Saturday, February 5, 2011

Chai, Economics, and Rapping

Yesterday after I finished my afternoon cup of chai, I literally exclaimed, "I LOVE chai!"  Actually I said, "I love milk tea!"  Chai and milk tea.  Same thing.  Check out this great article about some cultural and economic issues in India...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/9385244.stm



After visiting Calcutta a few times, I brought home some of these clay tea cups.  They now serve as great little candle holders in my room.

Did you read the article???  IF NOT, READ IT!!!

I love how this article highlights one of the economic problems that many Indians are facing - being left behind in the new technology age.  It's so strange seeing villagers talking on cell phones and watching TV...and yet they live in a bamboo hut.  Seeing men and women make roads by hand.  It's surreal.  I have to step back and say, "Yes Megan, you really do live in India.  This is India."  What will those people do when their jobs are "taken" by machines?  What did people do in the Industrial Revolution?  They would burn or destroy machines because they thought their jobs were being taken.  But in reality, many more jobs are being created because the different parts of that machine have to be created, etc.  The question is...how will those people adapt?  Do they know how to learn a new skill?  Are they willing to put the time and effort into learning, even at an older age?

Because Victoria and I have been studying economics, these kinds of questions intrigue me.  Instead of a whole year in economics, we're only devoting 4 weeks to it.  So it's difficult to get our minds wrapped around this sometimes difficult topic (with all the varying opinions...from the Classical Economists to Keynesians to Monetarists).  I'm glad I ran into this article because I want to incorporate practical information into our discussion of theories.  It's easy to get bogged down in the theories and not see actual economic realities.  If you have any questions, ideas for discussion, don't hesitate to comment!

If you're an economics junkie...or just a fan of some intelligent rap :) watch this video.  I know, it's ridiculous.  But what can I say?  I'm a sucker for a good rap!

Making of the rap (more informative if you're less schooled in economics):

Rap:
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5 comments:

  1. Ping's Nom Fiction LifeFebruary 6, 2011 at 6:40 PM

    Megan, sorry no ideas about the economics:( But when are you coming to Thailand? Are you reading my comments at all, lol!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Megan StephensFebruary 6, 2011 at 10:46 PM

    haha! thanks for the comment ping! so sorry i didn't respond to the last one! yeah, economics is a topic that makes my brain hurt! i DEF want to come to thailand...maybe in the next year :) just sent me a check for $2000 and i'll be over in a jiffy! haha! ps - what is your blog???

    ReplyDelete
  3. Jeff, Trish and VictoriaFebruary 7, 2011 at 4:05 PM

    Ping, I'll come for only $1000. :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Ping's Nom Fiction LifeFebruary 10, 2011 at 7:20 AM

    Whaaaahahahha! Sure, I think I have left over money from selling the Amaburg chicken store to the Wards:P They should chip in for your ticket as they earned a lot of profit, lol!!

    For my blog, just click on my name and it will transfer you to it. Please don't judge:)

    ReplyDelete
  5. ElenaFebruary 12, 2011 at 12:59 AM

    Hey, Meggers!

    Please pray for the Cross Point CC team. Jonnelle, Pastor Pete, and others are in Kolkata (Calcutta) right now. They'll be doing a lot of kids-related ministry.

    Miss you! {{{{{ Megses }}}}}

    ReplyDelete

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