Hello, readers! My time in India is slowly winding down. I can honestly say I no longer consider myself a tourist here. I'm somewhat familiar with the city now and have started traveling on my own. Independence! Going through all of this was definitely a journey. I've learned a few things about India ( I don't know if I will ever fully understand all of it) and I would like to past this knowledge onto you all. Perhaps, you'll decide to travel here one day. :)
Five Things Not to Do in India
1) Don't eat the street food.
I know some may argue that they have eaten street food in other countries and nothing happened but India has its own unique standards of hygiene and sanitation. This became most obvious to me when I first saw people openly shooting snoot rockets. Or maybe it was more obvious when I saw them blowing the snot in their hands and rinsing it off with only water? No boogie right? I mean biggy. Sorry.
2) Don't say anything bad about Gandhi!
So, everyone knows Gandhi. He's a house hold name, but there are also many critics of Gandhi who label him a pedophile and racist. I've read some of the criticisms myself (some of you may have also), but I'm not taking a stand on anything. The point is this: the man freed India from the British and so he is considered the Father of India. Just leave it at that.
3) Don't take pictures with random strangers.
Okay, so I know this one sounds a little obvious, but I will admit I did this with people in China. However, it was a group photo with the strangers and my friends so not that bad. I will admit that once I did take a picture with an old elderly Korean couple because they were so excited to see a black person (can you see my eyes rolling?) The difference between India and China is that India ( not the government obviously) is infamous for having pictures of foreigners (particularly foreign women) taken and then uploaded to porn sites (which are illegal here I may add). In China the pictures I volunteered to take felt harmless. In India...I usually just say no.
4) Don't expect Oreos to taste the same.
Something is just missing in my Indian Oreos. I'm not sure what it is, but it's not hitting the spot like it does in the States.
5) Don't expect people to not look at you strangely when you use hand sanitizer.
My friends actually laughed at me. Seriously. They laughed and said, "Americans" while shaking their heads.
And just so I won't sound like a Negative Nancy...
Five Things to Do In India
1) Do eat Birianyi.
This is my favorite dish here. I love it! It's a combination of of rice, veggies, fruit and meat (depending on if you are a vegetarian or not). Highly recommended.
2) Do eat Falooda.
Several fruit flavored ice creams, several types of roasted nuts and fruit. Need I say more.
3) Do go to a religious ceremony.
It doesn't matter what religion, just go. I've spoken about the religious dedication in India before, but you have to see it for yourself to truly understand/
4) Do read the local newspaper.
So, you may not be a citizen of the country, but the paper is a form of media and so it reflects culture. Not to mention that being up to date is a good safety precaution. Don't want to decide to go out partying when there's a lunatic on the loose. Also, it will impress your Indian friends. They will feel like you have a genuine interest in their culture and for that you will get respect.
5) Do listen to Indian music.
So, every song has some dude whistling in the back ground, but the beats are awesome. This is music you can truly dance to. I don't care what Indian state you're in, just listen to the music. In Kerala I listen to both Hindi and Malayalam music. Also, the dance moves int he video are top notch.
Five Things Not to Do in India
1) Don't eat the street food.
I know some may argue that they have eaten street food in other countries and nothing happened but India has its own unique standards of hygiene and sanitation. This became most obvious to me when I first saw people openly shooting snoot rockets. Or maybe it was more obvious when I saw them blowing the snot in their hands and rinsing it off with only water? No boogie right? I mean biggy. Sorry.
2) Don't say anything bad about Gandhi!
So, everyone knows Gandhi. He's a house hold name, but there are also many critics of Gandhi who label him a pedophile and racist. I've read some of the criticisms myself (some of you may have also), but I'm not taking a stand on anything. The point is this: the man freed India from the British and so he is considered the Father of India. Just leave it at that.
3) Don't take pictures with random strangers.
Okay, so I know this one sounds a little obvious, but I will admit I did this with people in China. However, it was a group photo with the strangers and my friends so not that bad. I will admit that once I did take a picture with an old elderly Korean couple because they were so excited to see a black person (can you see my eyes rolling?) The difference between India and China is that India ( not the government obviously) is infamous for having pictures of foreigners (particularly foreign women) taken and then uploaded to porn sites (which are illegal here I may add). In China the pictures I volunteered to take felt harmless. In India...I usually just say no.
4) Don't expect Oreos to taste the same.
Something is just missing in my Indian Oreos. I'm not sure what it is, but it's not hitting the spot like it does in the States.
5) Don't expect people to not look at you strangely when you use hand sanitizer.
My friends actually laughed at me. Seriously. They laughed and said, "Americans" while shaking their heads.
And just so I won't sound like a Negative Nancy...
Five Things to Do In India
1) Do eat Birianyi.
This is my favorite dish here. I love it! It's a combination of of rice, veggies, fruit and meat (depending on if you are a vegetarian or not). Highly recommended.
2) Do eat Falooda.
Several fruit flavored ice creams, several types of roasted nuts and fruit. Need I say more.
3) Do go to a religious ceremony.
It doesn't matter what religion, just go. I've spoken about the religious dedication in India before, but you have to see it for yourself to truly understand/
4) Do read the local newspaper.
So, you may not be a citizen of the country, but the paper is a form of media and so it reflects culture. Not to mention that being up to date is a good safety precaution. Don't want to decide to go out partying when there's a lunatic on the loose. Also, it will impress your Indian friends. They will feel like you have a genuine interest in their culture and for that you will get respect.
5) Do listen to Indian music.
So, every song has some dude whistling in the back ground, but the beats are awesome. This is music you can truly dance to. I don't care what Indian state you're in, just listen to the music. In Kerala I listen to both Hindi and Malayalam music. Also, the dance moves int he video are top notch.
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