Sunday, February 18, 2007

Some general India notes


Miscellaneous notations

Things I need to write down so that I will not forget them: Living the high class life is knowing that there is going to be a hair dryer in your hotel room the size of a small vacuum that doesn’t really blow any air.

Being in India is knowing that whatever you stepped in... you really really don’t want to look at or even think about getting off your shoe. Especially when a shoe shine person is running after you yelling "dog s**t madam, dog s**t" and Kit is brushing him off and ignoring him( as it says in the travel book this is a ploy to get money....only to realize hours later that he was not trying to wrangle money but insist that she had some green slimeys all over her shoe...quite funny.

Being in India is being in constant conflict with day and night…it is safer during the day to avoid things that you may step in and people are friendlier, and there are more females on the street, however; you can also see what you are stepping and the surrounding garbage that encompasses the water and streets and the pollution that has eaten away at the buildings.

At night, you are consciously side stepping and wondering what the strange oudor is...during the day you can actually see what the strange odour. At night it is beautiful with lights and alleys. During the day the grime is evident in every corner dashed with the brilliance of color from saris and salwar kameez displays on every corner.

In the internet cafes there is always the possibility that something will bite your ankles..mosquitoes, baby spiders or some other unknown assailant like in Kit's case, a mouse running up and down your backpack.

Being in India means that looks don't always count: Look at the state of the hotel reception and divide by 1000 is Kit's calculation in determing the quality of a hotel room for lighting and cleanliness. And sometimes you need to adjust the calculation and divide by 2000.

Being stared at and approached by complete strangers every second step and some will want something and others will just want to talk.

Being in India is wanting to scoop up a child and hold them forever and at the same time wanting to unwrap their arms and run without ever turnign back.

Being in India is getting offered food by strangers and guests when they won't take no for an answer. And finding out the green gook or orange mash is possibly the worst looking and yet the best tasting thing you have ever had in your mouth and the safe plain little doughball is the most disgusting thing to touch your tongue...only India.

Only in India can a person become a vegetarian without realizing it because the veg dishes are more divine than anything else...

Only in India can you love a place so greatly and hate it all at the same time.

There is much more, but these are few notations that needed to be mentioned.
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