First Impressions/Random Thoughts of India

1. Litter and dust everywhere. Respiratory diseases are a huge problem here. The dust actually reminds me of Peru.
2. The sound of rickshaws (little motorcycle-like things that have no doors and function like taxis/cabs in India)
3. My first shower with buckets - so far, once with lukewarm water and the other time with cold water. Very refreshing and enjoyable in different ways, although my current roommate thinks differently.
4. Squat toilets. No toilet paper. We're supposed to use this water container/bucket thing in our hostel to clean ourselves. Of course, I was very grateful that I had brought pocket tissues with me. I also proceeded to buy two rolls of toilet paper at the convenience store the next day.
5. Constant worry at the back of my mind that I have a luggage limit of 40 pounds when I get to South Africa. My luggage is already almost 50 pounds... :(
6. The sound of Azan (sp?) - the call to prayer for Muslims that happens five times a day. In my opinion, it's beautiful and you can hear it from far away in the city.
7. Almost getting run over by cars/rickshaws/various other small types of transportation that somehow manage to get into the tiniest spaces every other second. Traffic here is a little crazy, to say the least and of course, anything with wheels has the right of way.
8. Language difficulties/barriers because I don't speak any Indian language/dialect here. Luckily, simple English works in most places.
9. The Indian head "thing" which involves tilting the head slightly right and left. This can be used to signify either yes or no depending on the context and is really up to interpretation and a real test of my reading of nonverbal cues.
10. Very spicy food and eating with your right hand. I have yet to eat with my right hand because I don't want to risk getting myself sick since I don't know whether the water that is available for handwashing is clean. However, this is probably something that I should try at some point.
11. UV-filtered water/boiled water - VERY important. Constantly thinking about my source of water because it is very very easy to get gastrointestinal diseases in India. Hopefully, my love of street vendor food in Hong Kong has given me a first line of defence. This of course also makes me sad,because I can't eat lots of good food, such as ice-cream, popsicles of pudding, because I can't be 100% sure of where the water is coming from.
12. On a random note, am EXCITED about experiencing more of India in the days to come. I'm sure that I will learn a lot from my homestay family while I am with them, especially about family dynamics and how people in India live. :)
13. Eating out of metal bowls and drinking out of eeny weeny metal cups. The bowls literally look like a flat circle with the sides raised. It's been interesting because I didn't realize how easy it is to burn yourself when you're filling these bowls/cups with hot food/drink. Definitely has given me a greater awareness of the conduction/insulation properties of various materials. :)