So I have returned from India with my bowels in full working order

[Peter]

Also, I'm not sure that suggesting those whose only refuge from the relentless ghastliness of everyday life is a sort of stoic/ascetic mysticism or children consigned to grinding poverty as exemplars of all that's best about India is exactly convincing me of its merits, either.

Its a pretty ****ing horrible place by most measures. Gut wrenching poverty to the point of starvation set against a backdrop of obscene wealth and the veiled notion that it is all our fault.

WES has been to Bangalore which in my experience is about the best place to visit.

[SWv2]

Its a pretty ****ing horrible place by most measures. Gut wrenching poverty to the point of starvation set against a backdrop of obscene wealth and the veiled notion that it is all our fault.

WES has been to Bangalore which in my experience is about the best place to visit.

Listen to Judith fúcking Chalmers here.

[Peter]

Listen to Judith fúcking Chalmers here.

What are you going on about now?

[SWv2]

What are you going on about now?

Don't try to bully me pal.

[Peter]

Don't try to bully me pal.

Did you have a point you wished to make?

[Sir C]

Its a pretty ****ing horrible place by most measures. Gut wrenching poverty to the point of starvation set against a backdrop of obscene wealth and the veiled notion that it is all our fault.

WES has been to Bangalore which in my experience is about the best place to visit.

Is it 'horrible', or simply 'different'?

Habitual street crápping aside, it's surely generally more fascinating than horrible?

[Burney]

Is it 'horrible', or simply 'different'?

Habitual street crápping aside, it's surely generally more fascinating than horrible?

I put it to you that you would be less willing to overlook the grinding poverty, dead kids, street cràpping, etc in a less 'exotic' locale.

Are you not indulging in the soft bigotry of low expectations here?

[Sir C]

I put it to you that you would be less willing to overlook the grinding poverty, dead kids, street cràpping, etc in a less 'exotic' locale.

Are you not indulging in the soft bigotry of low expectations here?

Eh? What utter fúcktardery is this now? We're not talking about Croydon now, old chap. India is a more 'exotic' locale. Things are different. That's not to say that there aren't shítholes to be seen; I've been in duty, shítty burgs all over the third world thinking 'what the fúck am I doing here?' but scratching the surface of such environments inevitably (often?) broadens the mind, brings one closer to a true comprehension of the universe and soothes the aching chakras.

That, in fact, is your issue. Your chakras are fúcked.

[Burney]

Eh? What utter fúcktardery is this now? We're not talking about Croydon now, old chap. India is a more 'exotic' locale. Things are different. That's not to say that there aren't shítholes to be seen; I've been in duty, shítty burgs all over the third world thinking 'what the fúck am I doing here?' but scratching the surface of such environments inevitably (often?) broadens the mind, brings one closer to a true comprehension of the universe and soothes the aching chakras.

That, in fact, is your issue. Your chakras are fúcked.

Yes, but I do wonder if our somewhat mystical, exoticised view of the place means we let Johnny Indian off the hook a bit for the utter fücking state of the place. Oughtn't we to be saying that perhaps he ought to think a bit less about his chakras and a bit more about not taking a dump in the street?

[Sir C]

Yes, but I do wonder if our somewhat mystical, exoticised view of the place means we let Johnny Indian off the hook a bit for the utter fücking state of the place. Oughtn't we to be saying that perhaps he ought to think a bit less about his chakras and a bit more about not taking a dump in the street?

Street shítting is a cultural oddity and is something that the Indian government and vast swathes of the population are actually addressing now. On the other hand I'm not sure we ought to be saying anything about it. If Johnny Indian wants to shít in the street and consider his chakras, who the hell are we to tell him what to do?

None of which is relevant to my point, which is that 'different' does not mean the same as 'wrong. I find these places where things are 'different' interesting. This, apparently, makes me weird.

Could I make you happy by only going on holiday to Magaluf and only eating in English restaurants?