holy Ganges river. A huge sewer project was under construction in Varanasi. We just traveled on a portion of the newly opened 4 lane toll freeway connecting Mumbai to Delhi (1300 km in length). To support its young, growing population, India will require substantially more investment in transportation, city infrastructure, and affordable and safe housing. But the growth in 21 years is remarkable.
One thing that hasn't changed in the last couple decades is that the majority of marriages remain arranged by the couple's family. I'm told that divorce rates are lower for arranged marriages than 'love' marriages in India. Simon and I were asked many times in 1990, "What is a 'love' marriage like?". Frankly, we really didn't know at the time, as we had only been married a few weeks. But I think we've done pretty well for a love marriage. So Simon, let's come back to India in the next 5 to 10 years so we can see what the next decade brings to this remarkable country!
Nikki Sorum
21 years later I find this is still a fascinating country. I love the warm people, spicy food, colorful clothing, bustling markets, riotous traffic, and majestic palaces. And I find a country that has changed alot. Here are some of the changes I see from 21 years ago.
1.) Technology is ubiquitous. For my mom's 49th birthday, I called her from Delhi on our honeymoon. It cost me $100 on a land line - Happy Birthday, Mom! Now the country brims with cell phones, computers, and wifi. We Skype with friends and family from our Indian hotel rooms. Shopkeepers pull out their IPhone 4s (35,000 rupees or $US 636) to take pictures of us (more accurately, the two girls). Families of 4 zoom by on one motorcycle with one of them texting on a cell phone. School girls call their friends from auto rickshaws. And schools in India heavily advertise technology education, even using IPads.
2.) Speaking of schools, education is a huge priority in India. Billboards, newspaper advertising, wall posters are everywhere advertising for schools and education. Our tour guides and drivers place their kids into private English speaking schools so their children are fluent in Hindi and English (and a second Indian language potentially also). In private school their school year is longer than in America; they have only about 7 weeks holiday in total plus extra days for Indian celebrations per year. Newspapers report the results of students testing for entrance exams into universities. Education taught in an English medium is viewed as the path to prosperity for future generations of Indian children.
3.) Also powering the future are investments in city infrastructure and energy efficiency. When we flew into Mumbai 21 years ago, we landed at a ramshackle third world airport and then took 3 hours to get through customs in a disorganized mob of passengers. Today the airports we have traveled through in Delhi, Dehradun, Varanasi and Jaipur are beautiful first world terminals, typically with only 30 - 50% of gates occupied, built in anticipation of future growth. Delhi has a metro system now, and most of its public transportation runs on natural gas, resulting in noticeably less air pollution. Controversial hydropower is being planned and built on the holy Ganges river. A huge sewer project was under construction in Varanasi. We just traveled on a portion of the newly opened 4 lane toll freeway connecting Mumbai to Delhi (1300 km in length). To support its young, growing population, India will require substantially more investment in transportation, city infrastructure, and affordable and safe housing. But the growth in 21 years is remarkable.
One thing that hasn't changed in the last couple decades is that the majority of marriages remain arranged by the couple's family. I'm told that divorce rates are lower for arranged marriages than 'love' marriages in India. Simon and I were asked many times in 1990, "What is a 'love' marriage like?". Frankly, we really didn't know at the time, as we had only been married a few weeks. But I think we've done pretty well for a love marriage. So Simon, let's come back to India in the next 5 to 10 years so we can see what the next decade brings to this remarkable country!
Nikki Sorum
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