In the View from a Cycle Rickshaw

I'm sitting outside the hotel lobby, listening to Indian music from a wedding a few blocks from here, and drinking a cup of Masala. The life here is very different. The poverty is extreme, never before have I seen living conditions this bad, and this much of homelessness. We are walking the streets, or driving the bus, there are tiny tents, barely covering for any sun or rain, and the people are living their life and building their society around it. We would never consider it as an acceptable life, but they make it seem so easy. There are no stress, no rush, and no yelling. No one looks down on the poor people, but behind the gates you find luxury palaces where people are living a totally different life. The luxury is LUXURY! There are palaces à la Aladdin (we've seen the magic carpet!), multiple servers, wonderful architecture, beautiful gardens, and delicious food. After the dinner we are walking out on the streets again, facing the people begging for money, walking around barefoot, and cooking their food on a pan in the middle of the traffic.