NYC 100 years ago

I picked up a book the other day in Char's classroom titled "If You Lived 100 Years Ago". It is a children's book about what life was like in New York city. As I turned the pages I was shocked to see all the parallels I see in every day life here. People buying most of their produce from street stands, and many wandering tradesman with their particular call collecting used paper, the knife grinder with his portable wheel, the umbrella repairman, or the coffee vendor on his bicycle. The descriptions of some of the tenements reminded me of some of the poorer, more crowded areas of town. The beach scene in the book could have been painted at Chennai, women wading in full dress, the men jumping into the water in their pants, not to mention the high wire act and the hand cranked carousel. As the list of similarities grew with each page it came to me that I was in some respects living that life from yesterday. The difference of course is that India has it's other foot in the modern world we know in the US. Everyone has a cell phone, many people have motorcycles or cars, computers and TV's are common, people can shop in a modern mall, electricity is pretty reliable and modern high rises are popping up everywhere. I think the most important difference is the population as a whole is very well educated. This blend of old and new make for a very interesting mix! One of the most refreshing things for me to see is that the vast majority of businesses are small family run operations, though some larger chains are starting to pop up. I can envision a future India much like the US where mega corporations control most of the markets. (Coca-Cola has a huge business here selling bottled water)

I was also struck with the descriptions of the dirt and garbage in the NY streets one hundred years ago. The amount of litter and the pollution of the waters here is one of the hardest things for us to adjust to. There is some awareness of conservation and you see signs here and there about keeping Chennai clean and green, but it seems like an impossible task against the sheer number of people, and the often inadequate sewer and garbage infrastructure. Perhaps the larger problem is the apparent disregard by many for their surroundings. Men will stop to piss anywhere they please, people toss their litter onto the street and the many loose dogs and cows don't help.

The book also alluded to the idea that 100 years ago in New York people were generally much more focused around their families and extended families. Family members depended on each other for survival. This too seems like a parallel from what I have observed, family comes first, and often grandparents are involved.


It is my hope that India is able to keep the important values and culture it cherishes and learn from and avoid mistakes made by other industrialized nations as it leap-frogs into a new era.