mundane matters? or mundane matters !

ALPHABAR

so, you've been to india quite a few times....you've got your packing list down to a fine (minimalist!) art...you know how much (most things!) cost...you know where to get the best thali, the best dosa...the cheapest beer...

but...there are those seemingly mundane things that, maybe...just maybe,if you applied your mind to it, could make your time in india even better.

economists have a term for it - "disproportionate marginal utility" or something like that...

it occurs when you have pretty much most of your life organising stuff sorted - so you seek improvement in seemingly marginal things...

so, any thoughts,ideas or experiences of where the seemingly mundane....matters!

example:

when confronted by a selection of soap powders for doing your laundry (ariel, surf etc etc) is there an acknowledged "best buy" in india?

when choosing bananas are the bigger ones better than the small ones?

when boarding a flight should you sit nonchalantly and wait while everyone else boards or join the scrum?


come on...own up to your "mundane matters!"...the more mundane the better !

Sama

1. it's all the same soap, believe me. a long time ago a friend of mine worked in a detergent factory. he said there were two chutes, each carrying the same soap. one chute went into the generic box, the other into the brand name box.

2. bananas: by size, of course...

3. I make a mad dash like everyone else because I don't want to get trampled -- as I saw while boarding the chennai flight in the frankfurt airport. hey, women and children first!

__________________
My India, 2005-2008
sama: Pali/Sanskrit: that state of consciousness which reflects neither attachment nor aversion

PeakXV

First cup of coffee/chai in the hotel cafe always becomes the "shaving cup" & couple that with a fresh bar of soap de jour (any brand will do) from the room's wash basin for some lather. Just need to pack the slim shave brush & razor handle .... cartridges are easy to source in India and cheaper.

__________________
What lies behind us and what lies ahead of us are tiny matters compared to what lives within us.
~ Oliver Wendell Holmes

Don't go to India ~ Pre-trip Warnings & Misconceptions?

wonderwomanusa

Different varieties of bananas all around India; I like the little ones that look sort of like fingers.

ALPHABAR

i thought this thread had potential, but it hasn't generated lots of interest so far (apart from the banana advice which i'm still trying to get my head around !?!)

so, i'll try and revitalise the thread by asking about tips on maximising the opportunities afforded by free stuff on your flight to/from india.

any tips on interesting free stuff to take advantage of during the flight- we know about the obvious things like earplugs and masks for sleeping (useful on indian sleeper trains) but any other bright ideas?

for example - when faced with a five hour transit at heathrow on my way back to sweden, i asked the very helpful cabin crew on a gulfair flight if they could let me have some "provisions" so that i didn't have to eat or drink very expensive london heathrow catering...they provided me with a bagfull of goodies including sandwiches,muffins, fresh fruit and bottled water...

actually, that reminds me of another very pleasant gulfair flight experience when, on discovering that i liked red wine, one of the cabin crew invited me up to the business class galley to taste the red wines available there..on finding a red i particularly liked she then served me my favourite red in economy for the remainder of the flight.

iwanttogoback

airline socks make great bed socks.