India had always been one of the countries that I, or rather, my left brain wanted to visit. On the contrary, it is also a country that the logical side on me, least wants to visit. Let me explain the conundrum.

I think, I like India because it is a country filled with rich history and culture, compiled from the roots of Indians, Persian, British and the Middle East (as far as I know). It is also where the magnificent symbol of love, The Taj Mahal sits.

To feel the cold white marble of the Taj, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, sits right at the top of my to-do list. Authentic Indian food is another pull factor to India. To try the true-blue Chicken Masala, Chicken Tikka and Chicken Tandoori will be a great pleasure to my taste buds, I imagine.

On the other hand, my right brain is afraid of the environmental conditions. The heat that literally sears your skin in the open (more than 40 degree Celsius of dry heat from March to June); the air pollution that sets your whole respiration system into a “4-wheel drive mode”; the contaminated water that churns your stomach faster than any of those roller coasters ride in Magic Mountain; the number of power cuts/losses that exceeded the counts of your fingers, and the noise pollution – the incessant blaring of horns on anything that comes with wheels, could possibly wakes the dead. Adding up all of these factors, would you give up your hard-earned money in exchange for a trip to India? No chance, India is probably one of the last places on earth you would want to visit.

Coincidently, I was given the opportunity to experience India for myself. I was to attend a business meeting in New Delhi. And so I went, taking my wife, my “Supreme Court judge”, along for an extended trip after the meeting.

True enough, my left brain was correct, but so was my right. What surprised me was not the weather conditions or the physical place itself, but the People.

I noticed that Indians (most) are really friendly and show great hospitality, with sincerity. I was lavished with tip-top service throughout my stay. I was most impressed that a cell-phone that I had absent-mindedly left in the hotel restaurant was found a few hours later. Even in Singapore, the odds of having your lost phone returned are near zero.