Monday, August 21 Indian Peoples' Questions, India is Crowded

Upon meeting Indian people, they all ask the same questions in the same order. And my answers (using Indian accent and hand gestures) are always the same. 1) What is your country? America, you know California (not really true but it’s simpler than saying Seattle which they don’t know and always confuse with Chicago, 2) What you doing in India? I am study here, in Delhi University, 3) How you find India? I like the India, people are nice, it is cheap, but now is very hot, 4) Why you come India? I am always wanting to go to the India, 5) why studying political science India, politics is crooked and you cannot get job? Yes, but I am study political science in America and want to do law or the business, I am not smart to get do engineering, and is only one semester here (but if I’m in a quiet mood I’ll just say economics because the DU economics school is very prestigious, Amartya Sen is a professor in that college), 5) how long you in India? I am staying here four months more, 6) You have girlfriends, how many you have? I have girlfriend, she is in America (it’s too hard to explain that I don’t have a girlfriend or wife, and that it’s normal to have only one girlfriend at a time), 7) You speak Hindi? I cannot, 8) What is your good name? Taylor (a blatant lie, but they end up saying Thailand if I say ‘Tyler’, if you have a weird name and go to Starbucks you know exactly what I mean), 9) You know Texas, I have Aunt there? I have not been Texas, is far from California. One thing that doesn’t surprise me because I was prepared, but what can be overwhelming at first is the fact that there are a lot of people in India. 70% of the population is rural. So, even if there are large expanses of open fields, there are still people around every corner. And the cities are all sprawling megalopoli; the largest is Mumbai at 17 million, Kolkata at 13 million, and Delhi at 12 million. People sleep on the street side by side, and share beds. People will knock into you, and not think twice about bumping shoulders or knees. Every bus, train, and plane is filled to maximum capacity. Privacy and personal space do not exist unless you are willing to pay for it. Every day your senses are bombarded with every aspect of life in India; sleeping, eating, selling, buying, cooking, celebrating, fighting, driving, smoking, spitting, urinating, and defecating. And remember, there are another billion people doing the same things that you can’t see. A positive of this is that at every turn, you can find most things you need. A helpful tip I have discovered for keeping healthy is this: No matter how thirsty or hungry you are, don’t ever eat raw foods or drink non-purified water (many times as a guest or when you become withered you will find it difficult to refuse). You’ll be compensated for three hours of satisfaction with three days of misery. Remember this: A food stand selling bananas, bread, and bottled water cannot be more than 1 km in any direction in India. These three items are all you need to survive until you find a good restaurant or hotel. Sunscreen, toilet paper, and energy bars are difficult at best to find, though.