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Raja Remixed

July 4, 2011

Earlier this year I stumbled on this skilled spot of street art, tucked away on a stair well in Haus Khaz Village complex in Delhi. On reflection I mused – not only was it undeniably hip – but also drew relevantly on the prolific costumed capers and adaptive character of it’s inspiration: the iconic Air India maharajah.

I was transported back to airline’s posters which I’d been in awe of as a child travelling to India. Was there any location where the maharajah didn’t feel at ease? Wasn’t he a great host, buddy, traveller – with elegant charm and worldly wit? A bit of digging round proved him to be the brainchild of in-house commercial director Bobby Kooka and illustrator Umesh Rao of JWT in 1946, way back when Air India was Tata Airlines. Initially their character was merely destined for an inflight memo pad, though he clearly had his sights on riding more than paper planes. Impressively the maharajah did not remain grounded as a static image as many brand front-figures of the day – but jetted zealously round the globe in dynamic and debonair style.

The maharajah still continues to make appearances – though he doesn’t seem to get up to quite his old high-flying hijinks, he’s not looking bad for 65! Great to see that at the hands of Delhi street artists, he still manages to show folks that he can spin it grand style.

Related posts:
Indo-French Street Skills
Brand Polarities

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Divergent Symbol Norms

May 14, 2011

Foreign visitors to India are often startled by the prevalence of this symbol – featuring on temples to trucks, doorways to stairways, fabrics to food decoration and even electoral ballot papers. Many locals could enlighten them that the symbol is called svastika (स्वास्तिक). Some might add that it comes from the the Sanskrit word svasti – sv = well; asti = is – encompassing good fortune, luck and well-being. Others, noting a tourist’s repulsion, may offer that the symbol differs in rotation from the offending swastika by 45 degrees and mention that it’s local history predates Nazi Germany by over 5000 years.

It has been said that the svastika’s angled arms indicate that the path of our aspirations is seldom straight and takes unexpected turns. They also convey the indirect road to faith – in which intuition superceds intellect. Four dots are often included which symbolise North, South, East and West – or in Hindi: Uttar, Dakshin, Purab and Pachim. Reverence of the symbol is given by Hindus, Jains and Buddhists across the nation.

Travellers who pay attention to the widespread veneration for the svastika are likely to reassess their symbolic norms – and appreciate they’ve encountered a case of cross-cultural same-same-but-oh-so-very-different.

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Sweet Redemption

April 24, 2011

I’ve been kidnapped for Easter and held hostage somewhere with no broadband and (yipes!) no electricity. But I’m pre-scheduling this post to come out on Easter Sunday so some of you can enjoy it’s timely fresh-baked goodness.

Last week I had dropped by the Assyrian Christian Church Hall in Strathmore to check in on my adoptive aunties that I’d met during the Death & Diversity project. There was no way I was going to escape without eating – and once I discovered what they were up to, I stayed on for a few hours to delve further into the tradition of Easter Collachi.

Baked collachi and collachi mould

Collachi encompass a selection of sweet, baked treats – stuffed dough featuring bursts of walnut, coconut, date and other heavenly fillings. They are eaten after the lengthy chanted Easter holy mass which concludes at 3am. Collachi continue to be enjoyed throughout Easter Sunday to celebrate the sweetness of Christ rising.

Preparing collachi – flanked by the Assyrian Christian flag
Collachi mould, handled by Laya
Assorted collachi, ready to be baked

The Assyrian Christian community in Wellington are largely from Iraq and originally arrived to New Zealand in waves as refugees in the 80s and 90s. My adoptive aunties have an active community life which centers around the church hall. It’s from there that they have been preparing collachi for the past few weeks.

Across three generations – Laya, Gevan and Lana – join others to make collachi. Laya remembers making them in Iraq in the company of her nomadic sheep herding community. Lana, who came to New Zealand as a baby, is keen to return to Iraq one day and make collachi there – “and I’m sure they’ll taste sweeter when peace comes to our land.”

