I’ll start with a statement.
It’s 40 degrees here in India.
And I feel like I’ve been sent to the corner.
For those who don’t know or remember, sending a disruptive child to stand facing the corner of a classroom, as a disciplinary measure, was a normalized behavior modification tool used by educators in the 1990’s.
I spent a lot of time facing the corner while a classroom conducted itself behind me.
A lot of time.
I don’t want to deviate too far off my intended topic, but I’m amazed at how, with a little retrospect, what was once considered a normal enforced teaching policy is now considered destructive, even abusive by today’s standards.
What realities will be barbaric transgressions when filtered through tomorrows standards?
That kids are targeted by, designed to be addictive online platforms?
That capitalism is now a billion printers going Brrrr?
I was recently approved for a 30th of June visa extension.
Thanks India.
But you cancelled all international flights until June 30th.
So I have to apply again?
Apply, that’s a funny word.
To require all foreigners to apply for permission to stay in a country with absolutely no option to leave, is criminally redundant.
My opinion.
A police officer fined me for not wearing a mask outside, he ended my rather impassioned anti-mask diatribe with “This is India, not your country”
I know where I am dick face!
And breathe.
I don’t know when the government here will actually end the lock down.
It’s been extended twice already.
The Indian Prime Minister is a bit of a cowboy, who’s to say when he will understand that peacocking to an international audience is actually destroying the ideology that is so authentically Indian.
I refuse to explain that statement to anyone who has never visited India.
Nothing against you, but you could never understand the position of someone with a fear of the dark, if you were born a jellyfish.
India is not New Zealand.
No matter how hard it tries to be.
Where was I?
Cowboy president, right.
Because of sudden changes to international flight bans, the carrier(s) for the several flights that I booked back to Canada were cancelled the day before my initial flight was scheduled to depart Delhi.
According to the person(s) with my 1,500$, I wasn’t entitled to a full refund because when the airline canceled my flight last minute, it was my fault.
But MasterCard Initiated fuck you mode, on my behalf and refunded me almost instantly.
You will never hear me thank Mastercard.
But having purchasing insurance, meaning I don’t have to deal with someone working in an Indian call center promising me vouchers for three different budget carries, made me almost want a MasterCard tattoo.
Almost.
The list of things to complain about here in India are mostly creative constructions.
I’m constantly reminding myself of that.
Most of what I find irksome can be remedied with a twilight walk through the potent smell of wild Jasmine in full bloom.
Truth.
A daily experience that has become my Jurassic Park, if that I were Dr John Hammond, of course.
To be clear.
There is a tremendous amount of police enforced regulation here, affecting basic, internationally recognized freedoms.
There is a personal cost, both financially and psychologically to these enforcements.
The Canadian Government will arrange a repatriated flight for citizens, for 3000$ dollars.
They even offer a loan scheme for people who can’t afford it.
Before India extended flight restrictions in May, flights were being advertised for less than 1000$ on Skyscanner.
I’ve read the justifications the Canadian embassy has made defending the cost of their flights.
It’s bullshit.
I don’t know who’s making a profit charging Canadians $3000 a seat, on several fully booked flights, but someone is.
If someone from the Canadian embassy in Delhi reads this: What you’re doing is predatory behavior, I very seriously doubt the repatriated flights bringing Indians back to India from Canada are costing them 3000$.
The thing is, I’m ok here, sure I have some complaints, but I’m content.
There are people here, however, who aren’t content, people who wanna go home, and they can’t.
Making Canadians fill out a loan application for a overpriced ticket home, is just wrong.
I can’t do anything about India, as it was explained to me, this is not my country.
But Canada is, I have a stake in how our system expresses itself when in defiance to compassionate ideals.
And you’re busted, you hypocritical land mass.
I’m going to cut my grass so hard if I ever get home.
Lastly.
People here call me Corona.
Being a tourist in India right now is like being a Muslim in NewYork on September 12, 2001.
Earth Bobby 