I'm in the know.....

Susie being Susie, I am preparing for our move in the only the way I know how - knowledge !  I am trying to understand as much about the cultural changes we are going to experience so that I can be prepared for the daily impact on the boys (and Mike and I).  So that has resulted in me looking at a lot of blogs written by western women living in India.  I know it is a risky and often 'untruthful' place to get informed but I must be prepared !

One particular blog I was reading was about begging and how it is BIG business in India.  There is a gang that has 'staff' working the streets and all money for the day is distributed amongst the gang members.  Often they are making more money then the hardworking auto-rick drivers or maids.  They use the most outrageous stunts to get more money from unassuming westerners, such as 'borrowing' babies for the day, falling over in front of your rickshaw or car in insane traffic, and to me the worst (because I love my personal space), hitting you with their deformed limbs to get more money.  I am terrified at my reaction to this but apparently it is common place to hit beggars because they will NOT leave you alone and that is the only way to 'get free'.  seriously ???  I am going to be hitting people??

I can only imagine Max's (5 year old) reaction to the first time he sees his Mum hit a woman and it's not in a boxing class.......

On my one and only visit to India, we were treated so wonderfully.  We had a private car take us around, we stayed in 5 star luxury - all the lure of the company to get us to say YES to the move.  I am not naive enough to think that is how we will live but I am hoping that by having a driver and living in a gated community that I can 'control' some of the daily exposure to such things as being 'hit' for cash !

Anyway, only 19 days until the boys and I fly....... time to get excited :)