#Japan impressions of - written in 1981

I have had a new toy for Christmas - a scanner. I was looking through an old documents box and came across a copy of a staff magazine. It carried an article I wrote almost 35 years ago! I could only photo scan it so the quality is poor - but I have decided to put it into my blog because it was a life changing experience for me. (to increase the text size press Ctrl +)

#NewYear resolutions or objectives - and it is good to have a plan.

We are on the cusp of a New Year - an invigorating optimistic time for many - for me.

I hesitate to go overboard with how I feel (and very important to touch wood like mad which I am) because so many in the world are not so fortunate and we should take nothing for granted. For instance many in the north of England and Scotland are currently flooded - homes and businesses lost. Many in the world are facing ill-health, hardship or hunger and cannot see how their lot will change in 2016. Of course many are threatened or affected by war - not of their making - and so desperately sad. So I hesitate.

However back to my original May 2014 opening blog and why I am writing a blog. I am sharing my personal thoughts so here goes!

I have done my early morning bike ride this morning. (I have done so just about every morning for the last several years). There were a few more new faces out jogging this morning. It was the same yesterday at our local sports club - new members. It is the time of year that people resolve to make changes in their lifestyle - to break bad habits - to try and lose weight - to get fitter - to drink less - to be more active - to be more healthy - to watch less TV - to be more thrifty - not to spend so much time on social media etc etc! What is on your list?

This is my thought. The problem with New Years resolutions - or even Monday Morning resolutions is they tend to be all or nothing. Their strength is you enter into an undertaking with yourself and maybe others. It is simple to say and understand. I have given up cigarettes or I am going to stop snacking between meals. The trouble is it is easy to falter and if you do what are you left with? I know someone that starts a diet every Monday morning. Typically something happens in his working week - lets say he is required to attend a business lunch - his diet goes out of the window. His mentality is then - ok I have blown my diet for this week - I might as well continue eating what I want for the remainder of the week and I will start my new diet next Monday! I am suggesting a better way is to dispense with "resolutions" and replace them with "objectives". My objective is - I am going to get fitter, I am going to lose weight, I am going to change my lifestyle. I see objectives as more flexible than absolutist resolutions. I see objectives as long-term and not necessarily lost if you stray off the resolution path. True they do not have the total defined and clear cut strength of a resolution but I think there is strength that comes from realism. Most people fail to see out their resolutions for ever. Too often we revert to type once the resolution has been conceded. With a committed objective - if you have a lapse or fail to run every day etc. you can say to yourself ok - but that does not mean I have lost my objective - all is not lost - I shall keep working towards my objective. I have written it before. Life style change particularly in the sense of getting and staying fit " is a marathon not a sprint". So I look at those New Year joggers and new members to our sports club. I see it every year. They will be out every day for the first week or two weeks or month. They are sprinting! But for the vast majority it leads to burn out. They have been unrealistically intense. They lose their resolve. They have gone too fast. A better more sustainable approach is to realise life style change is a marathon. Think in terms of your long-term objective. Progress might benefit from being slower, more realistic - more sustainable - this is my thought. Run 3 times per week not every day.

My other thought relates to planning your year ahead. This a great time of year. A new diary. A new cycle.

Some people resist structure in their life. They like to live every day as it comes. Maximum flexibility - minimum planning. That is fine - each to his own - but it doesn't work for me. I do two things this time of year in terms of planning for the forthcoming year.

The first is a make a list of objectives - things I would like to do or achieve in 2016. I then put against them a target start date and a target finish date. One might be paint the outside of the house or run a marathon - ha! I find this list helpful - particularly putting it into a time frame. However this list is only objectives. I do not beat myself up over it. It is a flexible working document. It is subject to change. Things will drop off the list - others will be added - but I find it practical, helpful and motivating.

The second thing I do is pencil or in some cases ink in dates in my diary of things I plan/want to do. This has two major benefits. I have found over the years that there is always reasons not to do things. Usually because there are conflicting time pressures. You want to go away - but it clashes with something else you or your family have arranged. It clashes with a work related event. People can't get the time off work because they have thought about it too late. By getting dates in the diary you avoid this. You keep your diary clear. You can say - sorry I cannot do that - I am on holiday etc. The other major benefit is I take pleasure in the planning. It gives you things to look forward to. It is more efficient as it allows you to prepare better - to do the google searches - to make good decisions. My diary for 2016 is already taking shape - and it is a very positive feeling.

May I round off by wishing you and your family a happy and successful New Year (in your own terms of course!)

#Pineapple in the shopping basket for £0.99p! How? (for my son in law Phil)

Today I bought a large (and heavy) pineapple in the local store for £0.99p! The attached label says it was produced in Costa Rica. I have been to Costa Rica - it is a very long way away. I googled it - 5500 miles or 8851 kilometres infact. I remember an 11 hour + flight. (an aside - Costa Rica is an incredible country - one of the most bio diverse in the world. I remember swimming in the wonderfully warm Pacific - with Pelicans diving for fish and Howler monkeys sat on the beach!)

