* I started this post on Sunday but didn't have a chance to finish therefore I apologize for the confusion with dates/days. This is also essentially a two part post; one about the cultural shock and one about our trip Saturday and I apologize for the length.
Yesterday (Saturday) our host arranged for a local tour company to take us on a trip to Ahmedabad which is about 135 miles from Rajkot. As Rajkot is a predominantly a business town there is really not a lot to do here so we were happy to travel and see some sites.
We left at 7am and it was a very long drive (almost 4 hours) and it turned out to be a very long day, mentally and physically, some of it due to the distance but some of it simply due to the cultural differences. This not intended to be where I complain and I do not want to offend anyone but after 2 weeks in country I have hit a bit of a cultural overload and at times am ready for the comfort and familiarity of the western world. My travel partner, Stacy, and I were talking about cultural shock and how the honeymoon period is over! I think 3 weeks is feeling like a very long time to be here and we are experiencing so much that it is natural to have different feelings and emotions and I think yesterday (Saturday) they really hit hard. There are differences in traffic, communication, hygenie, street environment (trash etc...), food and general way of life. I do not want to be the ugly American and I feel we have recognized these differences but there is a point where it comes to a head and I think that point was Saturday for me. I don't want everything to be the same; if we were all the same the world would be boring and I one of the reasons I wanted to do this program was to get out of my comfort zone and shake things up; and it certainly has done so!! LOL
The one area that is starting to bother me is the food. I don't generally eat a lot of Indian food, those who know me know I do not like spicy food! However it's not just the spice but the strange flavor and spice combinations that after almost 2 weeks here is getting to me; I need variety and even comfort, what I would do for a bowl of cereal even (they have it but it is advised to not drink the milk). Our hotel has one of the best restaurants in town but some of the ways they prepare the food can be different to taste and the state is vegetarian so while some cities eat chicken or fish in Rajkot it is impossible to find meat in this town. I am also craving a beer and a burger! Just like in the U.S. there is different food in different parts of the country, below is a typical meal for this state from Saturday. Our guide asked us if we wanted Gujarati food or Western; we were ready for western food but due to some miscommunication were taken to a Gujarati restaurant.
This is rice, daal (a lentil mixture), rotti, some cooked vegetables (in this case okra with potatoes) and then paneer (cheese) in a sauce. Buttermilk is also served as a drink.
Another thing that is getting to me is the way we are stared at when we go out. We have been told that Indians do not mean to be rude but it is very disconcerting to be constantly starred at wherever we go and it is starting to wear on me. I realize some people may not have seen a foreigner before and I know we stand out as Stacy and I are both blond but the giggling and comments (in another language) and even the people coming up and trying touch us is a bit much. I thought in Ahmedabad it would be different as it is a bigger city but it was even worse. We were little celebrities with many people stopping to talk to us, we even had our picture taken a few times!
Now that I have had time to process these feelings from Saturday it is easier to put them in perspective. This is normal anytime you are away from home. I have less than a week left and I plan to make the most of it; even if it is very different from the U.S. at the same time we are all people and I think the discomfort in being away from home does not outway the people we have met and the things we have seen and experienced.
PART TWO: The actual trip to Ahmedabad
On the way we stopped at a gas station as our tour guide wanted tea which we have come to realize is a common thing here in India., I don't know if it is a left over from British rule again but morning and afternoon tea breaks are common, some people even eat breakfast late (mid morning). The gas station was not what we expected, lots of flies (LOTS) and I finally encountered an "Indian" toilet (check out the pictures below). I did not use it as there was a western one but even that was not what I really wanted. Some advice, be sure to bring toilet paper as most Indians do not use it but instead use a hose like contraption I guess like a bidet.
While the drive was long at times it was very pleasant and the Indian countryside is very pretty. It was green and lush but we are told it is not always like this; right now it is Monsoon Season and the state has received a lot of rain. we saw tons of Water Buffalo and I was also pleasantly surprised by the condition of the roads however there were still many cows on the highway and you had to slow suddenly to go around them. Indian drivers are also pretty aggressive on the highways; pulling up right to someones tail and then beeping the horn so they move over.
On our trip we stopped at Lothal, an ancient civilization which means "mound of the dead". This is part of the Indus valley civilization and was founded around 2400 BCE. There was a museum with artifacts (site was discovered in 1954), many of the artifacts were beads as they were known for that. We were able to tour the remains of the original site and a guide explained some things to us though his English is limited. They were very advanced for the time. They had separate living areas for different groups/classes of people, an area to bury the dead, drains/gutters, water purification with charcoal, and a dock to trade with other civilizations. To read more please check out these links: Lothal, and here. What surprised me too was how the remains were just open and any one could technically walk all over them, there were no barriers or areas we could not walk through.
Women gathering grass to feed the cattle.
