July 14 2010 Suitable for Indian Conditions
I thought I’d make a post about some of the practical things I’ve learned here from experience. I’ll tell you about the experience in some cases and hopefully some of it will save some anguish or at least inconvenience for your next trip to India or a similar country.
I am not some kind of expert on all the nuances of Indian social customs by any means. And some things vary by region. Urban/rural differences are also prominent with the rural, like anywhere, being somewhat more conservative. There are times when in a foreign country that one would like to try to impose one’s own habits and practices. Some accommodation is often made for such differences. However when taken too far it can become insulting to people. The reason things happen the way they do anywhere has a long history.
On the practical side it is useful and often necessary to think McGyver style sometimes. Particularly if you are staying for several months or even years. Some of these things also might be useful for those who experience severe weather and lose a lot of the conveniences of life (potable water, electricity) or for DIY mountain compound-dwelling types.
These are in fairly random order as I’m just adding as I think of them.
General
Conservativism vs being cool. It is better to err on the conservative side than the cool side in terms of behavior and dress. It will avoid a lot of misunderstanding and problems. I have lots of examples but I don’t want this post to get too long. I’ll put a couple in later regarding specific situations.
At Home
Water Filters, Bottles-I bring a Katadyne water filter with me. I use it at home and while trekking as it saves on buying plastic bottles of water. Water from taps, wells or streams is generally not potable. (I had chronic giardia for 2 years so I know this well) A folding plastic container is also useful for refilling. But you can buy an initial 5 liter (1 gallon) bottle of water and refill it for shorter terms. Try to avoid buying a lot of water bottles, especially the small ones as there are very few recycling facilities available. The larger ones if left behind will be reused a lot by people carrying or keeping water at home if they don’t have or cannot afford too many pails or containers. Bringing reusable water bottle is also a good idea. Water filters of the portable variety are not generally available even in outdoor stores that cater to trekkers and campers so its best to bring your own.
Clothes pins and Laundry line-these are some of those McGyver items that will serve purposes far beyond their original. Also available here.
Large cloth (open style lungi)-A lungi is a wrap style garment that some men wear (and sometimes women depending on the region) around the waist when it’s real hot out. (Some men wear a dhoti but that’s a little complicated to tie up.) . It resembles a sarong or skirt. There is a closed style that is like a wide tube and you have to make pleats in it before rolling the waist down. That takes some practice or it falls off. Open style is just not pre-sewn. Usually these are worn at home casually and for sleeping, although some outside workers might be seen wearing the lungi. It is a loosely woven cotton or linen and is very cool. The open style also makes a reasonable bath towel as it dries really quick. It can also be used as a bed cover, head cover (turban style), cloth for bundling your dirty laundry, a light shawl, window curtain, table cloth and many other things. To wear the lungi simply wrap the cloth around your waist tightly overlapping so that it’s a tube. Roll the top down 3-4 times all around and an extra time where the cloth overlaps. This will keep it in place. It is sometimes tied in knots like a sarong but wearing it has to be mastered (mind the gap!). It is not tucked around a waist string like a sari. Some people will make a few little folds in it so that it’s looser around the legs. Here is an instruction page on how to wrap and wear it. How to Wear a Lungi shows both the stitched and unstitched types. For the unstitched it is more common in this area (and I think in Bihar as well) to fold it over similar to the stitched variety and roll the waist down rather than knot it. Here is another page about Lungi- The Lungi Page.
Plastic or tin box or canister -about 18×18 inches square and 12 inches deep with a snug lid. A round one is equally as good. These are available in most markets for a few dollars. Useful for food stuffs. There are insects here. And during and after monsoon, food can grow fungus or get stale very quickly if left in the open. Tiffin tins (pictured) are also good for keeping stuff fresh either cooked food or just biscuits and snacks. People take their lunch to work in these. Or have it delivered in some larger places. They latch together snugly. They can hold some dal, rice, bread, pickle or whatever.
A few large garbage bags-you may find you are traveling in a car with your luggage on top in the rain. Use one to wrap your luggage or luggage contents within within the suitcase, cover stuff inside your residence of the moment if your roof leaks, use it for a window curtain and quite a few other things.
Candles and matchboxes or lighter-available in the market but it’s good to have some with you upon arrival. Electricity everywhere is prone to disruption.
Headlamp-useful in many circumstances. These usually run on AAA batteries though there are some little ones that run on the flat 2036 batteries. They may have 2 or 3 ultra-bright LED lights which is quite sufficient unless you’re in the wilds somewhere when you need something a little more powerful. I have often made tea in the morning wearing my trekking headlamp because the electricity is out. Our kitchen window doesn’t allow a lot of light esp. when it’s cloudy. It faces a cliff. Can also be a good thing if people do a lot of biking (or even driving) and need to make a repair at a time with limited light. It’s way easier than trying to hold a flashlight while changing a tire. At a liquidation place you can often get them for less than 10$.
Multi-tool like a Leatherman or Swiss army knife with a screw driver and other assorted tools. I’ve used mine to tighten up door locks and hinges, re-attach loose light fixtures, fix my reading glasses, open the battery slot in a clock, repair a leaking toilet mechanism, pick a lock, fix a bent up grommet on a hiking boot and about a hundred other things. Gotta put it in the checked baggage though.
Sewing kit with strong thread-The zipper on one of my suitcases wouldn’t close and I didn’t have time to try to find a luggage repair shop or even a tailor to try to attach a new one as it was 10PM and my flight left at 3AM. So I sewed the zipper shut all the way around. It worked great. I would have been in trouble if Canada Customs wanted to search my bag but they gave me a pass that time fortunately. I got the idea by the way many packages are wrapped in cloth and sewn shut here when being shipped at the post office or with a shipping company.
Solar/windup radio. There are just wind up kinds(without the solar) but believe me you’ll get tired of doing that in a hurry. With the solar option it saves a lot of aching wrists. (click the pic to see further options for this particular model-I am not endorsing this merchant, they just have a good description) There are a lot of power outages everywhere in India. Some of them are scheduled daily (here we’re usually off 12-2PM) but most are unscheduled and can last for many hours. These are available at camping and backpacking stores for around 40$. I went to a liquidation place and got 4 of them for 14$ each. (a couple went for gifts to friends here and they really appreciated them) The radio station A.I.R.-All India Radio (in English-FM band) is available everywhere for news and music-even way up in the mountains on treks. It’s sort of like the CBC in Canada, the BBC or NPR but with better music.
