This is purely a response to Mr. Citywatch’s comment on SkyscraperPage Forum/ Broadway Los Angeles towards my Travel post on City of Los Angeles.
You write:
They make me think of this person who I described in the “Hollywood Projs” thread, a woman from India—-a country long associated with cities that are full of slums & poverty—–but who discounts LA by saying there’s not much to it & that if travelers don’t have time on their schedule to visit it, to bypass it entirely.
Let me start by saying that you are undoubtly one of the most idiotic person I have ever come across in person and on virtual space. Pardon my French but I am compelled to say so because of your dim-witted belief that a city or a country’s attraction is based completely on its income stature on the global front.
I am cent-percent sure that the above comment comes from a person who has never bothered to set his/her’s flat arse outside the comforts of their own interiors let alone experience and appreciate the beauty and culture that most Asian countries offer to their visiting guests aka. Tourists - despite the manifestation of poverty and presence of slums.
But to blame you completely for your narrow-minded views would be un-fair on my part, afterall you are one those people who are so easily driven by the content shown by the media in your country.
Agree, my country doesn’t match up to your American Super-Power standing but believe me we are so much better-off as not being labeled as the most hated nation in the world - which your country is apparently crowned, all thanks to your Almighty President Bush. And you talk about slums - did you know that the amount of money a beggar in Mumbai city earns in a month could nearly twice the earning of an American in a decent white-collared job.
On the Indian tourist front, the snowy peak of our Himalayas, our nature humbling coastal cities, our sun-drenched tropical West Coast and our golden deserts of North Rajasthan - have long provided a magical getaway for travelers from around the world and could surely give your American Tourism a run for their money. And this I state without counting our eternity old history, vast variety of music, dance plus other forms of entertainment and the amalgamation of different religions and customs.
For your information, I did enjoy your city of Los Angeles. It’s a pretty clean and well-organized city but from a tourist point of view it doesn’t have much to offer other than it’s basic tagline - Hollywood. One would expect more from such popular cities like LA but sadly it doesn’t live-up to those expectations. Maybe LA needs to learn some tricks-of-the-trade from its fellow cities like New York, Boston or San Francisco. As mentioned earlier the remarks on my post are purely from a tourist angle and had nothing to do with the city’s economic position.
Anyways, the point here is not to compare our respective countries but to just give you a piece of advice; Never judge a book by its cover. It’s just that simple. So next you punch down your views purely based on your imagination, without referring to facts and/or first-hand experience, just know that you are only making a jack-ass of yourself.
Ps - If you ever plan to visit Mumbai city, do let me know. I hereby offer you free guided tour of my city, along with food and accommodation - Just to show you how full of poverty, I and rest of my countrymen are.
Comments
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codexborgia
Oct 16th, 2006 at 1:38 pm | #
Thank You SO MUCH for responding to Citywatch’s comments. I follow Skyscraperpage.com California posts very closely and I found Citywatch’s comments regarding your L.A. feedback to be completely unecessary. In fact I found them to be racist and completely idiotic. It reflects his often misguided, myopic and igonrorant comments he makes often on the forum. While I am sure his comments come from a passionate and fervent desire to see the City of Los Angeles evolve into a more attractive City. I found your comments regarding my City of Los Angeles to be well rounded and NOT at all distasteful. You simply stated the very same comments that many Forumers on Skyscraperpage.com echo time and time again regarding our City. Our hopes are that L.A. will beomce much more engaging, urbane and transit friendly to the many visitors that we host yearly.
Thanks once again for your feedback!
desh
Oct 16th, 2006 at 1:54 pm | #
I can give u a fooded tour og mumbai too:D
infact for haff the cities in India
on the more serious side have u read shantaram…I found that too firangish a description for our slums maybe…
Slums are slums but they do act as centre for innovation as the use of plastics by them or the famous Orangi Slum project in Karachi shows(movin a bit away frm India)
Remember the line from Frst Munnabhai…circuit says,”Poor India, Hungry India”…I mean they are what so popped by the term poverty or what???
