Where's my ride?

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Bangalore, India 050707 0955am local time

Wow, what a contrast!

Frankfurt is so quiet compared to Bangalore. One of the things Nathan and I noticed walking around Frankfurt was the absence of car alarms. We figured it must be against the law. Compare that to Bangalore where you also do not hear many car alarms but the constant symphony of car horns. Sounding your car horn here is just a part a driving as much as putting on your blinker. It means any number of things. “You are really taking too long loading your car.” “I’m going through this intersection even though it’s green and I know I have the right-of-way.” “I’m going through this intersection even thought it’s red and I know I don’t have the right-of-way.” “I’m going to pass you on the right.” “I’m going to pass you on the left.” You get the idea. And yet, I’ve not heard one accident nor seen any one finger salutes or other hand gestures. It’s not an angry horn, it’s just a horn.

When I asked another employee what they had thought of a previous visit to Bangalore, they said, “It smelled and it was dirty.” I can certainly see how one could have that impression right when you get off the plane. I was struck with pungent odor of urine right outside the airport compared to the sweet smell of the fragrant flowers (grasses?) in Frankfurt. I supposed that one grows used to it after a while, like a smoker that enters his house everyday not knowing that it smells like smoke.

Walking around Frankfurt we were also amazed with the lack of discarded cigarette butts lying on the ground. From casual observance on the taxi ride to the hotel, trash along the road here is not uncommon, not unsightly, but not uncommon. It struck me as odd this morning as I was eating breakfast at the hotel that a young man walked way out of his way around the pool to sweep up a leaf.

Oh yes, they have pigeons here too.

More later.

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Comments

[elya]

[e-mail]
This is how driving and honking is in Ukraine also. When you come back, you will think that Texas drivers are the most polite human beings.