Large brimmed hat that covers your neck at the back. If you are going to be walking and seeing sights anywhere something like this is useful. So many people bring a trucker or ball cap and the shades of crimson sunburn on neck napes I’ve seen are quite astounding. As well the Lawrence of Arabia style hats with the roll down back flap (like a ball cap with a mullet) are way too hot since the air doesn’t circulate much under them. Some places here that sell cricket and other sporting gear have cricket sun hats. They are washable and stand up to rain to some extent which a straw hat won’t.
Cloth shoulder bag or net bag-Monkeys in most places have learned to try to steal or rip open any plastic bag you may be carrying home from the market. Cloth shoulder bags seem to mystify them and they don’t grab for it. It is lighter than a backpack and can hold the necessary. I’ve seen some people just touring a market with backpacks/rucksacks that must be over 10 kilos (22 lbs) before they even start shopping! It’s quite unlikely that so much stuff is needed. And in the heat it can get quite exhausting carrying that much weight. From what I can ascertain it’s mostly guide books-some people with 3-4 Lonely Planet or similar hefty tomes. The info for the day can often be copied onto a piece of paper and fit into a pocket. Documents, medicines, water, hat, money and valuables are enough to carry. Have good suitcase locks so that you can leave things. See next entry Padlock.
Padlock – it’s best to have a combination type since it is rarely possible to find someone who knows how to make an extra key for an American or European style lock and even rarer to find someone who knows how to open one. In unknown places in large cities and towns, if I’m leaving my laptop or other goods for quite some time I will lock the suitcase in the bathroom-many bathroom doors in Indian style hotels and accommodations have some kind of outer lock to facilitate this. Western style accommodations unfortunately do not. A D style bike lock or a short chain and padlock can be used to secure a suitcase to a piece of furniture in that case.
Geyser switch A geyser is a small water heater that is usually located in the bathroom in a position near the ceiling. The geyser will have a switch located somewhere in or near the bathroom. When you want hot water turn it on and wait for about 10-15 minutes and when you are done with hot water turn it off. Almost all water delivery runs on a gravity feed system since water is pumped once or twice a day and collected into tanks that sit on the roof. There are very few places in India that have continuous water feed and pumped pressure. Do not waste the water. Supply is limited everywhere. Some large hotels or institutions may have a solar tank set up or a central boiler but this is unusual. If they do however there will likely be hot water only at certain times of the day. You’ll have to ask or figure out when. As well in hot weather the tank water may be warm or hot and the geyser may be the only source of cooler water so no need to turn it on at that time.
Rubber shoes aka Hawaiis. These are needed while taking a bath and are usually worn around the house. People don’t go barefoot in the house generally as few have carpets, or would want to have them due to fungus and insect factors. Most people don’t have vacuum cleaners but do sweeping of the floors with a broom. The classic blue shoe with the white inner sole is by Bata shoes and they are actually called Hawaiis. If you ask for Hawaiis in the market everyone will know what you mean. They can be had for around $2-3. These are actual rubber. They are better than some of the flip-flops available in North America which use a plastic foam sole that is very slippery on a wet tile surface. These blue ones are industrial strength. I’ve had the same pair, worn almost daily for 4 years.
Bucket bath Bucket, plastic cup and small plastic bath stool are generally used for having a bath. In most places there are not showers, or if there are they are hooked up to cold water only. Bucket bath is quite thorough once you get the hang of it. Get naked. Sit on the stool. Pour water over yourself with the plastic cup. Soap/shampoo up. Rinse off.
Bucket full of water It is a good idea to keep a 1/2 or full bucket of water in the bathroom. Sometimes water runs out before the pump starts and the roof tank can be filled again. The longest we have been without water was 4 days since the main pump broke at the water utility. We had to haul it in big plastic garbage bins with lids (most people keep one or two of these for this purpose) from a well a couple of kilometers away. We used the jeep and ferried ourselves, bins and some of our neighbors twice a day.
Foot care I made a post on my travel blog about Foot Care for trekking and hiking or even lots of walking in tourist areas in India. A lot of it is pertinent for the conditions here every day as well. Lots of fungus problems and so forth.
Dahi or curds Pronounced “Da-hee” This means yogurt. It is available in many restaurants or from a dairy and increasingly from provisions shops. It can be obtained in small plastic containers from shops or very fresh from the dairy. If buying in containers check the date stamp. Dahi is important because you will need to replenish healthy gut bacteria very regularly. If one is stricken with Delhi Belly dahi can be one of the most useful and natural solutions to the problem. People here recommend dahi, sliced banana and a little cumin (+ sugar if it’s not sweet enough) mixed together and eaten for mild stomach disorders. I’ve tried it and it works well for most situations. And a dish of Raita (yogurt with shredded vegetables) is always nice on a hot day or with spicy dishes. (here’s a link to a Raita recipe I posted on this blog a while back.)
Fans & AC I have a friend who heads up a health-worker teaching program in Bangladesh. Last year she had one volunteer who came to assist with the program. This woman insisted on leaving the air conditioning set to High in her room while she was out all day so it would be cool when she returned. They work 12 hour days minimum. This kind of wastefulness anywhere is distasteful. (I’m being kind) It only takes about 5-10 minutes for the room to become comfortably cool with AC. Electricity is a luxury here too and AC a huge luxury. Electricity is in very short supply. That is why there are black outs and brown outs all the time. So things like AC, fans, TVs, lights, geysers should be turned off when not directly in use. (She was told to stop and eventually did but got sent home from the program not long after because of a lot of other similar things-she thought she was on vacation and that everyone ought to congratulate her daily for her altruism of volunteering)
Out and About
Invitations-One gets a lot of invitations here, provided one is not dubbed a hippy in manner or dress. The neo-hippies are not well-liked although most people won’t express this to them directly. The invitations can range from dinner, a relative’s wedding, children’s school functions, political functions, drinks, temple functions, a restaurant meal, a sleep-over (non-sexual) to long term stays. I’ve gone to all of these and more. But they all came from people I’d known for quite some time. Strangers will also issue invites. I’ve been invited to Punjabi villages to meet unattached family bachelors, to Kolkata to stay at someone’s house, to take tours with families to Manali, to visit local historical sites in Maharashtra and a host of others. Had I shown up for any of these latter situations it would have likely been a great surprise, and possibly an inconvenience to these folks. Invitations by strangers are often just ways to say welcome to my neighborhood. One is not expected to follow up on them. With friends and colleagues it is different since actual arrangements will be discussed such as date and time. This is how I tell the difference between an invite-invite and a greeting-invite.
