I’m an India-phile. I’ve been there three times; the last trip was a four-month long SIT Study Abroad program during my junior year of college. Cultural immersion is a beautiful thing. I remember a particular trip we took to a village north of Udaipur where, after spending a day with a group of children, we spent an evening learning some super sweet Indian dance moves as a part of a cultural exchange night. After teaching us some of their dance moves, the children asked us to teach them some of our dance moves. I’ll never forget when my friend C (we met on the plane from LAX to New Delhi and she is still one of my best friends, 15 years later) jumped up, started singing “Beat It” and dancing wildly. It was awesome. The kids loved it. Hell, I loved it. Sitting in a remote village a thousand miles a way from home watching her sing “Beat It” while the kids all giggled? Those are moments one never forgets.
So I was pleased to see that Michelle Obama seems to have had a similar experience during the Obamas’ eleventy million dollar a day trip to India; she visited the University of Mumbai and spent some time playing hopscotch and dancing with 33 disadvantaged students from an Indian charity called Make a Difference:
Do yourself a favor and don’t read the comment section. People are asshats.
And just for fun, here’s the video from Bush’s trip to Africa. As much as I loathed Bush, I remember thinking that this clip showed him having fun and being decidedly non-Hitlerian, even though he was… oh never mind:
Xenos
SIT! What a program. I went to Kenya with them for four months in 1987. That training process where you wander around Vermont trying to chat up the yankees was bogus, though. They dropped me off in some burgh were the only resident was taking a nap. She was not happy to see me.
Cain
Yep, good times. It’s been fun being in India while the Obama’s have been here. Although a lot of people have complained as South Bombay has been completely been shut down due to security. I’m not even bothering to show up in downtown Mumbai.
It’s been kind of fun watching people’s reactions as well. I wish they would ask better questions though.
cain
Linda Featheringill
Michelle and those children shared something beautiful there.
And nothing that any jerk says can erase that.
Angry Black Lady
@Cain: I can only imagine what the reaction is. When I was there, everyone wanted to touch my hair. It was pre-internet and I’m fairly certain the only images of black people most of them had seen were the Cosby Show.
MattR
I don’t see this phrase used nearly enough.
@Angry Black Lady:
So it was like being in the middle of Idaho.
Cain
My wife and I are going with a Nigerian friend of mine to Nigeria.. it’s going to be awesome. One thing about being Indian is that you can pretty much integrate yourself to most cultures as the what they teach us works universally (respect for elders, taking your shoes off, etc etc) You can pretty much get around anywhere..
Also being Indian means that nobody is ever sure if you’re a local or a tourist. Which means I’ll be able to avoid all the Nigerian scammers.. I just have to keep my mouth shut and look like I know what I’m doing.. okay, so maybe it might be a little harder than I thought. :D
cain
Christin
Odd.
I used to despise Indian food.
I never tasted it, but knew it had to be awful.
I went to an Indian wedding shower.
All the food was vegetarian and I was like huh?
And ate almost nothing.
Then I became vegetarian.
Now Indian food is my absolute favorite food on the planet.
(not that they are all V. )
I used to really dislike Indian music.
Now the bollywood videos make me smile and jump up and want to dance in joy.
Just like Michele did.
Just this joyous “get up, dance, smile, live!” feeling.
I just love love love that video you posted ABL.
Thank you.
I still laugh at the old bollywood videos.
One man. One woman. And a field of flowers.
And these strange noises.
Now it’s like WOW!
The large dance numbers blow my mind.
And talk about “it’s got a good beat you can dance to. ”
Phew!
BubbaDave
100% class. 100% grace. Bestest First Lady EVAH (though I will say that Secretary Clinton has been doing a magnificent job as SOS).
Max Power
It’s YouTube. The comments sections are always clogged with asshats. Most asshats have nothing better to do than sit on their asses and watch videos on the internet all day. We’re not talking about the sharpest tools in the shed here . . .
Angry Black Lady
@MattR: i don’t know, i’ve never been to idaho. oh noes, i’m part of the problem, aren’t it?!
Linda Featheringill
@Angry Black Lady:
My daughter [fair skin, freckles, blue eyes] spent a few weeks in Wyoming a few years ago. She reported that there were approximately 3 black individuals in the whole state.
