Things of Note

I've decided that I'd keep a things of note log to see how many suttle differences I could notice being a coconut and all.

1. Traffic laws are not obeyed here. There was a huge sign on one of the roads listing all of the fines for various traffic offences, such as seat belt usage being mandatory. The funny thing is no one follows these rules. They're more sort of guidelines.

There are three general types of vehicles.
- The auto rickshaw which is a three whel motorbike with a cover.
- The compact car
- Motorbikes

There are plenty of each vehicle. The popular brand for compact cars is the Maruti Suzuki which is a joint venture between Maruti and Suzuki. The sidevew mirrors on these cars are very close to the vehicles and in fact are sometimes folded in. The reason for this is because a normal three lane road usually turns into a 5 lane road. 6, if you include the motorbikes which interweave through traffic like crazy much like the auto rickshaws.

If you need to cross a street you start walking into oncoming traffic and hope to God the traffic stops for you. Haha ok, the hoping to God part I added in but generally traffic does stop for you.

If you are an experienced driver in India you can drive through tiny alleyways that fit the car with a centimeter to spare on either side with the sideview mirrors folded out.

2. Personal space is non existant. Because there are so many people trying to do things here, I've noticed that people tend to squish together or are in your face when they talk to you. It can be a little bit awkward at first but you get used to it pretty fast and in fact you find yourself returning the favor more often than not. I.e. shoving your way through crowds without saying excuse me. Sometimes even pushing if need be.

3. The pollution is insane in the cities. The entire time I was in Bangalore I never saw blue skies. Just a constant overcast. I thought this was just cause it was monsoon season, but the drive out to the airport around 8 in the morning showed the sun peaking through the clouds every now andthen with blue skies. As the day roles on the haze becomes more and more thick.

4. Bangalore has a climate that is very similar to Calgary's. It's slightly more humid but it is very tolerable.

5. Bangalore is actually called Bengaluru.

6. There are luxury bathrooms when you are walking around the streets. Although, I have been advised not to use them at all costs lol.

7. Kids are catered to by every family. Kids always come first and they are the main consideration when any decision is taken. This isn't to say the kids are spoiled, just that they are the future generation and as such are treated with all aspects of their comfort in mind.

So far India has been overwhelming in many ways and at the same it's been relaxing and fun. I haven't completely destressed yet as we keep moving from place to place, but I think the relaxation will come sooner than later. I realize I've only got 15 more days here in India. 8 of which are being used up on the North India tour. When I do come back next, I will only visit one or two places for three weeks.

Hey I just noticed there are Japanese tourists on this flight and one of them is playing on his DS Lite. Haha, I dunno why, but that's reassuring.