1. PDA is most common between males who are close friends or family (it is common to see men holding hands/pinkies or with an arm around each other’s shoulder)
2. Homosexuality was punishable by law until 2009 (Section 337, a British inheritance dating back to the 1800s)
3. Bartering is the only way to survive markets
4. According to Mr. Jolly-Sir the 3 Indian pass times are: cricket, Bollywood, and marriage
5. Car owners, mainly men, wake up early to clean their cars
6. Indian food is fantastic! Paneer is my favorite.
7. Parks are common place for courtship among young couples
8. McDonalds, Pizza Hut, KFC, Dominoes Pizza, Subway, and Taco Bell have a presence in India 9. Produce is mad cheap
10. India produces 52 varieties of mango
11. 50% of the world’s mangoes come from India
12. Toe rings symbolize marriage. Some women wear as many toe rigs as they have children
13. Vegetarianism is the norm (I very much enjoy it)
14. It is common for movie starts to be elected into office- people strongly attach to their acting roles as "saviors", so they take a leap of faith by voting for them
15. According to Mr. Jolly-Sir the 3 issues facing India are: overpopulation, corruption, and poverty
16. Smiling in pictures is not a common practice (I tried the straight face in one of my pictures, you know, to fit in, and I looked like I was going to murder someone. I will leave this practice to the people of India and those with softer, natural facial expressions)
17. Rickshaw drivers are notorious for: 1) refusing to use the meter, 2) smoking while driving, 3) suggesting or driving you to businesses that pay them a commission in exchange for new customers, 4) taking naps in their autos, and 5) being incredibly reliable
18. Honking is a sign of courtesy to pedestrians and other drivers (one day a car passed me without honking and I was personally offended. Doesn’t he care about my safety? lol)
19. The people have mixed reviews on my ability to pass as an Indian woman
20. The people are beautiful
21. A normal work day starts at 10am and ends at 5ish
22. There is a general belief that Americans are too neurotic about time
23. I have not spotted any clocks around the office
24. Milk is sold in sealed, plastic bags
25. White people are considered a spectacle; Indians enjoy taking pictures of them
26. Verbal “thank yous” are an anomaly
27. Curd is eaten after every meal (helps cut down the oil and the spices- very good for the digestive system)
28. Homemade chai tea is amazing!
29. People are very giving and caring (every time the Maitri children are given a snack, they insist that Meli and I take one. THE ROUTINE: Someone offers a banana we say “no thank you!” The children say “Ma’am please!”
30. Sunday is a casual day (everything is OPEN!)
31. I have only seen a handful of women driving cars, small motorcycles, and riding bikes
32. I have yet to see a snake charmer
33. Head-bobbing is an important non-verbal cue (a single bob to the right means yes or understood)
34. The caste system is outlawed, but its influence remains
35. Advertisement is fraught with images of White men and women OR Indian men and women of light complexion
36. I have not seen anyone with braces
37. Meli is the best roommate and the most appropriate person to share this experience with
38. Coffeehouse does not equal wi-fi
39. Coffee does not equal US idea of coffee (here, coffee is regularly served with milk and is blended)
40. Unless you’re at a market or a bus stop around the time school is out, women are a rare sight
41. Birds are held in the utmost regard by Hindus
42. Cold showers during the summer are the BEST
43. People are baffled by the fact that we don't have rice for lunch and dinner on a daily basis
44. People sweep constantly
45. Flatulence is nothing to be embarrassed about
46. People advise against eating mango until after June 1st
47. The metro has a "women's only" section- the only time I have favored segregation lol ... the metro gets packed
48. I rarely know what time it is
49. Drinking age is 25
50. Driving age is 18
51. Anu & Baby are the coolest little people I've met (they are the two students I tutor/mentor at the Maitri Tutorial Center). It is difficult to communicate due to the language barrier, but I do my best to illustrate ideas with pictures and using non-verbal communication. Usually they try to teach me Hindi. :) In fact, yesterday they set aside the "English book", picked up a "Hindi book", read me a story, and had me repeat every word they said. A beautiful role reversal. All I could gather about the story was that Abu and Laxmi were going to school on a rickshaw. hehe
