Hindu Times photo of downtown Bangaloreduring rush hour.On the one hand, it's mind boggling how bad the traffic is. You inch along along as every conceivable type of vehicle juts in and around, jockeying for position. The potholes are large enough to swallow small animals and the roads in many places give way to gravel. …
Shivaganga
ಶಿವಗಂಗಾShivaganga, site of a sacred Hindu temple.Crawling in traffic through the sprawling megalopolis, it seems the choking dust, the din of honking horns and jack hammers, and the stench of body odor, urine and rotting refuse will never end. And then, just when I'm beginning to wonder if this trek is even worth it, the first …
On the half hour
At its widest point, India is about 2,000 miles, whichequals 2 time zones (The math: earth is 24,000 or so miles in circumference and there's 24 hours in a day ...).In the north and south, as you can see, it tapers off.Splitting the country into 2 times zones wouldmake things confusing for the north and southwhere …
Take a meeting
কলিকাতাThe plan was this: three of us would fly into Kolkata to meet with a key business partner, discuss our spiffy new project and sell the partner on working with us. My role: play the guy from America, the one who flew all the way here, proving this project is really important. My colleagues, Ashok and …
Morning delivery of milk, small village outside Kolkata
School children (I counted 14) on a field tripGuards with automatic weaponsat Mumbai Airport. Security is sotight (after the terrorist attacks)that you have show your boarding passto get off the plane.Ubiquitous 3-wheel motorized rickshaws. They run on 2-strokeengines that have to be pull-started and they're operatedwith motorcycle handlebars. Most drivers operate barefoot.
Cuisine choices
Sign in a restaurant:"We have non-vegetarian choices"In a conversation with an accommodating colleague, who wanted to make sure I felt at home:"Hey George, did you get lunch, would you like a burger or something?""No, thanks, I'm fine.""You sure, no burger?""No I'm fine, really. Maybe something to drink.""A Coke?"A nice spot for a picnic
My driver seemed proud of India's new fleet of F-16's,though from what Wikipedia tells me, India hasmostly Mig-29s, dubbed the Baaz,, which is Hindifor "Hawk."
Kolkata
Rice paddies from the air, heading into Kolkata. The reddish areas are furnaces for making bricks.
Sherry & George 