Differences 2
More fun ways life is different here.
11-They drive on the opposite side of the road.
12-Leftovers aren’t common.
Indians like “fresh” food especially for kids. They cook fresh roti for each meal. If a big bowl of dough is made, it must be used by the day’s end or thrown out. Since they don’t use leftovers and many items don’t need refrigeration, their refrigerators are small. They contain mostly fresh milk, condiments, and vegetables. We had to search to find one that was a similar size as one that we had in the US. We have the same items in ours but lots of leftovers as well. That’s the only thing that keeps my sanity, an occasional meal I don’t have to cook. We also wanted an ice maker. It’s actually built in ice trays that you have to manually crack and dump. It’s considered semi-automatic. It doesn’t work well and we purchased the old fashioned kind.
Semi-automatic ice maker
13-They have different gestures.
Pointing the bottom of ones feet at someone and not removing your shoes is offensive. The bottom of your feet is the lowest part of your body and suggests the same of others. Spitting is also shunned and makes the spitter appear uneducated. You only use your right hand to receive items and eat with. Your left hand is considered dirty because you use it to clean your feet and when you go to the bathroom. Both hands are used to give something to someone else. Indians don’t shake hands but rather press their hands together and bow when greeting others. Pointing with your fingers is only used for animals and those of a lower class. You should point with your whole hand. You also call someone over with a an open then closed hand gesture but with your palm facing down. An upward facing palm is how you tell animals to come. Indians wobble their heads from left to right to say yes or okay rather than up and down.
14-Our power goes out everyday.
Sometimes we loose power multiples times a day. That’s why we have a gas stove top. It’s the only reliable way to cook. Thankfully, our subdivision has a generator that can run our simpler items while it’s out. We’ve learned that most others, who live around us but not within the subdivision, lose power from 10 am-5 pm everyday. When you see the way the power lines are run, it explains why we loose it so often.
15-Families are important.
Sons usually live with their parents after marriage. There can be multiple families living within the same household if there are multiple sons. They all work together. The men take the traditional roles of bread earner and the woman care for the children. I would say it is a male dominant society, but woman have more and more influence all the time. Public displays of affection are frowned upon. Arranged marriages are still common place.
16-Indians are an honest people.
We see unattended stores or carts and no one bothers them. They also aren’t afraid to punish someone else’s child in public. While we were at the market, a young boy did try to steal from a vendor. The owner of that shop, pulled him by the ear away and then slapped him open handed across the side of his head, hard. No one flinched. I’m sure our kids will behave anywhere we go now.
17-Maids and domestic help are common.
The average middle class family in India will have a maid or domestic help Some live in the home with the family. In fact, our house has maid quarters; a very small room with a bath attached to the back of the house. No, we don’t have anyone. Physical labor is cheap here so it makes it more affordable. People are hired as drivers, cooks, maids, shoppers, and gardeners.
18-You can expect to see new signage on the road.
This was a sign we saw while on a drive up to a mountain town 30 minutes from our home. While I’m sure it’s message was serious, we laughed. “Elephants have right of way. Do not obstruct.” Who would challenge an elephant? Sadly, but thankfully we didn’t see any elephants.
19-Time takes a whole new meaning.
Some days it feels like we have all the time in the world but it goes by so quickly. We have stuck to an American schedule of rising at 6 followed by breakfast. Lunch at noon and dinner at 5. We retire around 10:30. Indians rise early but don’t eat breakfast until 10. The work day begins at noon. Lunch is around 2. Dinner isn’t until 7 and Indians stay up until close to midnight. It makes it difficult to get this anything done as nothing happens until the afternoon. When someone says, they will be by on a certain day or time, don’t expect it. It’s more of a suggestion. This causes us the most frustration. We arrange our schedule to be here for a delivery or appointment only to wait all day and never have them arrive. Dennis usually ends up working until 8 to accommodate their work times and engage in communication with his partners in the States.
20-They don’t have drinking fountains or public restrooms.
In the airport, mall food court, and at businesses, they have a drinking station. It’s a water cooler with metal or plastic cups. People use the same cups over and over again. The user is expected to rainfall the water into their mouth. You also can’t just walk into a restaurant or store and ask to use the bathroom. Often their restrooms are for employees only. They are out behind the building and are the “squatting” potty type. This is why you often see men stopped along the road to “relieve” themselves. A word of advice if anyone makes it here, always carry toilet paper with you. You won’t find any in the restrooms you do find.
Next week we will answer your questions. Feel free to post your questions to our FB page or here in the comments.
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