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Published: February 7th 2007
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So much of the Indian experience is about the difference in culture and way of life, rather than the sights or tourist attractions. For that reason I'd like to try and describe a few of the idiosyncrasies that make India such a mind-trip.
Despite the outward appearance of sometimes being backward or 'developing' to us Westerners, there are many things are so right about this country.
FOOD:
Dhabas for example are the roadside eating places, that at first look like grungy delapidated sheds with no front (which is exactly what they are) but actually offer freshly cooked (mostly) and fantastic value food, often at the most unlikely times of the day. Contrast that to your average Motorway service station in the UK, serving up reheated stodge at vast expense. Similarly chai shops offer sweet, milky tea in an instant for a few pence and are a national institution across the country.
While we are on the subject of food, it has to be said that Western dishes cooked here should normally be treated with caution - to be fair they can be OK, but descriptions can often be confusing (not helped by the amazing flexibility in Indian spelling)
Shoe walla
Rs 5 - now that's value for money! and what you envisage getting is often far from the reality! One example of this was a Pepperoni Pizza that I ordered, an extremely rare non-vegetarian treat that I looked forward to like any meat-eater would who hadn't eaten meat for 2 months... So when a pizza with nothing but green peppers on arrived I was slightly mortified.... pepperoni ??? or was that pepperonly - what's in a couple of letters!!
TRAVEL
Travel has it good and bad sides - the cost is generally low, local transport is ridiculously cheap, but then you really wouldn't want to pay much to have your face in the armpit of your fellow passenger as they squeeze another 10 people into a bus that is already beginning to stretch with the number of occupants. It is normally, no ALWAYS bumpy and the proof of this is still evident in many buses of Himachal Pradesh that have Geoff shaped dents in their roofs... At the same time, they are extremely sociable, with people helping each other in and out, passing babies and shopping through windows when using the doors is too much of a mission.
ADVERTS, SIGNS and LABELS
These are a source of constant amusement - sometimes from the speliing and sometimes from the quirky language used. I’ve included an example of the colourful grammar that you can expect by means of a label on our porridge, that apparently should have left us in ‘splendid atmosphere, good moods and thoughtful caliber…’ Road signs are another good example - ‘Dashing means danger’ is a favourite or ‘Better Mr.Late than Late Mr…’ are just a couple. Any there are so many more everywhere you look.
SHOPPING
There's isn't a Tesco's in sight and it is BLISS! In hindsight there probably is by now, but I haven't found it yet.. anyway a plethora of tiny local shops provide fresh unradiated produce that still tastes like real vegetables, unlike the worryingly uniform fodder that UK supermarkets offer. Sure it goes off a bit quicker, but it is so convenient to buy with small shops everywhere. I guess it may have been like this years ago to some extent in the UK, but I'm obviously to young to remember... Frequently these shops sell everything you might want, but if not, they will often run off down the road to get it. They will happily advise you on how to cook your meal, what bus to catch home and most pleasingly not rip you off as food prices are generally the one thing that is fixed in India and normally printed on the label. We have been given tea to drink and places to sit while it's raining and they provide real social hubs for people meeting up and talking. Admittedly you sometimes have to check whether an item has been on the shelf for a few years, but mostly it just needs a good dusting off.
Another good point is the purchase of loose foods like rice, flour, sugar etc. All these are kept in bulk sacks and either provided in a handmade newspaper bag or just put into your own container. Great for recycling and avoiding the use of plastics - not that you’d think this from the amount of junk that litters the entire country, but I suppose without this it would be even worse.
A major down side about shopping is thinking about our return to the UK, where a bunch of ginger won't cost a few pence and we won't be given free garlic or coriander with our veg!
SERVICE
I recently had my expensive walking sandals repaired - these had fallen apart after only a few months of use (someone elses use actually - no hard feelings Andy...) Anyway 15mins and Rs 5 (6 pence) later they were sewn and glued back together - pretty good service, although I would have liked a up of tea...
Having said all that....don't get me wrong, there are many, many things that can and do drive the normally sane and reasonable person to buy an automatic weapon and run through the street with shouting 'Ahhhhhh no!!!!! I don't want a rickshaw!!!!' or similar such statements... The behaviour of the locals differs dramatically depending on where you are - in touristy areas the shop keepers and touts are professional hasslers (eg Rajasthan) relentlessly trying to sell stuff , con/short change you and generally making normally polite folk resentful and resort to rudeness to get some peace. So it's not all rosey, but as I’ve tried to describe there are a lot of good points!
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Dad and Mum Wokersien
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Lexa's Birthday
It is only two days to go - for us anyway- to your birthday. It seems strange that we cannot send you presents and a card. But instead you will be in Thailand provided the One World Alliance held up all right at Mombia. We both hope you have a great day Lexa and relish the uniqueness of the occassion in a foreign land. We are thinking about you a lot and will do especially on the 10th. Happy Birthday Love Mum and Dad XXX