A perk to doing international business is learning about what makes different cultures unique. An even bigger perk is learning about the similarities people share, regardless of their cultural backgrounds. A wonderful common denominator that brings any number of cultures together is food. Last week, I received a call to join the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India office for lunch. The invitation was a welcome one, as I always enjoy seeing my associates from the Ministry. They asked me to meet them at their New York office. I complied and found myself meeting a group of about 15 people. I was happy to see some familiar faces and pleased to meet some new people as well. A few of us were American, some were Indian living in America and some were visiting from India. After a short visit in the office, we were told to meet the bus downstairs. I thought, like many of us, we were being shuttled to the restaurant, which was certainly a nice added bonus to the invitation. What awaited us downstairs was a wonderful surprise that kept everyone in great spirits throughout the whole day. We were the first members of the press and partners of Incredible !ndia to see their new double-decker bus campaign. This was the bus we took to the restaurant. We then enjoyed a wonderful lunch at Darbar Grill along with some delicious Kingfisher Beer at the suggestion of the Kingfisher representative dining with us. It was a fantastic experience. Once again, a great meal brought different people to the table, some as strangers, but we left as friends sharing the common bond of enjoying a meal together. Thank you, Incredible !ndia, for bringing us together and whetting our appetite for our next trip to India. — Alex Young, vice president and associate publisher