First trip to India

[ber]

One week ago I came back from my first trip to India. I spent 4 days in Delhi and 8 days in Gujarat (mainly in Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Navsari and Valsad). I was there both for tourism and for visiting friends' families.
It was by far my best trip, ever. I was pleasantly overwhelmed by the differences between western world and India. The colors, the busy streets, the noise, the dust, the music, the different languages and writings, the food, the weather, the customs, the women's clothes. Everything.
Two weeks isn't a lot of time so I can't say I know India but here are my humble feelings.

I'm sure being able to speak Hindi for a first trip to India contributed a lot to make it a great experience. I was discovering everything and being able to really talk to people at the same time. I had read everywhere that at least in Delhi everybody is able to speak English. Kitnaa jhuuth! Some of the rickshaw vaale barely knew the numbers and directions, once I asked a young man in a bus where was  my station and he didn't speak a word of english and had to speak in Hindi, etc. Also I was glad not to hear "hinglish". Both very educated people and less educated ones spoke normal Hindi. From my point of view, hinglish remains crap listened only in movies and on TV.
Still about languages, learning to read Gujarati writing before leaving. It's used so much in Gujarat! And of course people always loved when I wrote in Gujarati to explain pronunciation of French words, my name for example : બૈર્નાર. Also in Gujarat the only language I could use with my different hosts was Hindi. Although I don't speak it fluently, speaking only Hindi for a full week was delightful! Sometimes a kid helped me to chat with other little kids by translating Gujarati to Hindi. Hindi had become the friendly and safety language to me!
My Punjabi skills were also useful once or twice on road, to understand inscriptions written on the back of trucks.

My perception of Bollywood will certainly change after this trip, now that I can a little realize how it's perceived by Indians. It's crazily popular over there. You can see ads with actors and actresses everywhere, posters in rickshaws and homes, everybody knows all films and knows filmi songs by heart. And I think most people don't realize western influence on recent movies. For them it's not "western", it's just "new". Also people never say "actor", but "hero", not "actress" but "heroin", not "film" or "movie" but "picture" (when speaking Hindi). Hindi films are shown everyday on many TV channels. I also discovered the popularity of Indian TV serials, some of them featuring famous filmi actresses and actors. I was in India when Abhishek and Aish wedding was anounced and for the Salman hunting thing. Even cricket wasn't as important as that in the news! A newspaper titled "સલમાન : મૈંને શિકાર ક્યોં કિયા" .

About the threat of western culture over Indian culture, at least for situation in Gujarat I'm not scared. Gujarati language is omnipresent (Hindi being the second language), people only watch Hindi films and serials, women very often wear sarees or at least dupattas and all the usual Indian clothes, family values are strong, etc. Anyway people seem to have a very blur idea of how western is and are happy with what they have. Although India is very polluted at some places, I saw few cigarettes and that was nice for my lungs.  Also I thought ॐ (OM) was the most used symbol in India but it's wrong. It's by far the Swastika. I saw them everywhere, everywhere, everywhere! It took me some time to be used to horns but then it was ok. Blow horn! Horn please! Aawaaz do! I was surprised as well by all those wild cows, dogs, goats, buffaloes, etc, roaming on the roads.
Can't wait to come back there!

[Daniel]

saw few cigarettes and that was nice for my lungs.

What country is this?  Do Beedii's count?    

"સલમાન : મૈંને શિકાર ક્યોં કિયા" .

thats cute.

[ber]

saw few cigarettes and that was nice for my lungs.

What country is this?  Do Beedii's count?    

All I can say is that in France I can't go anywhere without being annoyed by cigarette smoke whereas in India it was never a problem. When I reached Delhi's airport for my return flight I started coughing and saw European and American travellers smoking, and thought "welcome back to western world...".

"સલમાન : મૈંને શિકાર ક્યોં કિયા" .

thats cute.

Yes. It gave me and my friends there a good laugh .

[Daniel]

saw few cigarettes and that was nice for my lungs.

What country is this?  Do Beedii's count?    

All I can say is that in France I can't go anywhere without being annoyed by cigarette smoke whereas in India it was never a problem. When I reached Delhi's airport for my return flight I started coughing and saw European and American travellers smoking, and thought "welcome back to western world...".

