Notes from India Part 1: India: Day One

India. Wow. Here is my attempt at creating some structure for the many thoughts and culture shocks I experienced when I made that journey a few months ago. On my first day, I arrived at my hotel on a motorized rickshaw, called a Tut-tut, which can best be described as a lawn mower death trap masquerading as an open-air 3-wheeled taxi. No seat belts no safety bars to speak of.  I managed to release one hand from the canvas roofing which I was grasping onto in abject terror so that I could take a quick video of myself smiling on what might have been the last ride of my life.  50% fun, 50% sheer terror, and upon arriving at the hotel the adrenaline was still wearing off. 

In just the first day, I had been ripped off by every transport operator in India - but it was hard to be upset when they were ripping me off for an extra $1 on a $2 trip. Given the life-threatening conditions and extraordinary sightseeing that came with each trip however, I think it’s safe to say each ride was priceless. Driving practices in India could have a blog all to itself; although there are no rules or regulations placed upon the driving itself, the system of honking is so well developed that it could be classified as a local language. From what I observed, there are three distinct sets of honks: first, the “beep beep” honk. The “beep beep” is used by every driver on the road, simply as a means of marking their territory. Similar to a friendly heads up, all those on the road use the “beep beep” about once every 20 seconds just to announce their presence, which results in a lovely soundtrack of blaring horns. Just to keep you aware, of course. Second, there is the slightly drawn out honk, used as a warning signal. This honk is the “I’m annoyed and this is me telling you that you’re annoying” honk. If you hear it, you either change what you’re doing, or get ready for horn #3: the American honk. For many of us, this is also know as the “WTF honk”. In all fairness, honk #2 is ample warning for those on the road, so those that hear the WTF honk probably deserve it.

In addition to the driving, the views were remarkable.  I quickly realized that although only one India is recognized on a world map, the reality is that there are two distinct Indias in existence. The first is “First World India”: paved roads lined with charming boutiques and elegant restaurants, and modern day architecture that aims for the sky. The second is “Slumdog Millionare India”, which is interspersed throughout the first world. These pockets of poverty provide a contrast so jarring you can’t help but look twice; this is the India that draws stares. As we drove down the freeway to my hotel, I couldn’t keep my eyes off of the slopes along the side of the road. No, these weren’t mountains or hills – these were slopes of trash, rooted in valleys of slums.  I remember seeing two little boys dressed in rags standing at the top of one of these mountains of trash, tossing rocks onto the freeway. Was I the spectator, or were they? All I knew was, I definitely was not in the 90210 anymore.

-Marcus Lee