I feel like my Hindi classes are a little window into Indian culture. Apparently the word for 'yesterday' and the word for 'tomorrow' are actually the same word. Which, trust me, explains so much. Time in India is very flexible. If someone says they sent something yesterday I assume that it means that they may send it some time next week.
We are learning words/phrases such as: to make, expensive, I would like; and we are learning how to tell time. What I find amusing is how our teacher uses these phrases. She says, 'this is how you tell your maid to make you a cup of tea' and 'this is how you tell your driver when to pick you up'. Of course the reality is that I wanted to learn Hindi so I can speak to my maid and my driver...and to haggle at the market; the word expensive is a good one to know.
(although really, I can make my own tea, but here most people have someone make it for them.)
One of the guys in my class wanted to know how to tell someone a deadline. We all cracked up; deadlines don't exist here so of course that is what he wanted to know; how to get the people in his office to finish projects on time.
What I find interesting is that I don't use the formal version of the verbs when talking to someone working for me. People that work for me would likely speak to me formally though. The closest I can relate it to is like the student/teacher relationship in grammar school; the students speak formally to the teacher, but the teacher is not formal with the students.
I find the learning the language, even the little bit that I have, helps me to understand India much more and helps me to function better. People definitely really appreciate that I'm trying to learn the language.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Monday, September 29, 2008
Back to India
I'm back in India. It is nice to be back...mostly because of the warmth. My blood must have thinned already because I was very chilly the whole time in London; it is weird to have to think about putting on a jacket every time you go outside.
Final thought of my favorite thing in London I enjoyed but didn't think I would have missed: walking around and crossing the street. The streets are so busy here and the sidewalks barely exist so you never cross the street...of if you do you do so really quickly, and if you want to walk you have to go to a park, you really can't just go for a stroll.
First thoughts about getting back to India: there are so many people! No wonder personal space doesn't matter here, there are just so many people. It is hard to explain the difference but I really noticed it right away upon landing, there are so many more people here.
Second thought: I can't wait to have Indian food again :)
Anyway, all this travel and change of climate has given me quite a cold so time for me to finish up work so I can go home and sleep.
Final thought of my favorite thing in London I enjoyed but didn't think I would have missed: walking around and crossing the street. The streets are so busy here and the sidewalks barely exist so you never cross the street...of if you do you do so really quickly, and if you want to walk you have to go to a park, you really can't just go for a stroll.
First thoughts about getting back to India: there are so many people! No wonder personal space doesn't matter here, there are just so many people. It is hard to explain the difference but I really noticed it right away upon landing, there are so many more people here.
Second thought: I can't wait to have Indian food again :)
Anyway, all this travel and change of climate has given me quite a cold so time for me to finish up work so I can go home and sleep.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Personal Space
Something that I seem to have adapted to quite quickly in India is lack of personal space issue. I don't particularly like it when people stand close to me when talking but I'm used to it already. However, I didn't realize just how big of a difference there was until I was connecting on my flight.
So, we land in Dubai and that flight is probably 90% Indians. We get off the plane and have to take a shuttle to the terminal. The first shuttle is quickly full and people keep piling in, making space to squeeze on a few more people. Finally the airport staff said no more and it took off.
Then when we boarded the flight to London it was mostly Brits. We get on that shuttle and there was maybe 1/3 the number of people and no one would budge at all to let more people on. There were people sitting on the shuttle taking up enough space for 3 people. It was so odd seeing the difference; people didn't want to get close at all. I was rather 'Indian' and shoved a few people out of the way so that I could get to the front of the bus and stand where there was tons of open space.
I haven't tried to haggle for anything yet here though so I'm not becoming too 'Indian'.
Total side thought: for a glimpse into what it is like being a foreigner in an Indian office rent the movie Outsourced. I watched it on the plane after my parents recommended it and so much of it rang completely true. Some parts are exaggerated, but likely the parts you might think are exaggerated are the most true parts. I was laughing out loud on the plane (no doubt causing the other passengers to think I was a bit nutty).
So, we land in Dubai and that flight is probably 90% Indians. We get off the plane and have to take a shuttle to the terminal. The first shuttle is quickly full and people keep piling in, making space to squeeze on a few more people. Finally the airport staff said no more and it took off.
