7/27/08
Getting back from my vacation this weekend, I hear there were severe bombings in Ahmedabad just after I left, near Bombay, and then just now, an Istanbul bombing (linked? no clue). India, and Chennai, is now on “high alert,” which I first learned through typical Indian social channels: SMSs (cell phone texts) and Bollywood (trying to buy movie tickets). I wanted to see a movie tomorrow, but knew tickets were sold out days in advance, so I texted a friend here to see if he had them… he replied that you don’t even need to pre-order tickets this week, all movies are available, apparently because the police are ordering people to stay out of public meeting places in the city.
In a semi-related note, the police are really beefing up their presence, as I noted on my bus ride to work this morning, during which I witnessed several bus-riders next to me hanging out of the doorway get beaten by policemen with long canes as punishment for breaking the normally unenforced rule. I managed to avoid the swift kneecappings being delivered to the people next to me by untactfully shoving my way to the back of the bus, but I hope the police’s search for bombers diverts to weapons suppliers, secret meeting places and e-mail records soon, and away from businessmen holding on to bus railings on their way to work.
OK, now this is getting a little too close to home- just found this as I was signing off. I think I’ll be watching awesome early-90s B-movie reruns on cable TV for the next few weeks in my room, and cutting down on the public transportation/cinemas.
