Things I've Noticed

Fortuitous Domain Naming - The Noticer and Andy Andrews

A while ago, I had bought the rights to the domain name thenoticer.com because I was considering changing the name of my blog to "The Noticer", (that would be me).  Then I decided against it temporarily, but held on to the domain name.  As good fortune would have it, motivational/inspirational writer/speaker Andy Andrews happened to decide to name his latest book The Noticer.  I had never heard of him but he is a New York Times Best-Selling Author who has also been on PBS.  The nice folks at the publishing company contacted me to see if I wanted to sell the domain, but I thought it would be best to hold onto it and leverage their referral program to help fund my web operations.

I should also mention that the company gave me a copy of every book, (signed by Andy Andrews), CD, and DVD that he has published.  That was really nice of them.  I'm almost done with The Traveler's Gift which is hard to put down due to its mix of poetic language and life lessons.

What's also interesting is that Andy Andrews has started a site called "The Noticer Project", (thenoticerproject.com), which allows people to write notes to the five most influential people in their lives. Those notes will be delivered in the regular postal mail and published on the The Noticer Project website.  If you're interested in buying some of Andy's books or multimedia materials, please click on the ad to the right to buy them.

+ Atul
(The Original Noticer)

Barack Obama: The Beginning of A Monumental New Presidential and Cultural Reality

It is here. It has been more than two months since the historic day when we elected our first African-American president. And now the time has come for the most glorified and needed leader in modern history to take the reigns of the most powerful nation on earth. This event has me excited, hopeful, and cautious all at the same time. I was ecstatic on election night and almost couldn't believe the result after eight years of presidential hell with Bush/Cheney (or should it be Cheney/Bush?). We have elected a leader who we can respect and look forward to. But I worry that the problems of our country and our world are so serious that we may be putting too much faith in Obama as a miracle leader. We should not forget that he is only human. Obama, (although confident), understands better than many of his supporters do, that he needs help from experienced, knowledgeable advisers.

Obama's election was so much more than just the election of a minority candidate in a major country. Three years ago, I said while watching the TV show "24" (which had a black U.S. president,) that it would be 10 years before we had a black president in reality. I've never been so glad to be wrong. Much of the success of the candidacy was Barack himself and the "Yes We Can" message.  Not in a long time have we had a leader with the ability to move his audience to tears. His eloquence and charisma are sometimes hard to believe. As Obama spoke to accept his nomination, I watched celebrities like Jesse Jackson and Oprah Winfrey choke up and journalists in tears.  I find his genuineness and intelligence as his best attributes, but I too was moved by his convention speech.  People of all races, ethnicity, and education levels came together. By being "different", Obama was able to transcend our differences and bring us together. We are all Americans regardless of our background.  Just his unusual name provides added comfort for those of us with non-mainstream names. More importantly, Obama has been able to gather the support even a large portion of those who voted against him and differ from him philosophically.

Obama's election was a product of a well-run campaign team including David Plough and David Axelrod, one that took advantage of many marketing tactics, (which warms this marketer's heart). These included grassroots efforts, internet sites for small private donations, social networking, and a consistent message. But it was the man behind the message, a calm, intelligent leader who kept the ship sailing in the right direction. He never wavered and he stood up to attacks against him and his ideals. It's ironic that in a way, we owe Obama's inauguration to the failed policies of the Bush administration. Bush opened the door for a presidential candidate from the Democratic party. Even people who might have otherwise factored race into their vote decided that we really did need competence and change no matter what the color of the candidate.

His presidency has a broad impact beyond politics. It has instilled hope in countless minority individuals that our country is more open-minded than we may have thought. It has helped undo some of the damage from the xenophobic prejudice that arose after 9/11.  And it means so much to our elder African Americans who withstood so much hatred and mistreatment generations after their ancestors were enslaved. Even if a significant minority of our people is not race neutral, at least we know that those who look past color and ethnicity are the majority. This should make us feel even more proud to be Americans. Despite all our problems and shortcomings, we have become a model nation in a way. Many other so-called progressive countries will not elect non-mainstream ethnic candidates for decades to come. We are fortunate that we have this diversity to begin with, and we are now stronger for being more accepting of it.

