Fun facts: India
Hello: Namaste
Currency: Indian Rupee
64 Indian Rupees = $1 USD
There are 22 official languages recognized by the constitution of India.
The population of India is 1.25 billion people. That is 18% of the world population.
Highest paying jobs are technology and software workers, engineers, and finance work.
Half of the countries main job is agricultural and farming.
India is the birthplace of Hinduism and Buddhism.
About 80% of India’s population practices Hinduism, 14% Islam, 2% Christian, 3% other.
India is also called Hindustan.
The big trucks, like semis and trash trucks, and trailers that hold gravel or dirt are painted with beautiful murals. Even the grills are painted. Sometimes they even hang tassels from the front bumper! I love the details and accessories!
(Here is a very bad photo of one of these trucks)
3 large mangos cost less than $1.
Most Indians are vegetarians.
Restaurants will have a non-vegetarian menu.
McDonald’s in India doesn’t have normal burgers and has the weirdest menu I have seen so far on the WR.
You do not wear footwear inside of buildings.
Most marriages are arranged.
India has a caste system. Marrying outside of your caste is frowned upon.
Marriages are a big thing. Weddings can sometimes last days. Most people take out loans for their children’s weddings.
When a women is married she shows it by wearing toe rings. The men don’t normally wear anything to show that they are married.
Indians believe in reincarnation. The better you are then you will come back as something or someone better.
Only use your right hand in India. The left is called unclean. (Poop hand haha)
Woman have to dress very modest. You must cover shoulders and ankles.
Most women dress in sarees. It’s like a dress made out of a long piece of fabric that you wrap around yourself. It covers everything except the belly. We Americans think that it’s risqué to show your tummy but here it’s completely normal. Ankles and shoulders on the other hand…. they have to be covered.
Mostly this month I have been wearing a Kurta and long pants or leggings with a chunni (scarf).
(Britt and I in our kurtas, leggings, scarves, and bangles.)
I had rice and curry for every meal. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
In India, instead of shaking their head yes by moving their head up and down they shake it side to side. It’s called the “head bobble”. It can be super confusing. Seems like they just don’t understand. We do it sometimes to mean maybe in America.
Cows are holy. Especially the white ones.
Car horns are overused here. They are used more often than seat belts. Which isn’t hard because what’s a seat belt?
Coke is called Thumbs Up and its only found in India.
They drink Chai tea after almost every meal. It’s piping hot even in the summer. (Which is all year)
When women preach they have to cover there heads.
(Dana doing an amazing job preaching!)
The kids are absolutely adorable, and just like in every other country they love selfies.
(I miss these boys so much.)
On birthdays you feed each other and sometimes rub cake on each others faces.
(For me it is a dream come true to have cake thrown in my face!)
The floor is sometimes considered the kitchen.
Women have to wear Kurtas when swimming at the beach.
Henna is called mehindi.
I think that is all of my fun facts!
Thanks for reading!
XOXO,
EM