I don't know much about how pineapples grow. I know they do not grow on trees and I know you get one per plant. I googled an explanation :

" Even though pineapples are considered a fruit (and a fruit generally comes from trees — unless it’s a berry), pineapples actually grow on a plant close to the ground. Each pineapple plant bears exactly one pineapple. So where did pineapple come from in the first place? How exactly does a pineapple grow? Pretty easily, actually. A pineapple starts and ends as the same product — that is to say, you need a pineapple to grow a pineapple. Pineapples don’t really have usable seeds, so pineapple plants start from the pineapple itself, or more specifically, from the leafy top. In a tropical climate, a pineapple head can be placed directly into the ground. Just be patient, though. Once the pineapple head takes root, it’ll take two to three years before it starts bearing fruit. It’ll grow to be almost 4 feet high by 4 feet wide. Once it’s matured, a large flower will grow in the middle of the plant and eventually be replaced by the pineapple itself. Once the pineapple is harvested, a new fruit will grow in its place the following year. A lot of work for one pineapple."

Ok - remember I only paid 99p today!

So the plant takes 3 or 4 years to mature. It is nurtured and looked after by the farmer and his staff. Then you get one pineapple per year. (I don't know for how many years thereafter).

It then has to be harvested. It has to be transported. Pineapples are heavy and bulky. I wonder what the terrain is like? I did quite a long journey by bus in Costa Rica - from the airport to the place I was staying. The roads were challenging. Very steep hills and decents, sharp bends - indifferent surfaces. ( The journey took the best part of a day. I flew back in a 10 seater light aircraft - it took less than an hour ).

At some stage the pineapples are labelled and graded and packed. Would this be done on the farm or are they transported to a local distribution centre first?

The pineapple is presumably loaded into a container and shipped to the UK (carefully because they are easily bruised and damaged.) I cannot imagine they are flown for cost reasons.

How many people and machines and vehicles have been involved so far? Don't forget the crane driver loading the container on the ship ! What wages have been paid. What profit has the farmer made out of the 99p!?

How long will it take for a container ship to steam 5500 miles across the wild Atlantic on its way to Felixstowe or Southampton. How much fuel used. Presumably the pineapples have to be chilled throughout. Surely it must take a week to get here at least.

The containers are unloaded. One per massive lorry to the Supermarket distribution centre - where ever that is - or does it go to Covent Garden (Nine Elms) fruit market first?

Eventually the container cargo has to be split and reloaded for shipment by lorry down to the Isle of Wight - with the added expense (and time) of the cross Solent ferry crossing.

It arrives at the local supermarket - more hands to unload - and then out onto the shelves for the likes of me to buy for 99p!

How much money does the Supermarket make out of the 99p. The lion share of the profit I would guess. How does this whole journey hang together. Surely it means subsistence wages for many involved and will there be any real profit at all for the local farmer or cooperative who grew it? And what about the environmental cost - all that diesel fuel - including for the massive container ship!

I guess the answer lies in economies of scale. Thousands and thousands of pineapples grown, transported and distributed at the same time. It does make you speculate about the benefits and efficacy of "local and seasonal sourcing" though!  Stating the obvious - without such ingenuity and enterprise we would not be eating pineapples in the UK and even if we could , they would be much more expensive than £0.99p!

 

#Tradition

I am in the middle of a blog - believe it or not - about pineapples! but it is quite late on Christmas Eve - I am affected by alcohol from a family session in the local boozer -  but my jobs are done - food prepared as far as an amateur can manage - my offspring are home (almost). I am anxious about my 22 year old son - still out on the town - but he will be a doctor in 2 1/2 years time - so do I really need to fret - who would be a parent! I am thinking about my wonderful daughter - a mother of two darling girls. She is a ward sister on an acute medical ward. She is working a full overnight night shift - will not finish until 8am on Christmas Day. What an amazing contribution. So many people take things for granted. My daughter is at the coal face. So proud of you Victoria.

Christmas has been coming in our household for three weeks at least. Every year we have the same discussions. What will we do when. When will we shop. What will we buy. When do we open the presents. What to eat. When to eat it. How shall we shape our Christmas. When will we walk or swim. Maybe a bike ride or play tennis. Monopoly or Newmarket!?

Every year for at least the last twenty years we eventually come to the same conclusion - even if it is by default. We will do the same as we did last year! It is what we want. It is the conclusion we all secretly engineer. We want it to be the same. We love tradition. We love the family tradition. We love the traditions established by our parents. We replicate them - maybe in a different setting yes but essentially the same. It probably helps to define us without perhaps realising it.

More widely. The UK is not a happy place at the moment. There is a sense of anxiety. Why? In my view and in the view of many others - is because our culture and traditions seem to be under siege and are being diminished. My fellow citizens I am sure in the main are deeply conservative (small c). We value our traditions. As our Prime Minister said today in a speech to the nation - it is important we uphold/consider our Christian values as a nation. He is right. While Britain is nominally a church state - in reality it is largely secular. However it is underpinned by the values of Christianity. British people do uphold the traditions we take from hundreds of years of Christianity and they are important and valuable in our sense of well being and continuity (the simple act of singing traditional Christmas carols for instance).

The anxiety comes from the gradual erosion of freedom of speech - ground down by a right of not to be offended (thin skinned intolerance) - a sickening political correctness. The anxiety comes from the impact of immigration from the east. We know mass immigration/migration is having a dramatic effect on our country. I shall not make a response to a good or bad economic effect here/now. The underlying impact is those from the east are not in the main people who subscribe to Christian values. Cut to the chase. The Muslim faith - many would say cult - are not being quietly and reasonably assimilated into our culture. There is a feeling they want to change how we live. Many are zealous - activists - intolerant - superior in their righteousness. We know many despise how we live. Many live quite differently from us. But they want to be here because they are free here. Despite this so many Muslims seem to have little or no humility. They throw the rights and freedoms our traditions offer them back in our faces. They exploit our tolerance as weakness. Ironically we are still going majorly out of our way not to offend them - we tip toe round their sensitivities (of which there are many) at our own expense. They are running rings around us. It is desperately sad and misguided. It is making very ordinary people very wary - it makes us feel we must guard - emphasise the traditions that define us otherwise we will be overwhelmed. We are not very good at it. Sadly it is making ordinary people quietly militant - but at the same time anxious - because actually all we want is to live in peace with our deep rooted traditions and way of life.

