- Crossing the street is like a game of chicken. Rickshaws, ox-drawn carts, taxi cabs and bicycles come full speed ahead, in no particular lane and will not stop until they are until one foot from crossing pedestrians. Street signs or lights are not a variable.
- Spitting is an epidemic. As a result of the chewing “pan” and probably the awful pollution, a consistent chorus of throat clearing and loogie spitting is always around. One must be careful not to get in the line of fire.
- Cows are holy. One does not encounter beef on any menu, but they wander the street eating trash instead.
- The “green movement” is a long way from becoming an Indian trend, but street food is served in tiny bowls made of compressed leaves and is completely biodegradable. Unfortunately they end up thrown all over the ground instead of buried in a compost bin.
- Straight men hold hands when walking down the street.
- Metal detectors are set up at some entrances to neighborhoods or bazaars, but when you set off the alarm, the guard just gives you a look of disapproval for making so much noise and motions to you to keep moving.
This entry was posted
on Tuesday, January 8th, 2008 at 2:56 am and is filed under india.
