Day 31: WiFi is Greater than Internet Sticks

I love this place, I really do. This life is growing on me and even though I miss things about home, it’s not that hard to keep those feelings in check. We always have something to do and I’m reminded all the time of how fast this adventure is going to fly by.  With that said today I wanted to make a list of the things that are very different about day-to-day life here in comparison with America/Canada. Because it’s so interesting! We live in a REALLY nice, rich neighbourhood by Indian standards and even these rich people rough it way more than almost anyone back home. So here are a few things that are normal every day life here in India:

-       High-speed internet doesn’t really exist here… SOMETIMES its fast but those are on really good days. And Wi-Fi is rare. We know of a café that has Wi-Fi but other than that it costs and arm and a leg.

-       Showers are not really a thing here. I can’t speak for every household but from what I’ve seen water is not heated and usually you just fill a bucket and use that. Did you know you can get completely clean with about six liters of water? Well I bet most people use even less than I do.

-       When I brush my teeth I can’t just stick my toothbrush under the tap. I have to fill a water bottle with water from the purified water tank and then I have to use that water to wet my toothbrush and to rinse my mouth.

-       Mosquitoes are way harsh here. I don’t know where they come from and how they always seem to get me when I swear I’m keeping an eye out for them… but my body is covered in red bumps. Back home mosquitoes don’t even come near me and if they do I don’t react to their bites at all. Why do mosquitoes exist again?

Now for a few things that are luxuries here that we don’t have back home:

-       Most upper class people have servants (is the right word?); they have cooks and laundry people and housekeepers… I guess some people back home have something similar to this but not at the same level. It’s strange at first. For example, today we got back home right before lunch to find Durga and Sailaja cleaning our rooms. They were sweeping and mopping and I just didn’t know what to do! I’m so used to doing all of that for myself!

-       For a lot of groceries vendors just come right to the house to deliver their products. Like today, a bunch of flour and rice was delivered to the house. And everyday fruit vendors come buy to sell grapes and oranges and apples to the kitchen. Its wonderful J And I will miss the fruit vendors so much when we come back.

The inspiration for this post was brought to you by my internet stick's inability to work (sorry if I don’t respond as promptly as I would like to any messages or emails).

Have a great day! Tomorrow Carly and I are going shopping!

Stéf