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Books

A Passage to India

Emily Strasser

23 May 2009

India

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Passage to India by E.M. Forester, set in India under the British colonial rule, is a marvelous book to read while traveling in India. His descriptions beautifully capture the wonder and disorientation, surprise and disappointment, of encountering a new culture. And he does not shy away from exploring the complex relationships between colonialists and colonized, which can be extended to tourists and locals. I found myself catching my breath, marking passages, and reading them out loud to my fellow travelers.

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Getting Around

Buses are the best!

Emily Strasser

29 May 2009

India

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If you’re going to be traveling in the mountains of Northern India, you’ve got to resign yourself to lots of buses on curvy mountain roads. Despite the extreme discomfort of spending 20+ hours on the same kind of bus that makes local stops, Indian buses can be fun. People are very kind and will look out for you, especially if you are traveling alone. Unlike the American mentality that we have to get there as soon as possible, Indian bus drivers do not seem to be in any particular hurry to reach their destination. Buses make frequent stops for food, tea, and toilet, though be warned that most places will only have “open toilet,” which is, you guessed it, the side of the road. I recommend that women wear long skirts or kurtas.

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Festivals & Events

Tibetan uprising day

Emily Strasser

31 May 2009

India

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In the Tibetan exile communities in India, March 10, Tibetan Uprising Day, is the political event of the year. It commemorates March 10, 1959, when protests and revolt erupted in Lhasa in reaction to the Chinese occupation. In Dharamsala, the day is marked by an address by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and other political leaders, and a march. Some Tibetan students will even travel to Delhi to take part in protests and hunger strikes there. It’s a day that unites Tibetans in Tibet and Tibetans in exile. In 2008, March 10 began a wave of protests all over Tibet that lasted for months. Keep an eye out for news from Tibet in the days following March 10.

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Culture Shock

Gift giving: don't expect effusive thanks

Emily Strasser

16 Mar 2009

India

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As I unpacked my suitcase, I pulled out the nice soap and journal I had brought as gifts for my new Tibetan roommate. “Here, I brought you something,” I said. She took the things, looked at them, said, “Oh, thank you,” and set them aside. She never mentioned them again. I was a little disappointed, and I worried that I had gotten off to a bad start. Finally, a German nun who has spent years living with Tibetans told me that Tibetans don’t react effusively to gifts—that would imply attachment and greed, which are contrary to Buddhist ideals. Since then, I have been very glad to know this, as it has saved me from disappointment when I have received similar reactions to my gifts.

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Must Do

Take refuge in a Sikh temple

Emily Strasser

26 Jun 2009

India

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If you arrive in Delhi, or any other Indian city in the wee hours of the morning after an overnight bus or train, head straight to the nearest Sikh Temple, or Gudwara. There you will find a safe, clean, bustling place where you can stay until the rest of the city wakes up. With their strong emphasis on service, the Sikhs offer resting places to travelers, free hostels, and free communal meals to anyone who comes. Do not be frightened by the long spears some Sikh men carry--I was so grateful for their friendly welcome when my friends and I arrived at the Gudwara in Old Delhi at 5:30 am. After checking our bags and removing our shoes, we went inside the temple and just sat, listening to the singing and watching the people.

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Etiquette

You will never figure out the Indian head wobble. ...until you do, subconsciously

Emily Gorbaty

03 Apr 2009

India

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When you first arrive in India, you will be boggled by the head wobble. When you ask an Indian a question, he will wobble his head--not quite a nod, not quite a shake. Some have likened this to the motion of bobblehead doll. I for one think the head moves in a figure-8 pattern. In any case, you will not know whether the answer is "yes," "no," or "your American-accented broken Tamil is completely incomprehensible to me." Don't even bother trying to figure it out. If you spend enough time in India, the head wobble will become natural. You know you subconsciously understand it when you start doing the head wobble yourself. And trust me, you will. I still cannot tell you what it means, but I know when I'm in India I turn into a bobblehead.

