Considering that I nearly had a "curry" bath whilst walking the lanes of Mazagon in 1979-80, as well as seeing people bathing in water that was nearly black in colour whilst going through some slums in Mahim/Bandra, I did not really think that Indians as a whole have a very hygienic life-style.
Add to the above, a young maid shovelling out cockroaches out the window from a flat in St. Inez (this was circa 1977, when the area was just about developing and the occupants were newcomers from other parts of India), and you get the picture of "I don't care how filthy it is outside as long as my house is clean inside" attitude. Besides, as I wrote to NHT in 2000, the Goa Medical College Hospital cleaners just chuck sweepings outside the ward windows (big culture change from the clean environs of the Hospital Escolar and Hospital de Ribandar), that the cleaners ought to be supplied with a wheelie bin to put their rubbish in (anybody remember the red CMG - Camara Municipal de Goa - pushcarts which the municipal cleaners used to fill with the sweepings off the street? And their brushes and dustpans? They disappeared circa 1964). Anyhow, if you thought it is me spouting elitist criticism, read http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/jugglebandhi/entry/are-indians-filthy-foreigners Gabriel. Access Yahoo!7 Mail on your mobile. Anytime. Anywhere. Show me how: http://au.mobile.yahoo.com/mail