But an Obama presidency will not instantly solve all of our problems including wars, the environment, and the economy. There is much to be done and there are no easy answers. Obama is not a king or a dictator who can control every political move.  Even if he could, he does not own the answer key to the test this nation is under. He will need the help of Congress but politics as usual will most likely rear its head.  Additionally, Obama is not perfect. Given all the weight that has been placed on his shoulders, he may encounter some failures, ones that should not weaken our support for him. Given the circumstances, we will have to sacrifice in ways that Americans are not used to. For those of us alive today, like no other time in the history of our nation, we need to remember that we're all in the same boat. "Yes we can" will only ring true if we all truly try.

I wasn't alive when John F. Kennedy entered the Oval Office, but today will be a great day in my life, one that I will hopefully be able to tell my grandchildren about. I wish my father was around to see this as it was his political views and upbringing that have led me to develop the political beliefs I have, the ones that are so well represented by Obama.  Nevertheless, I and millions of others will watch and gain hope and renewed strength to do our part to help our country become great again.

+ Atul

We Do So Much Because Other People Don't Do What They Should

First off, I want to say Happy New Year.  It's not belated though.  The new year is still taking place, (even if it will be over before we know it).

My first post of 2009 is about people doing what they're not supposed to do or not doing what they're supposed to do.  I'm not talking about New Year's resolutions.  Everybody talks about those.  Rather, I'm talking about actions that are taken every day, ones we must deal with because they lead to results that are undesirable.  They affect what society has to do.  I would say that many of the daily activities in which we partake are done as a direct consequence. 

If this was an ideal world with respect to how people behaved, there would be a lot more unemployment.  If people were honest and didn't steal, we wouldn't need locks, safes, computer security systems, or policemen.  Just think.  Life would be easier though.  You would never need keys, could move your friends car or take care of their house while they traveled without any prior planning.  We wouldn't have any security hassles at the airport, wouldn't need to sign when we used our credit cards.  You could have left your cookies un-licked at the school cafeteria table without worrying that your friends might eat them.  On the business side, contracts would be much shorter.  We would need far fewer lawyers.  (Such a shame).  Kids wouldn't have to be taught to not talk to strangers and parenting would be immensely easier.  Hitchhiking would be an interesting, stress-free experience.  My personal utopia angle on this is that we wouldn't need computer passwords, (which have ruined my life)!  Could you imagine?  The world would be so much more efficient. 

On the flip-side, we would have to find other jobs for all the people that design and manufacture security cameras or for any people whose duty it is to secure or protect someone or something.  On a different front, most people in white collar jobs have to do a lot of follow-up.  This is only because other people don't do what they're supposed to do as expected.  If everybody did their job like they're supposed to, there would be fewer managers to oversee what we're (not) doing.

But life would be a lot less interesting if everybody was forthright and did what they were supposed to.  There wouldn't be any funny criminal stories in the papers.  We wouldn't sharpen our senses in sniffing out spam.  We wouldn't have as much to complain about and we'd probably be more vulnerable to dangerous wild animals or aliens.  I say that it's good that there are people who don't do what they're supposed to.  It probably leads to innovation and great ideas both in trying to perform illegal activities and in trying to defend against them.  It probably accounts for a significant portion of our economy.

I'm not advocating that you don't do what you're supposed to do, but next time somebody steals your Garmin out of your car, maybe this post can help you laugh it off.  And in this bad economy, many of us should feel fortunate that we have jobs.  Many of them depend on human dishonesty.

+ Atul

Olympic Thoughts - Coming Together, India, Medals, and Obscure Sports

I was one of the billions who watched the amazing opening ceremonies for the Summer Olympics in Beijing and once the torch was lit, my thoughts on the Olympics over the years came rushing back to me.  The controversy over censorship and then the fact that Russia used military action on Georgia goes to show that, although it’s a game, sports culture is ironically more mature than the culture of politics.  When the athletes get together, political and cultural barriers come down and competition somehow leads to harmony.  While they had the parade of nations, I learned about new countries that I had never heard of, (and I thought I was pretty good at geography).

