So much to learn

April 7, 2016

When we arrive in a new country there is so much to learn. Sometimes it is a trail and other times it is a hilarious experience. I’d like to start off with a hilarious one I had yesterday then move on to give you a sense of how it goes. Keep in mind we have visited India six previous times.

Yesterday, I asked where the toilet was in the admin building at CEPT. Indians give vague directions at times or we are just kind of dense…probably the latter. I found it with some additional help. So I go in and there are western toilets (as opposed to squaty potty where you straddle a hole in the floor). No paper is provided generally in this part of the world, except in hotels, so always carry your own. After using the toilet I pulled up my pants and turned around to flush the toilet; yet did not see a handle nor did I see a bucket to bucket flush, which is often how it is done. Then I saw the handle on the wall and turned it. Out gushed a strong stream of water that shot right between my legs and hit the wall behind me with great force and splashed my backside. HA!!!!!!!!!!!!! Well actually that is not what I said. I quickly turned off the water as I had about flooded the floor. I still have no idea how to flush that sucker but it certainly cooled me off. I had to leave with a wet backside, but heck, they don’t know me here…yet.

So here are some mental meanderings of things we are adjusting to or learning in our new home.

The heat has been 99-104 since arrival with low humidity which will change when the monsoons come in a couple of months and I hear it is not a pleasant experience. At night the heat persists as it radiates off the roads and sidewalks.

Sanitation in America is bordering on anal when compared to much of the world. Here the streets and sidewalks have lots of sand, dirt, scraps of food, dog poop, leaf litter, scraps of paper and plastic. I wash my feet multiple times a day because they get dirty wearing sandals.

Traffic is really loud here with horns blaring constantly. Because of that I prefer to live

in a quiet neighborhood here but Ron would like to be in the center of things near the university. The driving is mind boggling. At any given moment expect drivers to be on the wrong side of the road because it is more convenient for them. Because they drive on the on left side of the road we must be vigilant when crossing the street and look the opposite way we are used to. Given how they drive we take nothing for granted and look both ways constantly. The roads are very crowded with bikes, motorcycles, auto rickshaws, buses, trucks, dogs and cows.  Even elephants and camels, too.  We have been forced off sidewalks numerous times by motorcyclists or because vendors have set up on the sidewalk and you can’t pass without stepping into the street.

Indians have a high tolerance for close proximity so we are amazed by how close they drive to other vehicles. If we are in a auto rickshaw we can reach out in any direction and touch another person or vehicle. I wish I could convey how it goes in a busy intersection but some kind of magic happens as everyone from every direction converges and threads their way thought the congestion by forcing their way through the tangle of vehicles. It is a matter of boldness, courage, quick reflexes, mindfulness and a good eye not to mention excellent brakes. It is completely terrifying at times. Ron and I now wear our face masks because in an auto rickshaw we are right at the perfect place to breathe in exhaust.   

We popped into a grocery store the other night as it was the first one we had seen. We could hardly move in the aisles due to the tight spaces and stocking of shelves. If you have ever been in a Chinese market you may know what I am talking about. I think it will be a terrific challenge to find familiar foods and other items. I have tried twice to buy tissues and both times was offered paper napkins. We have hired a local guide for Saturday  to take us around town to show us high end grocery stores, bookstores, and neighborhoods. I am hopeful that a good detailed map can be purchased because looking for rentals without knowing the lay of the land is not a very satisfying experience.

So far we have been blessed finding restaurants that have been clean and safe with no stomach issues. But it is another thing to adjust to here. Which ones are safe and clean??? Learning menu items is another thing to adjust to. Fortunately menus are in English here. Yay! We are learning the phone system. We get daily calls and when we try to call back we get a message saying the number does not exist.???

One of the really great things here is how incredibly friendly people are, partly I guess because there are so few Caucasians here. We have been here a week and have met four Caucasians all associated with CEPT. When we walk down the street or into a restaurant, heads turn. Today I was eating lunch and a woman from the next table walked over and sat down to chat me up. Unfortunately I couldn’t hear a lot of what she said because of the loud music. She said she would call me after her baby is born in two months. Another real treat is the dress here. Women’s textiles are a feast for our eyes. Lovely colorful saris and traditional dress with the long shirts and pants. It is hard to not stare. It is rare to see a solid color. Most often there are great designs and patterns of cloth. I love seeing the Indian women construction workers in hard hats and saris. Hopefully we can get a photo to share.

We have found good espresso near the hotel but the shops don’t open until 11 or later. I fear finding good coffee in the grocery store will not be happening but perhaps I can get it on line for Delhi or Mumbai where there are Starbucks shops. There are seven million people in Ahmadabad and no Starbucks…who knew?

The plant life and sculptures on campus are a real treat and I am thankful as it serves as a respite form what we have seen thus far of Ahmadabad. I am hopeful that there are some prettier parts of town than what we have seen thus far.

One of my fave things I have seen is the street lights on campus. They are hung from the tree limbs not on a traditional lamp post. Pretty cool, I’d say. Photos attached.

Because of malaria, dengue and other mosquito borne illnesses we must spray on repellent multiple times daily. I also smear on sunscreen because of the potential for skin cancer. We were encouraged to forgo malaria pills by our travel clinic nurse practitioner and we agreed as the medication is quite hard on the liver. She knew of a more natural repellent that we were able to get at REI so we are happy about that.

That brings you up to date on some of our current adjustments and there will be many more. Right now it can be overwhelming some days; Ron is learning a new job and how things work here to add to the stress of what I have just described. Some of you may ask, ‘why I god’s name are they there?’ The short answer is in 1997 after a three week tour in Asia (China, Thailand, Singapore and Hong Kong) we decided we wanted to travel and live in developing countries when we retired. We felt that being in developing countries requires much more of us than traveling in first world countries and we felt that being in developing countries would help us from getting too stodgy, too set in our ways or thinking there was only one way to do things. We have never regretted that decision, even when the adjustment gets rough.