Actually, she thought that the lack of variety was a bit freaky.
Of course, Cleveland has some of EVERYTHING. Like NYC in that regard.
asiangrrlMN
@Angry Black Lady: I’ve never been, either. I, too, am part of the problem.
These videos are awesome (especially the Obama ones). There can never be too much dancing. I NEVER read YouTube comments.
Oh, and since SOMEBODY doesn’t realize that there are actual NFL games going on right now, I’m co-opting this thread.
By the way, monochromatic grape is not a good look on anyone. Go, Vikings. I guess.
Golly gee. Favre threw the interception. What a surprise. Nice strip by our guy, though.
Angry Black Lady
@asiangrrlMN: open thread coming right up!
bemused
Seeing the Obamas interacting with kids always makes me feel good. It’s easy to see that the Obamas genuinely enjoy it and that the kids know it. In every pic and video I’ve seen of Obama with kids, they look so happy and comfortable to be with him.
Angry Black Lady
@Linda Featheringill: i like that you said “approximately.” i have brain images of a two and a half black people roaming the state of idaho.
licensed to kill time
Very cool seeing Obama and Michelle dancing with the kids. I have no doubt that many sour things will be said about what is, in reality, a very sweet moment. I will studiously ignore those sour peeps.
I went to my first Bollywood film in India many years ago with an Indian friend I’d met there. Partway through the film I realized it was a remake of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, which made for an interesting cultural juxtaposition experience.
Going to the movies in Delhi was a very lively event, with much loud commentary on the film, lots of coming and going and eating and throwing of pistachio shells and paper wrappers, etc. It was like being at a very noisy cocktail party where all your friends are pretty drunk and obnoxious, while the TV is blaring in the corner and everyone is yelling at it and each other. I had a blast.
asiangrrlMN
@Angry Black Lady: Thanks! I bow down to our new blog overlady!
@bemused: I agree. The Obamas like kids, and it shows.
Davis X. Machina
@bemused:And kids are good with him.
I think pix with kids — my mom had seven — convinced her (she’s 80+ and white, from a tough white-ghetto background) that the guy was o.k. to vote for.
Kids, and dogs, know these things, apparently.
New Yorker
@Linda Featheringill:
Sort of on this topic, I went to a Cincinnati Reds game back in September and didn’t see a single Latino-looking person in the crowd. Being from New York and all, it’s rather shocking to not see Latino people all around, especially at a baseball game.
I’m tempted to post the above at a wingnut blog just to see what the reaction is….
gwangung
@asiangrrlMN: Well, sorta on that subject. (since it’s in your neck of the woods, and since I helped produce that show and since I love the playwright and I did a riff on his play for in my own play. ….).
bemused
@asiangrrlMN:@Davis X. Machina:
I love the story of kids waiting on a street to see Obama as he walked it. It must have been morning because at least one kid was in pajamas and Obama said told him/her he wished he could be in his jammies too.
The mutual affection shows through clearly. And yes, that’s the perfect analogy, kids and dogs instinctively know.
One thing I am sure of is that Barack and Michelle are good people no matter how hard rightwingers try to paint them as evil and no matter how some so-called liberals are spitting nails at him. There’s just not many politicians that I get that feeling from.
Ramiah Ariya
Bollywood is not the Indian film industry (or even the Hindi film industry). It is a new brand, which does not have much to do with movies. I wrote a long blog about it here (http://ramsrants.blogspot.com/2010/06/bollywood-is-not-about-movies.html). My theory is that the much heralded corporatisation of the Hindi film industry has resulted in movies being really advertising events; and each actor is a brand, and has little to do with acting. It has resulted in a nepotistic bunch of actors and PR firms and corporations creating a brand called Bollywood. The actors are images created by PR firms and media, and they star more in advertisements than in movies.
It has already resulted in the complete decimation of the Hindi film industry.
In other words, Hindi films 15 years back are not exactly Bollywood.
arguingwithsignposts
@Ramiah Ariya:
So, it’s not that much unlike the real Hollywood?
Suck It Up!