Heart-felt thanks to all my Assyrian aunties: Laya, Jinna, Asia, Yoneeh, both Maryams, Sara and Yooneeh. And Lana + Gevan who did a stellar job on translation

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Disrupting Typographic Transit Norms

April 17, 2011

Less is More, set in unadorned typeface Helvetica (more for Helvetica fetishists)

We’re so used to global transport networks featuring unimbellished typography in their signage and way-finding systems. Fair enough given that commuters require information to be legible, especially at high-speed interchanges or at unfamiliar junctions where there maybe all manner of other distractions. Fonts in the context of transit tend to be of the less-is-more, non-decorative, minimalist variety.

Frutiger pops up on Swiss road signs, at London’s Heathrow airport, on the Dutch national railways, and more. Univers strikes signage on the Montreal Metro, San Francisco’s BART and the Frankfurt Airport. Helvetica graces the NYC Subway system, my former regular transits on Hong Kong’s MTR, the Madrid Metro and beyond. (Its unobstrusivenss promoted typographic creator and critic, Jonathan Hoefler, to quip on it’s elusiveness to being evaluated: “Its like being asked what you think about off-white paint?”) If you’re a transit-type nut – you can check out more wiki-liciousness yourself, while everyone else reads on.

“Dilli-Metro” hacked in typeface Shree 715 (thanks to local type-geek Ghate)

On my recent trip to Delhi I encountered more of the uniform minimalism associated with mass public transit signage. Though tracking down the typefaces used proved to be a much tougher journey. I started by consulting with my cluster of global type-recognition experts, who all drew frustrated and occasional blushing blanks. My obsessive typo-curiousity evetually led me to Mudra Max’s wayfinding consultant, Sanjeev Hajela, who had led the team which devised signage for the Delhi Metro. The Hindi is Shree 715. The English is Brunel (Positive). Again, if you’re type-obsessed, you can venture on to Brunel’s relative obscurity yet public prominence and leave everyone else to stay with my train of thought.

Finally getting to the point – what really sung out at me during my own stop-hopping Delhi Metro experience, in India’s crowded yet colorful capital, was this exuberent diversion from standardised norms. Guys – don’t you just feel like you’re missing out on the party?

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Three-Wheeled Travel Tales

April 5, 2011

A fellow rickshaw-enthusiast requested I dig up this piece I penned sometime back about Tuk Tuks in Sri Lanka. Given it was my first piece of paid writing – for a Hong Kong lifestyle mag back in 2004 – I thought I’d post here for legacy’s sake.

“And is madam married?” queried our charmer of a tuk-tuk driver. I did the usual swapping of my ring to the appropriate finger and waved it in his face with a triumphant smile. “But in Sri Lanka you have your Number-One-Husband” he announced and then with a wink in the rear view mirror “but you also have a Tuk-Tuk Husband!” He collapsed in laughter at his own joke leaving my friend and I hoping the vehicle would guide itself through Colombo’s chaotic innards in this momentary lapse of our driver’s attention.

Travellers to Asia have long patronised the humble tuk-tuk. From Bangkok to Mumbai and throughout our adventures in Sri Lanka, the three-wheeled taxis are indispensable for negotiating traffic-choked inner-city streets. Hopping between seaside villages, fort towns and up-country tea estates, we found them the ideal way to experience the true diversity of Sri Lanka. Colourful, cheap, semi-open and providing drivers ranging from rogues to most hospitable hosts – the tuk-tuk soon became our mode of choice leading to all manner of insights to this unique island.

The tuk-tuk’s older sibling: Cycle Rickshaw (Delhi)

The tuk-tuk traces it’s origins to nineteenth century Thailand where King Rama V was presented with a rickshaw by a wealthy Chinese resident. This evolved into the three-wheeled cycle rickshaw or samlor that is still seen in many Asian countries today. In the 50s, amid growing traffic congestion, Thailand banned the samlor. Its desirable manoeuverability however, led to a motorised upgrade: the tuk-tuk. Many Asian cities quickly adopted the tuk-tuk in response to the need for faster short haul passenger transport in increasingly inhabited urban districts.

The current tuk-tuk format is a modification of a Japanese delivery vehicle popular in the 60s. Drivers straddle the engine bay using a motorcycle style steering mechanism to guide the three-wheelers. Originally 2 stroke engines, 4 stroke versions are now available with delivery and pick-up models on offer as well.

Mudflap customisation (Ahmedabad)

The name tuk-tuk quaintly mimics the sound of their idling engines – a familiar accompaniment to the soundtrack of Asian city life. With their often customised signage and kitsch interiors, tuk-tuks provide colourful character to an array of locales.

