India, Jan. 2 -- I fear death by admin. A realm in which credit-card snafus, travel booking mix-ups, endless calls and paperwork collide. That's my hell, along with concrete jungles, overfilled garbage bins and lack of pavement space. Add jet lag after a 14-hour flight next to a screaming child, and you have a handle on my state of mind as we landed in New York City.

So, my teenage son and I decided to take a walk. We bundled up in scarves, hats, gloves and thick coats; it was below zero and the wind was howling. Outdoors, we were soon dodging tourists gazing at the Christmas decorations on Fifth Avenue. The night before, during dinner, a cousin had explained the local rules for segregation and composting. I wondered, as we walked, how m...