April 17, 2017
ASIA / PACIFIC
THE ASIAN REPORTER n Page 3
Curiosity runs both ways for solo female traveller in India
By Kristi Eaton
The Associated Press
ODHPUR, India — The blue-tinted
dwellings
looked
like
they
continued on for miles. From high
above the ancient Indian city of Jodhpur, it
was easy to see how it became known as
the “Blue City.”
I caught a view of these sky-blue homes
while
visiting
the
15th-century
Mehrangarh Fort, which includes a
palace, temples, and garden at the end of a
winding road looking down on the city.
Though this was my first visit to India,
my perspective on a month-long trip there
was not entirely that of an ordinary
tourist. I was travelling from one side of
the country to the other, researching
issues facing women and girls. Jodhpur, in
Rajasthan State, was on my itinerary
because it is an area with high rates of
female illiteracy and child marriage, and a
preference for sons over daughters.
But in addition to my research,
interviews, and writing, I made time for
sightseeing and experiencing local culture.
At the Mehrangarh Fort, I stumbled on the
Turban Gallery, which tells of the history,
traditions, and variety of turbans found in
Rajasthan. And I happened to be in
Ahmedabad, in the west, where I’d entered
the country, in time for a wonderful annual
spectacle: the colorful International Kite
Festival.
In Jodhpur, I befriended a family who
invited me to an extravagant Hindu
wedding. I thoroughly enjoyed sampling
the food and observing the ceremonies and
elaborate outfits. But even though I stayed
near the family who invited me, being a
solo western woman at such an event
didn’t come without stares and looks of
befuddlement from other attendees.
I had come to India to look at gender
issues in this complex culture. Among
other things, I visited a school for
J
underprivileged
girls,
met
female
entrepreneurs, and looked at a program
that makes sanitary napkins available to
rural women. But sometimes, it seemed I
was as much an object of curiosity to locals
as their culture was to me.
Standing out from the crowd
One challenge for me was getting used to
standing out from the crowd.
In Ahmedabad, on one of my first few
days in India, I desperately wanted a cup
of coffee ahead of an interview. I was
waiting for another woman who would
help me translate at the interview and
decided to head to a street vendor for a
quick cup. I’d already drawn attention to
myself, walking up and down the street
looking for the translator, and now I found
myself the only woman among a throng of
men.
They seemed perplexed by my arrival,
but ended up helping me order the tiny
coffee and left me alone as I sipped on a
bench. I didn’t know Hindi or the local
Gujarat language, so I didn’t try to engage
in conversation. But that feeling of
MARKETING MAYHEM. Residents renting from bike-sharing company Ofo try to pedal through a side-
walk crowded with bicycles from the many bike-sharing companies in the city — including Ofo, Mobike, and
Bluegogo — near a bus stop in Beijing, China. As many as 2.2 million of the two-wheelers have been deployed
in China, which are available for rent for as little as seven U.S. cents per half-hour. China overtook the United
States in 2009 as the world’s biggest auto market, but authorities have encouraged bicycle use to reduce pollu-
tion and congestion. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
Bike-sharing rivalry crowds Beijing’s sidewalks
BEIJING (AP) — The shiny bicycles in
bright orange, yellow, or blue are every-
where in China’s most prosperous cities,
even in places they probably shouldn’t be.
The two-wheelers are unlocked and
tracked using smartphone apps and can be
rented for as little as seven U.S. cents per
half-hour. They are the latest symbol of
heavy spending by venture capital firms in
China’s internet sector, where startups
are racing to attract more users, seemingly
regardless of the cost.
Around 2.2 million bicycles have been
deployed in China by companies that
include Ofo, Mobike, and Bluegogo, and
are most frequently used in cities such as
Beijing and Shanghai, according to
internet analyst Xue Yu at IDC China.
In their rivalry to be market leader in
bike-sharing, the companies have raised
hundreds of millions of dollars and are
offering discounts and free rides to attract
more users. It’s unclear if the business
model is sustainable or how it might
change if a winner emerges.
China was long known as the “bicycle
kingdom,” but that moniker has become
outdated as more and more Chinese buy
cars amid the country’s economic boom.
China overtook the United States in 2009
as the world’s biggest auto market, but
authorities have encouraged bicycle use to
reduce pollution and congestion.
Shared bicycles are now ubiquitous in
Beijing, where Xue estimates more than
200,000 have been deployed.
They’re pedalled on the roads by com-
Continued on page 4
standing out was something I had to get
used to.
Some days it was no big deal. Other days
— when I felt responsible for keeping up a
conversation, making sure I was safe, and
doing my best to be culturally aware while
exploring sensitive subjects around gender
inequality — it was exhausting.
Sheroes
Like many first-time visitors to India, I
went to Agra to see the Taj Mahal and also
stopped at the Agra Fort. Not far from
those attractions was another stop on my
itinerary: the Sheroes Hangout.
Sheroes Hangout is a café run by
survivors of acid attacks — women who
were scarred in assaults stemming from
family disputes, unrequited love, or other
conflicts. The café also features a small
library and handicraft and exhibit space.
Other Sheroes Hangouts are located in
Lucknow, in Uttar Pradesh, and in
INDIA IMPRESSIONS. A group of women pre-
pare a dish called mahua laddoo to sell at a local mar-
ket in Chatwal, India. An American woman travelling
alone across India came to the country to look at gen-
der issues in the complex culture, but she often found
she was as much an object of curiosity to locals as
they were to her. (Kristi Eaton via AP)
Udaipur in Rajasthan — all with a goal of
empowering women who might otherwise
feel forced to hide their scars. I felt a bit shy
about engaging the women in conversation
on my first visit, but on my second, I
opened myself up and found they were
eager to share stories despite a language
barrier that kept the conversations basic.
Making safe choices
In the back of my mind, I couldn’t help
but think about some of the horrific
assaults on women in India — both locals
and tourists — that have made headlines.
So I made very deliberate choices about
my dress and behavior. I always wore
loose-fitting pants, a t-shirt, and often
times a shawl-like cover up. I only had
wine on one occasion and rarely stayed out
after dark unless I was with someone
whom I trusted. And rather than taking
long-haul trains on my own, I hired a
driver to take me from one destination to
the next. It was expensive, but worthwhile
for the ability to sleep, relax, and work
during the sometimes eight- to 12-hour
trips. Within cities, I used auto rickshaws,
cabs, and services like Uber.
I was never harassed, but I did regularly
receive stares — something that had not
happened during trips I’d taken to other
countries like Indonesia, Guatemala, and
Vietnam. In some small ways, my travels
here had allowed me to experience some of
the cultural attitudes toward gender that
I’d come to research.
Kristi Eaton spent a month in India as a fellow
with the International Reporting Project.