How will it end?

#Gandhi "I will not let anyone walk through my mind with their dirty feet".

As usual. Cycling along for my early morning Seaview to Ryde and back again constitutional. Dark, mild, still - lovely clean sea air. Quality thinking time.

I am recalling some of my recent India trip. In the blogs I wrote about it I mentioned Gandhi several times. I visited Raj Ghat in Delhi where he was cremated and Gandhi Smitri where he was actually shot dead. These were moving and significant places to attend.

But this was not what was in my mind particularly this morning. What was in my mind was a rather scruffy Gandhi quote stenciled on a back street wall in Fort Cochin, Kerala. I had hired a bike to have a look around. I was trying to find my way back through the backstreet maze and came across the quote in a inconsequential narrow road. I read it as I cycled past - it made me smile and then made me think. I got half a kilometre down the road and thought I want a photo of that quote. I cycled back and took the photo below. It was a narrow street, only my mob camera - so getting the perspective was tricky - but it doesn't matter because it is legible and in describes where it was when I first read it.

Subsequently I have done no research into the quote but have thought quite a lot about what Gandhi might have meant and what it means to me.

I guess it could refer to moral rather than immoral behaviour - being lead astray. Being tempted. Polluting an otherwise good moral mind. Resisting it. I am sure it does.

However I have been thinking more about "peace of mind" - contentment - being your own person - shaping your own life - taking responsibility for your own life - rather than being pressured to conform to someone else's ideas and values that do not sit comfortably with you and ultimately disturb and undermine your peace of mind. I am thinking of things like materialism, social media - self promotion, keeping up with the Jones's, following the latest trends and fashions in a vain attempt to conform or impress. Maybe Gandhi meant we should resist that - to resist things that detract from our peace and simple happiness.

The other thing I think it might mean is not allowing mean spirited, judgemental or unreasonable people to undermine us. For example I know someone who is a vocational carer. A very professional and thoughtful lady. She was harangued by the daughter of one of the elderly persons under her care for not being caring enough. My friend was very upset and questioned herself. It is now apparent the daughters attitude - and her taking it out on my friend has its roots in the daughters own self guilt for placing her mother in care rather than looking after her herself. I think this happens a lot in life. People can be horrible to other people - but it very often it says most about them - and maybe Gandhi is saying don't let people upset you or disturb your mind if deep down you know you are leading a good life.

I am smiling writing this - I need to lighten up - ha! I have a Glastonbury ticket. How to approach those mad hedonistic 4 days - I will think about it on my early morning bike ride tomorrow! Oh and Christmas of course!

Raj Ghat

Gandhi Smitri

Gandhi's last steps and where he was assassinated.

     

#Syria the decision by the UK to extend air strikes against ISIS in Syria

I am writing this short blog as an exercise for myself as much as anything - to order my thoughts and to take a position.

The UK parliament has recently completed a 10 hour debate culminating in a substantial majority vote in favour of conditional air strikes against ISIS in Syria. This was a free vote and supported by many Labour MP's including Tom Watson (deputy leader) Hilary Benn (Shadow Foreign Sec.), Alan Johnson and Margaret Beckett.

I would like to start by saying those who claim the UK are warmongers, or have rushed to war, or have no idea what they are doing have not properly followed the process and arguments that led to this significant decision. It seemed to me that our MP's whether voting for or against did so with a great deal of thought and principled moral conviction - with good and proper intensions. It certainly was not a decision taken lightly or easily.

A SUMMARY POSITION

• ISIS is a jihadist fundamentalist cult intent on creating a worldwide "Muslim" caliphate. It recognises no international borders and are sworn enemies of the west and western values. Most would say their practices are medieval and certainly barbaric and cruel.
• ISIS have claimed responsibility for the recent terrorist atrocity in Paris when 132 were murdered. Authorities in the UK claim to have prevented 7 planned ISIS sponsored terror attacks in the last year. We must protect ourselves.
• Left without significant challenge the caliphate spread and was becoming ever more powerful. Less than a year ago it almost secured Iraq totally - including control of it's oil wealth. The democratically elected government of Iraq requested help from the West in countering the advance of ISIS. The UK parliament voted massively in favour of implementing a UN resolution to create a coalition to fight ISIS from the air over Iraq in order to give momentum to the Iraq Army fightback. This has been partially successful.The ISIS advance has been checked in Iraq and at least 30% or the territory lost has now been regained.
• The ISIS main base is in the adjacent Syria. They are fighting the ruling Assad regime and are seeking to take over Syria. It is from Syria that they plan and train for their reign of terror. There is indisputable evidence that they have sent people to attack us in the west from Syria.

REASONS FOR AIR STRIKES

• If we do not confront ISIS they will get bigger and stronger - and even more dangerous to us in the West. As Hilary Benn the Shadow Labour Foreign Secretary who voted in support of the recent House of Commons motion to extend bombing to Syria said "history shows we must fight fascism".
• The House of Commons voted 534 votes to 43 to support bombing of ISIS in Iraq. In the last 12 months a combination of air strikes and Iraqi fighters on the ground has been widely judged as being effective in turning back ISIS and civilian casualties have been reportedly avoided. ISIS does nor recognise borders. ISIS move between Iraq and Syria. It is illogical that our planes have to stop at the Syrian border.
• We have been asked to assist by our allies.
• There is no other practical option. A governments first priority is to protect its own citizens.