But then it dawned on me that countries with less than even a million people get to participate and represent such a small political entity.  Accordingly, each of the 28 states in India, (average population of 40 million), should get its own team.  But then, India just earned its first gold medal ever.  It was Abhinav Bindra who won in the men’s 10m air rifle competition.  I’m not used to seeing the Indian flag on the podium or hearing the Indian national anthem.  Perhaps some of the mega-billionaires in India like Mittal or Tata should start an Indian Olympic fund to better develop sports programs there.  There are probably many potential talents out of all those people.  It’s also been great to see fellow Indian-American Raj Bhavsar winning a bronze with the US men’s gymnastics team.

As an Indian-American, if I were to try to get into the Olympics, I might represent India because it would be easier for me to get into the games, and they need medals more than the USA does.  I would have to partake in a sport like curling or mountain biking, sports that most Indians there probably don’t even know about.  I wish bowling was an Olympic sport because I know a few buddies of mine with whom I could start the Indian national team.

I also find the sports selection in the Olympics to be funny.  Some sports seem so obscure that I wonder how they were ever added to the list or how people decide to pursue them for serious competition.  K1 kayaking looks like fun, but how do you get scouted for that?  Synchronized diving is never part of a child’s sports dream, is it?  Or are these just athletes that want to find an easy way to win a medal like I do?  Speaking of the number of medals, if a team wins a medal, I believe, (but can’t confirm), that everybody on that team gets an actual medal to wear.  So, if a guy subbed in for a soccer game for 5 minutes out of 8 matches, he wins a medal.  Add a new team sport and the International Olympic Committee has to provide more medals.  Add a weight class in boxing… new medals.  But to balance out the medal supply issue, sports like baseball and softball are getting dropped in the next Olympics.

I do enjoy watching the Olympics though.  They happen infrequently enough to make them special.  You inevitably see some amazing sports moments like Michael Phelps winning gold medals as if they’re no big deal.  You learn about new countries and culture, all while watching sports you wouldn’t otherwise get to see and rooting for your country (or countries), and the occasional underdog.

+ Atul

Impatience Can Be Stupid and Interesting

With the release of the new Batman movie, "The Dark Knight", the initial fervor to see the movie reminded me of a virtue that we have little of in our U.S. society.  It’s patience.  To watch "The Dark Knight," people paid big money for tickets, waited in line overnight, uncomfortably, wasting hours, endured crowds, and viewed the movie in what were most likely sub-optimal seats.  If they had just waited, they could have comfortably bought tickets and seen the movie in a normal pleasant manner.  But some people are so impatient, that they have to be amongst the first to see it.  I can understand their motivation, but I don’t understand the extent to which they’ll voluntarily suffer for it.  I could be the biggest Harry Potter fan in the world, (which I’m not), but that doesn’t mean that I have to see the movie the first night it comes out.  There is pride that comes from being among the first, and there’s less risk of having somebody spoil it for you, but the glory is fleeting… until the next hot movie comes around.  Then the cycle repeats.  However, they can tell their friends that they already saw the movie… and I guess that’s worth all the trouble.  I don’t think the marketers instilled this craze in us.  I’m convinced that we have developed it in our culture.  I'm not sure how.  There is such a waste of time that happens, presumably by people who's time is not worth much to begin with.

The same type of “being first” craze rears its ugly head when a new cool gadget or toy comes out.  Recent examples include the new iPhone, the Sony PlayStation 3, the Nintendo Wii.  There were lines, there was pushing, and there were fights.  Granted, some people are experiencing the agony on behalf of their children, but then, by going to this extent, they’re probably teaching their kids to be impatient too.  Once the fresh hot product is purchased, and often at a price way above what it’s worth, it slowly becomes just like any other one purchased leisurely 6 months later.  The kids did get 2 months of extra excitement, but they lost two months of anticipation… and part of their college fund.  Also, what people tend to forget with new gadgets or vehicles is that they’re more likely to have product glitches which eventually get smoothed out.  The most recent iPhone went through this in the U.S.  This just adds frustration to the suffering that was already experienced.

I guess this phenomenon makes for great news clips, but I wonder what’s wrong with our society, and then I wonder if this happens as much in other cultures.  I don’t know the answer, but I suppose it’s kind of funny to watch, and nobody minds being entertained, even if it is at the expense of others.

