Stepping off the plane into my new home, to a land which had caught my attention for many years, I was finally here in Incredible India. I think that is the only suitable word to describe this country.
After making my way through immigration, I was swamped with many air-port staff offering to carry my luggage. The airport was basic, just like a hall with a few men in uniform and old looking computers.
After the stamping of my Visa, I made my way to the exit. As I stepped outside, tens of pairs of eyes had hit me. Voices offering ‘Taxi Sir?’, ‘Where are you going sir? Considering it was around 6am, I could not believe the sheer number of people around. The noise was deafening, hoots and horns, people shouting and loud music pumping, and coming from a small quite town, this was just the beginning of the huge culture shock that was awaiting me.
After finding my way to the taxi, I was driven to my homestay. Looking out the window was a true experience, I wound down the window in the car, and I just sat in silence trying to take everything in, all my senses were elated! I still wasn’t used to the noise; it just seemed that drivers would always keep one hand on the horn. Dogs would roam the streets; random cows who are powerful enough to stop the sea of traffic, which is not going anywhere fast!
The bumpy, dusty streets, mounds of garbage on street corners, colourful posters with the local script, groups of people walking amongst the morning traffic, small fires, nice smells, unpleasant smells, people casually cleaning themselves in the streets and elderly women brushing the roads were just a few of the things that amazed me. My nerves suddenly vanished and my excitement grew.
I finally reached my homestay and was greeted by the family at the gate. They were most welcoming. Stepping inside an Indian home; nice cool marble floors and divine smells of incense sticks. I was taken to my bedroom, which has its own bathroom, and to my relief a Western toilet!
I have felt so comfortable at my home-stay and I consider it a home-away from home. I have become involved with family activities and helped around the home. They have treated me as their own and given me a true taste of Indian family life through involvement in festivals, trips and authentic Indian food.
The food here in India is totally different from my local take-a-way at home. It is much more spicy and fragrant, but truly delicious and extremely healthy. However, after the first week of eating the food, I did indeed suffer with the notorious ‘
Delhi Belly’ and lived off of plain vegetables and potatoes for a while until my stomach settled down. However, this was good for a detox, and made me loose a few inches from my waist!
The selection of fruits here are mouth-watering from the fresh melon and papaya to be truly addictive custard apples! All different dishes made with selections of vegetables, some of which are new to me.
Indian sweets have a distinctive taste, sugar and more sugar! But you have to learn to be willing to try things, and now two months on I don’t find myself missing western food.
It has been interesting learning to eat with my fingers, but it is enjoyable, it is an art, but after a few tutorials from my homestay I have become used to it and now wonder when I return home if cutlery will be alien to me!