Oddities of India

Taj Mahal!

I hesitate to call them oddities as they are just differences, but there are things that I find really interesting traveling here.

1. When you eat at a restaurant or hotel that is touristy, you are asked to fill out a review. This is the most biased review I have ever written as the server or hotel concierge is watching you do it and the first time I made the mistake of a somewhat negative comment and not 5 seconds later the manager himself was asking me about it and then yelling at the employees. If you want a real review let me do it alone and read it when I am not there, otherwise I will say nothing bad, even if I am thinking it.
2. American movies are subtitled when they are in English with English as Indians have a hard time with our accents. I am also struggling with theirs, so no big.
3. Honking is it's own language when driving it can mean- get out of my way, you are going to slow, I am going to pass you, I am passing you, I just want to honk, turn signals, I am coming to an intersection... Horns are used more than I knew possible here!
4. There are seemingly no road rules- any lane or middle of the lane is ok, cutting people off is expected, there is no first, turn at your own risk as there are not a lot of lights
5. Roads are filled with people, bikes, rickshaws, auto-rickshaws, motorbikes, large trucks, tractors, cows, camels- anything you can think of and somehow everyone gets where they need to go, but not quickly....
6. There is traffic literally everywhere, you will be in a small town in the middle of nowhere and suddenly there is a traffic jam on the highway
7. Accidents take forever to clear as there is no infrastructure in place to divert traffic and the family of the victims comes to the site before anyone moves (at least this is the gist I got from the driver)
8. Everyone knows the word VIP for something that is very nice or expensive. "Very VIP place ma'am."
9. All of a sudden there will be a camel, an elephant or monkeys and locals think nothing of it, but I obviously think it's super cool
10. Some things are crazy cheap- like a salon haircut for $12 USD (with tip!)
11. The power goes in and out
12. The key to bargaining is that you have to act indifferent to what they are showing you, a few times I literally was indifferent and I have gotten great deals and free shipping! Great presents are coming to your house Mom! I had no idea how amazing shopping was here- jewelry, textiles, clothing.... WOW I wish I could buy presents here for the rest of my life!
13. The airport to go on a domestic flight was the craziest place I have ever been:

• you have to have some kind of flight itinerary and ID to enter the building
• You screen your checked baggage first where it must me tagged before it goes on the plane
• liquids of any kind are not allowed to carry on- no 3 oz. rule in a baggie
• you must tag your carry-on bag so that it can be stamped that it has been screened and they check it before you get on the shuttle to the plane
• security is separate for men and women and the women's side is a mass of children and women pushing to put their bags onto the xray
• the women are checked in a screening room
• all planes leave with stairs, so you take a bus to go get them
• when I told my friend that my flight was at 6:30am, he was said I didn't need to be there earlier than an hour before!
• Oh and did I mention I had to figure this out with 3 hours sleep at 5:00am???

Lastly, my friend Arush's family has been incredibly welcoming since I have been here- I have met both Grandma's, been to an anniversary party, been invited to a wedding- it is amazing and welcome change to feel so included! I have been fed some amazing food- south indian, north indian, etc. And I am looking forward to going back to Calcutta on Wednesday to sample some street food and Indian night life! PS I am going to weigh 90000 pounds when I come back as the food is so good and so veg friendly :)

Also not odd, BUT it has been ridiculously hot here- it was 115 F/ 47 C yesterday for sightseeing, if are ever thinking of coming to India come in the winter! I hear it's lovely weather.

World Peace Gong where Ghandi was murdered Delhi. Every religion and every country- really pretty and such a nice thought.

Other updates:

On friday I left to go on a tour of Delhi, Agra and Jaipur. Currently I am in Jaipur. I saw the Taj Mahal yesterday- so pretty!

The tour ends wednesday and then I am back in Calcutta. Then back to London on the first of June and then back to the states 5 June! I'm flying into NYC and will be contemplating when my next move will come and what it will be!

Another one of the Taj Mahal- just because it is so pretty.