Travel India Solo

So I didn't get to see Goa yet. We were meant to leave on Monday, then Tuesday, then Wednesday and by Thursday I decided to simply go back home (to Ahmedabad) as I realised Goa wasn't happening. I did not get the chance to see much of Surat whilst there but from what I did notice, I'm not a fan of the city a) because the guys there can't stop gawking at women; b) the drivers are extremely aggressive, even worse than what I saw in Mumbai (my family will be concerned to learn that I've almost been hit by a car/rikshaw three times since I first landed in India); and c) women are restricted from enjoying themselves (well at least in the neighbourhood I was living in, some wives aren't even allowed to leave their homes).

A lot of the Indian-Canadian friends that I get to meet up with here get restless in India, so they're surprised when they find out that I'm enjoying my trip for the most part. I realise now what the problem is. You cannot visit this country with your family by your side. If you do, you're stuck with them making all the travel itinerary decisions for you. And from what I've seen, heard and experienced in the past, that itineray consists of meeting with dozens if not hundreds of relatives and family friends (out of which you normally only know a few handful), this process could last for weeks if time permits; preparing for a family wedding (just the shopping segment of this part takes up most of your time); and visiting mandhirs (or temples, it's nice to visit a few but some parents make it the highlight or sole purpose of the trip); perhaps get set up for an arranged marriage; the trip then ends with you hosting a bunch of visitors (making small talk, serving up chai-nashta) who come to say their good-byes while you pack your bags to go back home. This is the typical Indian experience for most NRI (non-resident Indian) kids so if you get the chance, avoid this situation, by all means try to travel on your own.

I've got that liberty of being on my own right now. Sure, some 'families' are getting insulted if I don't pay them a visit, but they're more understanding knowing that I'm here solo (they think I'm young and don't know any better). I can go from one city or state to the next as I please, most of my friends aren't getting that luxury.

There's so much I'd like to add (about veg. and non-veg. societies, motorcycle gear, obsession with tv serials, the explosion of desi reality shows, Gujarat's alcohol ban, Indian news, etc.), but it's been tough without regular internet access. I'll be able to post more regular updates now though since I'm in Ahmedabad.

Everyone's asking me about my job search. I've been quite passive about it since I arrived in the country, but am slowly making some contacts. I've talked to a few journalists in the past weeks but they don't help much, well they say they will but won't in the end, perhaps they feel threatened. I don't feel ready for job interviews anyway, at least not yet. I'm years behind with the Indian news and I'm having difficulty catching up. Indian news is incredibly fast-paced, it cannot even be compared to Canadian news. Here, there's "breaking news" every single day. If you don't keep up, it's easy to get lost, which is unfortunately my case at the moment. It's hard to convince people to flip from their highly revered soap channel to the news channel, and I don't have consistent internet access to read the latest online, and it's hard to come across English newspapers in Gujarat. I know, excuses, excuses.

I went to see London Dreams yesterday, I don't reccommend it. I also went out to get my pani-puri fix prior to dinner, I'm getting addicted to a lot of the Gujarati delights. Some friends warned me I'd get hooked on the savoury food here, I was skeptical, but now realise that they weren't exaggerating.

What else...tonight my cousin and I may see Bappi Lahiri perform at a local music festival. It's either that or we'll be doing some sightseeing with the family, which will include... visiting some mandhirs.