I've got an hour or so to kill before heading to the airport so I thought I'd use it to post the last few pics and note some impressions of India before they fade into the jumble taxis, hotels and airports that are looming in my immediate future. To make it short, sweet and indulge my laziness, I'll jot them down in point form:

• The poverty is ever present but fades a bit into the background very quickly. In Delhi its more in your face as the car is swarmed at every stoplight, but its here in Bangalore as well. The poor seem to be a fact of life here and you get the feeling that people accept their lot. It might be the caste system (which I don't profess to know anything about), or fatalism. I don't know. I do know that it at times made me feel uncomfortable and at others irritated. I guess that says more about me than India.
• Almost everyone I met had a "guru". From what I could tell this is a cross between a psychiatrist and a mentor, with a far amount of mysticism tossed in. Finding one's guru is a complicated business . Some are frauds, others quite pious and self serious. What it means I don't know. We have our shrinks, they have thier gurus.
• Indians are superstious ( or at least some of them are). One of the dailys here had a big story on the front page devoted to numerology and how certain names add up to inauspicious numbers. The remedy is simple, change your name (with the input of your guru!) and all you problems will be solved.
• Indians read. ALOT. I lost count of how many daily papers there are, and that was only the ones in English.
• There seems to be a genuine kindness intregal to the culture. People were quick to smile and there was none of the grasping " rip off culture" so prevelent in otherplaces I've been.
• Politeness is considered important.
• Servants are an everyday part of life for the middle class.
• Women hold a peculiar place in society. I guess it changes according to wealth or social standing, but there is a funny relationship between men and women. An example: My rep here is a woman. At every lunch or dinner she took full control of the menu, ordering for everyone, questioning preferences, quizzing the waiter, complaining when things weren't right. Clients, quite senior, submitted to this mothering attitude, expected it in fact. Interesting. Maybe this is a one off, but I suspect not.
• Indian TV is not nearly as cheesy or silly as I thought it would be. It looks positively cerebral compared to the nonsense " cuteness culture" and bizarre infantalism of other places (Japan for example). I must say I'm kind of hooked on the movies and the dance routines. (yikes!)
• "Indian time" is kind of a myth. Though there were some late appointments, it had more to do with the traffic than a casual attitude.
• 2000 people a month die on the roads in Delhi. It seems a helmet is only mandatory for men on motor bikes. No prizes for guessing the gender of most fatalities. The traffic is kamakze like.
• Love marriages vs arranged versions are running at about 50-50. Divorce is common. Drugs are the playthings of the rich and scandals abound. India as a society is changing.
• Curry must be approached with great respect.
• Kingfisher is not just a beer. I flew the airline and it was good. Damn good.
• Getting rich is a good thing here.
• Cricket is a national obsession though the thawing of relations between Pakastan and India has "taken the zing from the test matches".
• I seem to have unconciously adopted Indian expressions. " Lets try this joint" or "I really much appreciate your time" have snuck into my chatter...all with a bizarre inflection in the accent. (yikes)
• Nightlife is tame here....well actually its pretty lame.
• Indian men love to drink whisky. Pounding back a bottle of Johnny Walker black is the done thing. Some don't drink at all.
• Education is extremely improtant for parents regarding there kids. The newspapers are full of stories regarding exam strategies etc.
• Corruption is all pervasive. Far from being accepted, it seems to be a source of frustration to most people I met. It needs to stop for this place to move forward.
  

I'm looking forward to coming back, though I don't know when that will be. The Taj Mahal was a sight sadly missed. Maybe next time.



If nothing else, the over riding impression is of a place of stark contrasts.

The country feels like its about to enter the world stage in much the same way China has done. The economy is growing by 9%, and the population is educated and speaks English. I guess its time of being on the outside looking in is coming to a close.

Love to all

T