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Food

Gotta love momos

Emily Strasser

23 May 2009

India

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Do not miss the momos! Small dumplings stuffed with meat, cheese, veggies or potatoes, and fried or steamed, momos are a signature Tibetan food. You can buy them on the street (though make sure they are freshly cooked) or in almost any Tibetan restaurant. They are usually served with soy sauce and chili. Try to take a cooking class or ask a Tibetan to teach you to make them. Struggling to fold the little rounds of dough into the many pretty shapes momos can come in will give you a great appreciation for the perfect momos you are served in restaurants and homes.

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Film

Hooray for Bollywood!

Emily Strasser

04 May 2009

India

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Prepare to hear the lyrics to popular Bollywood songs in shops and taxis all over India, and the faces of the ten most popular Bollywood stars plastered all over advertisements for chips, phone companies, and just about everything else. My roommate and her best friend practically recite the movies they watch together, high-fiving at the funny parts. I get pleasantly surprised reactions from Indians when I mention a star’s name, or hum part of a song. “You like Indian movies?” they ask, lighting up.

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Packing

Immerse yourself in local style

Emily Strasser

11 May 2009

India

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Pack light and buy clothes there! Even though people told me before I left for India that the standards of dress are much more modest, I still ended up bringing a few things I never wore because I found out they were inappropriate. Though you will see tourists and young hip Indians in tank-tops and short skirts, as Westerners, what we wear stands out, and it's safer to stay on the conservative end of things. Your best bet is to pack lightly, and buy some Indian-style dress once you are there. It’s a fun experience to pick out bright, decorative cloth and have it tailored to fit you perfectly, as most Indians do. Women can enjoy wearing Indian kurtas, and men can rock neon, sparkly, fuzzy sweaters (I’m not even joking).

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Religion

Wake up early!

Emily Strasser

15 Apr 2009

India

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The mornings in India are the holy times. Sikh temples begin to wake up their holy book around 2 a.m., and really get going around sunrise. You may wake up at six to the singing of Hindu prayers. Along the Ganges, most people do ritual baths around sunrise. Tibetans circumambulate temples and sacred sites at dawn and dusk, counting prayer beads and muttering mantras. Older people, both lay and monastic, are very serious about this ritual and will do kora (circumambulations) for hours in the wee hours of the morning. Give into the morning hubbub, and experience the sacred time of day!

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Politics

Be sensitive when it comes to the Dalai Lama

Emily Strasser

23 May 2009

India

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Whether Tibetans support the Dalai Lama’s middle way approach, which advocates autonomy for Tibet within China, or advocate full independence is a sensitive subject. His Holiness is so revered as a leader that individuals and groups are heavily criticized for disagreeing with him, though the Dalai Lama himself encourages democratic process and difference of opinions. You can ask about people’s opinions, but carefully, letting them educate you without judging. As outsiders to the community, we can get away with questioning, with wide-eyed curiosity, what Tibetans themselves may not usually feel comfortable talking about.

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Music

Two scenes: take your pick

Emily Strasser

29 May 2009

India

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For traditional and modern Tibetan music and dance, try to attend one of TIPA’s (the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts) shows. For a very different but equally fun and vibrant scene, go to the restaurant KhanaNirvana on Temple road in Dharamsala for one of their open mic or world music jam nights. Mostly hippie tourists are in attendance here -- the highest density of dreadlocks I have ever seen in one room. It may not be authentic Tibetan or Indian, but this scene is an undeniable part of life in Dharamsala.

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Sports

Hone your basketball skills

Emily Strasser

11 May 2009

India

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Tibetans love their basketball, and they’re good too. How well you play proves your social status. One day, my Tibetan teacher decided to have a fun class outside and teach us basketball words. We went through the words for dribble, pass, shoot, ball, etc. “All right, let’s play,” he said. Unfortunately, we were awful. After about 15 minutes of watching us dribble awkwardly and miss shots, he dropped the ball and said, “That’s enough. See you in class tomorrow.” After that, he seemed to lose his enthusiasm for teaching us. The class was never the same again.

