Bangalore is a nice place to stay despite the heavy and chaotic traffic in the city. Can say that I'm quite sheltered in Singapore and when I arrived here in Bangalore (and later in New Delhi), I get to see how the real India is like sans the Bollywood facade. It's sad to see beggars of all sorts roaming the roads, street children who live with their families in construction sites and other kinds of poverty conditions around the city. I made some new work acquaintances and let's hope that both parties in Singapore and Bangalore can work together well.
An advise that I would give to someone (especially if they're from a multi-racial society like in Singapore or Malaysia) who will be visiting India for the first time is that to unlearn all the racial stereotypes, slurs or jokes about Indians in general. Also do come with an open mind and be ready to accept them for what they are. A good example would be what my Thai colleague told me (during an encounter with a cab driver) that there are many languages and dialects spoken in India and to survive in the country, even the locals would cheat among one another. At least I come back home to Singapore hoping that I would be more racially tolerant with other after my one month plus stint here.
I did not travel much during my stay. I thought I would want to visit places like Mumbai, Goa, Jaipur and Udaipur. I decided to visit New Delhi and Agra (including Taj Mahal). I realised that travelling alone can be very lonely and I would want my family to be by my side, to experience the joys (and also the hassles) of travelling and exploring new places. Definitely I would return back to India some day (with my family) to experience the grandeur of Taj Mahal and the above mentioned places.
