Things India has made me especially thankful for:
- the EPA - the pollution here is horrendous. Breathing in the smoke in Bombay burned my lungs and throat. You can smell the city as you're landing at the airport, and I was actually thankful I had a cold to block some of the smell. Apparently, Delhi is even worse...
- Waste management - There is trash everywhere in India. Along the tracks, in the streets, on the beach. Part of the issue is that people throw their trash anywhere, but a bigger issue is the lack of waste management. People dump their trash in areas, and waste management will eventually pick it up, but the system seems to be failing miserably. There is also no recycling.
- drinkable tap water. I am so glad that the water in Colorado is not only potable but also tastes good. While it's not hard to get bottled water here, having terrible water creates many challenges that aren't limited to everything smelling disgusting because of the water, not being able to eat fresh fruit or veggies because they were probably washed in non-potable water, and taking showers in water that you can't trust.
- Properly installed shower curtains. Whoever installed the shower curtain in our room did not seem to understand the concept. Instead of being alongside the shower and tub, the curtain shielded the toilet from the rest of the bathroom. This meant the entire bathroom got soaked whenever anyone took a shower.
- Toilet paper. The standard latrines in India are squatters. To clean oneself afterwards, there is a bucket of water to rinse off with -- no toilet paper. Fortunately, we planned ahead and brought a full stock of TP with us.
- people following traffic laws. In India, lanes are painted on the ground but no one respects them. We have seen highways packed 6 vehicles wide on a 2 lane road. There is no following distance -- if you're not on the back wheel of the person in front of you, you screwed up. All of the drivers are insanely aggressive, though the speeds don't seem to ever get high enough to cause serious accidents. We definitely saw lots of bumps and dings as we raced through the streets and alleys.
- personal space. It's probably due to how densely populated the country is, but everyone here seems much more comfortable being very close to strangers. People are constantly bumping into you, reaching past you, standing inches away, or just generally smelling bad in my personal bubble.
- mattresses. My bed at home is pretty stiff by American standards. But compared to the padded bricks we've been sleeping on here, my bed at home is like sleeping on a cloud.
Things we should take from India:
- Tuk tuks minus the pollution. This is my absolute favorite form of transportation. Also called auto rickshaws, I find it insanely fun to zip through the streets in these things, and I like to pretend I'm in a real-life, terrifying version of Mario Kart. They are uber-agile in the congested roads, probably second only to motorcycles. Indians often cram 8 or 9 people in these guys though they only comfortably fit 2 or 3 small people.
- the food - There has only been one incident of us not liking our food thus far. The food is much more flavorful than the foods we have at home, and we can't seem to stop stuffing our faces and re-inforcing the stereotype of American overeating.
- saris and other indian clothing. The attire at the wedding and reception were very vivid, sparkly, and colorful.
- Vibrant colors. Not only with clothes but also with homes, decor, and everyday objects, India seems to be much less drab than the US.
- Chai. Basically black tea with some spices and milk, we have gotten addicted to the tea here. We spent quite a bit of money on various teas and spices so that we can further our addiction once we get home.
- Houseboats. Floating through the Kerala backwaters was one of my most favoritest parts of this trip.
- Hindi music / bollywood. Kellie will be hosting a bollywood party when we get back so that we can wear our Indian clothes again and dance to Hindi music. You're all invited.
