Beer contains many female hormones...

... When you drink to much, you start blabbering (some of us start lisping, (sorry Anu)) and most of the male species can’t drive properly anymore… (some of them start driving extremely well, exceptions are always there!)

It’s not only beer which contains the female hormones, I discovered all alcohol contain them! And sometimes you start singing loudly and discovering you will NOT be Americans next top singer!!!! So NOT having the X-factor as we were making hilarious faces, making cows completely silent and the people at the back seat of the car completely flabbergasted, all on the ryhtms of the song 'If I can't have you, i don't want nobody baby....If i can't have you, ooooh ooooh' (I promised Anu, not to publish this video... so unfortunate!!!!)

Thank God, I’m already a girl. So for me, I don’t have to be ashamed. I’m just natures product. The only thing which does make a difference after absorbing some extra female hormones, is that the statistics about this country don’t enter my delicate soul so harsh. I love to take a sip of a nice vodka jus d’orange. (For me no beer, but a nice vodka with some oranges for the balance between good & bad).

I frequently sip, while reading the book ‘A better India - A better world’ written by NR Narayana Murthy. He is the proud owner of Infosys and according to my opinion a visionary person of whom I believe he can be of great help for India. At least an example of great leadership. I frequently sip out of my glass discovering this is really a great book. I’m really inspired. However the facts confront me deeply with what I already experienced two years ago….

…22% of the people in India still live in slums. This percentage will grow. Around 2035 it will be 35%...
…28% of the villages don’t have a primary school…
…54% of the villages are more than 5 kilometres away of the closest health centre…

Interesting stuff, perfectly founded by numbers. I take another sip! And it’s tasting even better! And I continue reading.

…630 million people have a lack of decent sanitation….
…50% of the children are not having access to acceptable nutrition… (this I can’t handle)

I take another sip, as it goes on and on.

…Still 350 million people are illiterate…
…200 Million are living below poverty line…
…150 Million people don’t have access to clean water…
…The amount of poor people is around 193 million in rural areas and 67 million in urban India…

And so on, and so on!

I just finished my glass & I start a new one… I’m suddenly feeling quite happy, my point of view changes. I start seeing the bright side again! I’m sure it’s not only the alcohol…

…The urban economy grows each decade with 17,3%...(That’s good news!)
…India has to built 3,6 million housing units to meet the needs of the yearly demands of urban housing… (I see a huge huge opportunity in the housing equipment and tons of work for people who want to make money!)
…Each year 66.000 new primary schools and 3000 new health centres are necessary and have to be built…
…Where everywhere in the world a lack of working staff will exist in 2020, f.e. a lack of 17 million people in USA, 9 million in Japan, will India end in the PLUS!!!! India will have 47 million working age people available!!!!! …
…The infrastructure has to be constructed to make sure that even more jobs and companies are accessible, that life will be become pleasant, to increase the service delivery and to reduce costs…
…India has nowadays very well known doctors, psychiatrists, IT specialists, engineers and more and more people are graduating, …

By reading this simple in bambi-language written book, I start to see more and more that India will become booming. Perhaps not within 1-2 years, but it underlines my thoughts, my experiences already of what I’ve seen and what I’ve heard while talking to business people, friends and acquaintances. Willing, able, ambitious, no lack of self-esteem, not depending, hard working…no individualism like in the West but more living and working for the family welfare and community… and ready to become a respectable and competitive world economy.

The sun of the South is burning me down. In the meantime I look like Miss Piggy. I have to get fresh before I evaporate and before I really start to blabber. The sea is flirting with me (by lack of other nice looking handsome men in Mahabs I have to believe it's at least the sea who's inviting me) and once reached I discover it’s much more pleasant than it was in December. Once back at the waterline I see that the leaves of the palm trees are making shadow patterns on my body… sitting on the beach I feel the waves of the ocean gently roll over my legs towards my tummy…sun rays are warming me up again… wind is playing with my hair… I start relaxing and drifting away… for just some minutes I’m forgetting everything and everybody. For just some minutes I’m one with all there is….

Shortly after my beach experience I head back from Chennai to Delhi. And again I meet interesting people. One of the most inspiring ones is with a Sikh. With his wonderful turban, his intriguing eyes, his impeccable look, he keeps me inspired for hours. We talk about poetry, books, economy, the East- the West, cultural differences, family values (Mum and dad, how come I don’t differ so much of the Indians), what we want from life on business level, but also on social level and what our aspirations are. I feel comfortable and scratch behind my ears ‘why I’ve always avoided this part of India, as I again feel so comfortable’… We exchange contact details and I come to know he is an ex MP in India. I am bit baffled of all the help he offers me and all the hospitality receiving. ‘Madam, are you sure I or one of my people don’t need to guide you to your friend? He might not be there…’ ‘No Sir thank you. But I m absolutely positive that he will be waiting downstairs to pick me up. And if not, I manage to wait for some minutes. I'm not afraid of Indian nights Sir’…

Reaching at the agreed spot, the ‘taxi’ with his proud owner is waiting. The last hours are a constant party and we enjoy and I start wondering when the female hormones will take over the male ones... My last hours in the toot-toot, beep-beep and try-the-white-ass-to-freak-out-cows-country heralded. On my way back I m a bit detached. And again I don't want to go back....

Life is beautiful, life is short. It’s not the years in my life that count, it’s in the life in my years.

Sharing food, sharing time. Sharing emotions, sharing my intellect. I do that because I’m wanting to learn and wanting to know who that other beautiful human being is in the other part of the world. Wanting to get to know what moves that traveller crossing my path.

I want that painting not be blank when I die, I want that painting to be coloured and of means for others.

The best use of my wealth, how little it might be, is to share it with those I love. With those I allow in my heart and in my life. To inspirer, to grow. Hopefully one day, I will be able to plant big gardens in where fruits are available for everybody, to benefit the generations to come.

(In the meantime I reached Holland again! Not everything of this trip was for publication.The only thing I can tell is that when somebody wants to make a movie of my life, it’s at least worth one Grammy Award….Never a dull moment…)