How was India? - part 3

As now I've sufficiently upset a few friends and family, I better talk about nice people.

I have met some very nice people. Certainly many of my friends are exceptionally nice, I don't know why I would hang out with them otherwise. I once was staying at a friend's house for twenty-four hours, moving through Delhi on my way to Darjeeling, and her mom woke up at three in the morning to see me off to the cab (and, as it was, give the driver directions in hindi).

One auto driver I met I negotiated for sixty rupees to take me back to college. He was a chatty one, asking where I was from, if I would have a love marriage or arranged marriage, how old I was, if I was Christian, etc. Finally when we got back to college, he only charged me fifty rupees.

(click "read more" for complete blog post)

How was India? - part 2

Part 2 of my attempt to sum up a few aspects of India I feel like talking about! Sexual Harassment


I don't know the best way to talk about this, so I'm just going to write a few stories. I've never had any serious problem with sexual harassment in India. I haven't been followed, or felt in danger. However I have plenty of times felt like the line of rudeness and creepiness has been crossed and behavior has entered into a violation of my private space. As a Westerner in Indian society, my private space extends a bit further than those around me, but regardless, any sexual harassment, or "eve-teasing" of this sort crosses lines in Indian society as well.

I'm white. I know that may be a bit more rare in India, but does that mean it is acceptable behavior for high-school/college aged young men traveling with their parents in the seats in front of me on a plane from Cochin to Delhi are entitled to hold up their iPhones and (discreetly? not really) take pictures of me? I don't think so. I'm a bit more understanding of poorer Indians who don't have a direct connection with Western culture being fascinated by brown hair, but from Indians wearing American Eagle? less so.

(click "read more" for complete blog post)

How was India? - part 1

When I get back to the US, and get back to all my friends, family, and dogs, the question I most expect to be asked is: How was India? (okay, maybe not from the dogs...) In anticipating that, I'm attempting, fruitlessly, to formulate my answer. The best I'm coming up with is "vast." There is so much beauty, and so much horror. So much kindness, and so much inhumanity. To be exposed to that for a year, is simply vast in your mind, there is no connection, no center point, just a vast cloud of everything that is my experience in India.

However thats not to say I'm incapable of describing, to a degree, what I've learned, how I've changed, what I've liked, what I've disliked, what I'd do over again, and what I appreciate. I do though believe myself incapable of answering all these sufficiently. But as the blog is drawing to a close in a week to three weeks (depending on my discipline and my mom's reminders to blog once she is here), I will try to write a few posts, somewhat articulately, about some aspects of my experience in India.

This is the first: Bad things I've learned

(click "read more" for complete blog post)

Jaipur

I went to Jaipur. I don't know if I'll be able to upload the few pictures I took because my camera finally died. Well, I can try to get the lens fixed...again...but anyways.

I went shopping in Jaipur. I got leather slippers, blue pottery, puppets, and dangly birds. I'm impressed that I was able to do this much because it was sunny and 105 degrees.

Predictably, I had a sore throat and my friend had a headache the next day, and we both slept and rested a fair deal.

Today I jumped onto the bus in Jaipur and drove about three hours as I watched the driver get a very good workout in his left arm as shifting required great amounts of physical strength. Finally, it failed, and the bus would no longer go into gear. All the men on the bus who obviously worked desk jobs tried their hand, as though trying to be the one to pull the sword from the stone, despite never having driven a bus. They were instead recruited to push the bus off to the side, as us ladies continued to sit in the air conditioning.

They sent another bus in a short amount of time, which was not as nice, and judging by the matchsticks and rolled leaves someone had recently been smoking there. In all of this I was not much concerned, which I find as surprising, because before I would have been all a fluster and a twitter. Instead, I didn't much care.

As we were getting into south delhi, and drove past the embassies, consulates, and well kept buildings that occupy the area around Khan Market, I had to pee the worst I ever had in my recent memory. I was deciding whether 'restroom,' 'loo,' or 'toilet' would be most effective when asking directions (toilet).

Once relieved I paid an auto driver much too much to take me back to school because he was nice other than charging me too much. 

Problem Solving

Problem: There is a great deal of water spilling out into the hallway from the hall bathroom.

Solution: Make a small wall of dirt to contain the water to the bathroom.

The problem persists.

Solution: Dig up the pipes (conveniently located in said hallway). Take them out, replace them, and rebury them.

Discovery: My dorm has no foundation, only dirt. 

What my friends want from India

I now have 16 days until my mom comes! (not that I'm counting) and have starting to sift through what books I will be taking home, what will be donated, etc. Another major component of this process is getting the last gifts, shopping, and requested items to bring back to the US.

And for this, my friends have thoroughly amused me.

The first request was for a Bollywood rendition of Aladdin, which has not been released in the United States. My friend appropriately attached the link to my facebook wall, so that I would be clear.

My conversation with my brother was perhaps more amusing. 

Brother: What's cheap in India and expensive here?

Me: Ummm....I can get bootleg dvds for two bucks....Prescription drugs? 

Brother: I'll think about what I need. Oxy cotin?

Me: Well as a rule I generally don't trust Indian drugs...How about a painted elephant? 

Brother: Exotic animals are good if you can bring any back

One other friend appropriately requested street Mughal art prints. However when I responded that I would likely put more effort into that than oxy cotton or exotic animals, the conversation went as such:

Friend: Actually, go into a pharmacy...take someone who is Hindi/is respectful and ask for 4 patay *leaves*

Me: Which is?

Friend: 4 patthay of oxy...I think it should work. GSK is huge there so they probably have it cheap. Oh Lord, I'm a terrible person.

I love my friends. 

____

After several people have read this I realize the need to make the following notes:

*Oxy cotin is not spelled like the fabric -- something I have now learned

*No, I'm not actually bringing anyone drugs. 

*My brother has added a psychedelic ganesha to his wish list

• •