India's Culture:
Welcome to Delhi

Subject: Leslie has landed--first impressions of India's culture

To: Family or Friends

Date: Sunday, August 3, 10:38:27 PM

I am at the centre in India. It is pretty cool.

They are discussing American slang: "going postal," "slam dunk," "I'll take a rain check." It is amusing.

See the picture below, "Welcome to Wimpy." It is the sign at the door of the cafe at work. I found it amusing since wimpy means "weak" in American slang. Do you suppose that means that the food is weak, or that they serve wilted greens? Words take on a new meaning in a different culture.

India is a crazy place--even after my other travels, I'll admit I've been surprised a few times. Like I knew that cows wandered around, but I figured they had someone shepherding them around. Naw, just groups of cows wandering around in the streets, sometimes lying on the road, or eating the grass in the medians. Yeah, that was different. No one seems to own them.

I’ve also been surprised by seeing people using the bathroom next to the road. Men. Not children or anything. Grown men, peeing or squatting by the road. Now that was different.

The whole bathroom thing is different, too. They don't like to use toilet paper, at least that is what it says in the culture guide books, preferring instead to spray water on themselves. Not quite sure how that works... but it means the floor is sometimes wet in the bathroom. Whoa, dude!

Anyway, those are my first reactions.


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