I love everything Indian. Clothes, food, music, decor – all of it. Many many years ago there was this obscure tv channel that would show Indian music videos. I had no idea they could get down like that.
ruemara
1. Michelle has some serious rhythm.
2. Our Dork in Chief has no ego issues.
3. Did I say Dork in Chief, thanks for the witness on the Dorkier in Chief that was.
4. BHANGRA!
@Suck It Up!:
Chandra, how your angels get down like that?
sry, couldn’t resist.
licensed to kill time
@Ramiah Ariya:
I hesitated to use the term Bollywood in referring to a film I saw in the early ’80s, but I quick-checked Wikipedia which said the term started in the ’70s. I probably should have just said Hindi film, as I’m pretty sure I’d never heard the term Bollywood back then.
Ramiah Ariya
@arguingwithsignposts
They are in a far worse mess than Hollywood. Hollywood does not have the level of nepotism that “Bollywood” has. The corporations that control Hollywood seem to still invest in actual stories, while “Bollywood” has completely sidestepped that problem – as long as the movie is a advertising event, they do not care what ends up as the movie.
It is a very short term tactic and has already caused “Bollywood” movies to have a very high failure rate even compared to regional movies in India.
I am yet to figure out why the corporations chose this tactic – there must be incentives for that.
Anya
@Angry Black Lady: A friend of mine told me the story of her cousin (who was a Somali immigrant). The cousin and his wife settled in a small town in Idaho (not sure why), and when his wife had a baby, the whole town came to look at the little black baby. They were very nice but they treated them like they were freaks, by constantly requesting to touch the baby and to look at him. Needless to say, the family moved to Chicago.
@BubbaDave: I love Michelle Obama. She is a natural and a class act. Apparently she charmed India.
I was watching IBN live streaming and the hosts and the commentators were practically giddy when they were covering the event. I read also in the Indian news papers that the Obama’s made a huge impression and that they are comparing their leaders who do not interact with the masses unfavorably to the Obamas.
Some people are will interpret anything Michelle and Barack Obama do as demeaning to America. These assholes are either racists who cannot stand to see two accomplished (or uppity) black people representing their country, or they are first class morons who do not understand that we are interconnected in this world. When people from other countries like our leaders, and don’t see them as bullies, they tend to inspire cooperation. The Obamas charm offensive in India can only help America.
Wordsmith
@MattR:
So it was like being in the middle of Idaho.
Nooo – Idaho has some pioneering families who were black and have been here for generations. One such ‘pioneer’ was elected to District 19, Boise – Cherie Buckner-Webb.
Being damned near lily white (isn’t that really one word?) doesn’t mean other folks aren’t here. I went throughout junior high & high school with Hispanics, Asians, and a handful of Native Americans.
Ramiah Ariya
@licensed to kill time
People became familiar with the term at the beginning of a new corporate era back in the mid-90s. I describe my encounters with Hindi movies of that period in my blog.
Right now, Bollywood is a small collection of families which are built up as aristocracies by the corporate media; a set of movie makers who operate in an insular vaccuum being “inspired” by either older Hindi movies or Hollywood movies; and a set of corporations which simply use the brand to push products. The media is heavily invested in the whole scam.
The Indian government awards for Indian movies was much respected before the 90s. In alignment with the corporate trend, the Indian central government actually started pushing the Bollywood brand too – they thought it was good PR. Right now, the National awards in India have lost all their former prestige because they keep promoting Bollywood actors and movies.
bemused
@Anya:
I know how this will play (or already playing) in rightwing media. Charming other countries’ citizens/leaders inspiring cooperation just proves Obama is a weak Muslim Marxist who secretly wants to destroy America. A Scott Fargus leader would make them respect us.
Angry Black Lady
Great Scott! There was an egregious typo that has been fixed. I blame daylight savings. And Obama, of course.
gogol's wife
Thanks for this great video. I am really depressed by this so-called “repudiation” of Obama, the best president of my lifetime. He’s a man of great integrity who actually tries to live his Christian faith (without sanctimoniously pointing it out to everyone, like Carter), and he gets nothing but grief for it from both right and left. People in this country don’t really know what being Christian is supposed to look like, so they mistake it for weakness. But I can’t help believing that he will prevail, despite everything. I have to hold onto that belief.
cat48
Since I’m a big Obot, I’ve been watching live online at NDTV.com since they arrived Sat morning. They have great 24 hr news in India…much better than ours. They have people who actually discuss policy, et al. It has made me realize how much our cable news has lost the credibility they once had. It’s just 24hr yelling/bashing/poll numbers/who’s winning, etc……not serious at all.
