Trust in the goodness of life

  It's always nice to pass a tea stand in a village or in front of a temple and see men sitting there. At first, many look indifferent. But someone turns his wrist and signals that he wants to be enlightened because a stranger in Indian clothes is walking through their village. Most are satisfied when they know where I come from and that I am on my way to Rajasthan as a pilgrim. But my questions about family in Marathi are s tarting to work. Many of the elders send out a warm welcome after this exchange. No matter what else is said or understood, there is a heartfelt, beautiful friendliness to be felt. That's the nice part. But there is also a strange-funny one: Already in the southern states I was surprised about a very common misunderstanding. When asked about my origins, young and old understand frequently CHINA but not GERMANY. How is that phonetically possible: there's actually only one sound that sounds the same in the two country names (in English: "Ch...

       The western dynamic of GETTING FASTER & GETTING MORE is also becoming more tangible in India.   Multi-lane highways are being built throughout southern India. I marvel at huge road construction vehicles. At the same time, whiskey is becoming more important. More and more often I meet drunk men. Sometimes they seem menacing; sometimes they sleep in the dirt.  It's always a big sign of bad luck.