Then when we boarded the flight to London it was mostly Brits. We get on that shuttle and there was maybe 1/3 the number of people and no one would budge at all to let more people on. There were people sitting on the shuttle taking up enough space for 3 people. It was so odd seeing the difference; people didn't want to get close at all. I was rather 'Indian' and shoved a few people out of the way so that I could get to the front of the bus and stand where there was tons of open space.
I haven't tried to haggle for anything yet here though so I'm not becoming too 'Indian'.
Total side thought: for a glimpse into what it is like being a foreigner in an Indian office rent the movie Outsourced. I watched it on the plane after my parents recommended it and so much of it rang completely true. Some parts are exaggerated, but likely the parts you might think are exaggerated are the most true parts. I was laughing out loud on the plane (no doubt causing the other passengers to think I was a bit nutty).
Monday, September 22, 2008
London calling
Cheerio from London. I'm here for the week, sort of a last minute business trip. I got here yesterday, I flew Emirates Air through Dubai! It is weird to not be obviously a foreigner, kind of nice. Reverse culture shock isn't as bad as I thought, but here are a few of the things that I noticed:
1. smoking: almost no one in India smokes, here lots of people do. I don't mind it but I notice it now since I've not been around it for so long.
2. short skirts: I don't know if it is just the british girls or that I'm hyper sensitive since people really almost never show their legs in India, but I swear I've seen some of the shortest skirts ever here.
3. sound, or not: it is so quiet! no cars honking, no animals, just silence, very odd.
Anyway, must run off, but I do have to mention one quick thing about Dubai. The airport is like a huge mall. Tax-free shopping and all. I didn't have much time to look but you could probably have an 8 hour connection and stay busy the whole time. But the one thing that did stop me in the tracks while I was running to my connection was...a Dunkin Donuts. Yup, Dunkins, in Dubai. I was in such shock. I might have to get one on the return...although I connect at about 3 a.m. so that might not be the best idea for my jet lag.
1. smoking: almost no one in India smokes, here lots of people do. I don't mind it but I notice it now since I've not been around it for so long.
2. short skirts: I don't know if it is just the british girls or that I'm hyper sensitive since people really almost never show their legs in India, but I swear I've seen some of the shortest skirts ever here.
3. sound, or not: it is so quiet! no cars honking, no animals, just silence, very odd.
Anyway, must run off, but I do have to mention one quick thing about Dubai. The airport is like a huge mall. Tax-free shopping and all. I didn't have much time to look but you could probably have an 8 hour connection and stay busy the whole time. But the one thing that did stop me in the tracks while I was running to my connection was...a Dunkin Donuts. Yup, Dunkins, in Dubai. I was in such shock. I might have to get one on the return...although I connect at about 3 a.m. so that might not be the best idea for my jet lag.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Coconuts
When I got here it was mango season. Now it is time for coconuts. They look different, they are green on the outside rather than brown.
Here is the super fun part. There are carts with men selling coconuts. What they do is that chop off a bit on the top of the coconut, stick a straw in it and people drink the milk from it. Some people don't even bother with a straw. I haven't tried it yet, but will have to soon.
Today is my boss's last day in India and last night people were asking her what she will miss. I think that for me it would be the random things like people walking down the street drinking coconut milk directly from the coconut that I would miss the most. You just don't see things like that back home.
Here is the super fun part. There are carts with men selling coconuts. What they do is that chop off a bit on the top of the coconut, stick a straw in it and people drink the milk from it. Some people don't even bother with a straw. I haven't tried it yet, but will have to soon.
Today is my boss's last day in India and last night people were asking her what she will miss. I think that for me it would be the random things like people walking down the street drinking coconut milk directly from the coconut that I would miss the most. You just don't see things like that back home.