Gifts-you can bring small gifts to give to hosts/friends/colleagues. They will not be opened in front of you and likely placed aside to be opened later. If you give a gift people will try to give something back to you however so don’t make it something too expensive as this can make it difficult for some. Small food items like biscuits (I bring maple biscuits-a Canadian thing), jam or some other local product go over well. Should be vegetarian to be on the safe side.
Check MRP/dates on packages-most packaged goods in the market have a price stamped on them as well as a date of manufacture and some information about “use by”. It is actually by law that packaged goods have this. It is a good idea to check this at new shops to see how fresh their goods are. Once you know the market then you know who stocks the fresh stuff and who doesn’t so after a while it isn’t necessary. It also alerts the vendor that they better check their addition on bills since it is the habit to add about 10% or more for foreigners or strangers. One doesn’t need to get disgruntled about it but handing back an item because it’s past expiry and asking for a fresher one or double checking prices is not rude.
Agreed prices-for unpackaged or unpriced goods, if they are the more costly varieties, you may be able to get a discount if you haggle a bit. It is generally not necessary to haggle with Tibetans. Just ask for their “best price” and you will get it. Some Tibetan friends of mine sell goods in the market and they dislike haggling because it can cause a lot of upset and bad feelings for people, especially if it goes on for long. People lose respect for each other. I’ve seen that happen in Leh, Ladakh with some tourists who didn’t even want to pay the cost of the goods. They were incredibly rude, relatively wealthy and the store owner, who I know, was almost in tears over it. The tourists just laughed and spouted a lot of rude remarks as they left the shop. I was of a mind to follow them and give them my perspective but I really didn’t want to end up at the police station and I doubt they would have “got it” anyways. For small and inexpensive goods haggling is just being cheap and won’t get you anywhere.
Umbrellas are easily available and cheap. No need to bring that expensive designer one.
Chappals or sandals-Chappals are a type of sandals that you slide your foot into. In most of the offices, schools and even hospitals I’ve seen, professional men will wear sandals or good quality chappals. Trainers (running shoes) are not generally worn to work. Here is a catalogue selection from Bata India that shows various styles and prices of closed sandals (slightly more professional) and a link is there also for Chappals in the traditional style with the toe loop-they are incredibly comfortable once you break them in. There are ladies shoes there as well. Women tend to wear very fancy sandals with any outfit. And toenail polish for ladies is a must. Usually red.
Taxi rides and cars with drivers-it is common for institutions and even individuals to have drivers for their cars. As well, long or short distance taxis are also widely used. The seating protocol is somewhat important to some people, including the drivers. The highest ranking person sits in the rear seat diagonal to the driver. The next highest ranking person sits in the rear seat behind the driver. Guests do not generally sit in the front seat even in a crowded car. Some people can be very insistent on these arrangements so it’s best not to debate the matter.
Seating arrangements in general-This is another thing related to social rank. If asked to speak at a function for example there will likely be a special seating area for you. At other social occasions the host or their delegate will also indicate the appropriate area for you to sit. If you are the only foreigner some place, people will make every effort to get a chair for you even if everyone else is sitting on the floor. This is something that just has to be accepted with the hospitality. Though sometimes I’ve just quickly sat on the floor so they don’t go to too much trouble-but this usually involves people I know to some degree and depends on the venue.
Autorickshaws -aka autos or 3-wheelers, are open sided vehicles that one hires the same as a taxi. They are a lot cheaper. Negotiate the fare to your destination in advance. In many places they are supposed to be metered but the meters rarely work. There are larger multi-passenger vehicles (with seating for 6-8 but usually crammed with 12 or more) of a similar design called Vikrams that ply set routes but you’d have to learn about where they go locally.
In an auto sit in the middle of the back seat if you are alone. This is because a) it prevents thievery of your belongings-there are occasional drive by grabs done from motorcycles, b) you won’t get splashed by other vehicles if it’s raining out and c) in case it’s hit even a little or tips over it’s the best way to avoid injury. I’ve been in one that got hit in Delhi and have a friend who’s ride got tipped in Dhaka. But that is out of hundreds of trips so it’s not overly dangerous. They are not the fastest vehicles on the open road but because of their size they get through traffic jams a lot faster than taxis.
Taxis-I’d hire a taxi from a booking office at the taxi stand or from a hotel or travel agent if going into the countryside or to the outskirts of a large city. They know who they are working with and then there’s also a record of your travel. Depending on where you are, if you are a woman, I’d avoid just picking up taxis on the street, especially late in the evening or at night. Have your ride arranged in advance. In some places there has been harassment.
