India - Outta here onto Thailand!

OK, killing time here in Bangalore getting ready for my flight 9 hours from now so just some mindless chatter about what I learned in India.

India was a life experience more than anything, and if you want to be a better person I'm thinking I should learn from this experience. This is what I learned.

#1: Appreciation: We have it really really good in the US. I cannot wait to return to some semblence of order, breathable air. real cheese/pasta/clean water/clean salad, swimmable water, walking more than 3 feet without tramping through feces, privacy, quiet, nature, our parks, etc. It will be really hard for me to listen to anyone (including myself) complain about poverty and how bad we have it.

#2: Attitude: Once again, once I changed my attitude India became a very cool place. I am now in Bangalore and people are extremebly nice. The first time I was here I just wanted to go back to the airport and fly home. What changed? I think most of life is like this, there is very few things we can really change outside ourselves so why do I waste time complaining when I can easily change my attitude and look for the good (but still be firm and friendly with those pesky kids trying to steal my stuff!!!), then you will find good.

#3: Expectations: Its amazing how many things us Americans expect to just be there. Like electricity or clean air/water or on time busses, etc. Its almost as if when we were born god gave us credits for things that are owed to us like clean water and electricity and we just merrily cash our credits in. A basic tenant of Buddhism is to expect nothing and you will be happy. I have hopefully took a huge step along that path, because in India you just can't expect anything or you will be disappointed. Once you lower your expectations, its amazing how much happier you become.

#3: Community: As with Bangladesh India has a great sense of community (we all sleep in the dirt together), more than in the US. Even the friggin monkeys seem to have more community spirit then Americans! I think I need to get out from behind my computer and TV and other isolative type activities and become more supportive of my community.

#4: Costs: For reference:

Gas: $4.80/gallon
Cheap room: $9
Moderate room: $17
Mosquito net room: $1.50
Lunch: $0.75 vegetable rice and bread
Rickshaw 1-5 miles: $0.50 about
Phones home: 40 minutes $10 about
7 hour bus ride on luxury bus: $9
1 hour massage: $11.50
Liter of beer: $1.50

#5: Travel advice:
1) Assume everyone trying to sell you stuff lies and get 4 quotes and be very friendly and smile and walk away from the first deal there will be 10 other deals down the road. don't bury yourself with American serve me NOW attitude. This is the game you have to play in their culture.
2) Assume kids will steal your stuff. Once again its a game and you have to play. The culture encourages them to survival of the fittest to live amongst 1 billion people and survive --- you would to.
3) If you want to bond with locals, buy their kids candy and spend time asking their names, etc. Buy people sweets to win them over. Sit and speak English they love it. Ask random people on bus what their names are and what they do, they love it.
4) Always have a Plan B and assume your confirmed busses and flights will fall apart. This is your problem not theirs, they have to live in this chaos all the time.
5) If you are pressed for time, do a guided tour where the locals do it for you. Bargain to get a deal. If you are on your own double your time by 2 or 3 just because you will spend so much time trying to get the truth and not getting ripped off and missing busses, etc.
6) I only ate cooked food and had a inline filter for my water bottle and was fine. Once the spicy food ate holes through my stomach was the only problem.
7) Defintely get a lonely planet or similar travel guide. I didn't use one and I could kick myself. I got ripped off so many times that I'm sure a travel guide would help. Also ask Euro or Isreali backpackers what is going on, they are usually wired into the local scene.

I'm sure there is more but I'm tired now. Signing off.....

dreez