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 …

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.