So I am beginning to understand the full reach of the sub-continent here in Africa. It is sort of insane, anyone that claims that it is the US and the UK that are driving things here needs to do a little check on our Indian friends. Here are just a few examples:
1) Bollywood movies - So they are everywhere. At the movie theater down the road, there are at least 2-3 movies going at a time from India.
2) TV - I was just in Zambia, staying at the Taj hotel (notice, an Indian chain), and there were at least 5 channels on TV that were Hindi language. In Kenya, there is one station here that does Hindi programming.
3) Cuisine - Let's just start with the fact that I can get more amazing Indian food here than in many other places in the world. I can even get Indian Chinese at this market 10 minutes from my house. As part of 'staple' Kenyan food, they serve chapatties with meals here. You can buy all sorts of Indian foodstuffs at the grocery market.
4) Property / business ownership - Almost all of the major malls here are Indian owned. And the business are mostly Indian owned as well. Went to drop my dry cleaning off - Indian. Went to buy some shoes - Indian. Went to the specialty grocer - Indian. Bakery? Indian.
Yes yes, the US does have a pretty long reach, and the British created this whole mess, but the Indians are coming on strong (and for the food, I thank them).
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Indians are not new to East Africa. They were brought here by the British to build railroad more than a century ago as labourers. They branched out into businesses after the railroads were completed. By contrast, most Indians in the US are first or second generation.
A lot of Indians moved to the UK in the 60s and 70s because independent government's policies, most notably Idi Amin of Uganda.
By the way, Taj also owns hotels in Boston, NYC and SF. :)
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