Sexual harassment or “Eve teasing”-this can be anything from “flirty” or rude comments to physical assault such as groping. I’ve experienced both but not so much that I went to the police about it. Rape is also in high incidence, although it’s actually less so for foreign women than Indian women. There is a charge that can be filed called “Eve teasing” if harassment becomes persistent and/or menacing. It is more pronounced when encountering groups of young men and in the late evenings. Incidence varies by states, and urban/rural situations. A couple of things to remember. India is for the most part a gender-segregated society. Schools are generally segregated as are many work places, if women work there at all. Upper class city dwellers will try to deny this but look around even in a Delhi or Mumbai club or disco and its mostly groups of women dancing together and groups of men watching or dancing some distance apart. The majority of Indian women don’t drink alcohol either or if so very little and very infrequently. This is just beginning to change and people are trying to come to grips with this new “norm”. Introduction of things like MTV and VH1 has skewed some of the stereotypes of foreigners and some people believe those stereotypes and wish to act upon those perceptions. So even if you’re not aspiring to be a video decoration you may be perceived as having that potential. (That’s true anywhere though)
Dhaba Food vs Restaurant Food-I prefer to eat at Dhabas. These are usually small food outlets that have a fixed plate daily, usually vegetarian. It comprises some kid of dal or rajma (lentils, beans), rice, vegetable dish in it’s most simple incarnation but sometimes includes some kind of roti (bread), salad (sliced raw vegetables like onion/carrot/tomato) or dahi (curds or yogurt). It is made fresh daily with whatever local produce is available. Most dhabas don’t have refrigerators so food 
isn’t kept and used the next day as happens in a lot of restaurants. And as the pot full is used up more is made fresh. One can tell a Dhaba from a restaurant because Dhabas usually have 5-6 pots sitting on the cooking burners in the kitchen. They are also usually open kitchens.
The plate pictured doesn’t have the rice yet as most people eat the bread and vegetable first then rice is brought for the dal and curds. One one other thing about dhabas is that they are usually all you can eat, which means the proprietor will come around and ask if you want more bread, dal, rice or vegetable. Often they carry the pot around in their hand and spoon it out to the diners. And the price is usually under 30-40 rupees-less than a dollar. In fancy restaurants you can get a thali (fixed plate) that’ll run over 100 rupees and these are often time limited (like lunch only). I prefer the dhaba because the food is local, using local recipes which are not often available in big restaurants. Tourists almost never go to dhabas because there is a misperception that because they are often fairly humble establishments, some not more than shacks, that food is not of good quality. One thing I have learned while traveling is to go where the locals go not where the tourists go for the best, freshest and most authentic food.
Another reason I prefer dhabas is that there was a recent problem in Dehra Dun, the biggest city near where I live about hotel restaurants cooking up big batches of sauce and keeping it for weeks by adding a lot of preservatives. They’d just heat up a pot full daily and use it. People got sick so some of the few health inspectors actually got in there and fined them for it. I don’t eat much restaurant food that has sauce unless I know the restaurant. And after a while you get to know if the food is freshly made or not. It just looks different as well as tastes different.
Big spoon or fingers-If you are given a plate of food with no utensils it is assumed you know the method to eat with fingers of the right hand. It takes some practice. I still can’t eat dal-bhat (lentils and rice) this way very well. In a temple situation there may be no utensils available but in restaurants and homes it is quite appropriate to ask for a spoon. There may not be knives and forks available.
Greeting People-Hindu people will say Namaste or Namaskar (the more respectful version) or just hello. Most people won’t put their hands together to say Namaste in a casual setting unless they are addressing someone older. Sometimes people will do Pranam which means they will touch the feet of the respected person or gesture towards them and then touch their own foreheads. Some people will shake hands. Muslim men will generally not shake hands with women and Muslim women will generally not shake hands with men. In some areas this is true of Hindus as well. It is best to take your cues from the people you are meeting and not be too forward. It is not appropriate to hug or kiss people upon meeting.
Tipping Don’t overtip. In a restaurant the small change from the bill is usually sufficient. For people carrying bags to a hotel room 20 rupees is enough. If you start tipping really big you will find there are suddenly 20 people that show up expecting to be tipped the same. And it causes problems within the staff if you don’t comply. As well it makes it difficult for other travelers who don’t have that kind of means. And it distorts local perceptions of foreigners. If your restaurant bill is 100 rupees it is foolish to tip that same amount. Do you do that at home? Not likely. And it’s not “helping to alleviate poverty” as some people think. It’s an example of idiot compassion. (The link is to a post on my Buddhist blog about idiot compassion and what that means)
Public Display of Affection PDA is not acceptable in most parts of India. Showing affection in public isn’t accepted. Walking around hand in hand is not common except for same sexes. It is a sign of friendship in that case.
Emergencies
Medical issues Minor issues can often be resolved at the chemists (pharmacy). Skin rashes, small infections and colds would classify as minor. Just tell the pharmacist your symptoms and they can give you something for it. They will not ask questions about allergies and stuff so you may have to ask. And any side effects or how the medicine should be taken (with water, food etc) you may have to look up yourself. Here is a good place to do that. It is the Medscape Drug Reference and it give contraindications and a lot of information about pharmaceuticals.
http://search.medscape.com/drug-reference-search
More serious things such as deep cuts that may require stitches, infections etc. can usually be taken care of by a local doctor or at a community hospital. There will be a small fee for this. Serious matters like appendicitis may be taken care of at community hospitals (if they have doctors available) but private hospitals are usually better. The best thing to do is query local people beforehand and make a list of qualified doctors/facilities before an emergency arises. Then should something come up you can instruct friends/taxi driver etc. where to take you. If you are in an area with ambulances (rare) know their number. Ambulances are basically vans with flashing lights and sirens. There are not EMTs or the like available in most parts of the country.
Dealing with Police Be wary of the police. Many are corrupt. Keep your mouth shut and stay calm if you are questioned or taken into custody. Answer questions only with the information asked such as name, citizenship etc. That’s the most useful thing you can do for yourself. Squawking about being a foreigner does not exempt you from local laws and practices. Do not get angry and demanding! It will only aggravate the police and may get you a slap in the head or worse. If it is a criminal matter such as drug possession (yes drugs are illegal in India even if a lot of sadhus sit around and smoke hash all the time) you’d better have both a lot of time and a lot of money to get out of it. If it is a case of a small violation or even simple extortion, such as failing to obey (a sometimes made-up) traffic law, ask what the challan (fine) is, pay it and be on your way. Arguing about 100 rupees (a couple of bucks) is not worth the trouble it will bring.
If you have had a crime committed against you, such as having your passport stolen then you will have to make out a statement called a FIR or First Incident Report. This can be taken by any officer at the police station. Get a copy of it as you will need that to get a replacement at your embassy. It will probably have some kind of case number assigned to it.