The City formerly known as Bombay
I went to Mumbai (which used to be called Bombay, and still is quite a bit) yesterday for the day. Mumbai is definitely different from Delhi. Someone told me once that Delhi is like Washington, DC, and Mumbai is like New York City and I think that is a good parallel for the different vibes of the city. Delhi is more about government and very proper; Mumbai is more relaxed and you can tell right away that there is some major money made in that city. I only spent a few hours there and it was nice, I loved seeing the ocean. The waves were crashing, and the breeze was lovely; the air in Delhi is kind of stagnant and breezes are rare. I don't think I would want to live there (Mumbai) though because the poverty is extremely visible and I swear there must have been a million people living in slums. Flying in you can see slums just sprawling in every direction, they are so big; really like little cities within themselves. I had more people come up to the taxi to try and sell me something in the few hours I was there than I have in 2 months here, and one girl that came to the car begging for money actually put her hand in the car. Apparently the kids that beg for money are mafia controlled, so you never give them money because they are lucky to keep any of it, I just gave her the bottle of water that I had. Of course right next to the slums are huge high rises. I think that Mumbai is more what people think of when they think of India than Delhi; the super rich next to the super poor; it would be tough to handle long term. No cows though; just a bizarrely high number of goats and chickens on the sidewalk in this one area. One goat was standing at a bus stop with the people waiting for the bus, very strange.
Oh - and almost no rickshaws there, just taxis. I'll definitely have to go back to see more of the city than just the Airport and the American Embassy (I had an appointment there; which I feel like makes me sound really important but it wasn't that big of a deal)
For some reason I had this idea in my mind that when I landed at an airport here I would walk out and immediately be surrounded by craziness, an idea that comes mostly from the movies I guess, and the Cairo airport was a bit crazy so I guess I just assumed the same. Well if you are ever in Mumbai it is a gorgeous airport, very swank.
Note: One final thing about both cities. I find that between DC and NYC most people if they have lived in one prefer it, I'm a DC girl myself. Definitely the case with Delhi and Mumbia too, most people from Mumbai think that Delhi is kind of lame.
Final note: flying back last night it was raining and I could see a huge cloud with tons of lightening right next to the airplane. NOT a fun way to land!!!
Oh - and almost no rickshaws there, just taxis. I'll definitely have to go back to see more of the city than just the Airport and the American Embassy (I had an appointment there; which I feel like makes me sound really important but it wasn't that big of a deal)
For some reason I had this idea in my mind that when I landed at an airport here I would walk out and immediately be surrounded by craziness, an idea that comes mostly from the movies I guess, and the Cairo airport was a bit crazy so I guess I just assumed the same. Well if you are ever in Mumbai it is a gorgeous airport, very swank.
Note: One final thing about both cities. I find that between DC and NYC most people if they have lived in one prefer it, I'm a DC girl myself. Definitely the case with Delhi and Mumbia too, most people from Mumbai think that Delhi is kind of lame.
Final note: flying back last night it was raining and I could see a huge cloud with tons of lightening right next to the airplane. NOT a fun way to land!!!
Monday, September 15, 2008
coffee
As I was drinking my coffee this morning I thought about the wonderful "Second Cup" coffee I used to get in Toronto. I loved that coffee, waaaay more than Dunkins, I was highly addicted to it. Just one cup a day but I loved it (sigh). Coffee here is okay, but I don't think I can say that I have had a really good cuppa since getting here. I guess in a country known for tea that is somewhat to be expected.
I think the problem is that they grind the beans to finely, it is almost like a powder. The way it looks kind of reminds me of the Nestle Quik mix for chocolate milk. Just too finely ground. Apparently the guy who was here before me had a similar problem because he left about 5 different containers of coffee in the apartment, he must have been trying to find the "perfect one". I think I have enough grounds to last me for 10 years! Of course no doubt the next time I go abroad I will pick up a bag of coffee to bring back so I can have it ground the way I like. Highly silly, I know. But what can you do, sometimes you just want to savor your coffee (those of you who drink coffee understand).
On a somewhat related, but not really, note...there are two main coffee shops that I go to. One is called Barista right by my office, the other is called Costa Coffee which is in the market where I usually get my fruits and my Newsweek. In what I can only call a very bizarre coincidence, both places have people working there that are deaf. The person that takes the order signs them what was ordered and they make the coffee. I was happy to see that. In a country with such poverty problems it is nice to see that people with disabilities are given opportunities.