+ Atul

My First 100 Miler: America’s Most Beautiful Bike Ride at Lake Tahoe 2008 - To Benefit The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society

<<< WARNING: This post is really long, which parallels the ride I’m writing about. >>>

As many of you know, I had been (moderately) training for a 100 Mile Bike Ride in Lake Tahoe called “The World’s Most Beautiful Ride”. I joined the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Team In Training to prepare for the event, and I raised nearly $4,000 for the cause. I had always wanted to do a century ride and my father’s passing from complications due to leukemia last year made it that much more meaningful to do it this year. In a nutshell, the story is that I did it! I actually bicycled 100 miles. I wasn’t sure I could do it, but thanks to the Michigan and Minnesota teams’ training, support of cheering crowds, family, and great organization to take care of us during the event, I was successful.

The night before, I started prepping for the ride in my hotel room, putting things together like spare tire tubes, my clothes, my race number 712, my food and drink, my sign, stickers, motivational picture of my dad for my handlebar stem, and helmet decoration. By the time I was done and went to sleep, it was 11 and I had to wake up at 4:30 the next day because we had to start riding at 6. Well, thanks to all the hydration I had to do, I woke up at 3 to go to bathroom and couldn’t go back to sleep but for 15 minutes. So I was tired, but I got ready, met with Team Michigan at the lobby. I put hand warmers in my pockets and foot warmers in my shoes. I needed my coffee, so I had half a cup, ate a part of a muffin and an energy bar and lined up with the team to ride to the start. Then we lined up to start during the cloudy 40 degree morning and soon after, we were off…

The beginning was very familiar because we had done a “22 mile practice ride” the day before. I was still sore from that. Not a good sign. Anyway, after we passed the familiar bend, then began the crazy uphill switchbacks which made us climb 500 feet in 2 miles of horizontal distance up to Inspiration Point. One person fell and broke a wrist, some people had to walk, one was hyperventilating. Luckily, my mountain biking experience came in handy helping me get to the rest stop in decent shape. Then after eating, and hitting the restroom, we had another uphill. This was followed by a huge downhill which had me traveling at speeds up to 34 mph. I was worried about my safety as there was lots of bicycle traffic with some going slow and others going fast. There was also some car traffic going the other way. We finally got to a flat area, and I saw an ambulance going the other way. That couldn’t be good. It was relatively flat for the next 12 miles, and then there was a side trail and road combo with mostly gentle downhill. For some reason, I was somewhat tired and cycling slowly at this point. Going slower than normal was part of my strategy so that I’d be sure I’d have legs at the end, but I didn’t feel like I could go faster even if I wanted to. And lots of people were passing me.

Then my first minor mishap occurred. With all the fast downhills and wind, my left contact lens started drying up and moving out of position. So I pulled to the side to put it back in. Well, I took the lens out and it was so dry, it blew away! Luckily, my parents taught me to be cautious. So I had a spare set of contacts. I wish somebody had told me that bicycling sunglasses were necessary to keep the wind out of my eyes. I had normal ones as I didn’t want to spend an exorbitant amount of money buying bicycling clothes and equipment. Anyway, with my new left contact in my eye, I set back for the road. Then we stopped at Truckee which was basically the halfway point. At that stop, I took off of my sweatshirt and sweatpants to leave with some of the coordinators. I also saw lots of people from Team Minnesota who had caught up with me, and I decided to wait for other friends while I ate significant quantities of food. I ate everything from energy bars to boiled potatoes to bananas to granola bars to cookies to oranges to cantaloupe pieces. And I would need every last calorie. It was after eating that I realized that my knees, wrists, and butt were all hurting in different ways and in varying amounts.  Later, I set back on the road with a couple of friends who rode more at my pace and we took turns drafting each other to save energy. Some girls from New Jersey followed for a long time when I led, but they never took the lead.

I was doing fine again for a while, and then around mile 60 or so, I started losing energy and I slowed down. Every slight grade seemed like a major hill. Then, just when I started getting my energy back with some more energy bar and Gatorade consumption, I heard some rattling near my water bottle. I thought a screw fastening the water bottle cage to the bike was loose. It sounded like a slightly annoying bell. I kept riding and then in another half hour, my water bottle and most of the cage fell off my bike. The cage just fractured and fell apart! So I had to stop to get my bottle, put it in the back pocket of my cycling jersey, and then I had to throw away the broken cage. I motored on with a butt that really hurt, a left thumb that went numb and knees that were about the same as before.  Shaking my wrists out one at a time didn't make them hurt much less, but it was bearable.  At the next stop they had lunch which was a nice team mini reunion and I ate more than before. I had a veg. sandwich, chips, cookies, more fruit, and potatoes. I learned in training that I had to force myself to eat more than I felt that I should.

