Sleeping car jokers

After sharing a sleeping car with 5 Indian business men, I was happy to arrive alone in my hotel room in Fort Kochi. Let me just clarify here by stating that most men in India are business men, so it isn't that unusual to be surrounded by 5 of them. Even if their business is selling you a toy drums on the side of the road, they're business men. Everyone's got something they're sure you need, and will pitch it to you in fashion unique to them. So, when I say "business men" in regards to the men I shared the sleeping car with last night, I could further describe them as IT bussiness men, medical bussiness men, and legal bussiness men. Regardless, they were halarious and must have thought the same of me. We spoke mainly about India's position in the global economy and more specifically about how this new middle class doesn't know how to take a break. One man said, "In the U.S. you work 9-5 Mon.-Fri. and then have the weekend to do nothing. We never let ourselves relax, we're always worried about saving money for the future of our faimily. Indians need to learn to enjoy life." I was stunned, because in mind the people of India live so connected to their spiritual lives, no matter the God(s) they worship, that they must be in joy in their daily lives. I responded, "You know a lot of people in the U.S. work very hard during the work week, and then when Friday night comes around they head right to the bar to decompress by drinking. That might not be the healthiest way to live either." They seemed to think that the corperate American way is better than sitting around worrying about money like the new Indian middle class does. But like anything, it's down to what works for the individual. So, how YOU enjoy YOUR life? Can YOU enjoy YOUR life in a way that maintains if not enhances your ethical/spiritual values? These are the balances we all are living, no matter where you are on the planet, no one get's off easy.