ARGUEMENTS/COUNTER ARGUEMENTS USED AGAINST AIR STRIKES

• Bombing on its own cannot defeat ISIS. Ground troops will be required to defeat ISIS and there are no obvious home grown troops in Syria that we can support. Therefore bombing is pointless. It is accepted ISIS cannot be defeated by air power alone. It is also true that unlike in Iraq there is no obvious allies on the ground that the West would naturally choose to support in a ground offensive against ISIS. (there is no proposal to put Western troops on the ground). There is further messy realities - the Russians are supporting the Assad regime for their own reasons. While the Russians are targeting ISIS it is also likely they are targeting other groups that see both ISIS and Assad as enemies. The West's priority is to defeat ISIS but they want the Assad regime gone too because of their human rights abuses including using gas on their own people and dropping barrel bombs on the same.) The West's intelligence gathering report there may be up to 70000 militia men admittedly disparate and not necessarily the allies we would choose, who are against ISIS and Assad. (it is true the Russians might be attacking these groups too). Despite Russian interference it is hoped these men could eventually form the ground force needed to take advantage of the opening created by attack by air strikes. So it is not necessarily true that a potential ground force does not exist that could in the end defeat ISIS. It is certain that these groups could not emerge if ISIS was not attacked from the air. ISIS is currently far too strong. It is accepted that this will be a long haul. and there are no certainties. ( please note David Cameron speaking in Parliament referred to the 70000 as a guesstimate and stated repeatedly that they could not be relied upon as a suitable or effective ally - but there was hope that they might become so in due course and the status quo was not a serious option in his opinion.) 
• Russia is already in there bombing and the crowded airspace could lead to an international incident. Russia and the West are there with the unanimous support of a UN resolution and both are targeting ISIS and to some extent working in cooperation. This extends to a common flight control over Syria.
• Bombing in Syria will cause further radicalisation of Muslims particularly in the West. It is understood that western ground troops however worthy their intensions often cause huge resentment (as occupiers) which might lead to further radicalisation. It is highly unlikely western troops will be used which is why a viable local opposition on the ground is such an important issue. Other Muslim countries are supporting the Western coalition in its attempts to counter ISIS. 
• Bombing in Syria will make our streets even more unsafe. Our streets are not safe now. See 7/7, Corporal Rigby, Charlie Hebdo, Paris. As I have said our intelligence service and police have recently foiled planned terrorist attacks in the UK. We are not safe.
• Bombing in Syria will kill innocent civilians. The lesson has been learned from Iraq and Afghanistan. It is clearly understood by Western Governments that while their publics might support bombing they will only do so on the basis that civilian casualties are avoided. While there can be no absolute guarantees we are assured that a combination of surgical bombing strikes and high quality intelligence and surveillance has demonstrated in Iraq over the last year that air strikes can hurt ISIS without hurting civilians. 
• Bombing in Syria is illegal. There is a unanimous UN resolution in place authorising air strikes and the removal of Assad (which is why the West do not need an invitation from Assad to fight ISIS in Syria.)
• There is no end plan - no plan for Syria if and when ISIS is defeated. This is a fair point  to raise given the mistakes made in Iraq and Libya particularly. The West might be resigned to keeping Assad (as the Russians seem to want) in place but only on a transitory basis. It is hoped the disparate groups will grow into a force for good (and refugees return) once they can see ISIS being pressurised by air strikes from the Western coalition. It is accepted that the future is not clear but that is not an argument against action now - it is just too dangerous to allow a status quo - and even more dangerous to leave ISIS to grow unchallenged.
• War is a mistake - we should be putting our efforts into seeking a political settlement. History shows us that it is naïve and wishful thinking only, that fascists can be stopped by negotiation - (or at least until they are on the brink of defeat.) Just consider Hitler.
• There are plenty of others dropping bombs on Syria - why do we need to get involved? It is practical for us to be involved (as we are one of the countries with the ability to make a difference with target bombing) but it is also hugely symbolic. We are part of G7 and G20 and of course NATO. Our allies like France have asked for assistance. We have an interest in these air strikes because we believe ISIS wants to destroy our way of life. We have a moral obligation to face up to our attackers and to support our colleagues in their time of need.

It seems obvious to me that ISIS are a world threat in their ambition and hatred. They are a threat to us on our streets. If we do not attempt to counter their activity they will expand and become ever more powerful and dangerous. Targeted and surgical air strikes are a practical way forward and I am satisfied the west will make every effort to avoid civilian casualties (while ISIS continue to butcher civilians). I do not believe air strikes will make us more unsafe. I believe we have a battle to win the hearts and minds of young impressionable Muslims who are being drawn to Syria and radicalised by ISIS propaganda. By weakening ISIS in Syria we can stem this flow. It might be a generational battle sadly.

#India PT 20 health, food and final thoughts India Nov 2015

Final reflections on India

I have spent a month in India. I have travelled from Kolcata in the east across the major north to Mumbai in the west and then down the west coast to touch Kerala and Goa. I have travelled by train. I have met a lot of people and talked hugely about India. Of course I have only made a small scratch. How can I know India? But I know it better now than I did a month ago.

Here are some thoughts and some context.

Before I set them down  just a few comments about health and food - for many people a big concern when considering India as a destination.