Soon we were back on the road, mentally prepared for a moderate uphill and then the last major uphill. I was doing poorly on the uphills, but my friend did much better. I was just crazier on the downhills where I made an effort to gather as much momentum as possible before subsequent uphills. We made it up the next moderate uphill, stopped again to take pictures of the beautiful scenery and then we ascended again in a slow and steady fashion. I was mostly in 2nd gear out of 27 but I was mentally prepared. So much so, that when I reached the top of the hill, I thought it was just the midway point to the top of the hill. But I had in fact crested the last major hill and I knew then that there was a good chance I would make the full 100 miles. I had forgotten about my wrist and knee pain at this point but stretching at stops helped with my knees and my left achilles hell tendinitis which started acting up during training about a month earlier.

The next five miles were a blast but they were also downright scary at times. It was all downhill and I hit a speed of 39.2 mph. My eyes were tearing up from all the wind so I had to slow down a bit to see more clearly. Also, I wasn’t familiar with the road or where the potholes were. I did see sewer grates and potholes that I successfully avoided, but, as a courtesy, I also had to hand signal to people behind me to avoid those obstacles. That left me slightly off balance many times. Also, since it is tradition for Team In Training teams to wear a helmet head dress that represents their state, I had a ¼ inch thick foam core Detroit Red Wings logo mounted to my helmet. With crosswinds and 40 mph cycling it actually caused me to veer to one direction like a tailfin would an airplane. Turning my head only helped a little and it changed my perspective on the all-important road in front of me.

Eventually, the major downhill ended and the course transitioned to smaller rolling hills. At this point we were done with 94 miles and I was feeling pretty good because I knew with certainty that I would finish this 100 mile bike ride. I looked down to the picture of my dad with happiness. Pain was not an issue at this point.  The remaining up-hills were no fun, but at the very end, I felt comfortable riding 18 mph and I was motivated to finish. I was going so fast in fact that I almost didn’t make the final turn to the finish area, had to really widen my turn. As I approached the finish area, I was riding alone. Then as I got closer, I saw the crowd. There were easily 100 people cheering me on to the finish. It felt great, but it felt like I didn’t deserve so much cheering when all I did was finish about 1,000th out of 1,800 riders for Team In Training. What I did is nothing compared to what people go through when they suffer from leukemia and have to go through treatment, but I’m glad I was able to support the cause by helping to fund research for a cure.

I feel proud of what I have done and I thank all my friends and family who motivated me and donated money to help me reach my goal. I also thank Team Michigan and Team Minnesota and their coaches and staff who prepared me well enough to stay motivated and to finish. Now, I feel like cycling more centuries, or at least 60+ mile rides. Just last year, I rode 123 miles all summer. This year, I rode that much in 2 days. What a motivator a worthy cause can be.

+ Atul

I've Partially Moved to Minneapolis: Observations and Generalizations

Some of you may be wondering what happened to me.  Well, I just moved in to my apartment here in a suburb of Minneapolis.  It's 1.5 miles from work, nice and big, (although perhaps a bit dark) and since I still own my house in the Detroit area, (with a renter), this will have to do.  95% of my stuff is still at my house in the Detroit area.  Anyway, I've worked about two weeks at my new job and I like it so far, especially with it being a smaller company.  The people are nice there too; I even ate lunch in the cafetaria with our CEO, my VP and another high level person.  That would have never happened at GM or Daimler.  Regarding the job, I have a ways to go to learn my products and processes.

As for the Minneapolis, St. Paul metro area, there a few things that are worth mentioning to give me noticefaction...

- The traffic lights here last annoyingly long, like twice as long as what I'm used to, (and I'm not even exaggerating.)

- The highway system is like a grid with many 2x2 lane highways and short entrance/exit ramps which I'm convinced slow down traffic.  The large interstates are "normal" to me, but speed limits are generally obeyed here, (unlike Motown).

