Three of the tenets of Sikhism I expected. "Be true to God." "Share what you have." "Help others."

It was the other tenet that evoked a politically incorrect laugh from some of the group. "Take care of your woman and cow."

It was one of the women of our group that defended them. She first reminded us that cows are held sacred here. She added that Sikhism has its roots centuries back when women couldn't survive on their own.

Besides, she added wryly, she herself wasn't much of a feminist and preferred a man she knew could take care of her.

This new world is surreal. Streets are crowded with cars moving inches from each other. A family of five balance on a scooter at highway speeds. Bicycles are ridden piled high with wares. Trucks, buses, cars, rickshaws, ox-drawn carts fight for inches to maneuver.

This trip has not been without its frustrations. Our driver is treated like a second-class citizen, which is infuriating. Also, we ourselves are a hot commodity here, and as a result are pulled in a hundred directions. Everyone seems to have an agenda that the Americans can help with, everyone has something to show us. After two weeks, the group's only request is an hour to ourselves.

The other frustrations are typical of any cross-cultural exchange. There are things that you take for granted as part of your life that you never imagined could be different in another culture. One might have thought that refusing something you didn't want was standard in any country. Misunderstandings are common enough when two people speak the same language. Coming from different worlds and under stress, nerves unravel.

More and more I understand how wars are started.

But the trip has mostly been one delight after another. Five hundred children enthusiastically singing their national anthem. Witnessing an exchange of flags at the border of Pakistan and India, two avowed enemies ignoring their embittered past for this daily ceremony. Seeing the women of our group dressed up in saris, complete with jeweled foreheads, for a wedding we attended. Children performing traditional dances. Deep conversations with locals about their life, being welcomed into their families.

Being forced to see and hear and think in new ways.

It's strange to me that this is the same rich country that was fought over for centuries. Britain and Russia have a blood-stained history of vying for the treasures of India. But spices and jewels are no longer the treasures of India. The world is much too small for that now.

Today the treasure of India lies in the education of its people. Their commitment to education is paying off. I've read that a full 36 percent of physicians in the United States are from India. Nearly the same percentage of employees of NASA and Microsoft come from this country. Is the next generation of Americans ready to compete in the market of this shrinking globe?

I'd like to write more, but we are being whisked off to Jammu, the City of Temples, and to several more Rotary functions. If anything, this trip has reemphasized to me how small I am, how big the world is, and how short one lifetime is.