Observations: India

The “head nod” is ubiquitous in India among men, women and children alike. It’s like the A-OK gesture or the thumbs-up in other countries. People do it whenever they’re conversing, but the best part is it can mean almost anything. Some examples are yes, no, maybe, and thanks.

Cows, oxen, and water buffalo are considered sacred and roam the streets of every city and town.  The Hindu god Shiva rides a bull named Nandi which might explain their holy status, or maybe there’s another reason.

Belching aloud is apparently a publicly acceptable activity practiced by men and women alike.

Many men enjoy chewing paan – a red tobacco like substance which stains their teeth and necessitates periodic spitting.

Train bathrooms are just holes in the floor which empty directly onto the tracks.

Tata is the General Motors/Electric of India. They manufacture most of the cars and trucks we’ve seen, along with industrial equipment, appliances, a mobile telecommunications service, and a bunch of other stuff.

Most buses and trucks say “HORN PLEASE” on the back. The use of the horn by any and all types of motor vehicles is excessively loud, gratuitous, and annoying.

Any city or town has numerous tea stalls – small, cheap restaurants serving simple Indian fare. They are open to the street and typically feature a man making chapati over a wood or gas fire pit out front. His secondary duty is to entice passersby into the tea stall. Tea stalls are staffed by teams of men or boys who sometimes sleep in or in front of the restaurant on chowpoys (woven cots) at night.

Women don’t work much, at least not in the restaurants and hotels we’ve frequented or the buses and mototaxis we’ve taken. We have seen women employed as police and in a few shops and one fancy restaurant.

Hindu is practiced by 82% of the population and Islam by 12%. Small components of the population practice Christianity, Buddhism, Sikhism, and Jainism.

Hindi is the national language and English is the second most common language. The word India in Hindi is Hindustan.