I am delighted and relieved to report in the whole month not a single problem. I have been lucky although I am not aware of anyone telling me they had been ill.

My approach was cautious because I was travelling alone :-

• I only ate Indian food apart from one KFC!
• I never ate salads or peeled fruit even as garnishes.
• I only drank bottled water. You are always provided with a metal mug of water but I didn't drink it. (although I pretty sure it was fine). I used bottled water for teeth cleaning too.
• In the main I ate veg based meals most of the time - no hardship whatsoever - it is easy to be vegetarian in India.
• However I subsequently had fish in Kerala and Goa and some chicken and mutton.
• I ate plenty of hot street food. Wonderful.
• My simple rule - only eat in the busiest places or the busiest vendors. Eat with the locals.

Food in India is a total pleasure. Something outstanding. The variety - the spicing. Just incredible and so common place. Have a go at anything. I wanted to remember the names of the dishes I ate but failed to keep a record. I photographed a lot and attach some below!

Mosquitos - not a significant problem even at dawn and dusk. However they are around. I always wore long trousers and long sleeves. Paul and June told me about the local brand of cream repellent - Odomol. It was effective and cheap and nice to use. Thank you! 

Back to my thoughts and observations.

First of all and undoubtedly India is a wonderful country. I am so glad I came. It has been truly a monumental experience and India will always now have a place in my heart. I shall always remember the lovely people perhaps that more than anything. I wish them so well in their lives - lives which at times appear to be not much more than a battle to survive to the next day.

I have been preoccupied with thoughts about where India is heading. India is the I in the BRIC acronym - now perhaps the fastest growing economy in the world. A new economic power house. But in my view nothing is assured. India has a battle on its hands to build a sustainable future and to lift so many of its people out of the grinding poverty that is totally commonplace.

It has several things going for it. Probably most importantly they have a deeply embedded democracy. Secondly it has a deeply religious tradition. This might sound a touch inconsistent from an atheist but I recognise the Hindu ethos ( and for that matter the Muslim Indian ethos) and the alcoholic abstinence that is required is a force for good behaviour. India is in the round a peaceful place and has a great tradition of tolerance - that is evidently not being seen in many other countries. India is largely a cohesive society and this gives them an opportunity to build a better future rather than waste time and energy (and lives) fighting over some ancient religious or tribal argument. It also has the world's biggest potential workforce and a strong tradition of valuing education and the benefits that accrue from it. Indians are also business minded. They want to get on. All these are positive things.

There are some clouds though - some big ones.

The first is its population - India is overcrowded and population is growing rapidly. This presents India with so many difficulties. Fundamentally - enough affordable food - housing - health care and education as well as the ability to create a modern infrastructure that can cope. India is in the main a grinding place to operate in. Roads are so often gridlocked and of course the extremes of climate make it harder still at times. One consequence is air pollution. It is a big issue. The cities are not an environment I would want to live in it for very long. It is a long-term health issue - combined with the fact that India is a hard place to exercise in. You rarely see joggers. The majority of Indians can barely swim. Commuters in to the big cities have brutally long days - so time is an issue too. Middle ranking Indians are getting fatter too. Obesity is on the horizon. There is also so much rubbish and discarded plastic evident all around India. I visited in November - it was hot - but to be there in the height of summer must be close to unbearable for a traveller and I would definitely avoid it.

The next is the dreaded corruption phenomenon. People believe it is bad. Many believe politicians are only really interested in feathering their own nest. I have written about corruption before in my blogs. I think it is killing the Brazilian economy. Let's hope India can keep it in check.

I mentioned religious tolerance. Many people stressed how important it is and how much they want to live in peace and live and let live. But there is a commentary that the current prime minister Mr Modi is too pro Hindu. Others have denied this and simply says in reflects that Hindus are about 80% of the population. Let's hope again their tradition of religious harmony can be maintained. Earlier in the year I was in Turkey. Same issue but there it was Muslims being favoured. It is at the very least demotivating and bound to be a hindrance if people in power use created division to further their own agendas.

Another cloud might be the increasing westernisation of traditional Indian culture. This doesn't have to be a bad thing but many young people ape a western lifestyle especially the educated ones. I have just been in Goa. The majority of tourists are now Indians. They are using the bars - they have the designer gear. India is experiencing quite rapid change. Can it hold it all together? One thing so prized is as elsewhere gradually breaking down - and that is the security and continuity offered by the family unit. Young people are moving away to work. The family care system is no longer as secure. One of the growth businesses is elderly care homes!

Just two other observations. The Indian economy has been booming. There is real wealth here. Mumbai has hundreds of millionaires. But nothing has changed much for the poor. India has hi tec business yes - but it is also one of the world’s sweat shops. Poor people working for peanuts. It is hard to see how this can change and not create mass unemployment because the west will always move its factories to where wages are lowest. If you have a wealth gap getting ever bigger eventually something will have to give. Maybe India will be able to achieve what Japan achieved. When I was a boy everything cheap was made in Japan. Now Japanese products are quality and carry high added value and wages improved. One big vision from Mr Modi is to try to arrest chronic rural poverty by starting village factories and educate not to have so many children!

The last one. I have spoken to quite a few bright young Indians on my travels. They want to move to the West. They do not believe India can ever compete with the West - that rewards for skills and talent will never amount to enough for them. They can do better elsewhere. I have asked would you intend to come back? Why would I want to do that if I can get a base in the West! India is haemorging talented ambitious young people. The West’s gain. India's loss.

These are some of the clouds I see.