P.S. there is a tree that is opposite from my office with the most beautiful pink flowers that are in full bloom. I can see it perfectly from my desk so I find myself staring out the window a lot today. I'm so happy that India has such pretty flowers, that was definitely a surprise for me. I'll try to remember my camera to get a picture of the tree while they are still in bloom.
I think the problem is that they grind the beans to finely, it is almost like a powder. The way it looks kind of reminds me of the Nestle Quik mix for chocolate milk. Just too finely ground. Apparently the guy who was here before me had a similar problem because he left about 5 different containers of coffee in the apartment, he must have been trying to find the "perfect one". I think I have enough grounds to last me for 10 years! Of course no doubt the next time I go abroad I will pick up a bag of coffee to bring back so I can have it ground the way I like. Highly silly, I know. But what can you do, sometimes you just want to savor your coffee (those of you who drink coffee understand).
On a somewhat related, but not really, note...there are two main coffee shops that I go to. One is called Barista right by my office, the other is called Costa Coffee which is in the market where I usually get my fruits and my Newsweek. In what I can only call a very bizarre coincidence, both places have people working there that are deaf. The person that takes the order signs them what was ordered and they make the coffee. I was happy to see that. In a country with such poverty problems it is nice to see that people with disabilities are given opportunities.
P.S. there is a tree that is opposite from my office with the most beautiful pink flowers that are in full bloom. I can see it perfectly from my desk so I find myself staring out the window a lot today. I'm so happy that India has such pretty flowers, that was definitely a surprise for me. I'll try to remember my camera to get a picture of the tree while they are still in bloom.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Saturday
So, as many of you have heard, there were 4 bombs detonated in Delhi on Saturday. I was no where near any of the explosions and am fine. I had assumed that this wouldn't receive much news coverage in the US. Apparently, I was wrong. Thanks to everyone that checked in - I feel very loved :)
Should something like this happen again I will try to send an email out saying "I'm okay". But hopefully this won't happen again. They shut down cell phone service for about 2 hours after the blasts (that is what everyone calls them here) so between that and the general confusion, it was a good 4 hours or so before we knew for sure where things had happened. The blasts were in the markets; only one of which I could be in as it is in the southern part of Delhi and has good stores. Delhi is a pretty Huge city; I live in the southern part and rarely venture above the mid-way point and the other 3 were in a more northern area; I hadn't even heard of one of the place before.
Definitely a reality check. Apparently a group has claimed responsibility but I don't know what their message was, other than to make people afraid of shopping. Well, I'm not going to change my ways; if I do then they win.
If anyone was thinking of coming to visit me please don't let this deter you. India is a beautiful country and should be visited.
Have a good Monday all!
P.S. to completely change subjects - way to go Pats!
Should something like this happen again I will try to send an email out saying "I'm okay". But hopefully this won't happen again. They shut down cell phone service for about 2 hours after the blasts (that is what everyone calls them here) so between that and the general confusion, it was a good 4 hours or so before we knew for sure where things had happened. The blasts were in the markets; only one of which I could be in as it is in the southern part of Delhi and has good stores. Delhi is a pretty Huge city; I live in the southern part and rarely venture above the mid-way point and the other 3 were in a more northern area; I hadn't even heard of one of the place before.
Definitely a reality check. Apparently a group has claimed responsibility but I don't know what their message was, other than to make people afraid of shopping. Well, I'm not going to change my ways; if I do then they win.
If anyone was thinking of coming to visit me please don't let this deter you. India is a beautiful country and should be visited.
Have a good Monday all!
P.S. to completely change subjects - way to go Pats!
Thursday, September 11, 2008
spelling bees and pigs
I had my first Hindi class last night. The start was delayed by a week because the teacher was ill. It was really interesting. It is at the American Embassy School and I went in a different entrance this time and was greeted by a lovely fountain; it is such a different world on that campus. Mostly we learned the basics, I am, you are, etc., and some of the letters of the alphabet. Apparently spelling is completely phonetic here so (this is an exact quote) "there are no spelling bees in Hindi". At the time I thought this was very funny, as I'm writing it I think it might have just been funny to me; but all I know is that this completely explains all of the typos I see here. She mentioned specifically in English the word gorgeous and how the two 'g's are pronounced totally differently. Clearly she thinks English spelling is a tad bit silly.