Wordsmith
@Angry Black Lady:
Yu’ll need to stop….. seriously.
I lived in Cleveland and surrounding areas (Solon/Bedford area) and I found it to be the most racist place I’ve been. Worked at Mt. Sinai until it closed; was stunned that many parts of the neighborhood surrounding Mt. Sinai were still in the condition as they were following the Hough riots.
Walking down the street in Bedford, I’ve heard the word ‘n*gger’ growled out at other pedestrians. In Dublin, my wonderful friend, Eulonda told me to let it go when some white dude was glaring, following us around the store. I didn’t and he backed off like I suggested – I love the F-word. Not to mention the idiotic shit that came out of the mouths of coworkers, friends, and aquaintances, not only regarding blacks but every one else not white.
While attending Ursuline College, I had one woman who gave me shit for being from Idaho, all the while not knowing the Aryan Nations had lost their land in a lawsuit & moved on to Indiana, then to Pennsylvania. The one thing I learned while back east: There are more hate groups in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania – not to mention points southern – than Idaho residents could think to have. It was downright stunning.
Being predominantly rural (farmers & ranchers) for the longest time, I would imagine it would take a lot for someone to move here; the winters aren’t kind sometimes, but the weather is pretty mild. But when did being curious about someone different than you become a crime?
@ Anya ….. Boise has been a city for resettling refugees since the late 60s, early 70s. We attended Mass with refugees from Laos & Cambodia in the 70s. Now they are predominantly from Somalia, Uganda, & the Congo, as well as Afghanistan (and surrounding countries), Iran, & Iraq,
Bhutan, and Myanmar – not to mention Central America.
Corner Stone
@Wordsmith:
Why?
Anya
@Wordsmith: I will ask my friend about the name of the town, but from what I heard it was very tiny. I am sure things have changed from 20 years ago. I also agree with you that racists are found in every state, city, town or socio-economic. But sometimes when you are not exposed to something you tend to act in a more awkward way.
KRK
@Corner Stone:
As I understand it, the Lutheran refugee relief organizations based in the Twin Cities are the reason for the large east African and southeast Asian immigrant populations in Minnesota and (to a lesser extent) South Dakota. My guess is similar agencies of a Mormon stripe would be the reason for refugee resettlement in Boise.
Wordsmith
@Corner Stone:
Why?
Why do you think? Truly – THINK about it.
Lihtox
I will say this about Bush: I always liked watching him dance. Perhaps he missed his calling.
sneezy
Our First Lady fuckin rocks.
Anya
@Corner Stone: So that they don’t have to go to the trouble of converting them when they’e dead. I am just guessing.
Felanius Kootea (formerly Salt and freshly ground black people)
OT: Defense secretary Gates urges lame duck congress to repeal DADT.
Cacti
I hear he’s spending 8 trillion dollars a day while he’s there.
Wordsmith
KRK: “My guess is similar agencies of a Mormon stripe would be the reason for refugee resettlement in Boise.”
No – it’s primarily Catholic & Lutheran, although the Mormons do have a refugee placement service. Idaho is not 100% Mormon (LDS) – closer to 40%. Of course, there are counties that are predominantly Mormon, & by predominantly I mean 75% or greater. But then there are counties predominantly Catholic, soo….
Catholics make up as large a population, then mainline Protestants: Unitarians, Episcopalians, Lutherans, Methodists, etc., then the little weird spin-offs: Bible Missionary, Church of God, Foursquare Gospel….
FWIW – even though people may not agree with you it’s mostly live and let live. And it’s not perfect or trouble-free by any means. It is STILL one of the safest places I’ve lived. THAT’s the reason Boise has been chosen as a place for refugees – it’s safe.
Cacti
@Ramiah Ariya:
Are you sure about that?
gene108
I’m jealous of the timing of the trip. I’ve been wanting to get to India for Deepavali celebrations, since I moved the U.S. when I was too young to really remember what it was like.
I’ve never been back for a visit during this time of year and don’t have any idea of the biggest festival in the country is like.
