Booze

My second day in Ahmedabad and it's raining heavily. Everyone is happy about it, and their preparing street celebrations to show it, women are covering their hands with henna and wearing their best sarees.

As for me, I'm gate crashing a Western party to enjoy fully my right (as a tourist and western) to purchase booze with a freely obtained license. Gujarat is a dry state, one of the only states in India where alcohol is prohibited, except if you purchase a costly license in which case you're allowed limited amounts every week. Most Gujaratis I've spoke to are in favor of this law, and they explain that allowing alcohol would see an increase in crime rates and general feel of insecurity, especially for women. At first I find these views a tad conservative and exagerated, but I get to understand that responsible drinking is far from widespread around here, and in India in general, and most Gujaratis just can't handle their acohol and would drink till they become out of their minds, becoming dangerous hazards to others.