We are beginning our last week in India. We will actually head back to Delhi on the 10th, thankfully by train, and then have our 3 month debrief before heading into Nepal. The time here has definitely flown.
I figured I would share a few things I have noticed about India since arriving.
1) Drivers drive on the left side instead of the right side and traffic laws are more accurately traffic suggestions.
2) Toilet paper goes in a garbage can instead of the toilet so as to not clog the plumbing. You then take it to the lot next to the house to burn at some point in the week.
3) Cows are everywhere. They regularly hold up traffic and you see them eating out of garbage piles throughout the neighborhood.
4) Bathing revolves around 2 buckets. A big bucket holds the water and you use hte smaller bucket to dump water over yourself to get clean.
5) Shoes are definitely optional. It seems more normal to see people walking down the street without shoes than walking down the street with shoes.
6) Getting water to drink or to brush your teeth with means walking up 4 flights of stairs to the rooftop terrace to get the filtered water. We eat our meals on the roof which is why the water is kept there.
7) Horns are used on average every 5-10 seconds. Drivers use their horns to signal they are passing, changing lanes, looking to manuever in tight spaces, etc. Riding is a very noisy experience.
8) Because water is a precious commodity, washing dishes involves 3 tubs of water. You wash in one tub, rinse in the 2nd and then do a final cleansing rinse in the 3rd.
9) The head bobble is incredibly common. Think about a person doing an impression of a bobblehead doll and you have the Indian head bobble. The crazy thing is I've found myself doing it.
10) Women never wear shorts, usually long pants with tunics or saris and men don't wear shorts either but they usually wear pants or skirts. I am sure they aren't actualy called skirts, but that is what they look like.
I could go on with my observations about India, but those are the ones that stick out today.
