Back in Britainnia

The Games are over, my job is done and I've returned to British soil to re-aquaint myself with the simple pleasures in life like waiting in a queue, fast customer service and fixed prices. I also had to indulge in a mixed grill the other day, which was possibly the closest I've come to total happiness.

5 weeks in India was tough. The food was very 'samey' and almost always laced with chilli or spice, the laid back lifestyle was sometimes so laid back the most minial of tasks didn't get done and the constant exposure to poverty and social decay, especially in outer regions of Delhi, was overwhelming. Taking all this into account however, I've never gone abroad and done something so enjoyable which was classed as 'work experience'.

Seeing sights like the Lotus Temple, Taj Mahal, India Gate, Jawaharlal Nehru stadium, Red Fort and Gandhis' memorial were spectacular and visiting Jaipur was a definite highlight for me. I initially never thought I would enjoy India as much as I have although the company I was in along with the reason I was there helped me a lot.

Team India in the Games, did suprisingly well, coming 2nd only behind Australia in the medals table. They did field a team in pretty much every sport with varying degrees of success, the cycling, for instance, was poor but their teams in events like boxing, shooting and wrestling did pretty well, although I'm not sure how well they will be able to perform in the Olympics against the likes of the US, China, Russia and the combined force of Great Britain. We shall see.

Would I go back to Delhi? or India? I doubt it. There are too many other places in the world I'd want to see before revisiting the Asian sub-continent. I wouldn't however completely rule out a return to India in the future but for now, I'm just glad to be home.