India at last!

Asia
June 29th 2009

Published: June 29th 2009

Due to weather, poor access, and time constraints, I have been unable to get back to my blog until now, so obviously a lot has happened. For starters, now I’m in India. Arriving in Delhi was hectic, if not completely overwhelming. I spent the first week in Delhi, finding an apartment (I will live in a three room apartment with six people), registering with the police, recovering from jet lag (India is 12.5 hours ahead of California), getting sick, sight-seeing, and adjusting to life in Delhi. I was told if I could get used to Delhi, I could get used to anywhere in India. The weather was hot (about 110-120 degrees), and the city itself is very chaotic. Construction is everywhere, garbage is everywhere, everything is dirty, the water is undrinkable and the street food uneatable (for foreigners), the air is so smoky that you cannot see the sun (ever), and haggling is the norm for all prices.
Haggling is also key because generally everyone tries to rip off foreigners, or try to make money off of you. This may sound like a generalization as there are some genuine people, but it’s imperative to distrust everyone before trusting anyone. Scamming is everywhere, too. One of my friends had feces thrown on his shoe, then the same man who threw the crap came and wiped it off, then tried to charge him 600 rupees, or close to 14 bucks. Scams like this are common and often very creative.
The poverty level is very unnerving, and it was probably the hardest thing to become acclimated with. Families sleeping on streets, maimed children begging. The poverty line in India is less than 12 rupees a day, which comes out to be around 25 cents per day. In this sense, haggling over a few rupees means nothing to an American, but everything to them, so getting a little ripped off on every transaction is something one must come to terms with.
We stayed in a YWCA, and were basically on our own except for our program coordinator, Vijay, or Uncle Viji. He really is like an uncle, and he lives in Delhi full-time. He assists in (or does for us) all of the logistical requirements. The food at the YWCA was very rich, often delicious, but not very conducive to good digestion. It is a lot of carbs without fiber, and a lot of sauces. Most meals were vegetarian. Everyone had, ahem, problems during our whole stay in Delhi, and well into our Musoorie trip. Dominos and McDonalds could sometimes be found, which were luxurious breaks from the typical Indian fare, though I do love the Indian food.
As for the wildlife, there are monkeys everywhere, and many will wait around to steal food from a vendor when he or she isn’t looking. Some monkeys have also learned to hold out their hands as though begging. But all in all, the monkeys are very dangerous! They will bite you and then steal from you. There are also stray dogs everywhere. I have seen mongoose, monkeys as big as people running around, huge spiders, cobras, a variety of elegantly beautiful birds, dragonflies, and rats.
The variety of religions is very interesting as well. Sikhs (pronounced “sick”), Muslims, Hindus, Christians, Buddhist, Jains, and even Jews all live together, and you will find some sort of place of worship on almost every block. This is not too say there are not conflicts, but the mere presence of all these religions is fascinating. People also tend to identify with their religions, and one can often identify someone’s religion by their style of clothes or hair. Most temples are fairly tolerant of tourists, all though they demand that you follow the religious customs. For instance, I entered a Sikh temple and had to remove my shoes, cover my hear with a bandana, move through the temple clockwise, etc. Meanwhile, a Gudwara sang over a microphone while another man played tables, and the music was haunting and beautiful. It was a truly unrivaled spiritual experience (at least for me). I also visited a Hindu temple, the amazing Baha’i Lotus Temple, and a mammoth Mughal tomb (Huyamuns Tomb).
The style of driving in Delhi is absurd from an American perspective. With no real lanes or traffic lights, cars rely on constant honking to alert other vehicles of their presence, and there are roundabouts for intersections. It altogether makes for a terrifying exoerience when riding around in a 3-wheeled auto-rickshaw. I have yet to see an accident, but have witnessed hundreds of close calls. Instead of slowing for a blind turn, a vehicle will simply blare their horn and whirl around the corner at 30 or 40 mph.
It first seemed impossible to adjust to life in Delhi, but I was amazed at how quickly my comfort level grew, for instance, to accommodate stepping around human fecal matter to reach a restaurant. The differences between Delhi way of life and American life, just from a week-long orientation, were profound. It was also very difficult to leave everyone behind, and the first week I was very homesick. But there are about 35 people in my abroad program who are all in the same boat, and this alone made bonding easier. Still, it is difficult to know that everyone is half way around the world, and I have to remember that this was my own choice!

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