1. You’ve grown accustomed to the constant noise of honking from the tuk-tuks and other autos on the roads. In fact, it almost seems too quiet when the noise dies down for a moment.
2. You no longer think twice about eating around the ants crawling in your cereal or brushing off a piece of bread covered with them and eating it…because, let’s face it, bugs are everywhere. And not to mention the geckos. They’re pretty much permanent fixtures on the walls. You’ve just got to learn to live with them.
3. You’ve willingly traded your morning coffee for chai…and you’ve figured out how to work the system by bringing your own mug so you can have more than just a shot.
4. You no longer question whether jumping into a rickety tuk-tuk with a man who doesn’t seem entirely sure he knows where you wanted him to take you is a good idea…and instead respond “Well, we’ll get there eventually.”
5. You’ve become an expert at dodging piles of poop left behind by the water buffalo who are always wandering the streets. (Stepping in a monstrous pile of it on your first day while wearing your chacos will do that for you.)
6. It’s become a little easier for you to momentarily silence your inner environmentalist and toss your empty soda bottle off on the side of the road and not immediately feel like you are littering.
7. You’ve figured out that in India, “cyclone” doesn’t mean tornado, it means hurricane. And it means that you should probably take your tent off the roof or you will get flooded. Much like the roads. But no cyclone will keep you and your teammates from venturing out to your favorite restaurant (Caramel’s) in a tuk-tuk and walking through poopy water up to your knees.
8. You know that going to church in the morning will not at all be limited to a one hour long service…but will more likely be closer to 3 or 4 hours long. It’s incredible how much the Christians here love praising their Lord!
9. It’s become normal to be the center of attention and stared at wherever you go, and to having children swarm around you saying “Hi, how are you? What is your name?” And if you’re standing anywhere with your American friends, that will usually attract an inquisitive crowd. For instance, the other day, Marie and I were with our friends Abby and Abraham at the bus stop on our way back from visiting a village and within a few minutes a crowd of at least 30 grown men had circled us…because they were curious!
10. You no longer are phased at all by your tuk-tuk driver narrowly dodging water buffaloes, motorcycles, and cars…even barely missing pedestrians. India traffic laws may be near to nonexistent, but you’ve gotta give them credit- they sure do make it work.
11. It no longer registers that wearing long skirts or pants and shirts with sleeves whenever outside in public in the 100 degree weather is not something you’d normally do. Don’t worry, India, we’re keeping those ankles and shoulders covered!
Bonus: It’s become a common occurrence to go to the doctor, meaning a clinic open on the street to the public, where it’s become normal to receive multiple “injections” without really questioning what’s in them. (Don’t worry, the needles were sealed and the doctor did know what he was doing.)
