Cows Rule

In today’s “blog” I’d like to describe, comment, discuss, and show.

Driving Hierarchy: Whether it is driving down the highway or on a rural road, there is a road-hierarchy that exists in India. The bicycles give way to the mopeds which give way to the motorbikes which may or may not give way to the auto-rickshaws which give way to the cars which give way to the buses which may or may not give way to the trucks. People fall somewhere in between all these but not above what I am about to discuss..... At the top of this hierarchy though, is the cows. It doesn’t matter what type of vehicle you are driving; if a cow is in your way, you stop…for cows are holy here. If a cow decides to lay down in the middle of the road, then the traffic will stop. The weird thing about this is that all cows seem to know that they are the “Kings of the Road”. They waltz across the road at whichever pace they choose, they don’t hesitate to move into oncoming traffic moving at 60mph, and they have no qualms about going onto major highways. They do what they want, how they want, and when they want. It is a truly bizarre phenomenon. In short, people would rather get into an accident with another vehicle or hit a pedestrian than hit a cow.

Bus Enthusiasm: The bottom line is that the people riding buses here are really psyched. In America people get on the bus, take their seat, speak to nobody, arrive at their stop, and get off. In India, the experience is completely different. Buses (which were probably made in the 1970’s) are always filled beyond capacity and they lean to whichever side of the bus has more weight. When I say the buses lean, I mean that it is clearly visible that the bus is leaning to one side and it appears as though it may keel over at any moment. On the inside of the bus there are neon lights which constantly are going on and off, creating a nice dance club atmosphere and there are “god action figures”(I am referring to different gods from Hinduism) which often light up and which dangle from the rear-view mirror. Lastly, the people on the bus all sing and dance to Indian music which blares from the speakers. The music is VERY loud, loud to the point that you can barely hear the person next to if they are speaking to you! Like everything else in India, riding on buses here is crazy. People also talk to strangers on the bus. That would never happen in America.

Boiling Water: I have learned something very interesting about the villager’s perspective on boiling water. Many of the villagers boil water only after it rains. Why? They think that they are more likely to catch a cold after it rains because the rain causes a drop in the water temperature of the municipality water that they receive and this “cold water” is what causes a cold. So, they boil the water and then let it cool again before drinking it in an effort to “raise the temperature of the water” and avoid getting a cold! This idea is fascinating……

Early Risers: I was told that in this part of India (it may be true in the whole country but I can’t verify that) that people try to go to bed by sunset and be up before sunrise. After riding my bike in early morning and at night, I can say that this is true for the majority of people. Drive through a city or village at 8pm and you will see bodies tucked away in the shadows, on porches, on make-shift beds on the side of the road, and on the ground. These people don’t appear to fear snakes, scorpions, or anything else that could harm them….they just want to sleep. In the morning, as early as 4 am, you can see people going to the fields/ocean to start the days work. At 7am, when I have been on the roads, I have seen the people coming from the fields with their findings/pickings on their heads. Whether it is fruit or fish in a basket, sticks, bamboo, or cardboard boxes, these people are up by sunrise doing their thang and getting their work on.

OK, enough of my rambling…..here are some photos…..

Driving

Night Market

Jasmine Flowers in Hair

Place where I ate dirty snacks

Outdoor Kitchen in Village

PS- The smell of Jasmine flowers is delicious! I can't put into words how much I love this smell. Ellyn, can you see if Wegman's has these? That would be great......