India vs. China, 2

I'm back after a whirlwind trip that lasted 4.5 days.

Cows -- You'll see them on the street tied to street signs, etc. They aren't particularly fit looking which is something I asked one of my Indian (non-Hindu) colleagues. "If female cows are gods, why are they so thin? Shouldn't they be fatter to show that they're needs are being met? Also, why aren't these gods free to roam? Why must they be tied to a sign or post? Shouldn't a god be free to roam wherever it chooses?" My colleague responded that these were good questions and he wasn't sure why the "idols" were treated this way.

Airport security -- When I arrived at the airport in Delhi to depart for the US, we were met by a soldier with a machine gun. If you do not have your updated itinerary showing the flight you plan to leave on, you can't enter the airport. I had moved my flight back to the U.S. up one day so I didn't have mine. I also wasn't aware I needed it to enter the airport. An American Airlines rep tried to sneak me by the man with the machine gun, but I was stopped. The rep very graciously went to the desk and got my e-ticket while the soldier pointed his machine gun at me across his lap to keep me in place.

Driving in India -- It's chaotic but less so than China. We didn't drive on the berm or in the wrong lanes. However, the lane stripes are mainly decoration. You'll usually stay with the solid lines but lanes on the road matter litter.

Water for many is still distributed from wells on the side of the road. You see lots of women drawing water into cisterns and carrying it home or wherever on their heads.

It's quite dusty and dry despite the very high humidity in Delhi. It was 106 Friday and 90+ percent humidity. Felt great in a suit. You'd walk out of tepid air conditioning and hit a wall of hot air that almost knocked your breath away.

The food was wonderful if you like Indian. I do. If not, there's TGI Friday's, Domino's, Pizza Hut and numerous hotels. The Hyatt we stayed at in Delhi is noted for India's best Italian food. It was quite good.

Hotel rooms and conference rooms at the hotels have service buttons. If you push them, a butler will arrive a few seconds later looking to help you. I thought mine was a light and couldn't understand why a butler had arrived at my door.

Bollywood - India's version of Hollywood. They care about entertainment and celebs almost as much as American's. The Times of India, a national daily, has a whole section about celeb gossip, photos, etc. Doesn't matter what nationality the celeb is, they cover it. It's verys ad to see the American influence on their culture, sexual attitudes, dress, etc. India is typically pretty conservative but as Western industries and $$ flow into the country, the society changes dramatically.

Delhi

Introduction Places of Interest Eating Places Special Festivals

Bangalore

Introduction Places of Interest Eating Places Special Festivals

India vs. China

Greetings from Bangalore. Got into Delhi last night after a 15 hour flight non-stop from Chicago. I'll be spending the next five days between here and Delhi before heading back to the U.S. Should be fun.

I'll try to share some observations from the trip and maybe post a link later this week to some photos.

Lots of flies in the Delhi airport. Not as modern as China. Neither is well air conditioned but the facilities are better in China.

The military is out en masse at airport with rifles and check points with sand bags.

Westerners look more rugged here - backpacks, jungle gear, etc. Westerners in China were dressed for business.

Lots of turbans and forehead dots.

Cell phones just as important here as China. Everyone has one. Mine works great. My blackberry worked in Delhi but there's only a GSM signal in Bangalore.

No snake charmers yet but did see a cow walking the main drag of Bangalore. India has cleaner air and it's easier to get around because so many speak English. Also is a lot more "green." Great trees, gardens, flowers, etc.

It's almost not fair to compare India and China. They are very different. India strikes me as more Middle Eastern or like the Caribbean than anything Asian.

China's larger cities are definitely more modern looking. The American fare here vs. China is pretty similar. We didn't have Dominoes though, just Papa John's and Pizza Hut. Traffic is bad in India and only slightly more orderly than China. Motorcycles here vs. scooters in China.

Doormen are a real treat in the way they dress. It's all about the outfit, headdress and beard.



I can't wait to try the Indian food. I had two vegetable samosas for breakfast. Yum.

It's monsoon season right now and it's pretty cloudy. We'll see how that affects the week.