Odds and Ends
I’m currently in Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan. I spent most of the day wandering around the bazaars, but since nothing I did strikes me as particularly entertaining I’ve decided to dedicate this post to some of the miscellaneous encounters and experiences I’ve had in India. And, since I always come across baffling or hilarious things while traveling, this “Odds and Ends” section will probably become a regular feature.
• Ganesh, the elephant-headed god of the Hindu pantheon, is undeniably the hippest. A stylized version of him has been silk-screened onto tons of t-shirts and made into stickers. I also came across a poster with a cute cartoon image of him that proclaimed: “You do best! He does rest!”
• A sign in front of the Krishna Beauty Parlour of Jodhpur says that the shop’s mission is to “beautify only alien lady.”
• I went to McDonald’s in Delhi–with the usual feeling of shame that accompanies Americans who enter McDonald’s while overseas– and ate a delicious (really!) McAloo Tikka Burger, which has a potato patty and a spicy sauce. (And, in case you were wondering, there was absolutely no beef on the menu.) McDonald’s also delivers in three Indian cities.
• Shopkeepers sometimes jazz up their stalls, perhaps to distinguish their goods from the rest. The other day, I saw a stack of mangoes draped with blinking Christmas lights.
• I met a Belgian couple who brought their 23-month-old son with them to India. His father said that he called Indians “hellos,” because that is what he always heard them saying.
• In areas commonly frequented by tourists, many children have —unfortunately— become little beggers who approach you only to demand money, pens, or candy. The winner for most entertaining begger, though, goes to a little girl who was busy pooping in a gutter when she cheerfully yelled “Hello! One rupee!” to Matteo and I.
• The editor in me wishes I could edit every English language document and sign in India. Nearly everything, even script engraved in marble or metal (come on!), has errors. At a restaurant this evening, for example, I saw a bronze plaque that described “the small privately the small privately owned hilltop temple…” that was “shpaed” in an interesting way. Menus are also entertaining, and often take time to decipher. Some items, like “Iseraili Salad,” “Pasta al Furgi,” and “Fruit Bonanja” were fairly easy to figure out (namewise, at least– forget the ingredients), but a category listed “Maxicam” was particularly confusing until I saw “Buritto” (that’s right, one r and two t’s) listed underneath.
Tags: India, Odds and Ends, RTW 07/08
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