From a cultural standpoint, the practices and overall environment of India has left a lastingimpression. For starters, we were required to purchase traditional Indian dress. I wore the same two punjabi outfits the entire month. The outfit consists of a scarf, a thigh length, decorative shirt, and loose fitting, draw string pants. I really enjoyed the spicy food. Most of my teammates suffered "stomach issues" all month and required medical treatment. Here is a list of the things I'll remember most about India. Be sure to read the first part to this blog and check out the slideshow
at the bottom of the page.
Cultural Highlights
• You must eat with and conduct business with your right hand.
• The left hand is considered unclean because it is used for wiping your butt.
• Mounds and mounds of rice was served to us every meal of every day.
• The proper way to eat is to "massage" the curry into the rice.
• Mosquitoes that just won't quit!
• No water for days. No daily showers. No clean laundry. No handwashing, only rinsing. My hands were so dirty, I stopped wearing my contacts for this month.
• "Bottled water" sold in any type of plastic, including used gasoline containers.
• Personal sized, Coca-Cola brand bottled water sold after obviously being refilled with local water.
• Two weeks without a cook/kitchen meant trusting street food prepared/served with dirty hands.
• The noisest place on earth! Drivers blow their obnoxious sounding horns constantly, loud music, people yelling, animals sounds, etc.
• Traffic is crazier here than China. Pedestrians, farm animals, bicycle and motorcyle drivers, taxis, cars, buses, and commercial vehicles crowded the streets.
• City buses are one pothole away from falling apart. Drivers speed over bumps, off the edge of the road, and passengers hit their heads on the luggage rack or windows while riding.
• Taxi drivers will wait for the car to fill with riders before departing. We often rode with random people.
• Children run around with naked butts.
• No trash cans anywhere, trash everywhere.
• There is a constant smell of poop/urine in the air. People use the bathroom outdoors in "not so" private places.
• Men and women apply coconut oil with a fine tooth comb to smooth down their hair.
• Braids and flowers in women's hair are considered beautiful.
• With my complexion, I was often mistaken for an Indian woman. At least, until they saw my hair.
• Curious women would play in my hair and smell my scalp. I would respond with "olive oil, not coconut oil".
• Farm animals roamed the city streets freely but were herded through the village streets. ???
• Thorns from the ground would poke my feet through my shoes.
• With all the filth on streets, squatty potty setup, and thorns, shoes must be left outside the home.
