Culture Shock (I'm in India!)

I'm in Mumbai right now and Suman and I are on the last leg of our journey. I thought I'd publish a quick post on some of the cultural differences I've noticed and some other random things that amuse me about India.

When we got off the plane I noticed a lot of people didn't have suitcases, they had bundled up blankets and tied ropes around them, or used boxes to transport their personal affects. I'd never seen that before.

I get stared at, a LOT. I'm not sure if it's not considered rude, or if people just don't care, but you would swear they'd never seen a white person before. We were in major cities and tourist attractions, you'd think they'd be used to it, but no. In fact, I've caught several of them trying to take my picture, or asking if I will be in a picture with them. Suman was agreeing to this at first, (I told my sister he was charging people for it) but I kept telling him that I felt exploited and he started telling them no. He thinks it's mostly because he and I are together. Not sure.

So many people! I know this goes without saying but it's really hard to imagine it until you are here. Also, mostly men. There is a larger population of men than women in India (for reasons I will not go into right now. You can refer to Super Freakonomics for the answer) but also most of the women stay home. You do not see women working in shops, restaurants or really even driving.

Since Indians eat with their hands, they have no problem touching the parts of your silverware that you eat with. This especially bothers me, and I have to just look away and pretend it's not happening. Burying your head in the sand works to your advantage sometimes.

There's no such things as zoning laws. Farm animals wander the streets freely, even in the large cities. In the heart of Jaipor, I saw a house with a stable in their front yard and a cow tied to a pole. It's crazy.

Everything is negotiable and nobody takes no for an answer. Even if you tell them you aren't interested in what they are selling, or that you already have a taxi waiting for you, they don't give up. In almost all the shops you can negotiate a price, and Suman is great at this. I don't try because they don't take me seriously, it's discrimination. I always defer to Suman.

Ok, well I gotta take a nap. I will write more later. This is barely skimming the surface. Coming up soon Transportation and Bathrooms (trust me, it's all interesting!) Thanks for reading!