Delhi government has started an aggressive programme in sprucing up Delhi at two levels - city infrastructure as well as government officials. Yes all the people who will be involved with public dealings: sports officials, tourist guides/officials, police personnel and miscellaneous help and security officials are all going to undergo rigorous soft skills enhancement trainings. As a balanced programme run by experienced experts, it will teach these officials how to handle people with care and courtesy and how to handle stress with professional ease. Commonwealth games is thus a blessing in disguise for all these officials as they will see reason to develop a softer side to their personalities and with (hopefully) well behaved citizens in future they will see no reason to return to their stern ways post the Games. Just like the Metro taught Kolkattans how to keep their stations clean, the same story is repeated in Delhi.

And then of course that succour for shoppers in summer, the bargainer’s bastion, Palika Bazaar. I have in the past bought leather jackets from there which I have now used for 7 winters and still going strong. This time I bought a leather wallet (he asked for 600, sold it for 200).

What you can also find with these footpath booksellers is second hand books which tourists flog off if they don’t want to carry the extra load on board their flight. If you are lucky you may find a good condition ‘Lonely Planet’ at a fraction of its original price.