- On a related note, most people are easy-going and not as rushed, (although there are exceptions on the road)

- People are very friendly, but at the same time somewhat stand-offish.  I've heard that it takes a while to crack their shell.  To be fair though, I've befriended some people already at a few social events I attended.

- There is diversity here, but unlike in Chicago, Detroit, or NYC, my uniqueness seems to get noticed.  I don't just blend in, (at least based on my perception).  People have a harder time coming to terms with  my name than in other places I've been.

- People are thinner overall, there are more blondes, and probably more women than Detroit.

- Just like any other state, there are many here who are from here and will never leave here.  I have run into lots of people from Wisconsin and some from Michigan, but hardly any from Ohio.

- There's no tax on clothes in Minnesota.

- The infrastructure is much better taken care of, perhaps because of higher income taxes.  They actually have public transportation and trails and margins for bicycles, (but the mountain biking in Detroit is much more prevalent with longer trails.)

- Weather "rollercoasters" much more here with 50 degrees one day, 6 inches of snow the next and then 45 degrees and sun the next day.

- This metro area is further north and west than I realized.  Chicago is the closest big city and it's 6 1/2 hours away.

- There really are lakes everywhere.

- Many parts of the metro area are beautiful, especially Uptown and the 50th and France district.

- Ethnic food variety in these suburbs isn't the same as it is in Detroit based on my experience so far.

- The Minne-SO-ta accent does exist and I sense it on occasion.

Well, that's my update as I continue to absorb the city by staying as active as possible.

+ Atul

 

Dedicated to My Father - Please Donate for Leukemia Research And My 100 Mile Bike Ride

For those of you who don't know me well, my father passed away in July of last year due to complications from treatment for a relapse of his Acute Myeloid Leukemia.  I've been wanting to do something in his honor, preferably something that would help others.  I'm also a bicyclist who is far from a professional. 

So, I put the two together and decided to join the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team In Training.  I am training to ride my Specialized Allez Sport bicycle 100 miles at their event at Lake Tahoe in June.  (The most I've ridden at one time is 25 miles).  More importantly, we are raising funds to help stop leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma and myeloma from taking more lives.  Hopefully, by donating money for research, scientists will be able to develop a cure for these diseases.  My goal is to raise $3,600 and I will have to cover whatever I can't collect.  I have to raise close to $1,000 by March to keep training with the team.

Please make a donation to support my participation in Team In Training and to help advance the Society's mission. Anything you can contribute will be appreciated.  My donation webpage takes credit cards and of course, donations are tax deductible.

Thanks for your support!
+ Atul

Regarding the Ad on The Right: Official Debate

My friend, "The Boss", (but much younger than Bruce Springstein), has created a new site which I find quite interesting.  It's called OfficialDebate.com.  It's just starting up, but it has lots of neat topics that are at times controversial.  Every good debate needs lots of debaters so click on the link and register if you like to argue with people on topics that you know you're right about.  I did.  Please argue respectfully and soon the site will add other interesting features including debates in which the users get to vote to determine the winner.

Oh and tell "The Boss" I sent you there.

+ Atul

An NRI, (Non-Resident Indian), American in India

I’m finally situated and back to normal here in Michigan.  I’ll take up where I left off with my last blogpost. My trip continued within my home state of Gujarat, India.  It’s quite an adventure whenever I go to India, and a lot has changed since my last visit in 1998.  Back then, nobody here had cell phones; now just about everybody does. Internet was an unknown term whereas now people know about it, but it’s not exactly easy to come by. I bought a wireless modem a few days after I arrived in Surat, and due to customer service that is poorer than in the U.S., it took nearly a week and multiple phone calls to get connected.

There’s always a connection to my culture and religion that I feel when I’m in India. I’m not a minority, and there’s no prejudice toward me, (although one merchant called me white). But it can be overwhelming. There are a billion people in this great country and anywhere close to a city is crowded. It’s generally dusty and/or dirty by American standards and there are bicycles, motorcycles, animals, and people everywhere. You hear horns blaring every couple of seconds since horns are used to let other drivers know of your presence and to reserve a right of way. When in a large store, the difficult part was finding my friends and family. I’m used to looking for black haired people amidst brunettes and blondes. That doesn’t work in India.