But please do not get me wrong. India has momentum. It is a truly fascinating place. So diverse. Sometimes so beautiful. Wonderful rivers. Outstanding wild life. Great food. All those spices. (so easy to be a vegetarian in India.) Sometimes so simple otherwise so complex. It's history is mind boggling. You could loose yourself for a lifetime very easily. As I have said the people are lovely. Being in India is challenging yes, frustrating at times yes but there are rewards everyday - sometimes staggering ones. The Taj Mahal. Amazing. I will always defend India against its detractors. It is a truly great country with real heart and common humanity. Let's hope it can keep it.

Thank you India for a trip that I think in some ways will be life changing for me. We are so lucky.

#Indrail PT 19 India Nov 2015

I have just spent a month in India and covered a lot of distance - mainly by overnight sleeper train. I have listed my experiences below. I emphasise this was my first time in India and I in no way claim to be any sort of expert on India trains but what I have found may help you.

• First of all there is a big difference between local trains and inter city express trains. The local ones are legendary for their chaos with people hanging out the doors. I am not writing about local trains but the fully fledged express train service.
• Once I had decided on India I used the brilliant web site Seat 61 for advice - the inside track!
• Rail travel in India is the main form of transport for both passengers and freight. The rail network is comprehensive and Indrail’s reputation is good for both price and safety. However the ticket booking system is confusing. I still do not understand it.
• What Seat 61 emphasised is that berths on the good trains get snapped up quickly and therefore the sooner you can book the better. I am talking 2 or 3 months ahead.
• You can book your own tickets from the UK I believe but it is problematic.
• Seat 61 recommended considering using a booking agent and gave the name of S.D.E.L. as a suggestion. They were really excellent. I sent them my proposed itinerary and dates. They came back quickly with a proposal and a price. I booked through them.
• I was advised AC2 class tickets and that is what I went with. My months travelling - 12 train journeys - sometimes including meals cost £167. Brilliant value.
• My Indrail pass came through promptly with the journeys specified. It then gets a touch more bureaucratic and confusing. In a nutshell somewhere nearer the journey time each individual trip is confirmed with a PNR number issued. This number is key. It also shows your carraige and allocated seat number - which you definitely need to save a massive amount of hassle. SDEL emailed me my PNR’s when they were issued and I was able to check my bookings on the Indrail website as confirmation. That is all you need to do.
• AC2 is fine - not luxurious by any means but it is all you need. There are cheaper classes including non AC 3 tier bunks. It is a matter of choice and budget of course but I would suggest AC2 is  a good compromise and it is the class used by middle ranking Indians I would say.
• AC2 has 4 bunks with 2 more across the aisle. Two passengers normally sit on the bottom bunk until you agree it is time to make up the beds.
• You are individually issued with a thick blanket (never needed), a pillow, a small cotton towel and an old style brown paper parcel containing your two proper (and welll laundered and pressed) cotton sheets.
• I slepped well but one or two personal things help. I always used a silk sleeping bag liner. It feels more personal and if the sheet comes off it is OK. I would also suggest eye covers and ear plugs.
• It can be a bit noisy - mobile phones especially and people moving around and talking. Lights can go off and on too as passengers come and go.
• Toilets are functional and basically kept clean but you don’t feel you want to hang around in them. There is usually a western style toilet too! Nothing to fear.
• I use wet wipes and mouth wash to keep myself lovely - ha!
• Food - depending on the express you are sometimes provided with free meals or you can order food cheaply. It is basic but I would trust it. You are almost always given a bottle of free water. At other times there are people selling food and drinks.
• Security. The are warnings about bags and shoes being stolen while you are asleep. There are warnings about the dangers of taking food and drink from overly friendly travellers. They drug you and rob you! However AC carriages are kept separate from other carriages and while I took precautions and was careful I never felt uneasy. Your personal things are potentially more at risk if your bunk is the top bunk. Like many travellers I invested in a link chain and padlock to secure my bags to the bed and kept my money and passport by my pillow.
• Finding your carraige and berth. From your PNR you can find the information you need. I think you can print tickets off the website in advance. I never did this. All you need for the inspector is the Indrail Pass and a note of the PNR and occasionally your passport ID. The trains are incredibly long so you need to understand how to find your carraige quickly because once on the train you cannot move all the way through it. AC carriages seem to always be towards the front. There is usually a board somewhere on the platform wall showing the train layout and you can count back your carraige from the engine. The platform too is usually numbered with the carraige number that will stop next to it.

A couple of other things :

• There are some elaborate scams. The idea is to get you to rebook your journey with them. You are told your train is not running and you have to take an alternative route. The favourite place for this to happen is just as you go on the platform you have to put your luggage through a scanner. They stop you there. Ask to see your ticket. I was prior warned but still almost fell for it. They are incredibly plauseable and practised. Just at the last minute I came to my senses and insisted I wanted to go through into the platform. My train had not been cancelled!
• Always go to the pre pay counter out side the station exit to sort taxis. I did request one or two of the hostels to meet me at the station but the problem with this is timing. The trains are sometimes late. 

Booking trains in India. I never did it but I met travellers who did do it. As I said trains are usually fully booked but they keep a percentage back for last minute or emergency travel as I understand it. I think it works like this. I believe you can enter your name on a list and you move up it until you get a berth or not. Confirmation might be last minute and I think is more expensive. Seat 61 explains how to log into a site called Clear Track ( or something like that) which makes online booking possible and easier otherwise you are in the hands of a booking agent.

