End of Train Journey

The Train Station…A Perfect Place to Brush Your Teeth in the Morning!

+ Interesting Thoughts about the Modern Day India, It's Youth and Where it is Headed

Well, I hope this finishes up this trip as I hate falling behind in journal entries...makes my life miserable having to go back and fill in....

OK...first there is something which I forgot to write about at the beginning of this trip...When we came about 5 AM to the train station, there were people sleeping all over outside as well as inside of the station...whole families just spread out on the ground...some on thin blankets, others without, with bundles all around and some with nothing but themselves...first I asked Ravin if this was normal and he said yes and then I asked if they are allowed and he said not really, but when I asked if anyone bothers them, he said not usually....they are waiting for trains...(yeah right)...All of them? asks me...and he said...well...not really. Then inside the station they have these large sinks almost like drinking troughs and at all of them people were standing around and brushing their teeth as if they were in their own private bathrooms...really weird...OK...back to the journey

7:30 AM...I've now moved back to my "other home"...lady in my compartment is apparently ill which would explain her sleeping so much the day before, but better not to be there too much and let her rest better also. So me and the "commissioner" have come back here.
School principal lady is traveling for work reasons in a trip which started in Pondicherry, 3 hour night bus to arrive a 5AM in Chennai for this train, and then she is continuing on to Chandigargh all for 4 days of work...I will never complain about traveling again (at least not until the next time I have to do it!!)...After she gets into Delhi she has to wait until evening for Shatabdi and another 3 hours to Chandigarh. The trip is paid for by government but what a trip....

Guy from Delhi commented when I was eating breakfast and asked what the sweet thing I was eating was (it was orange and sweet and quite tasty...still don't know what it was but think it had some kind of nuts, or coconut and carrots in it) he said it is called halvah....well, it wasn't for sure halvah as I know it because I HATE halvah in any shape or form and this was not made from anything resembling sesame...and I told him what halvah was in Israel and that it was actually and Arabic word (I think)...He said in India Halvah is anything that is sweet, easily cooked without frying and easy to eat and digest and is also slang for an easy job. We then began to discuss India youth and young adults and commented that Indians are totally dependant...they live at home forever, are dependant on their parents, never learn to fend for themselves or to think for themselves, or make decisions for themselves and that is the reason why India does none, or very very little research science. Once Indians go to live abroad, they become free thinkers and among the top research scientists in the western world! Interesting...

He also talked about the terrible damage that getting away from the "old ways" has done to Indian culture and health...all trappings of the British, like white bread which is (guess what?) not good for your health....and sitting on tables and chairs being the worse thing for digestion. Interesting, as me myself, when alone at home, LOVE to eat sitting either on my bed or on the floor...!

He also mentioned that an Indian out of a job would never be able to travel as I am doing...he would be too worried and no one would allow him to do it or understand..."Not many Israelis would do it either...I"M the strange one!" I replied.

If anyone out there knows Shlomi Shabat...tell him Indians really like his music. Sitting here on the train my travel companions were curious so I played several types of Hebrew music for them. No real reaction until I got to Shlomi Shabat...really lit up their faces! Ravin also liked his songs...

Had a short political discussion with this guy from Delhi...did my best to explain...think it might have made some impression. Quite interesting to see people when they first realize that things are not always as they've been led to believe...Turns out the guy works for a homeopathic company and several friends were in Tel Aviv for a convention last year and also told him many interesting things about Israel that they discovered so he was looking for confirmation...the Palestinians have a fantastic press corps...we should learn from them!!!
Now just relaxing until time to get off in about 1 1/2 hours.