There are many things we in western cultures take for granted that most people don’t have or just can’t get here. One of these things is a lack of overt corruption. As soon as we left the Mumbai international airport, a police officer saw our out-of-state plates and asked our out-of-state driver for his license. Our driver had to pretend to not have it. He knew that if he gave it, the officer would take the license away and force us to pay for it in court the next day. This is a prime example of how it’s just a pain to get things done at times. You often have to bribe people to get what you deserve anyway.   We also take for granted clean drinking water. In the U.S., bottled water is an unnecessary luxury, but in India it’s a necessity for a non-resident. I used boiled or bottled water even when I brushed my teeth.

Hot water is not a given. You either have to heat it right before your bath or heat it in a pot and take a bucket bath with a cup. You pour water on yourself as you need. It’s a little inconvenient, but not too bad because it doesn’t get too cold in most parts of India.  Squat toilets are the norm but Western toilets are becoming more common.  When you travel, public restrooms can be unbearably dirty and make sure you keep toilet paper with you.

In general, getting anything done can be a pain. Many things are within walking distance, but if it’s not, it takes time to get across town by way of rickshaw. Traffic in Mumbai is horrendous and in Surat it’s bad for a city of its size. You just drive kind of randomly and do what you have to do to get to where you want. Following lanes are optional. There are many traffic circles and few traffic lights and there are still traffic cops stationed at intersections. The way people drive is in a manner I call “psychic, reluctant cooperation. If you squeeze your way into a spot, the other guy will eventually let you in and not hold a grudge or give you the finger. It’s just the way it is.   Also, people don’t really think about safety. It’s more of a faith-based system. You have faith that you won’t get into an accident so you don’t need a helmet or a seatbelt.

Litter is everywhere. In “the old days,” they used natural things like banana leaves for plates and burlap for bags. Now they use plastic. The culture doesn’t look down upon littering so it’s everywhere and it looks bad. In fact, it’s an assault on the eyes and one of the things I liked least about India. But it's the beautiful natural scenery and ancient buildings that really make India visually appealing.  In America, if a building is 100 years old, it's old.  In India, if something's 2,000 years old, it's old.

Also on the impressive side, things are happening in a positive direction. They are building large 6-lane freeways which will really help with travel times. Right now, if you can go 55 mph, you are flying. Average speeds are about half of what they are in the U.S.  In a few cities here, rickshaws ad buses have been mandatorily converted to run on natural gas which really helps reduce pollution. I call that progress. For this to happen in the U.S. would take years. Here, the government just says do it because it’s the right thing to do. They find a way.

Food is cheap. Even good food at a restaurant costs little. Six people can fill their stomachs with great food and service for 525 rupees, or $13. In addition, fruits and vegetables of all kinds are available in abundance at every corner. I hardly exercised, ate some rich food full of oil, butter, and whole fat dairy products, (albeit with good fruits and veggies), and didn’t gain any weight. I credit that to wholesome food without fortification or chemicals.

In many cities there, you still have the neighborhood feel where you know your neighbors and the people that run the shop down the street. Kids stop in at neighbor’s houses unannounced. It’s safe to walk around at night just about anywhere. At worst, you might get pick-pocketed. People with ill will rarely have guns and weapons.

People in India don’t use much energy per capita. They generally don’t have air conditioning or cars so carbon footprints are small. They air dry clothes and most of them wash clothes and dishes by hand. This is all changing though as electric home appliances are becoming more prevalent.

The economy is booming, thanks in part to a growing middle class and a developing infrastructure. Real estate prices and the stock market are going through the roof. I just don’t see how the country can grow like this forever with the increasing wealth disparity and hundreds of millions of other people that need to be taken care of instead of being left behind.I don’t know if this is necessarily a good thing or not, but they are starting to build malls and supermarkets in India, just like in the U.S.

I cherished my time in India with friends and family though and while there I missed home, but now that I’m back to normal life, I miss warm sunny days, not having to work, feeling like a millionaire and taking in the rich culture and history. Together, it all makes me realize how American I am but how much I appreciate my Indian heritage.

I have posted some pictures too. The trip made for great photography.

+ Atul