When you meet up with an old friend, maybe after one year of absence, maybe after five years, maybe 10, chances are the conversation will pick up right where it left off, some time ago. Seamless. Timeless. Effortless. Those conversations between old friends are that way. There is no difficulty with restarting the long-held warmth, nor is it necessary to raise your defenses to protect yourself from someone that wishes you ill will.

Old friends are one of the blessings of life.

Steven is an old friend that I just have met. For the first time, but not the last.

If your plans allow to spend time with Steven, you will find that he truly likes people, and from there, his tour by bicycle begins. There will be no canned speeches, no delivery that was practiced to a flat consistency, but a delivery that incorporates the here and now. Be prepared to laugh at yourself, laugh (and contemplate) the “Consistent Inconsistency” of the Indian culture, observed by a sharply witted (and ?proper?) Englishman, that has lived in India for 15 or so years. Expect the wry, dry musings that simultaneously cause you to think.

Although I have been in India three times, Steven’s insight into the life here, starting with a primer of the history of Mysore, to the modern-day living details of the lives of his neighbors, has given me a new appreciation for the real people here. He will tailor your time with him to fit your desires and abilities. (Thanks again, Steven, for allowing a guy with a brand-new titanium hip replacement to get along just fine).

I would not have expected less from a guy from Yorkshire…

Alan Jewell