India News: Public beatings, monsoon sickness and bottled rainwater. Great.

Day 3 - Flight Leg III: Frankfurt, Germany to Mumbai, India – 7 July, 2007

With this flight leg I’m beginning to recognize the early stages of “cattle car” passenger loading (accompanied by a slight scent of cattle) that I fear awaits me to a greater degree along the trip ahead. Southwest Airlines has nothing on a 747 full of ill-scented folk

Reading the local newspaper during my flight, I note that Mumbai keeps a detailed record of monsoon-related illnesses and shares it with wary travelers such as myself. According to The Times of India newspaper, hospital admissions due to Malaria are at a total of 54 for the month, with 19 on Wednesday alone. On a more positive note, admissions due to Dengue fever are much lower. I can only hope that the pills I’m taking to prevent Malaria aren’t placebos, as part of some evil study group.

In other news, twenty-two year old Pooja Chauhan shocked the conservative city of Mumbai by traipsing around busy streets wearing only “inner-wear” to protest against her husband’s harassment for dowry. “The situation was so bad that later even my neighbors began beating me for no reason”, said Chauhan. I wonder if they let tourists join in on the beatings too. I’ll have to remember to check with the front desk at the hotel.

I’m not sure which is more disturbing to me, the fact that the shareholder of over 60% of Indian bottled water facilities stated in a news article that “One does not require much equipment to make bottled water”, or the announcement that just came from our pilot informing us that we are presently flying over Iran. So far I’ve seen no signs of surface-to-air missile contrails. Perhaps they think we’re Canadians. Everyone likes Canadians. Although the thought of taking Malaria placebos with bottled Indian rainwater now seems to overshadow the fear of missile attacks. Slightly.