In any major dealings with police notify your embassy, employer, friends or family before they get you to the station if possible. If you are released report to someone that you’ve had the encounter and the details of that encounter. Try to get the names or numbers of the officers involved without being too forward about it. Should police continue to bother you let them know, gently, that you’ve spoken to the embassy, a lawyer etc. and that you would like to contact them about any further issues. The police will generally back off if third parties get involved.
If you get taken into custody ask to talk to the “in charge”. That is the highest ranking person available. It can save a lot of time (and sometimes money) so you don’t have to bribe your way up the authority ladder to get to someone who actually can make a decision on your situation.
Do not sign anything like a blank statement or sheet of paper. If you are making a statement in your own handwriting it is OK to sign that. If they say they want to make a copy and ask you to sign another sheet tell them that you will copy it yourself and then sign it.
If they come to your house and you have not called them ask to see their identification. It should have their picture on it especially if they belong to the LIU (Local Intelligence Unit which is associated with the office that’s in charge of foreigners). Ask them to pronounce their names. Remember their names or write them down.
In all it is best to avoid having to deal with police unless it is absolutely necessary.
Possibly NOT Useful Things
Heavy terry cloth bath towel-don’t bring it-it won’t dry during monsoon times and will end up smelling of fungus and mildew. A light woven cotton towel, or that large cloth (lungi) I mentioned above are better choices
Barefoot in the street-there are numerous times when one does take off their shoes such as at temple visits or in some people’s homes. (But not everyone’s) If one is on a religious pilgrimage it is possible some will do this barefoot. Babas, yogis and sadhus are often though not always barefoot. Buddhist monks and nuns do not generally go barefoot in the street. Beggars will often go barefoot, not because some have no shoes but because it increases the take for the day. There are begging guilds (little better than extortion rings in some cases) that give their members advice on this kind of thing, including where to rent babies for the day. Aside from serious health risks in going barefoot, infections, broken metal and glass strewn about and various kinds of organic waste as well, it puts people in something of a quandary. If people perceive that a guest in their country is bereft of shoes they don’t feel too good about that and at the same time don’t know what to do about it since a guest does not fit into the classical beggar category. There is a sense of obligation to do something and a confusion about what to do. So try not to put people in such a predicament.
Hippy attire- Drop crotch pants, psychedelic tie-dye anything, the barefoot statement, dirty dreds, a loose lungi – nobody here wears these except hippy tourists. If one is a hippy tourist then ignore everything I’ve said and please don’t talk to me in the Internet Cafe or elsewhere. I’m not going to tell you where to buy hash.
The I Can Do Anything I Want Here Attitude-This is what usually attracts the attention of the police. Standing in the middle of the market smoking hash in hippy attire while yammering loudly about “freedom” and treating local people, if they are acknowledged at all, as lowly serfs to cater to your every whim (Yes I’ve seen all this too many times to count) will ire the residents and sometimes a trip to the police station in many areas. It will get you poor or no service in local businesses and a reputation as an asshole. People get as disgusted and frustrated with such arrogant attitudes in India as they do elsewhere and will try to avoid you at all costs.
If that’s the kind of “Indian Experience” you’re looking for then fine, I won’t argue about it.
Conclusion
I hope some of this is useful for those coming to India whether in for a short term vacation or for a longer term.
May 7, 2010 A Quick North Indian Meal
Here’s what we had last night to eat. It’s pretty easy and quick to make. I’ll give a veg. and a non-veg. method. This is enough for 3-4 people depending on appetites.(maybe 5 if some are kids) It’s all pretty cheap to make and tasty. It also stores well if there’s left-overs.
Sometimes you’ll see pullow (also spelled pullau, pilaw or half a dozen other ways) or raita on restaurant menus. But usually you wouldn’t be served that in someone’s home since it’s more like family food than “guest” food. “Guest” food tends to be a little more fussy and fancy.
None of this is spicy. You can add some chopped green chilies to the pullow or the greens or even a dash of cayenne (but NOT to the raita!-one restaurant did that to us once and it was horrible) if you want it to be more spicy. But the masala (spice) that is included adds a good amount of taste without making your eyes water.
Most people just eat raw green chilies on the side if they want that kick.
Pullow (sort of like Pilaf or Paella)
Ingredients are listed in order of use.
1 Large Pot with lid (we use a pressure cooker which is faster but most people reading this won’t have one so just a pot is OK)
3-4 tbsp. oil
2 chopped onions
chopped or whole cloves of garlic (as many as you like depending upon your garlic preferences)
1 tbsp. chopped fresh ginger (sometimes we leave ginger out-depends if you want the tang of it)
1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. Deggi Mirch (a mild ground red pepper mix-not as strong as cayenne-a mild Mexican chili is OK)
1 tbsp. salt
4 small or 3 medium chopped tomatoes
1 lb. chicken with bone (500 gms.) (if making the non-veg type) or meat (beef, pork, goat-the latter is what we use sometimes) or sea food (but using sea food with a pressure cooker is not recommended since it cooks fast anyways)
3/4-1 cup rice-basmati or any kind
3 cups coarsely chopped vegetables (Choose 2 or 3 of carrots, peas,white radish, green beans, eggplant, cauliflower, zucchini, broccoli, potato or any harder type of vegetable. Spinach and other greens are not recommended as they become too mushy)
1/2 tsp. MDH Kitchen King spice mix or any garam masala mix
about 1 cup water-depends on the water content of veg and non-veg ingredients-basically enough to just about cover the contents of the pot-too much and it gets mushy and not enough won’t cook the rice enough.
Instructions
If making veg. kind then just skip any steps about chicken or meat.
Heat oil. Add onions and saute about 5 min.
Add garlic, ginger, turmeric, coriander, Deggi Mirch, salt and saute until they start to brown.
Add tomatoes. Cook and stir until it becomes like a chunky sauce.
Add rice and stir and cook 5 min. on med. heat
Add chicken (or meat) if you are making the non-veg kind and cook for about 10 min at med. heat. (if using seafood put that in when there is only about 10-15 minutes cooking time left or it will be like mush)
Add veg. cook and stir 5 min. on med. heat
Add Kitchen King (or garam masala) and water to almost cover the contents.