Warnings are rife in Asia, Sri Lanka included, of the hazards of tuk-tuk travel. Passenger safety, exposure to pollution, rigged meters, commission scams are issues that pepper guide books. However we found that fortified with a suitable dose of street-wise savvy that tuk-tuk experiences were indeed a many splendored thing. Miscommunications and potential scams were interwoven with avid haggling and hilarity. After a particularly engaging bargaining dual we boarded one tuk-tuk only to find that the driver had no idea where we were actually headed – a testament to the fact that the deal can be as entertaining as the destination.

Fuel and Font Pit Stop + Photo Opp (Sri Lanka)

Our most pleasant excursion was with the easy going Ranjit of the southern town, Matara. We hired him for a day at a fixed rate to take us to surrounding fishing villages, swimming spots and sights along the south western coast. Despite my glowing appraisal of tuk-tuk travel in Sri Lanka, the roads can be truly testing on ones nerves but Ranjit had us calmly and expertly venturing through it all. He didn’t try any of the tourist scams we’d heard about but happily stopped to our shouts over minor roadside attractions and obscure photo-opportunities. In fact, when we asked him to take us for lunch to the kind of place he would frequent, he squirmed at the suggestion. After a bit of earnest encouragement we landed up at a humble road- side eatery which easily rated amongst our top Sri Lankan dining experiences.

The breezy semi open air tuk-tuks allowed us to explore, pursue, meander and back-track much of Sri Lanka inaccessible to other forms of transport. They allowed us to take in the sights and scenery but also the markets, alleyways, colourful characters and slices of life not evident otherwise. Not in the least our delightful, self-proclaimed Tuk-Tuk Husband.

Related posts:
Three Idiots on Three Wheels
Cultural Confectionery Confectionery (featuring my talented travel pal on Sri Lanka trip)

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Simplicity, Sanitation & Storytelling

March 22, 2011

Today is World Water Day and Random Specific is taking the opportunity to feature a very special clip by Andrew Hinton for Tippy Tap. I was lucky enough to meet Andrew at the UnBox Festival last month in Delhi – where he gave me an impromptu private screening. He went on to become a winner in the esteemed Do Gooder Non Profit Video Awards a few days back.

I’m not going to tell you any more than that folks.
Just watch it, dig it, share it.

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Bollywood Big Boss

February 22, 2011

Busy times as I throw myself across India on projects in Bangalore and Delhi – so a quick post more randomly orbital than usual. The good folk at Idiom Design in Bangalore just sent me this poster, featuring yours truly, which they remixed for an event during last week’s DREAM:IN Conclave. Although the summit was generally focused on more noble pursuits – socialising in the evenings was spiced up with various interventions to get participants interacting. If I ever had Bollywood aspirations these past years, working in and out of Mumbai, it seems like I’ve finally achieved them here. And given that I’m atop Ameer Haque, vice president of Ogilvy & Mather, Bangalore – perhaps I’ve made it in the Indian advertising world as well?!

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Post-consumption Creativity

February 8, 2011

During my current trip to India I’ve been adding a collection of posts to the REculture blog where we feature the post-consumption economy of repair, reuse, repurpose and recycling in low-income contexts. I thought I’d add some of the highlights here – a wee taste of post-consumption creativity.

Siesta Sachets and Remnant REculture: Fabric scraps (lead image) and discarded foil sachets (above) are woven into rope to form bed bases.

Repurposed Beauty: Reusing advertising billboard canvases – at a construction site in Ahmedabad and a workshop in Mumbai.

Cigarettes and Spirituality: I stumbled on children down an alleyway at Dharavi who had made a makeshift temple out of old cigarette packets.

Material Efficiency: Nestled behind a lean-to stall in Mumbai were two ingenious guys fashioning lanterns out of scrap metal and glass. They cut the salvaged glass into small sections to create the lantern casing. Given that Diwali is just around the corner – they’re bound to make a killing with very low material costs. I wasn’t the only one fascinated by their street-side enterprise – a small fan-club had gathered round and were equally impressed with their lucrative venture.

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Designerly Desi

January 24, 2011

Pooja Saxena is an emerging communication designer based in New Delhi with a love for typographic form and an aligned fascination with language and linguistics. One to watch for her agility across forms and fonts.