I set off from England with my trains booked and paid for. I knew exactly my plan. I was very lucky - it worked out to the letter - and as a solo traveller this was very reassuring and easy.  However many travellers want flexibility or plans change. I have no experience on how to handle that. Beware India had hundreds of Tourist Information points but almost all of them should actually be called Travel Agents!

To sum up. Rail travel is the way to go in India. It is economical, it feels safe, you often have a view of India as it goes by but particularly you meet and chat to people. I have learned so much from long conversations with fellow Indian travellers. I recommend it without any significant reservation. 

#India PT 18 more observations India Nov 2015

#India PT 18 more observations India Nov 2015

Here are a few more bit and pieces that have come my way or have occurred to me while I have been here. In no particular order!

• India is an extremely competitive place. Placed in the same situation I have thought what would I do to make a living. One big problem would be copying or barging in. It seems if one does it and has some success it is quickly duplicated. That can happen anywhere of course but it definitely happens here. On this theme it is easy to be judgemental about how people live and go about things. I think it is a false conclusion for us westerners to feel we would soon rise above the crowd if we were dealt the same hand of cards.
• Personal space. I have had to learn fast. Customs are much different here - they have to be. An example. You are sat on a bench resting your legs - nice and peaceful - it is my territory in my mind. Along comes an Indian family and sits all round me. No excuse me - would you mind if we sit here. I think the cheeky devils this is my seat - buzz off! However they have no idea I think they are being rude - it does not occur to them they are doing something wrong or offensive. They are not  - ha! In an ultra crowded country with well over a billion people - you perch where you can - it is accepted - it is normal and no one gets upset - just sqeeze in! I have had to learn this quickly otherwise you would continually be stressed in India!
• Be careful where you sit. I have just been startled by a crashing falling coconut. It could have been worse. I remember on my last big trip which included some time in the Amazon basin the guide explained at certain times of the year in is unsafe to move around in the rain forest. Brazil nuts are housed inside a hard outer casing about football size. They kill.
• Political corruption is a reoccurring theme. I have talked to several Indian businessmen and apart from population growth they feel graft and patronage is seriously damaging India's future prospects. I have written about this before. Once it gets hold it is so hard to shift and percolates down to all aspects of society. The state of Bihar had been in the news while I have been here. See http://m.firstpost.com/politics/with-tejashwi-and-tej-pratap-lalu-has-strengthend-his-dynasty-in-bihar-2519636.html After winning the state election the winners young sons with limited academic attainment apparently now become cabinet ministers with all sorts of perks including a huge bungalow each. Thankfully freedom of the press in the UK keeps vigilant in exposing this type of behaviour. A very important - indeed crucial thing.
• Tuk Tuk drivers frequently ask you to do favours. Just let me take you to one shop. They will get a T shirt or a litre of fuel etc. I just smile and say sorry I can't do that and move on.
• I was only in one downpour. The rain was those lovely big warm drops. A lot of people enjoy the monsoon. Rain really brings out the smells.
• I think the hot season must be unbearable. India is a massive country where areas have local climates of course but I would never recommend coming here in the summer.
• You see a lot of Tourist Information offices. Beware most are private businesses. They are travel agents.
• Indian young men smile. They want photos taken with you and to impress you with their knowledge of Premiership Football. They are not aggressive or surly like so often in the UK.
• Kerala has shut down most of its bars by government order. The reason - Indians drinking too much and becoming problematic. You now see long queues at government controlled off licences.
• I have watched quite a bit of cricket here. I think the best view comes from behind the bowlers arm.

#Goa PT 17 India Nov 2015

I travelled up to Goa on the overnight Ravjani Express from Kerala. I woke early morning after a good nights sleep and laid on my bottom bunk watching the scene out of the window for a couple of hours. Is was not practical to take photos so I just took it all in. As I mentioned before the Keralian countryside and then running into the small state of Goa is absolutely lovely. India must be an ornithologists dream. The number of birds, their colours, sculptural just stood in the fields - eye-catching on the wing.. A special view in themselves. But there is so much more to catch your eye. The broadleaved banana, the erect coconut palm in proliferation as a back drop - the postage stamp little fields at various stages of green as crops are rotated - snaking raised paths - skinny farmers ploughing with bullocks in harness, children playing on their way to school, patterns of little cuped haystacks, fishermen poling their narrow canoes on the backwaters. Locals carrying a load balanced on their head - the women dobit so gracefully. Lots of ponds and small lakes. Paddy fields with ladies in sarhees stooped working in them. Great scenes.

I hadn't really done my homework properly. The main train station is in South Goa. I had booked to stay in North Goa at Calangute. I had thought about changing it especially as I had heard N Goa is far more commercial but in the end after a months travelling I just thought go with it and relax. I took a tuk tuk to Calangute. 900IR so not a disaster. It was about an hour I think. It was pretty evident right from the off that Goa is a holiday place. Busy yes - very much so but not chaotic as much of the north.

I get to my hostel but it is a hotel with a dormitory. 6 beds in the dorm but only me and an American with his daughter. The dorm is great, large, spotless and cool. Excellent wi fi, a swimming pool, there are Indian and British guests staying in the proper accommodation above. For £6 a night brilliant value and outstanding after the excellent breakfast they served.

