Oh INDIA

Delhi 15th of Jan. Coming back to India is always a shock to me, no matter how much I prepare myself. I review the comments I made when I visited in Jan 06 and find nothing seems to have changed. Road conditions are chaotic; garbage and unfinished construction debris and is strewn on almost every surface; there is little grass and the dry season has made the whole area very dusty so that there are no green trees or leaves - they are all brown. Power outages are constant - 8 to 10 hours a day ; the city is running out of water; everywhere there is quiet desperation in the faces of the millions of city dwellers - all battling for life at Maslow's first level of food and shelter. Anyone who lives here has got be very tough - physically, mentally and emotionally - to survive the constant daily struggle for seemingly everything. I am with middle class friend and ask many questions of 'why' and 'how', but there are no answers, only wishes and hopes.
The middle class (about 20%) have benefited from the economic boom of the last decade and they live fairly comfortable lives with servants, enjoy a good social life and eat well. Not many of them appear to be involved in the plight of the poor and I cannot blame them because they are very concerned with their own grasp on the slippery economic pole.
We have all our meals with old friends and it there is an abundance of affection and fellowship. The Indian cuisine is excellent and very affordable and we enjoy the exotic tastes of kebabs, biriyani, curry and rotis

Lucknow 23rd - It is now the 30th and I have spent a week in this very relaxed city - what's in a weeks delay in posting this blog? We have been having diners with friends almost every night. Here one is invited at around 8.00pm and dinner is served around 10.00pm - giving me most uncomfortable nights - but this is a small price to pay for the delicious food we eat. In the afternoons my friend Rajanish and I sip gin and tonic - an old British planter drink - and follow it with a light lunch and a power nap. Some life eh?
My visit is following its usual pattern: in the first week I am outraged; by the second week the sheer load on my senses dulls them. I start to see the conditions around me, but they do not register as strongly. By next week I will probably be as immune to my conditions as most of my friends are - it is a reflex mechanism to maintain ones mental balance. Lets see.
I continue to ask questions about India's plight without getting many answers - corruption and hindu culture are the common reasons cited
We leave for Calcutta tomorrow. Our visit to India has an interesting pattern. In Delhi and Lucknow we spent our time with our Indian friends; from Calcutta on, most of our time will be spent with our Anglo-Indian friends and on our charity. The twain does not seem to meet!

Jan 31st Today is my birthday, but I am too old to tell you how old I am! Lying in bed this morning, I thought I may not have made a full disclosure of the life I am leading - particularly since I bemoan the condition of India. The fact is I am living and eating in very colonial conditions, far from the madding crowd. In Delhi we frequented the venerable Delhi Gymkhana- in Lucknow it is the Mohamed Bagh (with the Army Surla club thrown in for good measure) - both shadows of its British grandeur, but still impressive with liveried bearers and portraits of the imperial past. Otherwise our friends live in very upper middle class comfort, and we enjoy their unlimited hospitality. So there we are - the spirit is soaring, the flesh is weak. On to Calcutta - I mean Kolkata

A Quick trip through London

Jan 8th to 13th - On our way to India we stopped off at London for a few days to see family and friends. This was our first trip to London in Winter and it was cold and damp and deary. We spent most of our time in Purley where our relatives live and enjoyed our lovely grandniece and our triplet grandnephews. They are all into Wii and I had taken them a 'Big Brain' game that challenged them (and me!). We went into the city once and met friends, including Alison Blunt (Domicile and Diaspora) and Jayani (a research student)
I was also able to meet Glen Duncan the Anglo-Indian author of the best seller 'The Bloodstone Papers' in a local pub, where a few (!) pints of bitters ensured for stimulating conversation on race and ethnicity.

On the Road again

Jan 1st. Here is a photo of the family. After a hectic Christmas season - spent with many, many friends giving and receiving love and friendship - we are getting ready to hit the road again.

We are visiting India to check the CTR projects in Kolkata, Bangalore and Chennai and also to see relatives and friends. The last time we visited India in 2006 I blogged our trip. This time we are going via London and then after India, we are going on to Singapore, Cambodia, China and HongKong. We have to pack in the next few days and this is a daunting thought - so many climate changes and presents for so many friends. We also have to set our affaris in order as we will be away for 12 weeks. I need to get into a Pooh frame of mind - detached calm, curious and just being. I encourage all to buy and read 'The Tao of Pooh' by Benjamin Hoff. I need to go back to it myself and savor the feeling of inner quietness it bestows on its disciples . So for the next week, while I am tearing around covering numerous household affaris for three month absence - travel final schedules, mail, TV, bills, newspapers etc - to survive, I must start to practice Poohcraft again

I hope you will enjoy our journey (as many of you did before). I see things from a different perspective. If Pooh prevais I will not whine too much!

Will post again before we leave - Jan 8th

Blair