I'm in India for work for two and a half weeks. Some would say this sounds glamourous but let me assure you, it's not. I'm criss crossing most of the south going to such places as Chennai (or Madras as some call it), Madurai, Bombay (or Mumbai, or better, what I call the armpit of the world), Indore and Tirupur. India, I'm sure has it's charm (once I find it, I'll let you know) Nonetheless, it's an interesting place and I've learned a few things along the way. Such as:
- the sideways head bob (popular in the south) can be used to convey just about anything. I've tried to decipher it and so far I've come up with the following meanings; "yes" "no" "maybe" "I have no clue" "I don't care" "please stop talking to me"
- marble (used extensively in India) is very slippery. Especially when wet, and espcially when you are here in the monsoon season and happen to be very clumsly like myself.
- goats are a pack animal. How do I know this? well, they never sleep on the street alone, always in a group. Also, goats, like cows are effective speed bumps (since they always lay in the middle of the street)
- peacocks are agressive. I almost got attacked by one.
- gods won't hear your music, no matter how loud you chose to play it. WHY? because they are made of stone!(the locals play loud, shrilling, screeching music to the deities in the shrines, to amuse them apparently)
- nothing should take 500 years to build. (this temple I visited yesterday did)
- elephant trunks are uncomfortable and prickly (see above picture)
Wish me luck, I have almost two more weeks of this!