Bring to a boil then reduce heat.
Cook with the lid on at med-low heat (slightly bubbling) for about 20 min if making veg or seafood type.
If using chicken or meat increase cooking time to about 25-30 min.
Check if meat is thoroughly cooked.
(if using a pressure cooker then it’s about 2 pressures, turn heat off and wait for pressure to subside-about 15 min. total final cooking time with meat)
It is done when liquid is all taken up by the rice and rice is soft.
You can garnish with some chopped cilantro (fresh coriander leaf-which I don’t like but lots of people do) and some sliced hard boiled eggs (which is what restaurants do for both veg and non-veg sometimes-so if you’re vegan and in India make sure to tell them no eggs or just say “pure veg” which means you won’t get stuff made with butter either)
Serve hot.
Green Onion and Garlic Saute
Ingredients are listed in order of use.
2-3 tbsp. of butter or oil
1/4 tsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp. salt
chopped cloves of garlic (we put lots but depends on your garlic tolerance)
4-5 bunches of green onions chopped-about 4 cups total (depends on the size of the onions and bunches-it cooks down to about 1/4 of the uncooked) (you can also use spinach, dandelion greens or just about any kind of greens in this recipe)
Instructions
Heat butter.
Add turmeric, salt and garlic.
Saute garlic for about 5 min.
Add green onions.
Saute and stir for about 5-7 min. until onions/greens are soft.
Serve hot.
Raita (yogurt and veg. side dish)
Ingredients are listed in order of use.
500 ml plain smooth yogurt (about a pint or 2 cups)-the Balkan style
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup shredded veg (mostly cucumber but added onion, tomato, white radish are good accents)
| Masala (spice) | |
| Fast way | Longer way |
| 2 tbsp. Chunky Chat masala mix | 3 tbsp butter or oil 2 tbsp. cumin (jeera) pinch of turmeric -heat butter, add cumin and saute until cumin starts to brown, add turmeric, stir and lat brown a little more.(total cooking time about 5 mins-med heat) Let cool for a few minutes before pouring into yogurt mixture |
Instructions
Mix yogurt, salt and shredded veg.
Add spice and mix together thoroughly.
Some people garnish this with a little chopped fresh coriander leaf (cilantro) but a little fresh parsley would be OK too.
Serve cold. (Also makes a nice dip or sauce for a wrap)
About Spice Mixes
Spice mixes mentioned here are often available at Indian grocers and sometimes in the Asian sections of big grocers (I’ve even seen a few at Walmart!) MDH makes a pretty good quality lower priced mix-it’s the most popular in this area. No need to buy the fancy package ones you see sometimes in cookware stores. They have the same ingredients but cost about 4 times as much.
About Pressure Cookers
This is one of the two we have pictured below. It is the Indian style with the long handled lid that fits inside the pot and then clips to the end of the pot handle. It has a rubber gasket around the lid. I don’t know much about pressure cookers of the North American or European style. Some I’ve seen have dials and complicated valves and such. This Indian style is pretty straightforward. When the pressure is up the little top knob spins around and shoots out steam. That is called One Pressure. So recipe timings go by the number of pressures at a certain flame height. Flame is put to high to bring pressure up then usually set to medium. So for cooking hard vegetables like potatoes is usually 2-3 pressures depending on consistency of potatoes, rice 2 pressures, chicken 2-3 pressures, meat 3-4 pressures, hard beans like Rajma or any kind that have to be soaked overnight is 5-6 pressures over 15 minutes or so. Then the time to decompress-about 10 min. Some things we decompress quickly by lifting up the little knob with a spoon (its hot!) and releasing the steam. This would be for rice, potatoes or vegetables.
One important thing to note is to always leave space in the cooker for the steam to pressurize. Never fill you pressure cooker more than 3/4 full before cooking. 2/3 is better since some contents can expand. So get a large enough cooker to allow for that depending upon the size of family or group. We use a 5 liter (about one gallon) size for a big dish like pullow. Though we also have a 3 liter Minolta for cooking dal and beans. If your cooker is too small and contents expand you might not be able to get the lid out without making a huge mess. (that’s Manoj’s tip since he is contributing here in a roundabout way-that means he’s reading this over my shoulder)
It is important to keep the valve clean and open so it doesn’t clog and blow out the emergency valve which will ruin the lid and probably the pot too. If using a pressure cooker read all relevant instructions first-I’ve seen a 20 liter cooker full of potatoes blow up at a restaurant because of too much heat and clogged valves-it pretty much demolished the kitchen. Potatoes on every surface including the ceiling and a twisted hole in the side of the pot. That’s quite an unusual occurrence but it happens if one gets sloppy. Pressure cookers are great though, when used properly, since they save a lot of time and cooking gas or electricity
You can get the Indian style pressure cookers in some Indian grocers sometimes. I’ve seen them in Vancouver and other larger cities. You can also order them over the Internet. They are a lot cheaper than the deluxe western kind. (less than half the price) I’d recommend Hawkins, Minolta or Hawkins-Futura brands as these are the most commonly used and I’ve used all of them myself. You can also get then with a non-stick interior.
In a price comparison I’ve seen the Hawkins 5 liter pressure cooker for less than 40$ while the equivalent Fagor or Presto North American brands go for 70$ and up. There are used (or as they say “vintage”) ones on E-bay but I’d be wary of that since you don’t know it’s use record. If you find a used one somewhere like at a garage sale check the bottom. If it is not flat or is bowed out then the metal has weakened or it has been over-pressured and it may not be too good.
April 15, 2010 Thinking About Jackals
Rather blurry pictures of jackals from Bharatpur in Rajasthan in 2002. They were hunting in a pack in the tall grass at the bird sanctuary.
For the past few nights I’ve been hearing a lot of jackals howling. This is fairly common and I rather like the sound. It’s not like a wolf or a dog howl.
Some local people liken it to a baby crying or people wailing in anguish. In some cases I agree but it also has the ‘doggish’ quality to it that sets it apart. Some people also tell me that to hear it often means that tragedy is just around the corner. That something bad is going to happen.
Well something bad is always going to happen somewhere and I don’t think the jackals have much to do with it.
