Random Things in India By David

Just Imagine:

 

A garage with equality for all- motorcycles and cows.

 

A cow sleeping inside of a women’s clothing store as the people shopped around the animal.

 

Dogs sleeping on raised medians as traffic zooms past.

 

Children selling pellet guns while standing in the middle of the road

 

Just when you thought you escaped the souvenir shops here they come on two different boats! In addition to a boat fully loaded with necklaces and trinkets, there was actually a guy selling DVD’s in the middle of the Ganges River complete with a demonstration TV on his rowboat.

 

Women swimming fully clothed in traditional Indian dress instead of bathing suits.

 

Traffic lights, stops signs, and other highway markings that are purely decorative.

 

Indian music videos that were clearly inspired by the American and European musical greats of the 70’s and 80’s.

 

Ox carts, bicycles, motorized rickshaws, bicycle rickshaws, cars, trucks, busses, pedestrians along with cows, dogs, goats, pigs, and water buffalo ALL traveling in the same lane of traffic. (However, one must realize the concept of traffic “lane” is totally relative in India).

 

People ridding on top of busses whizzing down the bumpy rural highways at breakneck speeds.

 

An invitation to sit down and talk with someone can quickly turn into a sales pitch for a palm reading.

 

Realizing that many Indians believe all Americans live in New York, California, or possibly even Texas.

 

Being frequently asked about our political opinions regarding the US presidential race… even by random people we did not know.

 

Hindi Pop music blared over loud speakers- 3 feet in diameter- attached to a farm tractor, driving on a rural highway with a trailer carrying 20 or more people in tow. (it was so unbelievable- we could not find the camera fast enough!)

 

Using IST (Indian Stretchable Time), 6:30 pm could really mean 8:30 pm depending on whom you ask.  

 

Learning to eat messy food with only your right hand when you are not my nephew Caden’s age (one)!

 

Understanding that sometimes things work here and sometimes they don’t and that is just India.

 

Continuing a conversation as the power goes out without pausing or giving any reaction at all.

 

The use of a car’s horn and lights mean, “Hey look out, I’m coming through.” Thus, with such a dense population and crazy traffic, horns are always honking and lights are always flashing.

 

Trucks painted and decorated that use their crazy chortling horns to announce their movements.

 

Dogs barking like jackals in the middle of the night.

 

Street venders chanting, shouting, and even singing what goods they have to sell from 5 AM to 10 PM on streets with 2 houses, 10 houses, on busy streets, on quiet streets (until they come with their bells). I was always impressed that in Bangalore I could set my alarm clock by the 6:30 AM laundry collector ringing the bell on his hand cart- by the bedroom window.

 

Maximum occupancy of a two-seat auto rickshaw could be as high as twelve especially if one person is lying down on the roof.(we counted)