Aah, i see what you mean...I remember spain smelling like an ashtray.  Here in Austin, you cant smoke anywhere witin 10 feet of a building, including bars.  Much nicer than India, I think where people tend to smoke inside buses, if discretely. 
And then again, what Ahmadabad might have lacked in smoke, it certainly made up for in toxic kerosene rickshaw fumes.  ichk!

[albatross]

I saw few cigarettes and that was nice for my lungs.

I was in  India for two weeks in Novemenber/December - no joke - some of my clothes, bags and sheets i bought  there still smell like industrial smoke - even after washing them - (i was in delhi, agar, rajasthan).  I actually felt India was hard on my system - particularly my lungs , at least in the cities - in the countryside in Rajasthan it was much cleaner.

Daniel RE europe - actually the thing that annoys more in europe is the smelly diesel from all the cars- though they are more fuel efficient and probably actually cleaner than the US.

[Dil Deewana]

Ber - Well done! You are so amazing, how you picked up this whole India thing with Hindi in, what, 6 months or a year? And now you were there and made the best of it! Great job!

Regarding smoke free and Bidis: India has passed smoking laws in places, smoking in hotel rooms is O.K. but you don't much get to see it. And Bidis? I can buy better Bidis in my local Indian store in the U.S. than anywhere I could see in Kolkata or Mumbai! The roll I bought in Mumbai was bad and also, noone does it much. If anything it's Cigretts, uh, I hate those, I never smoke anything but Bidis.

Like Bidis getting the Bollymusic fix was hard in India last year. Everything's been so quiet in Mumbai and Kolkata. I should go out to the smaller places again in the hopes to get that old feeling again. I long to see and hear the speaker-horns again!

[saanwara]

I tried smoking Bidis, but I could never really get them to light properly. I thought that it was me, being inexperienced, but you seem to have  the same experience DD 

Can someone please transliterate the Gujarati news headline for me?

Nice story Ber!

[palacerani]

Can someone please transliterate the Gujarati news headline for me?

Salman: Maine Shikaar kyon kiya.

[palacerani]

Ber, I'm glad you enjoyed your trip. Next time try to include Bombay too. 

[Nalim]

Thank you for sharing your story, ber.

Wow, seems like you had a great time in India!
Wish I had that much time as well during my first trip to really get to experience the places, people, culture, language, and of course go shopping!

I actually felt India was hard on my system - particularly my lungs , at least in the cities - in the countryside in Rajasthan it was much cleaner.

Me too, albatross. I must say that the pollution and dust in the cities really got to my eyes... they ended up being so dry and even puffy all the time (not even the eyedrops I always use would help)! Maybe it was also due to the summer heat (wonder if things would be different if I decided to go another time)...

[D.t.]

Nice to read your story! It's always fun to read people's travel experiences, and since this one was so possitive - now I want to be there! Great to hear that the "hingilish"-matter isn't as serious as in the films, from your point of view.

But I was a bit puzzeled by this:   

I had read everywhere that at least in Delhi everybody is able to speak Hindi. Kitnaa jhuuth! Some of the rickshaw vaale barely knew the numbers and directions, once I asked a young man in a bus where was  my station and he didn't speak a word of english and had to speak in Hindi, etc.

Do you mean the rickshaws-drivers didn't know much Hindi or do you mean English?

[ber]

Ber - Well done! You are so amazing, how you picked up this whole India thing with Hindi in, what, 6 months or a year? And now you were there and made the best of it! Great job!

That's right. One year ago I knew nearly nothing about India. What happened to me was like in Hindi films : love at first sight. It wasn't progressive. I guess India is the perfect match to my tastes but I didn't know it.
When I prepared my travel, I was absolutely aware of what I was doing : I did decide to spend most of the time in non-touristic places with non-French non-English speakers. And it worked beyond my hopes. I was even able to make jokes in Hindi several times. For me reading kids' school notebooks or even eating sitted on the floor with my hands was far more interesting than visiting the Taj Mahal. I saw both big cities and country side, as well as the ocean. I was glad to see such different landscapes in so little time. I even danced something similar to bangra at a wedding eve in a village near Surat.
Now I want to go on improving my Hindi, then learn Gujarati language.

