5 of the million reasons I Love my India

I’m in India for yet another vacation. Every day there are numerous household chores that I crib about. You know, you buy the milk, boil it, take out the malai at night, store it, and God knows what all needs to be done next. Laundry is worst. Washing, hanging, folding and ironing takes 2 days. It’s simpler at home – milk comes out of the can and clothes come out clean from the machine and ironed from the dryer in 1.5 hours flat.

Anyway, the luxuries make Middle East our haven but in India, it’s the things money can’t buy that take our breath away.

Take cold coffee for example. Nowhere in the world has it tasted better. Costa’s Coffee Cooler was the first thing I had on landing at Delhi’s T3. It’s another thing that I rechecked twice with the cashier when he told me that the bill for two coffees was Rs. 480. Nevertheless I relished every drop of it!

I went to watch Vicky Donor today. It was a laugh riot. The theatre was abuzz with whistles and applause whenever the word ‘sperm’ or ‘fuddu’ came up. Can you bring people throwing coins at the screen to any other part of the world?

I’ve already mentioned one food item. It would be unfair if I don’t talk about desi chilli chicken, kachoris, chola bhatura, kulfi, gulab jamun, kebabs, biryani and what I drink twice a day these days – mango shake! We have Mac Donalds, Pizza hut and Dominoes in Bahrain, still, the menu tastes so much better here. Maybe it’s in the air.

I love it when you know someone in just about every field. The Boy underwent a surgery this week. We knew the orthopaedic surgeon. He performed the surgery and called us at night to ask about the Boy. What else do you want? Yes, we got a hefty discount as well! In Bahrain, you pay at every step and not even in your dreams can you expect a doctor to call you!

The welcome we receive from friends and family is super cool. I think that is one advantage of being an NRI – you get special attention! Stupid Airtel has disconnected my 7-year old India number because it wasn’t used for 3 months. All my loved ones have tried that number and said some gawar guy picks it up! They’ve all tried to connect with me in different ways which makes me feel so loved.
You can go around the world but the way your family and old friends treat you makes India most special.