Showing tribals the Internet.

The folks here who work in the camp are truly amazing set of people. They have all come from the near by tribal villages and can speak only kannada. Today while I was working on my machine, they came over and asked me if I could show them a plane. Apparently they have never seen a plane in their lives, only few times flying really high above the forests. Infact they were going gaga over the pics of Bangalore. They have never been out of 50KM radius from here, never visited bangalore, never seen the sea and never even got on a train

I open up google image search and ask them to tell me what they’d like to see. The list went on something like America, helicopter, plane, buildings etc.. I show them the thumbnails and you should have seen the excitement on their faces. One guy jumped and called all the people around and I sat here for an hour showing them pic by pic of various things. The link’s very bad here to show them too many things, but I promised them I will get all the pics and videos from bangalore and show them urban life.

I plan to leave the laptop with them later in the day and show them how to use google image search. They still cannot understand how I can talk to folks around the world using the computer and the internet. For them Yahoo messenger is voodoo magic.

In other news, we got charged by a big female elephant yesterday (Too bad I was not carrying my camera then). The emphasis here is to track big game and the drivers and trackers seem least interested about the birds , insects and plants. Will try to change that in the coming days.

20 Comments

  1. sidcarter · January 3, 2005 Reply

    The emphasis here is to track big game and the drivers and trackers seem least interested about the birds , insects and plants.

    Most of the tourists coming that way are interested in big game and hence the interest I would think.

    On our trip to Bandipur, even we were trapped on the road by a rogue elephant. Thankfully, nothing much happened there.

    Keep posting and have a wonderful time there.

  2. priyatam · January 3, 2005 Reply

    BOOK?

    hey.. why dont you write a book on your experiences? A blog is a blog … but a book would be forever, add to it your real life photographs, experiences … I see a great inspiration already!

    What do you think..

    Lets think of the Title …
    Hmm … well ok lets leave that for the poll !!

    As for readers., dont worry I guess I’ll be the first one to buy (The complimentary copy!)

  3. deepsan · January 3, 2005 Reply

    Kalyan, the educator, the enlightened one!

  4. yathin · January 3, 2005 Reply

    Showing tribals the Internet.

    They’ll soon want you to be their MLA! 😉

    Good stuff. I think more people from the city should try and spread such awareness among the people living in the forests and villages.

  5. sriramb · January 3, 2005 Reply

    In my best Captain Pickard voice, sipping earl grey, “You have violated the Prime Directive, Number One! They now know about the Internet and Google!”.

    Looks like you’re having fun. Will drop in with my photo gear after my return.

  6. sriramb · January 3, 2005 Reply

    darn! comment in the wrong place! time to hit the sack…..

  7. chitra · January 3, 2005 Reply

    Re: BOOK?

    Hey Kalyan,
    Great Going! Good Luck with your new life!. A book to record your experiences is indeed a great idea. Wish you consider it 🙂

  8. shradha · January 3, 2005 Reply

    am envious already!!
    wish u several more meaningful experiences and insights as the adventure unfolds!:)

  9. yathin · January 3, 2005 Reply

    Re: BOOK?

    Atleast an e-book for would be cool for starters.

    Books and paper are a waste of wood and cause of habitat destruction, so electronics should be the way to go for wildlife books. A little extremist in thoughts, but it’s only a suggestion. :p

  10. drkishoremurthy · January 3, 2005 Reply

    you having a good time dude … cool!

  11. gromhellscream · January 3, 2005 Reply

    Coool Hai!

    Doing some good work I see:))..

  12. sdeepthi · January 3, 2005 Reply

    Wow !!!

    hi, lately got a link to all ur blogs from some friend’s friends list. read all ur blogs and was wondering: “wat a transition from Yahoo to BR Hills”…….

  13. dilip · January 4, 2005 Reply

    Hi,

    One of my fren’s bro-in-law, by name Siddappa, is a chief scientist at Atree in BR Hills…. Very friendly and knowledgeable.. He may have forgotten me but if u want anything frm him i can ask my fren to call him up…

    happy time there… btw, therez a Birla Tea Estate right in the middle of the ecological hotspot there… Its a huge land leased for some 60 years… it is getting expired in another 1 year i think.. but those ppl have political patronage and they may again get their lease extended for another 60 years i think… morally, its a crime to have a large commercial operation in the midst of an ecologically sensitive area..

    if this issue appeals to you, then spend some time on it.. last time i went there, i asked some troubling questions to locals there but none of them were bothered as long as their stomachs were filled… 🙁

  14. admin · January 4, 2005 Reply

    Re: BOOK?

    Too much pain and I personally am not so good with writing. The blog has to do for now

  15. admin · January 4, 2005 Reply

    hehe for them its still voodoo magic 🙂

    I will visit another isolated tribe later in the week who are really isolated from rest of the world and stuff

  16. admin · January 4, 2005 Reply

    Still getting to know this place well. Will buzz you once I am ready to venture out 🙂

  17. Anonymous · January 4, 2005 Reply

    Swades style

    So now you are enlightening the natives after coming back from ‘vides’ bangalore 😉

    See Swades if you didn’t get what I mean 😉

    Enjoy,
    Swaroop
    http://www.swaroopch.info

  18. dilip · January 4, 2005 Reply

    Sure.. btw its a coffee plantation, not tea.. and therez a Vishnu or Krishna temple (built by them) over there… but for me its not a temple but a devils cave.. since the real temple is the forest itself and not one thats built over cut trees…

  19. yathin · January 4, 2005 Reply

    Re: Wow !!!

    “wat a transition from Yahoo to BR Hills”

    There could be more than just one transition. 😉

  20. kewldeaf · January 5, 2005 Reply

    Re: Swades style

    bangalore is vides ? how mean man 😀

Leave a Reply