uzima.: hyderabad

My second day in India and I’m still trying to wrap my head around the fact that I’m in a different country. It’s so bizarre to be on the other side of the globe, in a completely opposite culture, after only a day or two of travel. India has surprised me. It’s different than what I was expecting. And so far, that’s been a good thing. The weather is nice, it doesn’t smell that bad and it’s not quite as crowded as I had pictured. Plenty of beggars though. Today I had a beautiful little girl, arms covered in burns, follow me through the busy streets of a market place begging for money. She was relentless and all I wanted to do was pick her up and carry her home.

The majority of people here speak English. A strange adjustment after being in Tanzania where very few people speak English and you are forced to learn the language whether you like it or not. The thing that I love most about India so far is the clothing. Dirt cheap and endless variety. Custom-made Punjabis, delightful saris (you can’t show your ankles, but exposing your entire midsection is acceptable!?) and any color of scarf you could ever want. THE BEST! I’ve already gone on a couple of shopping sprees and acquired all kinds of wonderful fabrics to make outfits out of.

Also, the head bobble and Indian accent are just too good to be true. Instead of getting a response in words, you just get a bobble. This can mean, “You’re welcome,” “thank you,” “yes,” “have a good day,” or any other number of things. Ha! So good! It’s absolutely contagious. I find myself using it as a response all the time, but I try to hold back from using my accent because I’m worried it might be considered offensive.

They sell soft-serve ice cream here. Better known as and widely referred to as “softy.” I feel somewhat offended when I walk through the streets and men yell, “Yes madam, would you like softy?” Um. Weird. They also love to use the word fancy in all of the shops. They put it on their signs and while you’re looking through fabrics and clothing the shop owner will be close behind encouraging you to buy by saying things like, “Yes, you see, very nice, very fancy.”

Okay, I think that’s enough of my scattered thoughts on India. We start working at the hospital tomorrow! Talk about quick adjustment… I still have to find a pair of pants to wear underneath my uniform!