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Fashion

Scarves and shawls galore!

Emily Strasser

16 Mar 2009

India

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Indian and Tibetan standards of dress are more modest than American standards. Avoid tight pants, shorts, and short skirts. A shawl or scarf is an indispensable fashion accessory—you can tie it around your waist or throw over your shoulders if you're cold or feel you are dressed too revealingly. Also use it to cover your head when you go into Sikh temples or Muslim mosques. Indian women are queens of gracefully draped scarves, and Tibetans (both men and women) use wonderful wool shawls that double as blankets. If you are spending a lot of time with monks and nuns, you will find yourself envying their warm red shawls. Don’t worry about packing one—you can find an endless range of pretty, useful, and affordable shawls in India.

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Dating

Enter with Care

Emily Strasser

21 Jun 2009

India

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Dating Tibetans can be tricky, due to different cultural expectations. Tibetan women are generally reserved with the opposite sex, but Tibetan men are often very interested in American women. Just know that Tibetans undertake physical relationships more seriously than Americans may be accustomed to, so be sure you’re ready for some sort of commitment before you get involved with a Tibetan guy. Also, be cautious around monks. Tibetan monks disrobing for Western women is not unheard of, so flirtations with them should not be undertaken lightly. That said, being friends with a monk is totally possible and rewarding.

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Health

A drop of water won't kill you

Emily Strasser

23 May 2009

India

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While traveling in India, it's easy to convince yourself that every bite of food potentially contains a strain of death. While it is smart to be cautious about tap water and dairy, don’t let fear ruin your experience. In my group of 15, many who broke the “rules” of eating in India by eating salads or drinking lassis (risky because of frequent power outages and potential spoilage), did not get sick, while those who carried napkins everywhere to clean their plates from every speck of tapwater, did. There is no way to completely ensure your safety, so my best advice is for your mental health is use your common sense, choose your risks wisely, and enjoy yourself!

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Slang

Sleep Tight, Loose Underwear

Emily Strasser

13 Apr 2009

India

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“Good night, sleep tight, loose underwear.” The first time my Ladakhi roommate said this to me, I sat up in bed in surprise. “Loose underwear?” “Yes, so funny…” she said, and laughed to herself. A Tibetan girl assured me that this was an American phrase. After weeks of being perplexed by the origins of this strange joke, I spoke to an older German nun, who told me nuns giggled over the same jest in nunneries 18 years ago. She explained that the humor somehow came from the fact that you want to sleep tight, but not in tight underwear! I still have no idea how this joke came to be, but I find it hilarious. Try it out on Tibetan friends!

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Nightlife

Dharamsala is hopping in the morning

Emily Strasser

31 May 2009

India

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Nightlife? What’s that? I guess it depends on which crowd you’re hanging out with, but among the locals in Dharamsala, nightlife is pretty nonexistent. In my home-stay family, we were in bed by 9:30 p.m., and up again by 6 a.m. There are bars in town, but they are filled almost exclusively with tourists. There is a club as well, called Xcite, but again, only locals who are pushing tradition will go there. Tibetan women who frequent it are looked down upon. Occasionally, you may be lucky (or unlucky, depending on how your like your sleep) to hear an Indian wedding. WIth raucous music and dancing, these affairs go well into the night. Step in and join the celebration. Besides these occasions, Dharamsala shuts down early, and gets going early.

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Being an American

Hello, one photo?

Emily Strasser

04 May 2009

India

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Traveling in India, expect people to ask you to take pictures of them, or be in pictures with them. I found that Indians wealthy enough to own a camera often wanted to get me in on family vacation photos or individual shots, while many poorer Indians who didn’t own cameras liked to see their image on the screen of my digital camera. Walking in a rural village one afternoon, I was stopped by an elderly man and asked to take a picture of the group hanging out on the side of the road. Toothless old men and women, wrinkled like prunes, grinned and elbowed each other proudly when they saw their picture on my camera screen. My Ladakhi roommate only has one picture of herself as a child--a Polaroid given to her by a tourist.

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