General musings, ramblings, and observations of life in India whilst working in a post pandemic era aviation business.

My Latest Posts

• And now, the time has come…May 4, 2024
  I will be leaving India at the beginning of June. The time has finally come to move on from this place, and venture onwards to the next chapter. In the… Read more: And now, the time has come…
• A fantastical perspective – with added TurtlesApril 11, 2024
  Positioned on top of the four elephants, Berilia, Tubul, Great T’Phon, and Jerakeen, who are in turn riding on top of the Great A’Tuin the Giant Star Turtle, is the… Read more: A fantastical perspective – with added Turtles
• Shush, listen…March 10, 2024
  India is rarely described as being a land of silence, of peace or tranquillity. More often the association is one of honking horns, noisy crowds and a general mele of… Read more: Shush, listen…
• “Wilson…!!”February 25, 2024
  Today marks the start of a new chapter in India – I am now the longest serving expat here in our company. When Gordon flew out for the final time… Read more: “Wilson…!!”
• Practically speakingJanuary 21, 2024
  When I first came to India my goal was threefold with these journals. Firstly, to capture for my own future recollections my impressions of this country and some of my… Read more: Practically speaking
• Three of ThreeJanuary 13, 2024
  Harrogate parkrun is three laps. While it has been a while since I ran it, I used to be a regular and would often volunteer in the role of pacer… Read more: Three of Three
• A crossroads of converging conclusionsDecember 10, 2023
  I am rapidly closing in on completing my second year here in India. I first arrived on 4th January 2022, so as near as makes no difference the end of the… Read more: A crossroads of converging conclusions
• Lessons in zerosDecember 2, 2023
  It’s been a while! So long in fact that one friend in the UK messaged to check everything was ok. Which was actually rather nice to be honest, knowing that… Read more: Lessons in zeros
• Don’t stop the world, I don’t want to get off…October 21, 2023
  I have talked in the past about how work life can sometimes be a whirlwind, and there are no more evident examples of this than during our industries route development… Read more: Don’t stop the world, I don’t want to get off…
• The view from the bubbleOctober 8, 2023
  As expats living in India, it is impossible to experience the country from the same perspective as a true native of the country. We see it through a different lens.… Read more: The view from the bubble
• Gimme a G! Gimme a 2! Gimme a 0! And what have we got…?September 9, 2023
  This weekend it is the G20 summit here in Delhi. While the main event is occurring over these two days of the 9th and 10th of September, in reality this… Read more: Gimme a G! Gimme a 2! Gimme a 0! And what have we got…?
• The independence of differing dynamicsAugust 15, 2023
  The longer I am here the more I witness the differences between Indian ways of living and working, and that of my home country, England. As I have said before,… Read more: The independence of differing dynamics
• Vasant Vihar: The way of waterAugust 5, 2023
  “Monsoon”: def. a seasonal prevailing wind in the region of South and SE Asia, blowing from the south-west between May and September and bringing rain (the wet monsoon), or from the north-east between October and April (the dry… Read more: Vasant Vihar: The way of water
• What’s up Doc?July 15, 2023
  It is probably fair to say that most readers of this would not naturally consider India as a place to go for high quality health care. But that would in… Read more: What’s up Doc?
• The Last of Us tourJuly 8, 2023
  I climbed into the waiting Blu Smart taxi at 6.30am on Monday morning. Not too early, not too late, but early enough to have to set the alarm and be… Read more: The Last of Us tour
• YesterdayJune 24, 2023
  Yesterday was just a normal day. Just an innocent day. So, in the interest of giving a view into what such a day is like here in Delhi, this is… Read more: Yesterday
• It’s the businessJune 3, 2023
  “Incredible India”, is an internationally recognised phrase used to promote the awe inspiring and diverse tourism potential of this country. After living in India for nearly 18 months, I feel… Read more: It’s the business
• Running up that hillMay 26, 2023
  Keeping fit here in India is challenging to say the least. The fluctuations between intense heat and terrible pollution make outdoor exercise pretty much impossible except for during the sweet… Read more: Running up that hill
• 700 million brides for 700 million brothersMay 21, 2023
  This weekend, Vikas is getting married. He’s with his family in his hometown of Kanpur, which is about 250 miles Southeast of Delhi. It will no doubt be an elaborate… Read more: 700 million brides for 700 million brothers
• Happy Emoji?May 7, 2023
  I landed back to Delhi earlier this week having been out of town for nearly three weeks. The thing that surprised me most? I was happy to be back. That… Read more: Happy Emoji?
