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Are those of us with the dream to go to India all going to book @faheem’s

As long as I can leave my luggage for oh, 12 or 13 hours after checkout, Faheem’s does sound like a dream place! :laughing:

Dream? Did you mean nightmare? :confused:

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One man’s dream is another’s nightmare! LOL. Plenty of people want to see India Faheem!

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Apparently so. And fortunately so, since otherwise I wouldn’t make any money, and that would be sad. But I still don’t understand it.

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No NO… listen… people come there for the culture, the food, the history, to study with yogi masters! It’s quite a destination!

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Hmm, the culture and the history are still there, some of it I suppose. But it’s hard to see through the haze of pollution and the crowds. I don’t know any yoga masters. Would someone introduce me to one? And the restaurants here suck, imo. Mediocre and overpriced. Like everyone in India, they just want your money.

Someone, please take me to task for my negativity. But I just had a fun (not) shopping trip in Bandra, and I’m feeling more than usually jaded.

Pollution does not stop people from clamoring to visit China. Vog from the volcano emissions does not stop throngs of tourists from visiting Hawaii. You are a bit jaded, :smiley: but look on the bright side, you are pretty lucky to have that nice place with the Tower, and have domestic help like a cook.

Someone I know locally here got famous by going to India and studying with the yogi. The movie was called “Enlighten Up.” Worth a watch. :smiley:

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Counting one blessings always a useful exercise, it’s true. I could be enjoying the hospitality of a Calcutta pavement, for example, instead of sitting here typing this.

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I don’t know if you have been but… boy it’s an assault on the senses. To be honest I came back to the UK dazed and confused and largely unsure about whether I had enjoyed my trip. I’d say mostly I didn’t enjoy it…but I would still tell people to go and see for themselves.

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I lived in West Africa as a teen while my dad was serving as a military attache at the American embassy there. I never will forget the first time I saw an open sewer or lepers with no limbs on the street begging. But you know what? It was such a great place to live, right on the ocean and the people were so sweet and welcoming. We did not want to come home and when we did had reverse culture shock. You can get used to just about anything.

Probably because the only ones who seek yoga masters are the Western tourists who get fleeced by the fake swami-jees, haha.

But seriously, Faheem, think of mango season–it’s heavenly. The same is true with fresh coconut chutney, and beautifully fermented dosas. And coconut water. There’s an abundance of gorgeous tropical foliage. Family is tight-knit and are always looking out for each other. We have kabade! India’s clothes are made with the finest craftsmanship that is unsurpassed everywhere else in the world. The clothes we buy are unique and vibrant and brilliant. And they don’t fall apart like crappy polyester single stitched sweatshop clothes made by the big multinationals. If you’ve ever taken anything to a tailor, then you’ve experienced a luxury that is outside the budgets of 90% of foreigners. Oh, and because this country has absolutely 0 fire safety laws, Diwali firework displays right in one’s neighborhood are far more superior than a display set off anywhere else (spoken as someone who has witnessed many independence day celebrations with said fireworks). Plus, if you get sick then medicine is as cheap as a Five Star bar whereas it’s bankruptcy-worthy in the US.

Take heart. Lots to love about our dear country.

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Here are some pictures from my trip to India. You can see why I’m conflicted about the place …

The bottom picture was taken in Kerala and was initially an incredibly beautiful beach until I looked closer.

Indeed I also found rubbish scattered in the grounds of the Taj

Don’t get me wrong. I think, for a Westerner, visiting India is very educational. It’s like visiting another world, while still conveniently staying on this one. None of those annoying rocket trips to deal with.

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Yes, that’s pretty much India. Where were these pictures taken? And what year was that? Don’t mean to be nosey, just curious.

And just for the record, for anyone planning of visiting, rubbish strewn in the streets is among the least of the culture shocks you will encounter.

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I was there in 2010 so this was a while ago now! The Taj was already pretty grey from the intense pollution but clean up work was being undertaken …

Thanks for the pep talk, @PHX. But, “our dear country”? I thought you were American. :slight_smile:

I lived in the US for 15 years. I’m not exactly rosy-eyed about it. But other things being equal, I’d still pick it over India.

Yes, this looks typical of a developing country. Haven’t you seen Slumdog Millionaire? :smile:

Zandra, I thought that was you in the orange sari!

I am, but hey, my official Indian documents show “…citizen of India.” I claim it, too! And after so many years of putting up with its crap then I get the right, haha.

Where in the US were you? Why’d you come back to India? You don’t need to answer these personal questions. I miss the US often, too, but every time I visit I end up hankering to come back. I find the food gets too bland, I get sick of driving, I get tired of taking care of so many things on my own (instead of outsourcing it as I get to do here)… there’s a sense of relief coming back. Of course, the reasons I can’t wait to leave tend to be the inverse: I miss my space, getting in my car and going wherever I want on my own timeline, good salad that won’t give me food poisoning, etc.