The first thing that pops into my head is how thoroughly laid back things are here. No one thinks anything of it if you show up a half hour late or so for work. The other day I stopped into a store to buy minutes for my phone, and the man in the store told me that the guy who handles that is out, and he'll be back in an hour or so. Then he offered me a cup of tea, and said I should wait there. Think about that. He just basically assumed that it would be no big deal for me to just wait there for an hour. That kind of attitude permiates the society. Every time I go into a shop, they want to sit and have a talk with me. Every time I get in a rickshaw, they want to hear my life story. It was charming at first, and it still kind of is, but to tell you the truth, a lot of the time I just want to get stuff done. People over here don't really understand the notion of conducting a financial transaction without getting to know the person, at least a little, and the bigger the transaction, the more you need to know them. Most of the time, I like it, but sometimes I just want to put minutes on my phone and leave.
Another thing that's quite noticeable is that while the caste system doesn't have an legal standing anymore, there is clearly still a caste system in place, and white people are definitely honorary Brahmins. People treat white tourists like royalty here. People open doors for me, people bow to me on the street... unless they have a dot on their head, indicating that they are a Brahmin. They couldn't care less. It makes it a bit difficult to get to know people and understand India, because everyone treats you like you're above them, which is not as great a feeling as it sounds.
There's obviously more, our cultures our as different as night and day, but those are probably the most profound ones. Your question is a bit tricky, actually. American and Indian cultures are so different that it's almost as if you'd asked me "Sean, what's the difference between Einstein's special theory of relativity and cheese?" I just wouldn't know where to start. Anyway, those two are the ones that really jump out at you on a day to day basis.
Another thing that's quite noticeable is that while the caste system doesn't have an legal standing anymore, there is clearly still a caste system in place, and white people are definitely honorary Brahmins. People treat white tourists like royalty here. People open doors for me, people bow to me on the street... unless they have a dot on their head, indicating that they are a Brahmin. They couldn't care less. It makes it a bit difficult to get to know people and understand India, because everyone treats you like you're above them, which is not as great a feeling as it sounds.
There's obviously more, our cultures our as different as night and day, but those are probably the most profound ones. Your question is a bit tricky, actually. American and Indian cultures are so different that it's almost as if you'd asked me "Sean, what's the difference between Einstein's special theory of relativity and cheese?" I just wouldn't know where to start. Anyway, those two are the ones that really jump out at you on a day to day basis.
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