1.) The Indian Head Bobble- Instead of nodding "yes," many Indians do a very subtle head bob from side to side. The first time I had to pass through a security checkpoint at a restaurant (apparently it was a high profile restaurant in Delhi where ambassadors frequent...so they had security there,) the woman did the bobble and I interpreted it as a "No, your bag didn't pass the checkpoint." The opposite, in fact. My host father, Chandra-ji does this all the time. The bobble is usually accompanied with "Yesyesyes." I've found myself doing the bobble occasionally and it's starting to feel normal.
2.) You will have your bags thoroughly checked EVERYWHERE. I'm not sure why security is so strict here but at 90% of the public venues, there's some kind of metal detecter or bag checker. Unlike in America where they usually scan you bag quickly, the woman at the movie theater today opened all 7 pockets of my bag and sifted through everything I had. It made me question whether or not I had something illegal...kind of like that feeling you get when a cop drives by even though you're not doing anything wrong. They are especially strict about cameras at public venues. My friend had to hand over his camera memory card to the security office and got a token that he could turn in after the movie to get his card back.
3.) The "sweets" are essentially pure sugar. When I tell people that I'm in Jaipur, at least half of them say, "Oh, they have the best sweets there!" I assumed that this would mean chocolates or taffy or something, but the "sweets" here are sweeter than I imagined. After dinner a few nights ago, my hostdad handed me a cube of what looked like pure sugar. It was in fact, crystalized cucumber. I bit into it, expecting somewhat of a cucumber flavor, but nope...just sugar. Same thing with these "almond balls" that were essentially balls of packed brown sugar with a sliver of almond on top.
4.) ChaiChaiChaiChai all day every day. Chai tea is tasty. (This is actually redundant to say because "Chai" in Hindi actually means tea.) But anywho, chai is more than a beverage here. It's an integral part of the social fabric. I have chai in the morning with my breakfast. We have a "chai break" every day at 10:30am in school. My host father serves it when I get home. And I have another cup after dinner. On the streets, there's even men walking around with teapots and small dixie cups pouring free chai for people. Personally, it doesn't make much sense to drink a steaming hot beverage in steaming hot weather while I'm wearing a long-sleeved shirt and pants, but who am I to critique Indian culture. It tastes good especially accompanied by "biscuits" (sweet crackers) but I swear my teeth are starting to ache from all of the sugar I'm consuming. A friend who lived in India for a few months this year told me that she came back to the states with a cavity.
5.) There are NO traffic rules. Jaipur traffic is absurd. I've read about it, even seen Youtube clips like this one here, but it actually is the worst. The lines meant to designate lanes for cars/motorbikes/rickshaws to follow mean absolutely nothing. There are no seat-belts, and from what I've witnessed, no limit to the number of people you can fit in a rickshaw (8 so far.)
6.) Child beggars. One of the worst part of the traffic jams is that it allows time for child beggars to approach your car. They look as young as 3-years old and usually have disheveled hair and are either partially clothed with no shoes or are wearing filthy clothes. They come right up to your car and either point to their mouth in a "give me food" gesture or they try to sell you little plastic toys like whistles or puppets. It's really disturbing, especially when in a rickshaw because there's nothing separating you from them. One girl came up to my stopped rickshaw and grabbed my leg. I had to push her off of me. That's something I don't think I'll get used to. The SIT staff told us never to give money to them because a lot of the beggars are part of "beggar rings" where they're stationed throughout the city in specific high traffic areas and are exploited by ringleaders who take portions of their profits in exchange for things like food or shelter. It's a corrupt system that is deeply embedded in Indian society, so we're told never to give to them.
2.) You will have your bags thoroughly checked EVERYWHERE. I'm not sure why security is so strict here but at 90% of the public venues, there's some kind of metal detecter or bag checker. Unlike in America where they usually scan you bag quickly, the woman at the movie theater today opened all 7 pockets of my bag and sifted through everything I had. It made me question whether or not I had something illegal...kind of like that feeling you get when a cop drives by even though you're not doing anything wrong. They are especially strict about cameras at public venues. My friend had to hand over his camera memory card to the security office and got a token that he could turn in after the movie to get his card back.
3.) The "sweets" are essentially pure sugar. When I tell people that I'm in Jaipur, at least half of them say, "Oh, they have the best sweets there!" I assumed that this would mean chocolates or taffy or something, but the "sweets" here are sweeter than I imagined. After dinner a few nights ago, my hostdad handed me a cube of what looked like pure sugar. It was in fact, crystalized cucumber. I bit into it, expecting somewhat of a cucumber flavor, but nope...just sugar. Same thing with these "almond balls" that were essentially balls of packed brown sugar with a sliver of almond on top.
4.) ChaiChaiChaiChai all day every day. Chai tea is tasty. (This is actually redundant to say because "Chai" in Hindi actually means tea.) But anywho, chai is more than a beverage here. It's an integral part of the social fabric. I have chai in the morning with my breakfast. We have a "chai break" every day at 10:30am in school. My host father serves it when I get home. And I have another cup after dinner. On the streets, there's even men walking around with teapots and small dixie cups pouring free chai for people. Personally, it doesn't make much sense to drink a steaming hot beverage in steaming hot weather while I'm wearing a long-sleeved shirt and pants, but who am I to critique Indian culture. It tastes good especially accompanied by "biscuits" (sweet crackers) but I swear my teeth are starting to ache from all of the sugar I'm consuming. A friend who lived in India for a few months this year told me that she came back to the states with a cavity.
5.) There are NO traffic rules. Jaipur traffic is absurd. I've read about it, even seen Youtube clips like this one here, but it actually is the worst. The lines meant to designate lanes for cars/motorbikes/rickshaws to follow mean absolutely nothing. There are no seat-belts, and from what I've witnessed, no limit to the number of people you can fit in a rickshaw (8 so far.)
6.) Child beggars. One of the worst part of the traffic jams is that it allows time for child beggars to approach your car. They look as young as 3-years old and usually have disheveled hair and are either partially clothed with no shoes or are wearing filthy clothes. They come right up to your car and either point to their mouth in a "give me food" gesture or they try to sell you little plastic toys like whistles or puppets. It's really disturbing, especially when in a rickshaw because there's nothing separating you from them. One girl came up to my stopped rickshaw and grabbed my leg. I had to push her off of me. That's something I don't think I'll get used to. The SIT staff told us never to give money to them because a lot of the beggars are part of "beggar rings" where they're stationed throughout the city in specific high traffic areas and are exploited by ringleaders who take portions of their profits in exchange for things like food or shelter. It's a corrupt system that is deeply embedded in Indian society, so we're told never to give to them.
Laura, I find your writing fascinating and I am not just saying that because I am your Mom. You have a wonderful unique writing style which makes it so much fun to read. I got back from errands this morning and saw a new post and actually giggled outloud like I was 5 years old with a new toy as I logged in!
ReplyDeleteHi Laura! I love how you listed certain elements of India and then described each of them in detail. So interesting! Is the chai in India a lot different from the chai tea in the U.S.? I wonder if you'll continue to do the head bobble thing, for a while, after you leave India?
ReplyDeleteLove,
Annie