How great to see you again, becalm. I've been missing your spiritual guidance. I, too think I'm about 28 - until I look at the wizened prune in the mirror. I even shave with my eyes closed these days. I'm very sensitive in the morning.

The problem with travel in the sub-continent is that everybody asks me: 'How old are you Uncle?' I even had a beggar-
woman address me as 'grandfather' in Nepal. I killed her on the spot.

Eks: Ahhh, Ms Muu-muu... I'd forgotten about her. lol. That was AssamBengal Hoogli cruise, not Pandaw. But eks, I don't want to expand on the clientele in this post. This isn't about that.

For those confused by the muu-muu reference, go here: http://www.fodors.com/community/asia...the-hoogli.cfm

Ignore him, Eks. Aussies hate Pommies. If nothing else you'll get some laughs and some good stories to tell, maybe your own Tent Lady.

I killed a pharmacy aide yesterday. He looked at me and announced--didn't ask--that he'd automatically deduct the senior discount from my prescription. He expected me to be thrilled.

haha...just couldn't resist this one D-ster
"Winter spring summer or fall
all you have to do is call
and I'll be there yeah yeah yeah.
You've got a friend."

- not sure if you were serious and why you would ever want my perspective on anything but jic...dogsters-friend athotmail com will get my attention. Happy Trails.

..oh btw, mirrors are highly over-rated and from my youth, sticks and stones... ok, ok enough, back to watching the Aussie Open for me.

EKS is a closet anglophile. She'll be thrilled with the Pandaw's client base. As we speak, she's packing her tweeds.

She'll need tweeds, a sneer AND a sense of superiority. Luckily, as that is quite a bit of extra baggage to carry around, she can leave her sense of humour behind to lighten the load.

By the way, Gpanda, I didn't thank you for your lovely words above.

becalm: 'dogsters-friend'... sigh. I can sleep well tonight. I have a friend!

[Dogster retires to his pathetic, lonely bed, sobbing with gratitude]

now now Doggy dear are you taring all us pomms with your brush?

Tweeds she has, but she is sneerless. Who has time for sneering when you're planning so much? Of course, her proclivity for reviving long-dead threads is veddy Briddish.

Of course not, Smeagol - only the ones who go on Pandaw cruises with me. They are a specific breed, between 70 and death and still live in the British Empah-h-h-h.

sigh - I can see what my next essay will have to be about. Everybody wants to know about Pandaw. That'll either take a bit of time - or it'll just fall out of me like pooh thru' the proverbial goose. I'll start on it.

Ah, peer pressure rules. Give your audience what it wants!

I have to say I've run across lots of those aging arrogant pinl skinned Pomms at African safari camps. Of course, we Americans have them too. They're called Republicans.

The Maoists called off the strike - let's see what happens next.

Dogster,
Please do get started, rather sooner than later.

Might we conclude that "secret men's business" was nothing more strenuous than a leisurely float on the Ganges?!

No Marija - we should not conclude that, otherwise we would have heard all about it before now.

LA: our very own Dame Nellie Melba, elderly and faded diva de l'opera used to say 'Give 'em muck'. She was also famous for using the more intimate services of her stage-hands prior to a performance to err... lubricate her throat.

Luckily Dogster does not subscribe to either her theory or technique so the report will take some time.

Here's an ethical question LA: if key parts of said story are contained in private E-mails between one party and another can a man of integrity use them? I'd think the answer is 'no'.

Wait, there's a caveat.

But if the recipient of said E-mails was leaking MY private correspondence to him [without my knowledge - and to my complete horror when discovered] to all and sundry during the exchange would that change my attitude?

I'd suspect that my personal E's to him have gone 'into the public domain' at that point and can be used.... ? Your thoughts?

So does this mean I can, tit-for-tat, reveal his replies?

Goose. Gander.

Dog - i know EXACTLY the kind of clientele you are referring too... that really made me laugh... did they have their pearls on the whole time?

Anyway looking forward to the next installment.

Dogster, you have accurately summarized the give and take of priveleged communications. If one side violates the secret nature of the communication, the other is free to divulge the contents of said communication. We expect full disclosure.

Take the high moral ground!

Thank you very much indeed Gpanda. Given your provenance, I'll take that as read. That's ONE of the moral issues out of the way. I welcome any opposing views.

But there's another moral problem - far, far more difficult. It's a different topic, but connected. I'll try and come up with an abstract example - give me a moment to compose my words very, very carefully.

We are happy to wait.... not to long though!!.

Ethics:

Mr. A runs a travel company. Mr. B has been a client of his on a number of occasions. Things are not going well on a new project in a new country. Mr. B happens to know the territory. Support from Mr. B to Mr. A results, most unexpectedly, in the offer of a freebie to see - and spy.

Mr B takes it. Things do not turn out well. The more Mr. B sees, the more appalled he is. There has been no planning, there is no duty of care or on the spot responsibility going on. EVERYBODY lies. The trip is an unmitigated disaster. The other paying clients are actually placed in real physical danger because of pure incompetence and internal politics. When they are not being nearly killed, they are being short-changed, taken for granted and treated with charming contempt. They are blissfully unaware. The trip ends with a flurry of catastrophe.

O.K. Stuff happens.

But the trip continues to be sold. The lies roll on. Naive clients continue to buy a trip that, on paper, looks good but on the ground, continues to be a nightmare. Pure practicality means that it will never get any better. Everybody blames everybody else. The beat goes on. Nobody cares.

But Mr. B was on a freebie. He can say nothing without biting the hand that fed him.

So, in the long term, what is Mr. B's moral responsibility? Bite that hand - or shut up?