Indian Conclusions

After spending five weeks in the subcontinent, much of it with people well versed in the culture and cuisine (Alana and Moin) we one learned to stop asking questions - Indian people do things because they do things, whether it be to throw trash on the ground to sweep it up and burn several times a day or why there is an utter lack of street names, house numbers, or addresses (making navigation hard for even a native). Traveling comes with culture shock, and after meeting non-native people who've lived there for over ten years, we realize its always a shock.

While asking questions, always take it with a grain of salt because they will tell you what you want to hear, almost never did we hear an 'I don't know' out of someone, and we asked a lot of questions. You can ask directions, and five people will point in five different directions.

The food is delicious and always eaten with rotis/chapatis (an Indian tortilla) as a utensil. Fortunately for us, due to religious lifestyles, vegetarian food is abundant, although far greasier than necessary. And most restaurants will serve the white man a duller version/less spicy version of their cuisine. Although we ate the same mix veg dish everywhere we went, it was always different. Our favorites included 'navratan curry,' when it was what we thought it should be, it was a delicious mix of pineapple, banana and seasonal vegetables in a creamy red curry sauce. Veg biryani and veg pullao were our standard filler, vegetables and rice, slightly seasoned. If we were "lucky" dinner would be served with a dense ball of dough soaked and boiled in sugar water - always a challenge to choke down. And no matter what, you had to eat everything, because not finishing your food was extremely disrespectful. They are still using the reusable glass Coke bottle, which Paul is now addicted to, fortunately they aren't the supersized American version. And although tap water is disgusting (making your body and hair feel gross) you can always buy a 1 liter bottle of water for 30 cents.

One of the more difficult things for Madeleine was the place of women in the society. We were forced to never touch or hold hands in public, otherwise other men wouldn't have respect for her. Women don't make eye contact with men, and rarely show any skin. But it is perfectly normal for men to show physical affection with each other, often walking down the streets arm in arm.

They love festivals and holidays and will take the chance to close down shop, even if it is not their religion or culture - everyone celebrates all holidays.

Driving is a sport, drivers often maneuver tour buses like Indy cars, passing through blind turns and steep hills - might makes right. People rarely wear helmets on motorcylces, and often a family of five would fit onto one, baby in front holding onto the handle bars. But hey, they are going to be reincarnated so who cares.

As fair skinned foreigners, we ourselves were tour attractions. At the Taj Mahal, more people had photos with us than with the Taj. It is also a source of pride to have you hold their children, so Madeleine was constantly holding babies.

We loved India, but it is a complicated and convoluted society, which was difficult for us to understand sometimes, so we were very grateful to have a few tour guides.