Top 5 Phrases In India

5. Which country, madam?: I get this one a lot. Not "where are you from?" but "which country, madam?" "Which country what?" is what I want to say sometimes. Which country am I from? Which country am I currently in? Which country do I wish were in (see answer to Question 1)? Which country has the oldest flag (it's Denmark, FYI)? I'm tempted to ask the inquirer "which country do you think I'm from?" but then figure it's not worth it. I respond with a quick "United States" and if they ask "which state, madam?", I give them "South Carolina... it's near Florida... don't worry about it."
4. Tika chay/acha (spelling is approximate): no explanation necessary. [head nod]
3. You will take this/you will like this, madam: People here seem pretty sure about what I will and will not like. If I go to a restaurant with a sandwich counter, there really is no need to even look at the options. The young man behind the counter will invariably tell me which one I will like the best (which is the one I will also "take"). It's good to know people are in tune with my likes and dislikes.
2. Are we serious?: One of my personal favorites, this one comes straight from my roommate. In situations of ridiculousness (which crop up daily), her response is often "are we serious?" Example: two very large men are nestled in the back of an autorickshaw. The two of us walk up to the driver, see that there is no room for one in the back, and start to walk away. The driver grabs us and points for one of us to sit in the front with him and for the other to sit in the back. My roommate, as she glances incredulously towards the backseat, "are we serious?"
AND... the number one phrase...
1. Why not?!: Ahh, "why not." This has quickly become the best catch-all phrase a girl could ask for. Ask me anything and I will satisfy your inquiry with a hearty "why not?" The best part comes when you stop and think about exactly "why not." Example: I need to put my glass in the sink, but someone else is washing their vegetables and there isn't room to squeeze past.
Me: Sneha, can I put my glass in the sink really quickly?
Sneha: Why not?
"Well," I think, "I guess there really isn't a reason why you shouldn't move. Why not, indeed."
Gotta love it.

holi moley.

Yesterday, West Bengal celebrated Holi. There are various legends behind this holiday and both Muslims and Hindus engage in the festivities. This "Festival of Colors" signals the coming of spring and is basically a good excuse for everyone (including adults) to get messy. Several of my friends and I had the opportunity to "play Holi" with a huge group of locals. It was, by far, the most fun I've had in a long time!

"Playing Holi" involves the throwing, smearing, rubbing, etc. of colored powder. There is also the possibility of adding lots of water to the powder and throwing buckets of colored water on people... awesome. Virtually no one is safe: kids use water gun-esque toys to squirt cars and motorcycles as they pass and people throw dyed water or powder from their rooftops unsuspecting pedestrians. It was an absolute blast.

jai ho!

Going to the movies is always a “different” experience outside of the U.S.: in France they sell sugar-popcorn and have ice cream vending machines in the back hallways; in Slovenia, you are strictly assigned seats, etc. India, however, plays in a whole new ballpark, so to speak. To date, I have seen three films here: Slumdog Millionaire, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and Pink Panther 2.

The concessions stands crack me up. Not only do you have three different types of popcorn to choose from, you also have veg samosas and scooped ice cream. But the best is the hot corn. Not popcorn—hot corn. Just near the popcorn stand is a booth where an eager Indian man will shave the kernels off of a hot, buttery ear of corn, put them into a Dixie cup, and hand you a small wooden spoon for your tasting pleasure. I have not yet had the pleasure to experience this delicious treat, but I hear it’s wonderful.

For Slumdog Millionaire, we accidentally bought “gold tickets,” which put us in the very elite Gold Seating. We waited in a special lobby before being led to the cinema. The cinema had about 40 leather recliners, with a pillow and a blanket settled on the seat of each one. After we had nestled ourselves in the plush chairs and fully “reclined” ourselves, the movie began. I had seen Slumdog in Atlanta, but seeing it in India was pretty powerful. Granted, the volume was so loud that I lost most of my hearing, but at least I can say I watched saw it in India (and have 10% of my hearing to account for it).

We had “regular” tickets for the second and third movies I saw here. The stadium seating is quite similar to that found in the U.S., but don’t get too comfortable as the lights dim. You’ll be expected to pop right back up for the singing of the Indian national anthem. This rousing rendition of "Jana Gana Mana" includes various Indians, young and old, singing the anthem. The words scroll across the bottom for the foreigners. But they're in Sanksrit, so...

The best part: you get a good hour or so to catch your breath from all this activity before the ten minute intermission begins.