Just a couple of days back saw a news report in which Rajasthan is selling its poverty to attract tourists…pathetic na
America can’t do anything, they don’t have a history, they don’t have a future
Ohkay…they have got nice present but doesnt matter does it
Anyway poverty has more happiness maybe, just notice the most backward state like Bihar and Orrisa have the most jovial people in India.
Too long this one…should have been a blogpost in its own
arZan
Oct 16th, 2006 at 4:41 pm | #
Well said.
But i think you gave the asshole more mileage than he deserved.
Also a clinical dissection of LA as a tourist destination would be very helpful.
Ive done it a lot of times…..and will try to in the days to come if I get the time.
Having travelled to all nooks and crannies of the USA many times over, and being an urban designer and architect, helps in seeing tourism not like a tourist but more as an insider who has become an outsider….well….wait for the post.
SUNNY
Oct 16th, 2006 at 4:47 pm | #
Well done, Sakshi. Keep it up.
prope//er
Oct 16th, 2006 at 7:41 pm | #
Considering how Indians are known in Washington these days, I will have to say, Macaca please…
The quoted comment was totally unnecessary and I don’t understand why you had to go on five different tangents to drive your point home. All that commentary about Bush, hated nation, and last but not the least, twice the American income of a decent white-collared job was totally unnecessary. It only pumps these guys up as they think they have successfully managed to piss you off with their wealth, stature or whatever.
B
Oct 16th, 2006 at 8:29 pm | #
Also, from your post, it seems that you don’t know much about L.A (the other one). You just have a stereotypical view of it.
For your information, I did enjoy your city of Los Angeles. It’s a pretty clean and well-organized city but from a tourist point of view it doesn’t have much to offer other than it’s basic tagline - Hollywood. One would expect more from such popular cities like LA but sadly it doesn’t live-up to those expectations. Maybe LA needs to learn some tricks-of-the-trade from its fellow cities like New York, Boston or San Francisco.
This pretty much somes it up.
Utsa
Oct 17th, 2006 at 3:57 am | #
Although the comments made by Citywatch were quite unnecessary it was just as necessary to give it back to him. Simply because he was being condescending and racial towards the post made by Sakshi without any rhyme or reason. In fact, he sounds to me like someone who is mostly obsessed with the idea of being American and blindly in love with LA which is also fine. But, doesn’t give him the right to make the above comments. Sakshi: you go girl.
Saakshi O. Juneja
Oct 17th, 2006 at 6:12 am | #
Codexborgia - I appreciate your comment and surely with residents like yourself LA will turn things around in a matter of time. BTW amazing snaps on your flickr.
Desh - I really don’t he is worth so much effort.
Arzan - Will be looking forward to your post.
Sunny - Thanks, yaar.
Prope//er - See dude (if I may call you so) I believe in one philosophy, “Shoes ONLY fit at your feet”. If I sounded harsh, rude, arrogant….whatever then that’s just too bad for ya.
B - Sweety that’s cause LA is just another stereotypical city.
Utsa - Exactly. The thing is we all are patriotic but that doesn’t mean we loose our sense of differeciating between right and wrong. And thanks for the support.
desh
Oct 17th, 2006 at 6:35 am | #
who is not worth that much effort???
:O
B
Oct 18th, 2006 at 1:48 am | #
Much like Mumbai is.
Saakshi O. Juneja
Oct 18th, 2006 at 5:38 am | #
B - Opppsssy Daisy! How can you forget our poverty and slums, they add a whole new dimension to the city. (As per your friend Mr. Citywatch).
B
Oct 18th, 2006 at 8:44 am | #
Oh yes! DEFINITELY! And I was merely acknowledging your errors the first time, not insulting you, much like you did to me. Oh and MR. Citywatch isn’t my friend.
Saakshi O. Juneja
Oct 18th, 2006 at 9:10 am | #
B - Well in this case, we can go on arguing for centuries because I don’t think there was any sort of error in my judgement. But then To Each Its Own. As for Mr. Citywatch not being your friend, all I will say…”Good for you, mite”.
Ranajith Kumar
Oct 20th, 2006 at 7:55 am | #
I love you. I am glad you put that firangi in his place. No one talks crap about India.