I learned a little; and my driver seemed really happy when I answered him with "accha" which means yes/good/okay when he asked me a question so I'm already making progress.
After the class, when I left the oasis that is the AES campus I was brought right back to reality when I saw a big puddle on the side of the road and 6 pigs running over to get a drink. 2 big pigs (the parents I guess) and 4 piglets. The clear sign that I'm well adjusted to being here is that I didn't think that was weird; I just thought "how cute, some piggies".
I learned a little; and my driver seemed really happy when I answered him with "accha" which means yes/good/okay when he asked me a question so I'm already making progress.
After the class, when I left the oasis that is the AES campus I was brought right back to reality when I saw a big puddle on the side of the road and 6 pigs running over to get a drink. 2 big pigs (the parents I guess) and 4 piglets. The clear sign that I'm well adjusted to being here is that I didn't think that was weird; I just thought "how cute, some piggies".
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
gripes
For the most part living here isn't as difficult as I thought (now that I can walk around) but there are two things that just drive me batty and I just have to get them off my chest:
1. honking. People honk non-stop when driving. It must be a part of the driving instructions or something because everyone does it! See, when people drive they look straight ahead and never look back. So, if you are passing you honk so the car in front of you knows you are coming. You honk if you are going around a corner. You honk if you are stuck in traffic - yesterday a guy was honking at a red light. Not sure what the point of that one was. All I know is that I am so sick of the honking. In the mornings pre-coffee I get really annoyed.
2. the power outages at 11 p.m. Power outages are fairly common and they usually don't last long, but every night this week the power has gone out at 11 p.m. which is when I go to bed. So, I have now become an expert at brushing my teeth and washing my face in candlelight; but trying to fall asleep with no AC and no fan is just impossible. If I do happen to fall asleep I am then woken up when the power goes back on because I have no doubt accidentally turned half of the lights on. My boss has a theory that the gov't is doing the power outages on purpose this week (because it really isn't that hot; relatively speaking) to convince people that the nuclear power treaty is a good idea.
Okay, I feel better now that I've gotten that out. I figure that only 2 gripes after 2 months is pretty good actually.
I came in this morning to see that the Sox are still playing. 14th inning, bad guys just got a 3-run homer. Oh dear.
I wonder if when I post this it will say that it was posted on Wednesday or Thursday? It is Thursday here but Wednesday still in the US of A. Well, only one way to find out...
1. honking. People honk non-stop when driving. It must be a part of the driving instructions or something because everyone does it! See, when people drive they look straight ahead and never look back. So, if you are passing you honk so the car in front of you knows you are coming. You honk if you are going around a corner. You honk if you are stuck in traffic - yesterday a guy was honking at a red light. Not sure what the point of that one was. All I know is that I am so sick of the honking. In the mornings pre-coffee I get really annoyed.
2. the power outages at 11 p.m. Power outages are fairly common and they usually don't last long, but every night this week the power has gone out at 11 p.m. which is when I go to bed. So, I have now become an expert at brushing my teeth and washing my face in candlelight; but trying to fall asleep with no AC and no fan is just impossible. If I do happen to fall asleep I am then woken up when the power goes back on because I have no doubt accidentally turned half of the lights on. My boss has a theory that the gov't is doing the power outages on purpose this week (because it really isn't that hot; relatively speaking) to convince people that the nuclear power treaty is a good idea.
Okay, I feel better now that I've gotten that out. I figure that only 2 gripes after 2 months is pretty good actually.
I came in this morning to see that the Sox are still playing. 14th inning, bad guys just got a 3-run homer. Oh dear.
I wonder if when I post this it will say that it was posted on Wednesday or Thursday? It is Thursday here but Wednesday still in the US of A. Well, only one way to find out...
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
You can't say that on television
TV is censored here. It isn't always that noticeable but every once in a while there is a joke or a sudden blip in the story that doesn't really make sense. The other night my favorite Simpsons episode was on. It is on St. Patty's Day and Bart gets drunk by accident and then Springfield institutes prohibition. I was excited to see it because it really is just too funny and then I noticed that it skipped the bit where Bart actually gets drunk.
