Taken For A Ride

Designation and Company: Regional Marketing Manager (Pan Asia and Pan
Africa), Gigabyte United 

Frequency of visits to India: I first visited India three months back
and unlike other foreigners, I did not stay in the metro cities. Instead I was
in Jaipur. This is my second visit and I look forward to coming here more often

Tim Handley

What I like about India: I find the people here very friendly. In
other Asian countries, I am used to standing out in the crowd and being treated
differently. But here, I was surprised to find people much more welcoming. Also,
during my tour of the Pink City, I was amazed to find people doing business in
buildings that were constructed over 300 years ago. The beauty of that
architecture is simply breathtaking. 

What I dislike about India: I find the conditions of the roads are
very sad. Also, I wish the Indian government would make broadband Internet
access free and have Wi-Fi cities, on the lines of Taipei. 

What I look forward to in India: I am a great fan of the Indian curry
and am looking forward to enjoying it here. Also I plan to pick up some good
recipe books on how to prepare the curry in North Indian style and take it back
home with me. 

One thing about India that has stuck to my mind: During my maiden
visit, my flight from New Delhi to Jaipur was canceled and I had to take a taxi
instead. En route I was bemused to find my cab driver halt at three different
toll stations and bargaining for a discount on the toll fares! And surprisingly,
he managed to get a discount at all three places. This just shows how
enterprising the Indians are, whether on their home ground or abroad.

VINITA BHATIA