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The World Is a Mirror![]()
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I received the most interesting comment on one of my India videos yesterday, and it's been rattling around in my head ever since.![]()
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A gentleman had watched my day exploring India, where I'd wandered through beautiful parks, discovered some rather fabulous shops, met lovely people and generally had a wonderful time. He left a very thoughtful comment saying that perhaps my experience had as much to do with me as it did with India.![]()
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He wrote, "India is a mirror," explaining that if you approach people with warmth and friendliness, that's often what you get back. Equally, if you arrive with arrogance and a bad attitude, you might find that reflected right back at you.![]()
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And then he added something I thought was particularly lovely: "It was not India. It was you."![]()
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Now, that's quite a compliment from a complete stranger! But it also got me thinking about something much bigger than India.![]()
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What if the whole world is a mirror?![]()
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I've travelled to quite a few countries now, and one thing I've noticed is how differently people can experience exactly the same place. One person comes home talking about how friendly everyone was, how fascinating the culture is and how much they loved it. Someone else visits the very same place and has absolutely nothing nice to say.![]()
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Of course, sometimes things go wrong. You get ripped off, you meet someone unpleasant, or you have one of those travel days where absolutely nothing goes according to plan. I've certainly had a few of those! And no amount of smiling is going to magically fix everything.![]()
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But I do think there's something to this idea.![]()
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When I arrived in India, I really didn't know what to expect. I had all sorts of images in my head, probably influenced by things I'd seen online and stories I'd heard over the years. But I was curious. I wanted to see how people lived, what they ate, where they shopped and what everyday life was actually like.![]()
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And I think that curiosity made a difference. Instead of looking for things that confirmed what I thought I knew about India, I kept finding things that surprised me.![]()
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Perhaps we do this in everyday life too, without even realizing it. We form opinions about people before we've really got to know them, decide what a place is going to be like before we've been there, or walk into a situation already expecting it to go badly.![]()
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And sometimes, perhaps, we end up finding exactly what we went looking for.![]()
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I don't know whether the world really is a mirror, but I rather like the idea. It's certainly given me something to think about.![]()
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I'm curious what you think. Have you ever travelled somewhere and had a completely different experience from what other people had told you to expect? Or do you think our attitude really does influence how the world responds to us?
Why I fell for this hidden side of India
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What is India travel really like beyond the crowds, traffic and bus...
India travel tips for first-time visitors! I travelled solo to Bangalore (Bengaluru), India, at 51. Here are 10 things I wish I'd known about solo female travel in India, safety, costs, food and transport.![]()
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Before travelling to India for the first time, I'd heard all the warnings. People told me to be careful, asked whether I was brave enough to travel alone, and made me wonder what I'd got myself into!![]()
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But India surprised me in ways I never expected.![]()
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I felt much safer exploring Bengaluru than I'd imagined. I discovered fantastic restaurants, travelled comfortably in air-conditioned Ubers and experienced a modern, fascinating side of India that rarely appears in the budget travel videos.![]()
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Of course, some things were more complicated than expected!![]()
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From withdrawing cash at Indian ATMs and making UPI payments to understanding the Indian e-Visa process, there were a few lessons I wish I'd learnt before arriving.![]()
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In this video, I share 10 things every first-time visitor to India should know, based on my own experience travelling independently as a woman over 50.![]()
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Whether you're planning a holiday in India, considering solo female travel or simply curious about what Bangalore is really like, I hope my experiences help you travel with more confidence.![]()
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Have you visited India? What surprised you most? Tell me in the comments!