I can't quite follow the censoring but obviously drunk kids are bad (even if they are cartoon kids), nudity is definitely out, some swearing is edited. My favorite here for editing is HBO because they put subtitles in all the movies in English; so the actors say the swear words, but they don't write them in the subtitles.
Excessive violence seems to be out too; they will show someone shooting a gun, but not the person being hit. The Departed was on here but I got the sense that I missed quite a bit. I think I already mentioned the slightly altered, and likely much shorter, version of Brokeback Mountain I saw here. I will have to watch both movies when I get home to see what I'm missing.
Sometimes some jokes make it through that I think are waaay more questionable that what is edited; but it likely wasn't understood by the censors.
Just one of those random little things that makes every day here entertaining.
Random thought du jour - I someone else stacking bricks on their head. I'm currently obsessed with construction sites here; I just find it so interesting how it is all done so manually.
Happy Wednesday All.
I can't quite follow the censoring but obviously drunk kids are bad (even if they are cartoon kids), nudity is definitely out, some swearing is edited. My favorite here for editing is HBO because they put subtitles in all the movies in English; so the actors say the swear words, but they don't write them in the subtitles.
Excessive violence seems to be out too; they will show someone shooting a gun, but not the person being hit. The Departed was on here but I got the sense that I missed quite a bit. I think I already mentioned the slightly altered, and likely much shorter, version of Brokeback Mountain I saw here. I will have to watch both movies when I get home to see what I'm missing.
Sometimes some jokes make it through that I think are waaay more questionable that what is edited; but it likely wasn't understood by the censors.
Just one of those random little things that makes every day here entertaining.
Random thought du jour - I someone else stacking bricks on their head. I'm currently obsessed with construction sites here; I just find it so interesting how it is all done so manually.
Happy Wednesday All.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Ironing
So I had a very boring weekend, which was actually kind of nice and needed. I did, however, purchase an iron. Now, if you have ever lived in India you are probably thinking that is a silly purchase. There are people in pretty much every neighborhood that do ironing, you pay maybe 25 cents per shirt. And dry cleaning is crazy cheap: 3 pairs of pants and 2 skirts for $3.50. But I still wanted an iron because I always forget to get my shirts ironed and look very wrinkly. So...I went to this little store to buy one. It is so funny purchasing things because most anywhere I go someone immediately comes up to help me...or they completely ignore me. There is no happy medium. One particular store around the corner from my office the woman is always on the phone - always - so we don't go there because I think that is pretty rude. But then at my coffee shop they will start making my order ahead of other people in line when they see me. I like that coffee shop.
At the little iron store, they helped me right away and showed me the swankiest iron I've ever seen. It is also very common for people to start high end and I have to work my way down. I found one that looks good for me and bought it.
When I got home I opened up the ironing board (I had a board but not an iron, one of the strange left-overs from the person before me) and I cracked up. See, people in India are, as far as I can tell, on average shorter than the average American. I'm not sure about the statistics but I can see that people are definitely smaller. So I open up the ironing board and the highest level of the board is just ironing height for me; I could probably use it an inch or two higher actually. I had thought that I might have some problems with length of clothes I might want to buy, but it never occurred that ironing could be tricky. Oh well, I'm sure my maid will do the ironing for me...and she will likely put it on the lowest level anyway since she is rather tiny so it works for her.
I wonder what the actual averages are. I don't mind being taller than most people, I think that even if I was 5 feet tall I would stick out so really a few inches extra is no big deal...I wonder what it would be like for my brothers though. Over 6 feet might be a few tight squeezes.
At the little iron store, they helped me right away and showed me the swankiest iron I've ever seen. It is also very common for people to start high end and I have to work my way down. I found one that looks good for me and bought it.
When I got home I opened up the ironing board (I had a board but not an iron, one of the strange left-overs from the person before me) and I cracked up. See, people in India are, as far as I can tell, on average shorter than the average American. I'm not sure about the statistics but I can see that people are definitely smaller. So I open up the ironing board and the highest level of the board is just ironing height for me; I could probably use it an inch or two higher actually. I had thought that I might have some problems with length of clothes I might want to buy, but it never occurred that ironing could be tricky. Oh well, I'm sure my maid will do the ironing for me...and she will likely put it on the lowest level anyway since she is rather tiny so it works for her.