I forgot to say I saw 2 BW movies in theaters there : Rang De Basanti and Aksar. I loved the first one and the second one had nothing interesting.

Ber, I'm glad you enjoyed your trip. Next time try to include Bombay too. 

Maybe next time I'll fly from Paris to Mumbai, will spend some days in Mumbai and will go to Ahmedabad by train. I want to experiment India's train.

But I was a bit puzzeled by this:   

I had read everywhere that at least in Delhi everybody is able to speak Hindi. Kitnaa jhuuth! Some of the rickshaw vaale barely knew the numbers and directions, once I asked a young man in a bus where was  my station and he didn't speak a word of english and had to speak in Hindi, etc.

Do you mean the rickshaws-drivers didn't know much Hindi or do you mean English?

I meant English of course. I corrected my original post.

[palacerani]

Ber what was it like for you, seeing BW films in an Indian theater with all the locals whistling, seetis, shouting and clapping going on?

[ber]

Ber what was it like for you, seeing BW films in an Indian theater with all the locals whistling, seetis, shouting and clapping going on?

That's what I was expecting but my hosts brought me to the best theater they knew in Ahmedabad and it was nothing different from Paris. And in Navsari other people just seemed as bored as me by Aksar.

[albatross]

That's right. One year ago I knew nearly nothing about India. What happened to me was like in Hindi films : love at first sight. It wasn't progressive. I guess India is the perfect match to my tastes but I didn't know it.
When I prepared my travel, I was absolutely aware of what I was doing : I did decide to spend most of the time in non-touristic places with non-French non-English speakers. And it worked beyond my hopes. I was even able to make jokes in Hindi several times. For me reading kids' school notebooks or even eating sitted on the floor with my hands was far more interesting than visiting the Taj Mahal. I saw both big cities and country side, as well as the ocean. I was glad to see such different landscapes in so little time. I even danced something similar to bangra at a wedding eve in a village near Surat.
Now I want to go on improving my Hindi, then learn Gujarati language.
.

DO you find you pick up languages easily? Sounds like you have that peculiar talent shared by Richard Burton (The explorer) and Sydney Riley (the spy) - of naturally absorbing cultures and languages - with me it's like teflon
Seriously I think i get a lot, probably more than most people, out of when i travel, but its more architecture/history/natural history than people....oh well, to each is own...do you plan to go back for a longer time period? What were your impressions otherwise- were you 'shocked' as many westerners are?

[ber]

DO you find you pick up languages easily? Sounds like you have that peculiar talent shared by Richard Burton (The explorer) and Sydney Riley (the spy) - of naturally absorbing cultures and languages - with me it's like teflon

Well, yes, I'm quite at ease at learning languages, but it's not sufficient. I also worked very hard on my Hindi. I spent a seriously insane amount of time learning it, even far before knowing I could go to India so early. But I love it some much, what could I do?

do you plan to go back for a longer time period?

Of course I'm dying to return there for a longer period time but it requires a lot of time and money.

What were your impressions otherwise- were you 'shocked' as many westerners are?

I was probably better prepared than the average tourists thanks to Bollywood and my language study, but I must admit I was overwhelmed for the 2 or 3 first days in Delhi, especially because I had to use rickshaws and buses alone. But it was very pleasing. And speaking Hindi often made people more friendly .

[Dil Deewana]

do you plan to go back for a longer time period?

Of course I'm dying to return there for a longer period time but it requires a lot of time and money.

Ber, aren't you a student? Aren't you young? It doesn't require so much money, and you got time, man! You should take on a job stash away 5000 or so and take 2 months out. And/or you should go with a volunteer organization and do something over there. When I was there and still had the time, I didn't have enough sense of purpose and determination. Now I can't do it any more like that. If you can, do it! There is so much more in life to discover!

PS: Rikshaws in Delhi: how's pricing these days? Do you still have to fight for a ride by meter? I was used to fight for meter rides in 1990 and managed to do it. But I was suprized that in Mumbai there is no fighting necessary even today.

