We just returned from India, both for sightseeing and conference.
This was a real adventure, one has to see it to get it. Centuries collide. Cow patty production (fuel) next to an ad for 3D TV!

Among the things I learned:

Never ever ask an Indian "is this spicy?"
Very few people smoke but a lot chew tobacco and or betel nuts. That stuff is omnipresent. Oral Cancer is rampant.
Dentistry is performed ON the street. Tools are laying ON the street (as was the extracted tooth). .... I had to have a tooth extracted before I went to India, the contrast could not have been more stark.

This makes you think and appreciate what you have (and do not really need).

Best wished for 2012 !
Mark

Hope to get there someday!

Welcome back Mark! Happy New Year my friend

Eric

Markus,

Nice to hear from you. Sounds scary...just last night I saw a rerun of Jerry Seinfeld about a wedding taking place in India and Elaine was invited but was told by the parents of the groom (Indian) who now reside in NYC not to go as India was a scary place! She went anyway...

Nice to see you back Markus!

Thanks for letting us know how things we take for granted are done in other countries. I cant imagine having dental work done on the street.

Hows those kitties?

Interesting report, Markus. I've always wanted to visit the old subcontinent and hope to one day. The fact that our malady du jour is so prevalent is scary though. I can't imagine how many people there are getting sick and not being able to afford decent care.

And I love Indian food and used to could take it as hot as they could dish it out (here, at any rate) but can't handle the heat anymore. Oh well. Now at least if I ever get over there I know better than to ask!

HNY