• The eyes of MarchApril 16, 2023
  Well, this last month has been a bit of a whirlwind to say the least. From the highs of having visitors and the excitement that brings, to the sadness of… Read more: The eyes of March
• A bit of back and forwardsMarch 11, 2023
  My last post was a kind of intermission – a reflection on my most prominent observations after over a year living here in India, and was primarily written onboard a… Read more: A bit of back and forwards
• The new normal…February 12, 2023
  After living for over a year in India, what is the new normal…? It’s the ever present presence. The presence of people everywhere; watching, staring, interacting in often overly confident… Read more: The new normal…
• You just can get the staff around here…January 28, 2023
  There are around 1.4 billion people living in India. Technically I think it is still officially the second most populous country in the world, but it may now have overtaken… Read more: You just can get the staff around here…
• Here we go again…January 14, 2023
  Year two of living and working in Delhi has begun. It feels a bit of a milestone to be honest. One U.K. based business contact of mine said to me… Read more: Here we go again…
• A high cultural inclineNovember 25, 2022
  There is a saying that you cry when you first arrive in India, and you cry when you leave. The inference being that on arrival in this foreign land of… Read more: A high cultural incline
• A journey’s taleNovember 5, 2022
  “So how long are you going to be in Delhi for?”, the man in the seat next to me asked as we started our pushback, unashamedly breaking a cardinal rule… Read more: A journey’s tale
• Ups and DownsOctober 30, 2022
  I returned to India a few days ago, having spent the two weeks prior in North America mostly on business, but with a few days off added to the end… Read more: Ups and Downs
• Taking stock, and some goings on in GoaOctober 9, 2022
  As of today, I have completed 25% of my planned time in India. I have a three-year contract which runs to the end of December 2024. It is actually a… Read more: Taking stock, and some goings on in Goa
• 72 seconds of shameSeptember 18, 2022
  I could see her starting towards the car, having seen me watching her. She had been sat on the street side, baby in her arms, amidst a larger group of… Read more: 72 seconds of shame
• Independence Day – 15th AugustAugust 15, 2022
  Today marks the 75th Anniversary of India’s independence from British rule. On this day in 1947 the country became the Dominion of India, before finally becoming a Republic just over… Read more: Independence Day – 15th August
• Food, glorious food (…with extra spice)August 7, 2022
  India is known for its curry, spice, rice, more spice, and more rice. Oh, and let’s not forget a bit more spice. Good job I’ve always liked this style of… Read more: Food, glorious food (…with extra spice)
• A brief “Incredible India” road trip to JaipurJuly 27, 2022
  “Incredible India”, the marketing campaign went. I remember seeing this on TV, and in cinemas even, displaying the stunning visuals of the landscape that India has to offer, and a… Read more: A brief “Incredible India” road trip to Jaipur
• Consequences…July 20, 2022
  I had intended to next publish a post about food, drink and all that is associated with that pertinent topic here in India. But events over the last few days… Read more: Consequences…
• The first trip, and the tale of ‘Evil Beastie’…July 10, 2022
  I first visited India in 2004. I’ll never forget my first immersion into the sensory overload that was India at the time. I can still vividly recall arriving by taxi… Read more: The first trip, and the tale of ‘Evil Beastie’…
• “That’s what I do!”June 20, 2022
  The last few weeks of being on the road a lot got me thinking that I really should comment on what’s been going on, and what I’m up to. i.e.… Read more: “That’s what I do!”
• A little bit of admin…June 17, 2022
  Now this could be construed as being critical. Let’s be clear at the outset, there’s no right or wrong way of doing things in this sphere. The situations I talk… Read more: A little bit of admin…
• All about our four legged (and two winged) friends…May 29, 2022
  India is certainly a menagerie of animal life. From the exotic to the domestic, the country is home to wild tigers, camels, rhino’s, lions, elephants, and there’s even snow leopards… Read more: All about our four legged (and two winged) friends…
• A spot of tourism…May 7, 2022
  The purpose of this blog is to provide an insight into the lifestyle I am experiencing in India and my reflections while being here. It isn’t designed to be a… Read more: A spot of tourism…
• The tricky subject of money…April 23, 2022
  India is a land of “haves”, and “have nots”, and while that principle exists in all societies it feels more visible here. The social infrastructure is built around this spectrum… Read more: The tricky subject of money…

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