Lottery of Birth?

Two weeks ago I was keeping track of the 'ding' sound from my handphone. Both children are away travelling on their own, one to India and another to Osaka. India on your own hails all kinds of risks whilst Osaka was bracing some storm or typhoon around that time. It did not help when the son landed at New Delhi late in the evening and messaged there was a change in plan as many roads were closed for the ex PM's funeral.

As it turned out he was misled by a couple of people (among them a guard at the train station and a cab driver ) who cahoot in saying that it was difficult to access his hotel and instead brought him to a so called licensed tourist office. As he had planned to head for another town early next morning they suggested he headed for the town straight away instead of spending a night at New Delhi and provided him the transport . In the process he was grossly overcharged. However what is really incredible was on his return to New Delhi after touring other places he lodged a complaint with the police against the tourist office. The police accompanied him there talked privately with the owner while drinking ' coffee ' and managed to help my son get partial refund of the money he spent.  My son had learnt from this trip that no stranger can be trusted and every one who  comes up to you is thinking of getting some money from you more or less. For example a doorman will unexpectedly wrap your head with a turban take a picture and ask for some small money; not to mention hosts of others along the street either peddling their wares or begging for money. Despite what he likened Indian cities as big garbage dumps where no one uses the garbage bins, he is still enthralled with the architecture, cultural diversity and mysticism of their forts and places of interest while shocked at the unbelievable squalor and unhealthy conditions of living, in summary a total eye opener. He described that getting out of the noisy and filthy streets to an indoor destination is a great relief. (Just to mention he brought back some bacteria or virus too).

In contrast my daughter related her encounter traveling from Osaka to Mt Koya where she experienced a temple stay. The zen along the forested paths and the quiet especially in the temple where " one can literally hear a pin drops " is mind bogging. At one onsen, after taking their baths a few foreign ladies did not wash the basin and keep the things in place. Noticing that, a local Japanese bather took her initiative to clean up the mess.

Hearing these stories when they return home I ask the question why some people are so lucky and others so unlucky being born in different parts of the world. The Economist Intelligence Unit has an index known as 'where- to- be- born index' which measures countries by the opportunities they provide for a healthy, safe and prosperous life. In the 2013 ranking Singapore is 6th and India 66th out of 80 countries (Japan came in 25th).

If there is really a GOD how does he allocate where one should be born or is it just a lottery, A lottery of birth.

Below are pictures which they took which show the contrast of the 2 countries.