More observations about India

Here are some more thoughts I have about things I've seen:

1. India did another thing right. While typically you don't really need hot water in most of India, sometimes it just feels nice to have a hot shower. In America, we have water heaters, that keep water consistently hot and therefore waste losts of energy. In India, places with hot water showers use geysers (pronounced geezers), which you switch on when you want hot water. Once you wait for the water to heat up, then you use the water, you switch off the geyser. This saves lots of energy.

2. What the hell is up with the Sauna Belts? Every late-night or mid-day paid-advertising program is selling some type of Sauna Belt, which just melts away the fat by concentrating heat on your trouble areas. Are people really that lazy in India? And why, why, why the Sauna Belt? I've counted about six different varieties being sold. Luckily, there's also the "Ab King Pro," which requires a little exercise. But the Sauna Belt is really the king.

3. What's up with bookshops here? Typically, they mainly sell diaries and stationary. Sometimes, when they have English books, they are only about computers or engineering. Sheesh!

4. We have a day of celebration for MLK. Most cities have MLK streets. And yet nothing comes close to the power of Mahatma Gandhi here. While in America, most MLK streets are rundown and house the poorer populations, in India, MG Roads tend to be posher. Also, almost every city no matter how large, has a statue and a square or circle devoted to Gandhi. Nehru doesn't even come close. No one is as beloved anywhere as Gandhiji.

5. Something random...seeing two people do sign language is one of the most beautiful sights in the world. I saw two friends signing to each other yesterday in a Hyderabadi park; one was definitely deaf, the other wasn't...and it was beautiful.