Delhi Airport … full of UN troops. Not the most calming thing to see in the arrivals lounge.
I hate the Chivas brand – I just find it trite – however I do like the fact that in the mad streets of India, a motorbike is regarded as more of a ‘status symbol’ than a car.
Coke versus Lipton. How many other countries could you say that in?
When you get to the hotel you are given a garland of flowers and …
… your own ‘Indian marking’.
And on the television, it’s a none-stop-supply of channels showing the bloody cricket!
I have always had a great warmth for the Indian people and culture.
Maybe it was because my Dad came here when I was 5 and filled my head with the beauty, grace, warmth, energy, culture and symbolism of the place … or maybe it was because one of my closest friends growing up was Kermjeet, an Indian kid whose family treated me like a son – however whatever the actual reason is, as I grow older and [supposedly] wiser, I can categorically say, one of the things I truly love about the place [and Asia in general] is the level of sacrifice people will make for the good of future generations.
You see as much as there is ‘family responsibility’ in pretty much every culture … out in the ‘East’, people don’t just look after their ‘immediate family’ [ie: children / parents / grandparents], they also have one eye on the overall development of their country because they appreciate if their country progresses, then their family also has a greater chance of progressing as well.
For me the biggest difference between the family values of East and West, is that whilst people in the West care about their immediate family and [in the main] don’t want to bring shame on them … in the East, people don’t want to screw up the family name of the last 2000 years or the next 2000 years.
Because of this, another fundamental difference is in their choice of political representative.
Out in India/Asia, people passionately vote for whoever they believe will benefit their country as a whole … and whilst you may think that’s what most people in democratic societies do, the reality is that in many cases, people [especially in established in Western markets] vote for whoever represents their best personal interests, regardless of the wider community.
Yeah … yeah … I know I sound like a Red Commie Bastard, but as I see the gradual decline of society in Western [Powerhouse] countries … I really do appreciate how lucky I am to be living in a region where cultural development is as highly regarded [and nurtured] as personal and economic progression.
Oh, and for those people who value ‘wealth’ only interms of ‘financial power’ – you should know the East is also about to be [if not already] the wealthiest, most powerful and influential region on the planet.
[Infact some people say it’s only been the last 800 years, that this hasn’t been the case! And whilst that sounds a long time … for a planet millions of years old, it’s not really]
It’s no longer a case of East meets West … it’s becoming East LEADS West and you know what, that might not be so bad at all!