In a place I used to live here I was up on a hillside. The jackals would traverse the hill just below my place every night so I got to hear them a lot.
The owner of the place lived upstairs and had a nice garden. He had tried to put a koi pond in the back but the jackals kept coming in and eating all the koi. Then he put a fence around the pond and the jackals still kept getting in. One of them drowned in the pond. That was the end of the fish pond. It became a lily pond instead.
I really liked living in that house. It was my favorite of all the places I’ve lived here. I was there for about a year and a half. The only problem was the hillside it was on was right above the Mall Road in the center of town and there was a huge amount of noise day and night especially in tourist season (April-July) and wedding season (November-February). And being in the center of town is not the best thing as the tourists get a little rowdy. There were a couple of times some drunk guys tried to follow me home from the market but since I know the terrain I gave them the slip. Drunk guys are the same everywhere. Thinking they are way more attractive and irresistible than they really are.
So today is the second day without Internet connection. I don’t know if it is the balance amount left on the connection, though I’ve just recharged it today-it should have been good for 2 more weeks on the monthly plan. But it’s quite likely due to the Maha Kumbh Mela that is taking place in Haridwar which is nearby. This meeting takes place every 12 years and all the holy guys (sadhus, yogis and others) from all over India come for it. As do several million pilgrims. It has been going on since January and certain days are more auspicious than others. Yesterday was super super auspicious. A day that only comes around every 700 years or something like that.
I just read in the newspaper that there were over 1 crore there yesterday. That is more than 10 million.
The past couple of days are the last for dipping into the Ganga river and getting cleansed. There are millions of people there and in the Hindi paper today Manoj told me that they are reporting about cell phone networks being totally jammed. So I just have to wait it out. If there is no connection by tomorrow (I am writing this offline with Windows Live Writer-one of the best products Windows ever made-and I’m not a big Windows fan) I’ll have to get a local guy I know to call his friend who has network access in Dehra Dun to check the connection and make sure everything is OK. One time before he just had to check some little box and save the particulars of our account and it worked fine. The problem is with authentication and error 619-this has happened before and has always been rectified so am not too worried.
But I miss chatting with my sister on Facebook in the morning as she is sometimes on in the evening there so we get to meet up.
Anyways so that is why I have time to think about jackals and write another post on this blog. I’ve done up a few more for other blogs too so when the connection comes there will soon be more fresh material.
I am going to start filling in more on this blog with some posts I’ve done elsewhere but which relate to life here. Sort of bring it more together. It will be mostly trekking stuff at first and then I’ll fill it in better when I get a chance.
My neighbors brought over their St. Bernard pups yesterday. Hard to call them pups though. They are both only 9 months old but enormous. Their names are Alpine and Daisy. They are both sweet but kind of dumb. They are very well cared for but the neighbors are having some training problems with them. They are very determined dogs and somewhat hard to handle especially together. They are in chest harnesses so they can be more easily held onto. Talk about strong dogs though! I think they are just lovely dogs. I hope Chandu brings them again.
That’s it.
Jan 30 2010 Full Wolf Moon and Calendar Information
Jan. 30, 1:18 a.m. EST – Full Wolf Moon. Amid the zero cold and deep snows of midwinter, the wolf packs howled hungrily outside Indian villages. It was also known as the Old Moon or the Moon after Yule. In some tribes this was the Full Snow Moon; most applied that name to the next moon. The Moon will also arrive at perigee (it’s closest point to Earth on its non-circular orbit) less than three hours later, at 4:04 a.m. EST at a distance of 221,577 mi. (356,593 km.) from Earth. So this is the biggest full moon of 2010. Very high ocean tides can be expected during the next two or three days, thanks to the coincidence of perigee with full moon. from Space.com
Buddhist Calendar Articles from Buddhanet:
[ INTRODUCTION • DAY • WEEK & FORTNIGHT • MONTH • YEAR ]
(From scriptural sources in the Pali Canon of Theravada Buddhism)
Anniversaries and Festivals of Zen Buddhism
Tibetan Lunar Calendar with Auspicious and Inauspicious Days
Gregorian-Lunar Calendar Conversion Table from the Hong Kong Observatory
Dec. 5 2009 Meeting Mr. Tran
4AM Indira Gandhi International Airport Delhi India.
Got through check in, immigration and security in less than an hour. Waited and walked for 2 hours. Bought a book. Checked email on the airport wireless network. A hassle to getting signed in. Needed my cell phone to get a text message with a password. Security issue. Need to know. Who’s sending what, when and where.
Plane takes off without incident. No fog delays tonight which is a relief as I can’t stay awake any longer. Just spent 10 hours on a road trip from the hill station down to the plains and into Delhi. Thick pollution haze as soon as we got below 2,000 feet altitude. Sugar cane crop is ready so the mills both big and small have fired up the machines to squeeze and refine the sugar. The chaff that isn’t going to be fed to cattle is burning in all the fields for hundreds of miles.
Lulled by the engine’s noise, for I am sitting over the wing, the unconsciousness of sleep takes over. I don’t even notice the landing, passengers disembarking and reembarking in Bangkok. A meal is presented. 5 hours into the flight and dawn is faintly glowing on the edge of the big ball of the horizon. An arc of dusty orange.
The movie between Bangkok and Hong Kong is forgettable or maybe I slept some more.
Hong Kong airport and looking for the transfer point for my onward flight. Caught in a line up at the security check. Waiting but not too impatiently. Over 2 hours to walk and stretch.
Next flight will be 12 hours in length.
Boarding is slow. I flash my frequent flyer club card to jump into the Business Class lineup even though I fly economy. Membership has it’s privileges. Or I’m getting cranky.
Adjusting seat belt. Getting settled. No one beside me so far. Wanting it to stay that way.
A family moves towards the 2 empty seats behind me. Parents and a young boy. They stow their luggage and the parents take the seats behind. The boy is beside me. He looks rather daunted. Or perhaps tired.
He’s a husky boy with a round face. He’s wearing Nikes or some similar brand, long board shorts in a camo pattern and a yellow t-shirt with a cartoon character I don’t recognize.
The shade over the window is closed.
