003 Christmas in India

So, we woke up at some ridiculous hour this morning to grab some breakfast in IDSA’s cute little cafeteria set-up. There was an awesome mix of both American and Indian food, which acted as a nice transition into complete Indian cuisine I knew we could expect later in the trip. I got fruits, an omelet and some chicken sausages, which I later learned made a whole bunch of people sick…being Malaysian and having a cast-iron stomach was basically my saving grace. Sampled tea with milk this morning (apparently a British invention passed on to the Indian people), and it was definitely what one could call a Eureka moment! I’m pretty sure that’s all we’ll be drinking for the rest of the trip. Alex had six or seven cups before being reminded by Varun that bathroom breaks would be few and far between...Alex was not pleased.

After breakfast, the class gathered in the IDSA lobby, and a few students followed Dr. Anand and Dr. Ellstrand to meet the money changer. For some reason, everyone that left for the money changer was in stealth mode, as if a major drug deal was about to go down - it was hilarious. We boarded the bus soon after and I helped Jarred, our group representative, divvy up our money, which we pooled together initially to make the exchange quicker. This task proved to be a little tougher than expected. For some reason, Indians aren’t very big on the idea of providing small change – they will give you the largest notes they have and ask YOU to provide THEM change. What. This hindered our plan to divide the money as well as we had intended, but we figured it out – am pretty sure I owe Jarred two bottles of Coke. I’ll just hope he doesn’t remember!

The real reason the iPad was invented.

Side note: Jarred and I also checked on Fantasy Football in the bus. Definitely helped him win in his league or whatever it's called. I picked players SOLELY based on how hot they were. Time-tested recipe for success

The only other reason for the iPad.

We eventually arrived at Ambience Mall, with the purpose of hitting up India's version of Walmart, Big Bazaar. Before the bus could enter the mall’s parking lot, however, we had to stop for a security check, where some guards did a sweep of the underside of the bus using a mirror to check for bombs. What. But I digress, once we got into the mall, we were surprised by how much it looked like a mall back home, and more importantly, how many Christmas decorations there were! There was a Christmas tree that was close to five-stories tall, and other random and strange Christmas decorations. 

Badass Christmas tree.

Idk.

A group of us headed to Big Bazaar and had an awesome time looking for local Indian anything to buy, really. Organization in the store was crazy - there was jewelry next to an electronic equipment, and when I tried to look for a comb, I was directed away from hair care products and sent to the board games section instead. All the clerks seemed to know exactly where everything was though in spite of the apparent chaos. After we picked up our groceries, we headed to check out and pay. Most of our group didn't receive the correct amount of change (including me)…we were all shorted - super shady. 

Varun sorting the change drama out. Boss.

Ariel, Mary, Alex, Varun and I proceeded to Reliance Trends, a clothing store, soon after and I definitely bought a lot more than I needed to. Two kurti tops and bottoms and a scarf - at least I'll be super fly when we head out around India. That's the plan anyway.

ALL the bags are Ariel's and mine. Bahaha.

Snoop Dogg is errwur.

We headed to Agra after leaving the mall, and a lot of the scenery en route reminded me of Malaysia. The humid weather and greenery made me miss home, and the vendors sharing the streets with motorcycles, bicycles, cars and pedestrians were a welcome, familiar sight. 

Indian traffic, no joke, is out of control. I'd been warned about the craziness, but nothing prepared me for the the level of chaos we saw on the roads today. Road rules are practically nonexistent, and people drive wherever, whenever and however they like. Incessant honking is a sound we had to get used to really quickly, and we actually cheered when we saw someone use their blinker. We did manage to catch a little drama during the bus ride. At a busy intersection (redundant – they’re ALL busy), we saw a car hit a motorcycle, knocking both of its riders off. Then the car sped away! 

Accident OMG.

The motorcyclist and his pillion rider were sprawled on the road, and didn't move, and we were convinced they were dead or seriously injured. But then they both got up, dusted themselves off and rode away like bosses. It was crazy.

They're okay wtf.

Besides ridiculously resilient motorcyclists, another interesting aspect we noticed was the size of the vehicles on the road, which are significantly smaller than the ones you find in the United States. Trucks here also seem to carry lesser amounts of goods, which I suppose must be due in part to India's supply chain system. From what I understand, roads and other forms of infrastructure are a constant problem in the country. I'm willing to bet that roads in rural areas don't support larger vehicles either. Noticeably absent were advertisements on the trucks we saw, which was surprising. Most of them were painted with flowers and other animals instead. 

Indian vehicles are varied, to say the least.

We also saw vendors and beggars at a few intersections, who would come out to sell their wares or ask for money when they saw cars stop nearby. Many of them, especially the beggars, would pound on car windows, some even on the side of our bus, and that was not a pleasant situation. It was like in Slumdog Millionaire. Omg ignorant commentary I am sorry. 

 What struck me the most during the journey was just how undeveloped so much of India still is. This is the country that we as Americans are taught to fear economically. How many Econ professors have told us that it will soon be one of the leaders in the world’s economy? This is the country that saw a steady 8-9% growth in GDP throughout the crippling financial crisis. This is the country producing more doctors, lawyers and engineers than the United States. And yet, this is also the country where poverty and income inequality are so painfully visible, it almost doesn't make sense. I feel like I saw so many more rundown towns and villages with crumbling walls and uneven roads and tents set up by homeless than skyscrapers and highways and it makes me wonder where all this progress is coming from. 

Typical small town in India.

I, too, can often be seen riding atop buses.

We stopped for an Indian dinner along the way, and reached Agra later that night. We are currently staying in a hotel called Mansingh Palace, and it’s ballin'. With RUNNING HOT WATER! Joy! A few of us who weren’t dead tired went out with Dr. Anand and Dr. Ellstrand to eat at a restaurant called “Only Restaurant”, which according to Arjun, our guide, was the first restaurant in Agra. The place was decorated beautifully, and we got to enjoy some wonderfully cooked Indian dishes. I’m beginning to like paneer, which I feel is a skill that will come in handy while we’re here. A new custom that I learned right after dinner was that of the Indian breath mint – fennel seeds and sugar! Apparently, you’re supposed to chew the two together, and they will clean your teeth while freshening your mouth. Definitely not a fan…I plan to stick to just the sugar next time.

Yeah, about that...