After Lothal we went to Ghandi's Ashram. This is where he prayed, fasted and lead many of his followers, he even left for the Salt March from here.
Yesterday (Saturday) our host arranged for a local tour company to take us on a trip to Ahmedabad which is about 135 miles from Rajkot. As Rajkot is a predominantly a business town there is really not a lot to do here so we were happy to travel and see some sites.
We left at 7am and it was a very long drive (almost 4 hours) and it turned out to be a very long day, mentally and physically, some of it due to the distance but some of it simply due to the cultural differences. This not intended to be where I complain and I do not want to offend anyone but after 2 weeks in country I have hit a bit of a cultural overload and at times am ready for the comfort and familiarity of the western world. My travel partner, Stacy, and I were talking about cultural shock and how the honeymoon period is over! I think 3 weeks is feeling like a very long time to be here and we are experiencing so much that it is natural to have different feelings and emotions and I think yesterday (Saturday) they really hit hard. There are differences in traffic, communication, hygenie, street environment (trash etc...), food and general way of life. I do not want to be the ugly American and I feel we have recognized these differences but there is a point where it comes to a head and I think that point was Saturday for me. I don't want everything to be the same; if we were all the same the world would be boring and I one of the reasons I wanted to do this program was to get out of my comfort zone and shake things up; and it certainly has done so!! LOL
The one area that is starting to bother me is the food. I don't generally eat a lot of Indian food, those who know me know I do not like spicy food! However it's not just the spice but the strange flavor and spice combinations that after almost 2 weeks here is getting to me; I need variety and even comfort, what I would do for a bowl of cereal even (they have it but it is advised to not drink the milk). Our hotel has one of the best restaurants in town but some of the ways they prepare the food can be different to taste and the state is vegetarian so while some cities eat chicken or fish in Rajkot it is impossible to find meat in this town. I am also craving a beer and a burger! Just like in the U.S. there is different food in different parts of the country, below is a typical meal for this state from Saturday. Our guide asked us if we wanted Gujarati food or Western; we were ready for western food but due to some miscommunication were taken to a Gujarati restaurant.
Another thing that is getting to me is the way we are stared at when we go out. We have been told that Indians do not mean to be rude but it is very disconcerting to be constantly starred at wherever we go and it is starting to wear on me. I realize some people may not have seen a foreigner before and I know we stand out as Stacy and I are both blond but the giggling and comments (in another language) and even the people coming up and trying touch us is a bit much. I thought in Ahmedabad it would be different as it is a bigger city but it was even worse. We were little celebrities with many people stopping to talk to us, we even had our picture taken a few times!
Now that I have had time to process these feelings from Saturday it is easier to put them in perspective. This is normal anytime you are away from home. I have less than a week left and I plan to make the most of it; even if it is very different from the U.S. at the same time we are all people and I think the discomfort in being away from home does not outway the people we have met and the things we have seen and experienced.
PART TWO: The actual trip to Ahmedabad
On the way we stopped at a gas station as our tour guide wanted tea which we have come to realize is a common thing here in India., I don't know if it is a left over from British rule again but morning and afternoon tea breaks are common, some people even eat breakfast late (mid morning). The gas station was not what we expected, lots of flies (LOTS) and I finally encountered an "Indian" toilet (check out the pictures below). I did not use it as there was a western one but even that was not what I really wanted. Some advice, be sure to bring toilet paper as most Indians do not use it but instead use a hose like contraption I guess like a bidet.
While the drive was long at times it was very pleasant and the Indian countryside is very pretty. It was green and lush but we are told it is not always like this; right now it is Monsoon Season and the state has received a lot of rain. we saw tons of Water Buffalo and I was also pleasantly surprised by the condition of the roads however there were still many cows on the highway and you had to slow suddenly to go around them. Indian drivers are also pretty aggressive on the highways; pulling up right to someones tail and then beeping the horn so they move over.
On our trip we stopped at Lothal, an ancient civilization which means "mound of the dead". This is part of the Indus valley civilization and was founded around 2400 BCE. There was a museum with artifacts (site was discovered in 1954), many of the artifacts were beads as they were known for that. We were able to tour the remains of the original site and a guide explained some things to us though his English is limited. They were very advanced for the time. They had separate living areas for different groups/classes of people, an area to bury the dead, drains/gutters, water purification with charcoal, and a dock to trade with other civilizations. To read more please check out these links: Lothal, and here. What surprised me too was how the remains were just open and any one could technically walk all over them, there were no barriers or areas we could not walk through.
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| Drainage ditch |
After Lothal we went to Ghandi's Ashram. This is where he prayed, fasted and lead many of his followers, he even left for the Salt March from here.
Our last place to visit was the Step Well, or Adalaj Well as it is also known. This was my favorite place thus far, the design and detail was outstanding. It was built in 1499 and is in great condition. Stepwells are very common in this area; read here for more on the legend behind the well.
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