Random Thoughts 3 with updates!!!

Although it is considered rude to talk on cell phones during meetings, we see it done all the time. We’ve even seen it done by people who are speaking at the meeting. They just excuse themselves for a second and chat away.

When most people drink from water bottles, they dont put their lips on the bottle. They do a “waterfall”.

Most toilets have two butons for flushing. One is for a small flush; the other-a big flush.

I’ve not seen a bromm like the ones at home. The brooms here resemble the wicked witch of the west broom, only much shorter.

People like to keep a clean house. We even see people living in shacks with dirt floors sweeping out their homes to keep them clean.

It is quite customary to cut in line. It’s not considered rude. It’s just what you do.

When driving, sometimes people will turn off headlights, even at night, to conserve energy. They also turn off engines when idling.

I think I mentioned this earlier. Movies in theatres have at least one intermission. It’s unannonced and intended to allow the audience to get snacks. Sometimes the snacks are brought into the theatre similar to the dudes selling peanuts at a baseball game.

In several restaurants, we’ve had ice cream served from a box. It is cut with a knife into rectangles and served on a saucer.

No one knokws what Dr. Pepper is.

Some people haven’t heard of Wal-Mart. Most people have heard of it, but aren’t real sure what it is.

We’ve not seen a mop. The floors are cleaned daily with a wet wash rag.

If you ask fo a a soda, you’ll get soda water. You must ask for a soft drink. They’re often served in glass bottles that are returned for recycling.

You can get a large 1 liter Aquafina water for 25 cents.

Soft drink cans are slightly smaller than home. They also have another even smaller size that resembles a Red Bull can.

I mentioned in an earlier post how belching is accepted. Well, apparently another bodily function is accepted too!

I’ve had more coffee and beer here than I’ve had my entire life. When you’re offered a drink, it’s considered rude to not accept.

The most popular American cartoon here–Tom & Jerry.

It’s common to see men holding hands and although homosexuality was legalized in India a few back, this is not necessarily a romantic gesture.

UPDATES…

Since the first random thoughts, some of them need some updating.

We’ve seen our first bathtub. They’re still quite rare here, but they do exist.

You can indeed get black tea and black coffee. Black tea is called “liquor tea”. Some Indians prefer them this way.

My current home has a washer and dryer. My last home has a washer only.

The cute head bobble means either “yes” or “okay”…we think. It could also mean “no”.

There may inded be three McDonalds in the city. Still none of them serve beef. They do have McVeggie burgers though.

That’s it for now. I’m still working on my post about servants. It’s taking longer than I thought, plus I want to get input from the others and our time together is limited. Hopefully, it’ll be up soon.

Masala Aloo!

~ by Thelton Hughes on January 30, 2010.