I wonder what the actual averages are. I don't mind being taller than most people, I think that even if I was 5 feet tall I would stick out so really a few inches extra is no big deal...I wonder what it would be like for my brothers though. Over 6 feet might be a few tight squeezes.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Bricks
I can't believe I forgot to add a post yesterday since I saw the most amazing thing. It might not seem that amazing when I write it but I was just fascinated. It is pretty common to see big piles of bricks here near houses that are being built. So I was stopped at an intersection and saw these two men walk over to a pile of bricks to grab some. But they didn't carry them in their hands or put them in a wheelbarrow. They put them on their heads.
I'm going to try to describe this and hope I do it justice. You know how people walk around balancing a book on their heads to practice posture? Well these men had small boards on their heads, about the size of a book. I couldn't tell if they had anything under the boards to help balance them, maybe something but I couldn't see. So, they then started stacking bricks two at a time on top of these boards. I saw them get up to 4 layers; that is 8 bricks balanced on their heads and they looked like they were still stacking when we drove away.
Can you even imagine stacking bricks on your head? First of all, can you imagine how heavy that would be? And what if one fell? It would be so easy to break a toe, or two. It is as though people here have a stronger sense of balance or something. Truly amazing.
I'm going to try to describe this and hope I do it justice. You know how people walk around balancing a book on their heads to practice posture? Well these men had small boards on their heads, about the size of a book. I couldn't tell if they had anything under the boards to help balance them, maybe something but I couldn't see. So, they then started stacking bricks two at a time on top of these boards. I saw them get up to 4 layers; that is 8 bricks balanced on their heads and they looked like they were still stacking when we drove away.
Can you even imagine stacking bricks on your head? First of all, can you imagine how heavy that would be? And what if one fell? It would be so easy to break a toe, or two. It is as though people here have a stronger sense of balance or something. Truly amazing.
Monday, September 1, 2008
This country needs a proofreader
One thing that really amuses me here is seeing all the typos in things. I'm not entirely sure how "Indian English" evolved into what it is, or how it is taught in schools but grammar and spelling seem to be pretty much non-existent.
Some of my favorites to date include "art d'facts" rather than artifacts; Commounication rather than communications - on a bill as part of the company name; and the name of the place where I live. I live in an area called Panscheel. I have seen signs that say Pansheel, Panchila, and Pansh Sheel.
I was concerned that people would get confused when I referred to a check from a bank as a check and not a cheque; I very quickly got over that concern when I realized that it really didn't matter if I used a ck or a que. I mean when they refer to 100,000 here it is called one lac, but it can be spelt lakh or lac, both are considered completely correct.
Oh, and my favorite phrase, which is "please do the needful" seems to be a standard phrase. It kind of means, I did my part, now you do your part. I wonder where it came from, but I see it in at least 1 email a day that I receive.
So for all of you who find yourself correcting other people's errors. Be warned: India is one big typo. However, if you aren't very fond of spelling you may want to consider moving over here.
Some of my favorites to date include "art d'facts" rather than artifacts; Commounication rather than communications - on a bill as part of the company name; and the name of the place where I live. I live in an area called Panscheel. I have seen signs that say Pansheel, Panchila, and Pansh Sheel.
I was concerned that people would get confused when I referred to a check from a bank as a check and not a cheque; I very quickly got over that concern when I realized that it really didn't matter if I used a ck or a que. I mean when they refer to 100,000 here it is called one lac, but it can be spelt lakh or lac, both are considered completely correct.
Oh, and my favorite phrase, which is "please do the needful" seems to be a standard phrase. It kind of means, I did my part, now you do your part. I wonder where it came from, but I see it in at least 1 email a day that I receive.
So for all of you who find yourself correcting other people's errors. Be warned: India is one big typo. However, if you aren't very fond of spelling you may want to consider moving over here.
Its raining, its pouring
I had a lovely weekend with some more sightseeing in the city. There really is so much to explore. It is like there are these little treasures hidden in the city. It was very hot by the end of my sightseeing day but then we had a crazy thunderstorm right around midnight that woke me up.
