"India Blocks Blogs in Wake of Mumbai Bombings," the headline reads from the New York times. Normally, I wouldn't have cared about this, as I have never read a blog and I had certainly never written one until I came to India. In my first moment of true American sanctimony I simply upon seeing the headline I simply muttered, "That would never happen in the U.S." This is a misguided statement as I am sure the US manipulates "the people's" access to information in all kinds of ways, but banning blogs does through in to stark relief how governments try to wield power over information.

As one of my colleagues said, "this is like banning water pistols to prevent cruelty against animals." While I can't say that I completely understand the analogy it is certainly overkill. We will see how long it lasts, but as long as I have wine club events to go to, awkward interactions to muddle my way through, and incredible sites to see, I will keep recording them as best as I can.