aka “So, what are your impressions of India so far?”

• I think I’m in danger of being spoiled rotten. Everyone is so kind and friendly. The North American service industry can’t compete with the service related sectors in India. While I can still say that we have better service standards than the UK, our waiters and hotel staff seem rude and unhelpful compared to the workers in India.
• You have to be a local or a complete lunatic to drive here – but, if you can drive in India, you can likely drive safely drive anywhere in the world.
• The coffee is heavenly, but portions are way too small compared to what I’m used to. You’d have to drink 6 cups of coffee to get a similar serving to an extra large coffee from Tim Horton’s.
• Some of the shops and streets remind me of Nogales, Mexico. They are often 3 sided buildings or rooms, some have a built in counter at the front of them. I think the closest thing I can compare them to (by North American standards) are the game booths at carnivals. Other than Mexico, I’ve only ever seen something similar to this in sections of the UK markets.
• Randy and Robert (co-workers who were sent to Delhi in the past) were right. I am completely astounded by the poverty surrounding me. It’s hard not to feel guilty about the standard of living we have at home when you see people living in tents pitched at the side of the road, or learn about their average monthly income. After seeing some of the housing conditions in India, I don’t think I can ever complain about sub- standard military housing in Canada ever again.
• Stray dogs are everywhere, but I’ve yet to see a single cat in India.

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