The great about being a stranger in town is commenting on stuff that is everyday to the people who live and work there. but before I forget if you are booking a hotel in Bangalore don't assume that the rooms on the website resemble the actual room you might be booking. My first budget hotel room was like a hostel( clean, just shabby) but the website had a couple of lovely photos of modern splendor. I have been told by locals that this is not unusual! The prices on the website were half the actual price too.
So a couple of observations. I work next to another school. All of the schools in Bangalore ( and there seem to be hundreds- education is so important here as in most of India) have uniforms. The kids on the whole look very formal, very clean and smart. Some of the kids have got trendy bags, cool haircuts, neatly pressed uniforms and no shoes on. Not a clue whether the lack of footwear is a cultural thing or just that in the same way that you might not fancy wearing your tie you might think that today it's dry so i am going out without my shoes. yes loads of the street kids have no shoes but this feels different. Mind you the number of times I have to take my shoes off during the day at work I have found myself not wearing them at all inside . outside seems too risky yet even though the sides of the streets are literally flooded with rubbish there is always a load of women sweeping the streets and pavements with brooms.
Everyone at work eats their meals with their fingers. All staff no matter what skill, however many qualifications they've got or whatever caste. Whether it is dhal, rice, hot or cold food, runny or not, everyone works it in their fingers, mixes it into something more solid and plops it into their mouth. so why do I use a spoon?