Saanwara - Bidis, they go out if you don't pull. It's a different way of smoking. I can handle it. I hate cigaretts and I am so disgusted each time that now I will simply pass on except when I have bidis that are good. The ones in Mumbai were so bad. People aren't smoking that much in India (in public) any more I felt.

[saanwara]

I did not know that. I tried smoking them as regular cigarettes. Maybe next time I'll try, but I have quit smoking so I don't want to risk starting again. The bidis I had tasted stale and dry.

And whow! 5000 Euros should get you through atleast half a year in India if you can keep a budget. (even longer if you can live shrewdly)

[Daniel]

do you plan to go back for a longer time period?

Of course I'm dying to return there for a longer period time but it requires a lot of time and money.

Ber, aren't you a student? Aren't you young? It doesn't require so much money, and you got time, man! You should take on a job stash away 5000 or so and take 2 months out. And/or you should go with a volunteer organization and do something over there. When I was there and still had the time, I didn't have enough sense of purpose and determination. Now I can't do it any more like that. If you can, do it! There is so much more in life to discover!

PS: Rikshaws in Delhi: how's pricing these days? Do you still have to fight for a ride by meter? I was used to fight for meter rides in 1990 and managed to do it. But I was suprized that in Mumbai there is no fighting necessary even today.

Saanwara - Bidis, they go out if you don't pull. It's a different way of smoking. I can handle it. I hate cigaretts and I am so disgusted each time that now I will simply pass on except when I have bidis that are good. The ones in Mumbai were so bad. People aren't smoking that much in India (in public) any more I felt.

Yeah, in delhi its pretty much impossible to get someone to go by the meter.  I agree, its amazing in bombay proper, getting them to NOT go by the meter is even more impossible.  With the taxies its not even a question, and even rickshaws in the suburbs are pretty anal. 
I guess all of them have their things.  Drivers in HBad will do whichever one you prefer, but always stop to put on their "drivers univorm," a khaki shirt, whenever they are driving past a thana or a controled intersection.

I think bidi's still reign supreme outside the metros.  And thats fine with me because they smell so much better.

[ber]

do you plan to go back for a longer time period?

Of course I'm dying to return there for a longer period time but it requires a lot of time and money.

Ber, aren't you a student? Aren't you young? It doesn't require so much money, and you got time, man! You should take on a job stash away 5000 or so and take 2 months out. And/or you should go with a volunteer organization and do something over there. When I was there and still had the time, I didn't have enough sense of purpose and determination. Now I can't do it any more like that. If you can, do it! There is so much more in life to discover!

Actually I'm both studying and working so I have very few holidays. The plane tickets cost a monthly salary. I'm nearly 26 so I guess I'm young. I don't know if it's that easy to find an occupation in India.

PS: Rikshaws in Delhi: how's pricing these days? Do you still have to fight for a ride by meter? I was used to fight for meter rides in 1990 and managed to do it. But I was suprized that in Mumbai there is no fighting necessary even today.

I didn't even try to fight, I bargained each time. I didn't see any working meter.

[Darshana]

Ber, really impressive and inspiring. 

How do you think you would have managed if you had gone there and known no one?  or, do you think you could make a trip now on those terms?  if you had no one to visit etc, what might you think of doing?

[ber]

Ber, really impressive and inspiring. 

How do you think you would have managed if you had gone there and known no one?  or, do you think you could make a trip now on those terms?  if you had no one to visit etc, what might you think of doing?

If I hadn't known anyone it would have been more difficult to understand how public transportation works, some Indian habits, etc. But in Delhi I managed to use rickshaws and buses alone so it's not impossible. By the way I really liked travelling in those little overcrowded buses (I must admit being able to speak Hindi helped me a lot to do that). But I think I would have only gone to touristic places.

Even if I had known no one before leaving I might have made friends thanks to my Hindi knowledge. You can't imagine the deep positive impact it has on Indians. In Delhi when people saw me they just thought I was one more tourist but once they had listened to me speaking Hindi I became someone else. Someone very different.
Here's a sweet anecdote. I was visiting Laal Qilaa, people didn't even look at me. An especially curious and nice Indian tourist went to me and asked in English me where I was from. I answered in Hindi. He was really surprised, in a very good way. He laughed and shook my hands for each Hindi sentence I said. We went on chatting, without moving. Less than 2 minutes later there were about 15 other Indian tourists standing beside us, just listening to us. They were there to visit this amazing place but stopped for a few minutes only to listen to this young-white-man-who-can-speak-Hindi .
Actually answering English questions in Hindi was one of my favorite games in India. It never failed to bring a huge smile on people's face.