I get myself sorted and then walk down to the famed Calangute beach. Yes it is commercial. Yes it is busy but it really is a wonderful beach. It is truely huge. Wide deep soft sand and must be miles long. There is space for everyone. Jet skis, parchutes off the back of speed boats, bars galore, people strolling, many many Indians having fun and playing games. Big waves rolling in many swimming, life guards patrolling, music playing. It is very clean. It is not claustrophobic in any way. It is a great beach, somehow with everything happening it remains serene. Maybe it is the sound of the waves and the acres and acres of sand soaking up all the energy.  I can happily spend a few days here. I am glad I came already. Later I have my first swim in the Arabian Sea. Wow the sand is so soft under foot, the water clear and so warm. Some big waves. Fantastic. Amazing to be in after a month of hot travel.

Later I have a beer. Much cheaper in Goa than anywhere else I have been in India because unlike the rest of India Goa is not mainly a dry state. Bars are common place. I talk to many Brits. A lot have been coming for years. I ask about changes. This is what I was told. Calangute is of course busier than it was years ago but two things have happened in the last year or too that has been positive. Firstly the main holiday makers now are Indian. This is great. People watching - the beach experience is a new one to many Indians. The other is the Russian invasion has been curbed and very significantly reduced. Part explanation - sanctions against Russia for their invasion of the Ukraine is hurting business and a lot of Russians can no longer afford to travel. Secondly the government in Goa have deliberately increased the travel costs to Russians by increasing visa and landing fees. Apparently local businesses complained about hard drinking Russians walking out of restaurants without paying and the same with taxis. As I understand it foreigners can no longer by property in Goa. All good if it stops the place losing its character.

So my Goa experience is very limited. Apparently the are many beautiful pristine beaches to be found. I could imagine a holiday here. Your £ goes a long way and the food available is fantastic in every way. Just avoid some of the bars full of hard drinking Brits at sun down - oh and the guys on the beach that want to clean your ears with long tweezers. They make out they have removed something from your ear and then want to charge for a full decoke. No thanks!

My last paragraph. I shall share a silly morning with you. Apologies at the outset for the juvenality!

My daughters in laws, Paul and June know Goa very well. They suggested a visit to Panjim might be a nice thing to do. Public bus to Betim - free ferry to Panjim. I set out. Indian buses are the cheapest form of travel. They wizz around in their bashed up body work. They are often full and chaotic. A full on Indian experience. I have a seat. I people watch. People come and go. One youngish guy gets on raging shouting at the driver. The only time I saw anything like it in India. We all want to know the problem. I thought maybe the bus had knocked him off his bike. It turns out he is the boss. He collects money. Blows a referees whistle to give instructions to the driver. On money it comes to my time to pay. I had watched people hand over 10 & 20 notes. He wants 50 off me ha! Anyway - apologies again. I am in a daft relaxed mood. For some reason I cannot get a scene out of my mind from my last stay - in Kerala. At the hostel you could cook your own food. Another guest was a French lady. She was very nice but had a nasally French accent - reminded me of Inspector Closseau. She had bought some eggs. David have you had a crêpe (before), David would you like a crêpe, David would you like another crêpe. David did you enjoy the crêpe. I tried not to laugh - silly boy - but I can't get her accent or her unfortunate questions out of my head. I make some up. David would you like tea or coffee with your crêpe. When did you last have a crêpe - ha! I was already grinning on the bus. Then I looked at the signs above the front rows of seats. Women , seniors - is that me? and "handicaps"! Handicaps  This is India. I started speculating the outcry if this was the term used on a UK bus. It made me chuckle again. I think the term now would be " with disability ". Anyway an Indian lady started watching me. She must have thought I was mad. Stupid grin! Anyway last stop Betim. Where is the free ferry? I am in the middle of a huge bus terminal. Eventually I give up trying to get directions. I get a tuk tuk. How much 70. How far about 2km? I know this can't be right. The slowest tuk tuk drive ever. Still there in 3 minutes. 50 over charged! I am at the ferry. It is a bit like the East Cowes floating bridge. Another mad Indian moment. Everyone including motorbikes rush on before the others can get off. Chaos. I get to the other side. Where is Panjim. Am I here? A choice left or right. I say Panjim. He says bus two minutes. I get on. I sense something is wrong. In no time We are across a big bridge - I am back in the bus terminus at Betim! Laugh or cry. I decide to get my act together. I was switched off. First rule of trekking. Have a map. I buy one. Yes confirmed - I had been to Panjim. What to do. Have another go or get back to Calangute and have a swim in the sea. It's hot. The sea wins. Tuk tuk back 350. Great. ( I subsequently look at Lonely Planet Panjim has a population of 115000 and somehow I missed it. I shall have to come another year and seek out the Plantin Leaf Restaurant!

I chat to a family from Birmingham. What are you up to this afternoon. Going down to the beach. They laugh. They say we call that one " pants beach". They said a lot of the Indian boys haven't got much and go in in their pants. She is right. I am walking along. A group of very dark skinned Indian lads stop me. Photo photo. Initially I say no because I immediately think they were probably working some scam but it is OK - they genuinely do just want a photo - I have been asked quite a few times. We line up. I think these lads are Tamils. Anyway one turns to me and says you look just like my dad! I take it as a compliment. I walk on. Some other lads are flinging a tennis ball to each other. The ball rolls down to me. I pick it up and choose to throw it underarm the 10 yards. Horror - I don't release my fingers properly. The ball goes just off vertical up - lands behind me. What a buerk! They are laughing. I fumble a regather and donkey drop it back to the nearest lad. He is going to have some fun. He piches one at me. I stick out my arm. A decent one handed catch. Thank goodness! I pitch it back  - he slings it back harder. Another catch. They clap. Some honour restored. I try the old trick. Look at one guy - throw it to another. He catches it easily. Time to move on before I come unstuck again. We all laugh. The Indians are nice people.