Here are a few things I've noticed throughout my travels in India and Nepal.
1. Buckets: Yep, buckets are big here. They have entire shops devoted to buckets and bucket scoops (little buckets with handles that double as a handy hook to hang on the big buckets). What can you use a bucket for? Bucket showers (there are few showerheads in India or Nepal); bucket laundry; food container; regular waste basket; toilet paper waste basket: yep, in some places, TP can't go in the toilet (western or eastern) so the paper is tossed into the bucket next to the toilet. The contents are then added to the burn pile. Yep. Yuck.
2. Sales tags: Tags stuck to bathroom fixtures, buckets, plates and cups, automobiles, etc are not removed...ever. There's a car parked here at the ashram that still has the window stickers and paper strips over the hood. And I don't think I've used a bathroom mirror here that didn't have a sticker on it. I saw a woman on the train that left the tag on her cashmere scarf.
3. The phloem hoark: Hoark and spit. Everyone does it. Women, men. On the train, in meditation class, in the lunchroom. It's loud. It's messy. It's gross. No one cares. Why everyone have so much phleom? And it's not just limited to phloem. There's plenty of burping and farting (men and women) right in the middle of yoga class.
4. Cell phones: Everyone has one and no one knows how to turn it off. I've not had class here (and there are several per day) where a cell phone hasn't gone off. In one meditation class, one person's phone went off three times!!! Seriously?!?
And a little side note. I can't wait to use a shower with a shower head and...a shower curtain. I haven't had a shower curtain since the Radisson in Kathmandu (early November). The showers here are right next to the toilet with no curtain separating the two. If I forget to take the TP out of the bathroom before I take a shower, I end up with a sopping wet roll of mush. And after a shower, the entire bathroom is wet for the rest of the day. Yay for the western shower.
And a second note. Although this post is a bit negative, I really am enjoying my time India : ) I'll send more positive stuff later this week : )
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3 comments:
Hey Tammie, just fyi...it's really cold here. Has been below zero, like -10 or more. Be prepared. Glad you are enjoying yourself, but you sound a little homesick. I got you a book at 1/2 price-Yoga Vacations. Take care, Tab
You have to wonder if they all know something we don't. I mean...how could they have not figured out the shower curtain thing?
Hi Tammie! Just having some time to catch up on your posts, and you are spot on with the insights for India... especially the head waggle, "okay okay", and "no problem mum".
I was just going through Nepal photo's today posting to my facebook and I became so jealous you are still there! Enjoy your remaining time!
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