From India with Love (?)
One of the coolest things about my job is that I get to travel a lot, especially since I took on India. That's my product right there!!
A lot of the cliche's we have about India are true - it is dirty and noisy and populated and smelly (sometimes). You get stared at a lot, either because you're a foreigner or a girl. Food is a big risk unless you have it in a hotel or a big restaurant. I've never packed so many Oreo's and Chips Ahoy and bottled water in my entire life.
If we have stray cats and dogs in Manila, they have stray cows that wander the streets like they're strolling the park, or plop down in the middle of the highway and cause hours of traffic. I actually wonder who feeds them or if someone just doesn't come to steal them for the slaughterhouse (which sometimes happens).
But "The Amazing Race" makes it seem much worse than it really is. Sure their trains are so over-crowded that 2-3 people actually die every week from hitting a pole when their heads are hanging out of a speeding train and there's no space to bring it back in. But every trip I make to this country, and I've made only 2 so far, is always a new and surprising experience.
I was in Mumbai a month ago, I'm writing this from New Delhi now, and the 2 cities couldn't be more different. For starters, Mumbai was approaching 40degrees a month ago. I'm almost freezing to death here in Delhi - I arrived last night to 15degree weather! Without a jacket I might add, since I was expecting Manila weather.
The taxis in Mumbai are also kinda gross and the traffic there is horrible with the non-stop honking, bumpy roads and all the cars, 2-wheelers and trucks coming within centimeters! But Delhi was surprisingly clean, smooth and easy.
Biggest learning based on 2 cities? There is no such thing as ONE India. It's so different and diverse depending on whether you're in the North or the South, in one city or another, SEC A, B or C (I don't want to go lower than C), Hindu or Moslem... And that's what makes the country and the people so fascinating.
That and the shopping is terrific. :)
posted by moan @ 10:42 PM
1 Comments:
hi moan! we were supposed to go to hyderabad to attend a wedding this week, but eric got lazy at the last minute (he says he's still tired from our honeymoon travelling, grr) so no more india this year :( but whether here in Manila or India, hope to see YOU soon :)
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