I have been in Delhi for nearly a week, long enough to become accustomed the most conspicuous signs that I am in a Third World country. Over the past several days, I have started to notice the little things that indicate how far India still has to travel before it reaches First World status. The moth balls in the sink (to dissuade insects from coming back up the system), the regular electricity outages (the lights just go off without warning; fortunately, all of the computers have a backup power source), and workers constructing highways with homemade tools.

I also notice little signs that the economic tide is turning. Where are the beggars at the Hindu temple? Even our guide is surprised. Advertisements for mobile telephone line a street that otherwise looks like it was transported from National Geographic. Children and mothers walking the streets in modern, Western clothes. Some people don't like these changes, but many people here are celebrating an economic revolution. The consensus seems to be that it is still too early to tell, but by all accounts, India is making great strides.

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