The boy says, “Can you open that? I want to see the ocean.”
I oblige. He leans over me to look for a moment then settles back into his seat.
He pulls the controller for the entertainment system out from the seat in front. Pushing buttons. Puts the controller back. Puts the tray down. Takes the controller out again. Pushing buttons. Puts the tray up. Pulls the drink holder down. Pushing buttons. Plays a game. Checks what his parents are doing by peering between the seats. Takes a glass of Sprite from the server. Places the glass in the drink holder after a few sips.
I take a glass of Coke. I push the button on the controller to check the flight map. 10 hours and a bit left.
He says, “You can take that out you know.” Proceeds to disengage it for me.
“It’s OK there.” I respond and put it back.
“There’s games.”
“I know.”
A brief pause.
“Do you like peanuts?” he says.
“Yes.”
I turn my head towards the window and feign sleep. The boy starts a game and I do sleep for an hour or so.
When I stir to adjust the blanket the boy asks, “Are you going to have chicken?”
I am a little groggy and don’t quite know what he is referring to.
The meal cart is on it’s way down the aisle.
“Yes chicken would be OK.”
“I’m going to have fish.”
The server questions the boy first and sets up his tray with the fish entree. She informs me that there is no chicken left so I have the vegetarian pasta.
The boy lifts his entree in it’s aluminum dish and shows it to his mother in the seat behind. He says something else to her which I cannot hear and she leans over and takes a look at my pasta. I don’t know what she or her husband chose.
The boy eats the entree quickly. He passes the unwanted salad and appetizer back to his parents. He pokes at the gelled custard desert with his finger then takes a tentative spoonful. He passes the rest back to his parents as well. He keeps the chocolate biscuit.
I finish my meal a little surprised at my hunger.
Others settle in to sleep. I feel restless. I take the controller out of it’s niche in the seat and select a game to play.
“My mom likes Bejeweled too.”
“It’s fun.”
“I like this one.” He is referring to some kind of safari scenario that is on his screen.
“It looks good too.”
I switch from games to the pre-recorded television episodes available. CSI has 3 episodes so I choose one and settle the earphones comfortably. The program is short. No doubt trimmed for family viewing. I switch to news, flip through movies, comedy programs, other dramas. Nothing piques the interest. Back to the flight channel. Less than 8 hours.
I close my eyes again and try to sleep. I hear breathing close to my ear. I open one eye just a little and the boy smiles brilliantly.
“I knew you weren’t sleeping.” He laughs. He has little dimples in his cheeks.
“How did you know?”
“Because your mouth wasn’t open like before.”
“Oh.”
He leans over and looks between the seats back at his parents.
“They’re sleeping.”
A few minutes later I hear stirring behind. The boys mother gets up from the window seat, steps over the legs of the father and makes her way to the washroom. When she returns she unbuckles the boy’s seat belt and speaks quietly to him. He moves into her seat and she takes his.
She is a small woman and curls up into the seat like a seashell. I wonder how she can sleep with the pressure of the armrest on her back but she seems to be managing it. I check back between the seats. The boy and his father sprawl in a pose of deep sleep. I watch the last half of a movie.
I sleep for another hour.
When I wake up the mother wakes also. She uncurls from the tight position, stands and exchanges seats again with the boy. He’s not quite awake. His blanket has fallen to the floor. I pick it up and put it over him. He smiles a little then leans his head onto my shoulder and goes back to sleep. I don’t move for an hour.
The server brings a tray of noodle cups around in the semi-darkness.The boy has shifted as he slept and my arm is free so I take one and eat it with the chopsticks provided.
The boy is still asleep when they bring cups of water around. I take one for myself and one for the boy. I place his in the cup holder.
About 10 minutes later he wakes up and gulps down the water.
We both put our headphones on and start pushing buttons on the controllers.
He says, “Who are you?”
“I am Marnie” I reply.
“We are the Trans.” he says
“Nice to meet you Mr. Tran.”
He bursts out laughing.
“Mr. Tran is my faaather.” Had he not had his seatbelt on he might have rolled onto the floor he was laughing so hard.
Once he calms down a little he states, “I am 8.”
“That’s a good age.”
He continues the conversation, “Are you coming from Viet Nam?”
“No.”
“We were visiting my grand parents in Viet Nam.”
“Oh.”
“Are you coming from Tanzaneeeeeeah?” he said this excitedly and his eyes widen. Tanzania seems to be a very important place at that moment. The safari game may have mentioned Tanzania.
“No I am coming from India.”
“Did you visit your grand parents there?”
“No I visited some friends.”
“I have friends.”
“It’s nice to have friends.”
We both sit looking at our screens.
Mr. Tran says “Do you live in a house or an apartment?”
“Apartment”
“So do we. We live in an apartment in Edmonton.”
He continues, “Do you have a son?”
“No.”
We both look back at our screens for a while longer.
He looks at me from time to time and smiles. I smile in return. He asks more questions. I answer. I don’t ask questions. He tells me what he wants me to know.
The breakfast meal is being served. He eats the fruit and yogurt and hands the entree back to his parents. His mother hands her fruit up to him.
“Are you going to Vancouver?” he asks
“Yes”
“So are we. My mother’s sister is there. She has a son. He is my cousin. He’s older. But we play sports together.”
“I have cousins too. But I haven’t seen any of them for a long time.”
“Do you play sports?”
“Sometimes.”
We watch our screens as the plane begins it’s descent.
“Can you open the window?”
“Yes.”
“People look like ants from a plane.”
“I know.”
“Those are islands. Islands in the ocean.”
“Yes.”
“There’s a red car.”
“And a black one.”
“I don’t see any ant people.”
“We are still too high. We’ll see them in a minute or two.”
We watch. And see them.
1:30 PM Vancouver International Airport Canada
I am in the 3rd line-up from the left at the Immigration counters. The Trans are at the 5th line-up. They are ahead of me. They are going to the translation booth to answer questions and pass through quickly. I am in the line-up of the most thorough Immigration officer in Canada. I wait.
After retrieving my luggage I see them at the exit. Mr. Tran turns around and smiles as they go out the door.
NellaLou
dianediary
