Indian Mashup (NYTimes)

I'm linking to a recent NYTimes Travel article by Seth Sherwood, titled In India's Silicon Valley, Partying Like It's 1999.

This article really stands out to me for four reasons:

1. It is a hybrid article, at once covering travel, nightlife, technology, fashion and the business industry. I think the term "mashup" applies perfectly here. Also, I wanted an excuse to use the word "mashup" in an academic setting.

2. It shows that the world is really getting smaller. For example, read this sentence: "...the crowds mingle with their raspberry martinis in one hand and Blackberry wireless devices in the other." Have you ever been to Spice Bar in downtown Columbus on a Saturday night? It seems the yupster lifestyle in Bangalore, India isn't too much removed from the yupster lifestyle in Columbus, Ohio.

3. The article also points out some major differences in Indian culture. It is illegal for nightclubs in Bangalore to stay open past 11:30 p.m., though many people choose to find modern-day speakeasies, so to speak, to fuel their nighttime fun.

4. The article has some great snippets of imagery like this one: "Sip a Sunday latte along the silvery counter at Barista, India's answer to Starbucks, and you'll see them [multicultural entrepeneurs living in Bangalore] noodling on laptops." Noodling! What a great word! Almost as good as mashup!

In short, the NYTimes has done it again with a great travel article that incorporates many aspects throughout it. India, anyone?