I am always happy when it rains because it cools things down and eliminates some of the smells in the air (read: cow droppings).
Of course I don't live in the major monsoon area of India. There is a major flood going on in the Northwest part of the country right now near Nepal. I was wondering if it is being shown on the news in the western world. Over a million people have been displaced. Most of them had very little to begin with so almost definitely they won't have homes to go back to.
I've heard all about Hurricane Gustav, that is on the news here. Or rather, it is on the news I watch, not sure if it is on Indian news.
I just realized that this post just went from very happy to very sad. This is just the way my mind went while thinking of rain. Rain can be good at times and it is terrible at times. Somewhat of a metaphor for India really. There are some amazingly beautiful things and some things that are very sad and unattractive right next to each other. It is a land of amazing contrasts which makes every day interesting and challenging.
I am always happy when it rains because it cools things down and eliminates some of the smells in the air (read: cow droppings).
Of course I don't live in the major monsoon area of India. There is a major flood going on in the Northwest part of the country right now near Nepal. I was wondering if it is being shown on the news in the western world. Over a million people have been displaced. Most of them had very little to begin with so almost definitely they won't have homes to go back to.
I've heard all about Hurricane Gustav, that is on the news here. Or rather, it is on the news I watch, not sure if it is on Indian news.
I just realized that this post just went from very happy to very sad. This is just the way my mind went while thinking of rain. Rain can be good at times and it is terrible at times. Somewhat of a metaphor for India really. There are some amazingly beautiful things and some things that are very sad and unattractive right next to each other. It is a land of amazing contrasts which makes every day interesting and challenging.
banks
Happy Friday all. I have had a headache almost all week so will likely avoid sightseeing for the weekend and just sleep (yawn). The humidity is gone but it is really hot still, about 95 every day, so I think the headache is from the heat. Or perhaps from dealing with my bank.
Banking here is bizarre to say the least. I had to be at home to sign for my checks and my ATM card and the delivery guy required picture ID from me. It took about a week to get it delivered and now I have to go through the process again because the ATM ate my card. Almost everything requires about a million signatures. And things seem to be backwards.
Example: we receive a check written out to our company but they write the name incorrectly. We have to send a letter to the bank with two signatures stating that the check should be deposited. What is completely illogical to me is that it should be the person who wrote the check saying it is okay; not the person receiving the check. Of course with the way people butcher my name here I frequently do have to say "yes, that is me". Imagine how you might mess up an Indian name and you can see how they might mess up McCarthy. On our office phone list it is MacCharthy; I'm frequently addressed as "Ms. Carthy", or people think my first name is Cathy. I pretty much respond to anything. But I digress...
We have to have two signatures on a letter on letterhead if we want a certified check; two signatures for cash, everything.
And...when if the signatures aren't done close enough to the signature on record it won't be accepted. And when you have to sign your name about 20 times trust me, it gets messy.
I find the whole thing funny because so much of India is so not regulated but in banking they are overregulated.
Have a good weekend everyone!!!
Banking here is bizarre to say the least. I had to be at home to sign for my checks and my ATM card and the delivery guy required picture ID from me. It took about a week to get it delivered and now I have to go through the process again because the ATM ate my card. Almost everything requires about a million signatures. And things seem to be backwards.
Example: we receive a check written out to our company but they write the name incorrectly. We have to send a letter to the bank with two signatures stating that the check should be deposited. What is completely illogical to me is that it should be the person who wrote the check saying it is okay; not the person receiving the check. Of course with the way people butcher my name here I frequently do have to say "yes, that is me". Imagine how you might mess up an Indian name and you can see how they might mess up McCarthy. On our office phone list it is MacCharthy; I'm frequently addressed as "Ms. Carthy", or people think my first name is Cathy. I pretty much respond to anything. But I digress...
We have to have two signatures on a letter on letterhead if we want a certified check; two signatures for cash, everything.
And...when if the signatures aren't done close enough to the signature on record it won't be accepted. And when you have to sign your name about 20 times trust me, it gets messy.
I find the whole thing funny because so much of India is so not regulated but in banking they are overregulated.
Have a good weekend everyone!!!
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