Tonight I attempted to access the internet at a café to check my email/ FB, post some blogs, etc. However, it was not to be. So instead I’m writing another blog. Lol I’ll make a mass post whenever I get internet access. Thanks for understanding.
Inspired by the events of today I decided to give you all a glimpse of India through its quirks. There are lots of things but at the moment this is what comes to mind. Here’s the top 10 quirks of India (from my perspective and not in exact order) :
10. Cows are everywhere.
No matter where you are, look around and you’ll see a cow somewhere in your line of sight. Even after being here for 20 days, I still get a kick out of it.
9. Phone companies are complicated.
Unless you have a pre-set up SM card it takes almost a month to set one up. And for some reason they need a copy of your passport to set it up for you. (Thankfully our contact got one on our behalf so we skipped some of that and it only took a week and a half.)… We’ve continually joked about long processes and how it always starts out, “You simply…” All lies.
8. Grapes taste different…as do things like radishes and okra… basically most produce.
They’re delicious….bet you never thought I’d say that about okra, did you mom?
7. Everything is on the left, except using your hand.
I’ve walked on the wrong side of the road half the time I’ve been here. And when I’ve ridden up front, I feel like I’m driving. Also, I’ve offered someone food with my left hand a couple times (on accident) and they psychologically can’t take it. I know this because they say “no thank you” but when I switch hands (while they aren’t looking) and ask again they’re all, “sure.”
6. Weird shoe rules
See if you can figure this out: Not wearing shoes will make you sick, so don’t walk around barefoot. But you should take your shoes off before you enter a house out of respect. And don’t touch anyone’s shoes. (Although that part makes sense because your feet get pretty dirty decently fast.)
5. Signs are not always accurate, especially if they’re written in English.
Internet café with free Wi-Fi…not so much. It really just means café. Shop says “Vodafone here” it’s a lie. No SM card for you. See something unique on a menu. Don’t be set on it. They might not actually serve that. (Although if you ask what they recommend, it usually works out~)
4. They’re serious about their lines… and Cricket.
Come rain, lightning, a monsoon, you bet we’ll wait in line for a game. Even after the point when everyone knows the game will be canceled (1-2 hours after the start of the waiting line formed), they stuck around just in case. The roads are flooded and we’re all soaked anyway so I guess why not?
Also, you better be aggressive about keeping your spot in line. You could easily wait forever. Standing 4 inches away from the person in front of you is like saying, “Please cut in front of me. I’ve got all day so I’m leaving this space for you to go first.”
3. Motorbikes are family vehicles.
2 adults and 3 children, no problem. 3 grown men, totally normal. A couch with no apparent tie down, it’ll fit behind you. As we learned from our 5 girls in an auto experience, there’s always room for 1 more.
2. The power goes off randomly throughout the day.
Sometimes it’s once for an hour. Sometimes it flickers on and off over the course of the evening. Sometimes you spend half the day without power. But that’s totally normal so carry on as usual. *shrug*
1. IST aka India Standard Time
Also referred to as India Stretchable Time and India Slow Time. Beginning and end times for meetings and events are somewhat relative. You may be asked to have a meeting and over the span of 2 minutes it changes from 7:30am to 9:00pm to simply “sometime.” It’s becoming more and more natural to reply, “Sometime” when asked when we’re going to do anything in particular.
It’s hard to describe India properly in all exactness. There are many things different here and many things we have in common. Hopefully you found some amusement in trying to picture how these differences work out. I know we’ve had our fair share of laughs (although sometimes we were frustrated, it’s true). Many lessons have been learned- that’s for sure. All things considered, it’s been a fantastic 20 days. Looking forward to checking out Nepal and it’s quirks in 2 days.
