Oh India...

Jet Airways is officially the best airline I've ever flown on...not that I am an international jetsetter, but I was quite impressed. Service was excellent, food was delicious, seats were roomy, and the personalized entertainment system was...well, entertaining! One cool aspect was the fact that you could pretty much start watching movies when you sat down (as opposed to most other airlines where you have to wait until 20 minutes after take-off). It helped pass time after the 1.5 hour delay sitting the plane on the runway while waiting to take-off. I watched an Indian movie, Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi - loved it, even the songs were amazing. I decided I needed to watch more Indian movies after that point so last night, we went to the cinema and watched (or partly watched) Kumbakth Ishq - ended up leaving just after intermission because it was that bad!

Anyway, back to India. I am blown away with the progress the country has made since I last came in December 2005. It reminds me of the real estate boom of 2005 - construction everywhere! People tell me its because India (Delhi specifically) is hosting the 2010 Commonwealth Games (smaller version of the Olympics) and so are gearing up for it. A HUGE new airport is under construction, office buildings, condos...you name it. Most notable is the elevated highway they are building circling the city, and the underground subway they are construction. They have opened up a part of the subway system, and people say it surpasses the NYC and London systems by-far (not that its that hard anyway). Hopefully I'll be able to go for a test run before I head back. Being a real estate geek myself, I couldn't help but see the opportunity available for mixed-use developments in India. Delhi (like most Indian cities) face 2 major problems when it comes to living conditions. 1. Unreliable utilities: it doesn't matter where you are, everyone is gauranteed power outages, phone line disruptions, poor water conditions, and no storm water systems. 2. Pollution: unfortunately, while India's GDP is still chugging at 5%, it is taking a toll on its carbon emission and green house gas levels. Furthermore, many of India's transportation vehicles still use leaded-gas engines making emissions even worse! Mixed-use developments using green technology would solve both problems: solar panels, storm-water recycling, and effecient water usage would make utilities reliable while residents wouldn't have to travel across the city for work, entertainment, and shopping. With over 1.2 billion people in a country 1/3 the size of the United States, residential and commerical growth will have to go vertical, not horizontal. Hmmm...the possibilities :)

I leave for Srinagar tomorrow, exploring the Kashmiri Valley and Amarnath in the Himalayan Mountains. The past couple days have been non-stop shopping with my Masi (aunt) and the family - for Sari's and Punjabi suits. We had dinner last night at Jaiprakashji's home; he is the founder and owner for Surya Roshni, the largest private manufacturer of light bulbs in the country, and 2nd only to Philips. They also export to many other countries and have experienced signficant growth as India as experienced. It was humbling to listen to his tips on success. I really took away two principles: 1. ALWAYS be grateful. Wake-up grateful for what you have and sleep every night grateful with what you have. Show gratitude to everyone around you and it will change your life. 2. Be positive and have faith. Definitely the harder of the two, cultivating positivity and faith will bring just that into your life. "What you think is who you become", he noted. I have to agree.

Well, its past 2am here and I have an early flight to catch. I unfortunately am not able to upload pictures on this computer, but I'll try in the next few days. Here is where the adventure starts...