Hinduism was never set up to be a missionary religion. The true cultural aspects of it don’t travel well. The cultural aspects were set up around having a certain critical mass of Hindus in an area to keep up the traditions.
Lucky the Obama’s got to experience one of the great festivals in India. I hope they have pictures to share :-)
Wordsmith
@Cacti: And he took one-third of the Navy with him.
One of the things that caught my eye with Michelle Obama – the looks on the kid’s faces. I LERVE THAT WOMAN! I read something on John Boehner and his ‘life story.’ It mirrors the Obamas as well as mine. Other than that, I cannot stand the man but not as No-Lips McConnell.
gene108
@Cacti: The link you posted were just people, who acted that were related to each other. I think what was being referenced is the fact whole production studios are dominated by a few families.
Imagine Dreamworks, Universal, and MGM being handed down from father to son. Father and son not only run the studios, but also act in the movies as the top stars and decide, who gets to act with them.
That sort of concentration of power doesn’t exist in Hollywood.
On the flip side, I’m glad India developed a thriving film industry that exports its movies all over the world from the former Soviet Union to Africa and now in bits and pieces to America. Very few countries, in my opinion, have a film industry to rival Hollywood, but I think India has managed to carve out its own place in the global film industry and put its cultural stamp on the film industry.
Mako
@Wordsmith:
Big empty state?
Corner Stone
@Wordsmith: I honestly don’t know, that’s why I asked.
The Mormons? The state is relatively less populated? Why would you take a disenfranchised population and stick it somewhere outside of any real bureaucratic support network?
master c
Althouse already has a snarky poll up about this.
mai naem
I am not an Obot(supported Edwards and supported Obama only because I thought he would be a better candidate than HRC) and I feel like I sound like a Bushbot when I say this but I just like Barack Obama. I may not agree with all his policies and he may not be as far left as me, but I truly think Obama is a fundamentally decent person. I don’t want to go into the “who I would want to have a beer with” crap but I really feel that if I had worked with Obama in a job situation, I would get along with him. It helps that he comes across as intelligent and thoughtful.
Zuzu's Petals
Not to nitpick, but that last video is of a group of Africans performing in the Rose Garden, not a trip to Africa.
But I’ll give GWB and Laura this: they are good sports.
John Bird
Attacks on the President visiting a large and important ally are pretty bizarre.
I’d speculate that a contributing cause is the constant, quiet push by Pakistani representatives on right-wing think tanks and politicians to cement America’s “priorities” in the region.
Quite a few people in the highest levels of the Pakistani government and owner class have something immediate and obvious to gain from closer ties with America, something that has less to do with the hot-button distraction issues like Kashmir or Afghanistan and more to do with Pakistani cosmopolitanism.
That is: money. Investment in Pakistan over India will secure wealth for the private sector and clout for the public sector.
Anything that disrupts the America-India relationship is good for these actors. This dovetails perfectly with the American right’s desire to attack Obama for anything at all right out of the gate.
Wordsmith
@Corner Stone: The number one reason – safety. FWIW – foregoing the upswing in traffic the past several years, it’s relatively quiet. Our crime isn’t too great. I don’t know how many murders we’ve had this year – 6? Biggest thing is property crime – bunch of thieves on the loose apparently.
There is a ‘bureaucratic network’ here that exists. Why we even have translators for folks when they come to the hospital and, I’m not just talking Spanish. It’s actually quite remarkable.
We’re not hicks and we’re not all ReThugs. Don’t forget 28K plus turned out to Barack Obama in January 2008, in the rain, on a Saturday morning (7:30). If people move here thinking this is some kind of white oasis and we don’t allow ‘no coloreds in’ – it ain’t happening. You have fucktards everywhere however most folk won’t tolerate it.
West of the Cascades
Thanks for the post, and thanks for the Bush clip (gasp). The only thing I can point to in the Bush administration that was positive was its consistent funding of aid to Africa, including AIDS-related funding. That clip is a reminder that some small part of George W. Bush’s soul was (is?) not evil.
MobiusKlein
Dear ABL,
when embedding videos, you should add “allowfullscreen=true” in the embed code, so the videos can be viewed large on demand.
Thank you,
Angry White Nerd.