However I'm not planning to travel to India without hosts, at least not for the whole trip.

[wannabe]

They were there to visit this amazing place but stopped for a few minutes only to listen to this young-white-man-who-can-speak-Hindi .

Ber!  And all this time I thought you were a woman, I don't know why.     Now I'll  have to adjust some of my ideas on your interactions with rickshaw drivers, etc.

On the language issue -- it's interesting that you say everyone became more friendly when you spoke Hindi.  I had the same experience ages ago, in Paris -- that as soon as you start speaking French, everyone became extremely friendly and helpful, even if you made grammatical mistakes!  I always felt this made a huge difference to the "unfriendly" or "surly" image of the French people that tourists had.  I'm curious, though.  Did anyone ever realize that your native language was not English, but that you learned it just as they did, in school?  I ask because there is an assumption on the part of many Indians that all "white" people speak English.  I'm just wondering how they reacted to the information that that isn't true.

[chaya]

Even if I had known no one before leaving I might have made friends thanks to my Hindi knowledge. You can't imagine the deep positive impact it has on Indians. In Delhi when people saw me they just thought I was one more tourist but once they had listened to me speaking Hindi I became someone else. Someone very different.

I had similar experiences like you, Ber, thanks to my little knowledge in Hindi. I remember I once said a few sentences in Hindi to an old Indian tourist in Bombay and he was so excited he actually had tears in his eyes, because he was so proud to see that his language was spread around the world.
With the Hindi and the traditional clothes I used to wear, I could see how the locals treated me with so much more respect compare to the other "normal"tourist around me.

[ber]

They were there to visit this amazing place but stopped for a few minutes only to listen to this young-white-man-who-can-speak-Hindi .

Ber!  And all this time I thought you were a woman, I don't know why.     Now I'll  have to adjust some of my ideas on your interactions with rickshaw drivers, etc.

I guess being a man helped. You may also have to ajust the "I love Indian women's clothes" feeling. More seriously Indian men are so lucky, they can see these wonderful outfits everyday everywhere. Before arriving in India I had read that "nowadays women don't wear saris anymore, etc" so I didn't have high expectations. But once there... I can't get enough of them!

I'm curious, though.  Did anyone ever realize that your native language was not English, but that you learned it just as they did, in school?  I ask because there is an assumption on the part of many Indians that all "white" people speak English.  I'm just wondering how they reacted to the information that that isn't true.

It's absolutely true that many Indians assume all white people speak English. I'm not sure a lot of them realized English wasn't my native language or cared of it. I don't have a very good accent but when I spoke English I never had to make people repeat and I spoke as fast as a native speaker, which didn't help them realize that. The only one to care was a guide who asked me if I understood English well after asking me where I was from. I don't remember but I guess I answered something like "koi baat nahiin, mujhe to achchhi angrezi aati hai" .

Even if I had known no one before leaving I might have made friends thanks to my Hindi knowledge. You can't imagine the deep positive impact it has on Indians. In Delhi when people saw me they just thought I was one more tourist but once they had listened to me speaking Hindi I became someone else. Someone very different.

I had similar experiences like you, Ber, thanks to my little knowledge in Hindi. I remember I once said a few sentences in Hindi to an old Indian tourist in Bombay and he was so excited he actually had tears in his eyes, because he was so proud to see that his language was spread around the world.

Wasn't this only "little knowledge" of Hindi a problem then? When Indians realize I speak Hindi, often they're so happy that they just completely drop English (or French for French NRIs)  and speak to me only in Hindi, sometimes as fast as if they're speaking to a native speaker. I sometimes have to ask them to speak dhiire dhiire .

With the Hindi and the traditional clothes I used to wear, I could see how the locals treated me with so much more respect compare to the other "normal"tourist around me.

I once wore a kurta and felt very proud but my host didn't even notice! I think she just didn't know Europeans never wear these.