A year ago Emily and her friends in the US reminded us why they love all things British.
This is not to be callous in light of the horrors that happened today in London, but I thought our British friends could use as many gestures of support as possible.
Given the events of today in Mumbai, here is our little list of why we think India is a great country, compiled in a spirit of solidarity in these troubled times. Please feel free to add your own:
Butter chicken
A shared love of cricket
The train to Simla
Agra
Bollywood
Chapattis
Kullu
Saris
The Ambassador car
Tuk-tuks
Hill stations
Shukhriya
Update - lost comments
Typepad had an "outage" yesterday, and 4 or 5 comments with some excellent lists of all things praiseworthy about India have been lost. Please, Emily, Mr PG and others, can you resubmit your comments - oh my goodness, yes please.
Tiffin
Bungalows
Verandahs
Char
Sunil Gavaskar
Tandoor ovens
A splendid approach to the English language
Taj Mahal beer
The Taj Mahal
Barun Mitra
Moguls
Elephants
Elephant Polo
I could go on...
India! My goodness yes!
Posted by: Burkean | July 11, 2006 at 08:16 PM
Indian friends, neighbors, classmates, fraternity brothers, co-workers.
Anything cooked in a tandoor.
The Indo-Tibetan Border Police.
The Indians who fought alongside the Allies in both world wars.
Posted by: Lexington Green | July 12, 2006 at 05:42 AM
Tea! My goodness Yes!
Ghandi! My goodness Yes!
Mathematics in general and the number zero in particular! My goodness Yes!
Puri. No finer comestible to be had anywhere.
Houseboats on Lake Kashmir! My goodness Yes!
Call Centres who operators are considerably better qualified in almost everything than you are.
My goodness Yes!
Posted by: The Pedant-General | July 12, 2006 at 09:49 AM
Ghandi
The Buddha
Krishna
The Bhagavadgita
The Mahabharat
The Ramayana
Bollywood
Raj Chadra Bose
Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar
The Darjeeling Himalayan Narrow Gauge Railway
Emperor Ashoka
Carnatic music
The Indus Valley Civilisation
Goa
Taking in Tibetan refugees, and housing the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala
The food, oh my, the foooood...
All, my goodness, YES!
Posted by: The Moai | July 12, 2006 at 12:01 PM
"A splendid approach to the English language."
Gosh yes. Good call.
Posted by: Emily | July 12, 2006 at 03:20 PM
Oh, the food! -- Preparations that make legumes SING!
Elegant gestures and musical accents
Dark eyes and lustrous hair
Bindi
Brightly colored saris and nehru jackets
Maybe, in a nutshell, a people who are beautiful both inside and out.
My goodness, yes!
Posted by: Shannon | July 12, 2006 at 05:13 PM
masala chai (a/k/a chai tea)
pappadams
poori
chutney
Bollywood
all the bright color combinations in clothing and home decor
the civilization, the source of Indo-European languages
the history
yoga (which has cured my insomnia...yoga, my goodness yes!)
all the fine Indian doctors who have treated me over the years
And, not to do the "model minority stereotype" thing, but all of the wonderful kind polite charming Indian people (and Indian-American people) I have met over the years...students, friends, co-workers...
Oh, my goodness, yes! And my sympathies to those who lost loved ones!
Posted by: ricki | July 12, 2006 at 05:16 PM
All the cool little Indian shops along Gate 2 street in Okinawa.
My goodness, yes!
Posted by: Cullen | July 12, 2006 at 05:45 PM
"Bride and Prejudice"
My goodness, yes!
Posted by: Mr. Bingley | July 12, 2006 at 06:02 PM
Mango Lasi... or even salt Lasi. A must have when eating really hot & spicy food. with Naan Bread and mango chutney....
Also Britain and India combined to give us the Gin & Tonic... tonic water (quinine) was supposed to stave off malaria... strictly for medicinal purposes!
India pale ale.... lamb chili... one really bad Indiana Jones movie...
Posted by: Zendo Deb | July 13, 2006 at 05:02 AM
not to mention all the Hindu upanishads, and the Zen sutras.
I particularly like the story of Prince Five Weapons and the Ogre Sticky-hair, and the story of Indra and Vritra and the building of the palace.
Posted by: Zendo Deb | July 13, 2006 at 05:08 AM
They are not Muslims (mostly).
Posted by: Andrew Ian Dodge | July 13, 2006 at 11:09 AM
The Kama Sutra.
My goodness, yes! Oh YES!!!!!!!!
(I'm glad typepad is back up)
Posted by: Mr. Bingley | July 13, 2006 at 12:45 PM
"arabic" numerals.
Posted by: dearieme | July 13, 2006 at 03:28 PM
The road over the Rhotang Pass
Road signs ("Accidents are prohibted on this road": "Better Mr Late than Late Mr": "Darling I want you, but not that fast")
Five day weddings
Mr Jan the rug seller
Fatephur Sikri
The fishing lodge at Gushaini
The "English breakfast" at the Chapslee Palace, Simla
My goodness, yes...
Posted by: Arthur | July 13, 2006 at 03:40 PM
Blogger...flip no!
The only thing that comes to mind at the moment are some videos I watched of my sister's trip to India. There were cows lounging and grazing along the sides of the roads everywhere. Sacred cows, gosh yes!
Posted by: Emily | July 13, 2006 at 03:43 PM
Tea! By golly jeepers yes!
Houseboats on Lake Kashmir! My goodness Yes!
A proper civil service bequeathed by and operating on the principles of the British Civil Service before Blair and his morons ripped out its heart! My goodness Yes!
Puri! I defy anyone to find a finer comestible anywhere in the world.
Mathematics in general and algrebra in particular!
That city where they revere the rat and it is positively hopping with the little vermin!
The Cobra!
The Ganges!
Monsoons!
My goodness Yes!
Posted by: The Pedant-General | July 13, 2006 at 07:52 PM
It would appear that my earlier comment has been resurrected. But I have added some for good measure.
Posted by: The Pedant-General | July 13, 2006 at 07:53 PM
Kalinga, Ashoka, and the Sun temple at Konark. The beach at Puri. The Ghat road to Kodaikanal. Bear shola Falls and the monkeys. Ootacamund and Coimbatore. Cochin, palm trees, and the mysterious inland waterways. Elephant scratching-sticks crossing over the Nilgiris into Kerela. Aarak and Bidis. Dosais at the Madurai bus station and parathas with mutton juice. The Meenakshi Temple.
Posted by: DirtCrashr | July 13, 2006 at 08:02 PM
R.D. Burman and Dum Maro Dum from one of the greatest movies ever, "Hare Rama, Hare Krishna," and the astonishing Mehbooba from "Sholay." Dharmendra and Amitabh Bachchan.
Posted by: DirtCrashr | July 13, 2006 at 11:18 PM