India

Before I left for India I had been told to be prepared for a country of extremes - from very hot to very cold, from the very poor to the very wealthy. Those who told me were Indo-Canadians born in the Punjab but raised in Canada. And they were correct.

India is the world's largest democracy and the world's second largest population. And while it is a poor country it is changing and changing rapidly.

Flying over India or even taking a train from one city to another, one gets a better idea of just how much food is grown there. Mile after mile, farm community after community, agriculture is happening everywhere.

India is a developing country for sure. The infra-structure is getting a first class over-haul - the airports, the highways and the internal road system are all under construction at the present time. Traffic is just something one will have to live with until the construction is complete but until then - "get used to it". Roundabouts and driving on the left side are just two things that need some serious consideration when driving there.

The food is also different and while many cities have foods from all the world it is not as readily available as one might expect. I especially enjoyed the spicy tastes of the various curried dishes.

The Indian people love to work but they also love to spend quality time with family and the country's parks seem to be the place of choice to spend time with family. They were many parks throughout the cities I visited, lots of green grass, amusing things for children to do and places for families to have picnics.

In Chandigarh I visited a park that was commonly referred to as the "Rock Garden" - check it out on Google Earth. It must be seen to be believed. Thousands of people visit every weekend, no matter what the time of year.

India is a very old country but its roots are seen everywhere. Indian traditions and attire, their arts, and their music are everywhere but so is Bollywood, Cricket and Hockey (Field Hockey). And the Indian people are especially passionate about their "Asian Hollywood", their Cricket and their Hockey. Every newspaper carries pages and pages dedicated to these new worthy items. Kids and adults can be seen practicing their skills at every opportunity and at every available piece of property.

Education is another item that gets a lot of newspaper coverage - everyday. That is nice to see. The Indian Government is really trying to make a good education available to every child and parents will mortgage their house or farm to help their children get into the school they desire.

While there I traveled by car, train and plane but nothing can accurately describe the traffic. Anything with wheels is used to transport people and work related necessities. And the traffic will become more and more a problem as Tata Motors makes its very inexpensive car ($2500) The Nano available. Check it out on Google too. The Tata family are into everything in India - from food and agriculture to transportation airlines to technology.

India is located such that most of the country gets 4 seasons but the north gets cold for sure and the south - well let's just say it gets very warm. While in Ahmadabad (in the middle of the country) it was 39 C and I was there in March.

The people are friendly and very family oriented. I always felt safe while I was there. But there is poverty. And while the government is doing whatever it can to do away with the Caste System there are some remnants still there.

The cow is still sacred in India. It is used for its milk, for its cheese, and for its waste. The waste is dried and used as fuel. The cows really have freedom to roam but more and more are contained and while we did see some on the streets most were corralled and contained.

As we start our BC Program in India I'll get to see more and more of this big, beautiful and mysterious land. I'll get to know the people better and learn about it religions and cultural traditions. I expect to return to northern India in December - just before or after my visit to DuBai - I'll have to get ready for the extremes - in air temperature I'm thinking.