This
winter break, between my MBA classes, and taking advantage of my remaining
vacation days at work, I went to India. Many things intrigued me about the 2nd
most populous country in the world. How do so many people live in one place; is
it overcrowded? In a country where 80% of people have arranged marriages, what
are people like? Are their views more modern-western, or
traditional-conservative? How do they live their daily lives? How seriously do
people take the caste system? How do so many different religions coexist here?
Why is the IT industry booming in this country? Are some of the negative things
I hear about India (dirty, too much traffic, unhealthy, poor, lots of beggars, etc)
indeed true, or just bigots making stuff up?
As I
explored the country and talked to people, I found the answers to some of these
questions. But the primary and deciding reason why I came to India was to see
my friends from college. Sure, it’s nice to go on vacation, and explore another
country, and learn about different cultures. But it’s even better to do this
with your best buddies by your side. Friends you unfortunately no longer see
much because they live in a different country. And throughout the good times
and the bad in India, the highs and the lows, my friends were always there by
my side, whether helping me bargain for better deals, showing me around their
cities, or even helping me get back home when I was stranded due to flight
issues. So Alok and Nikhil, from the bottom of my heart, thank you! This
holiday season, many people received gifts for Christmas, Hanukkah, or New
Year’s, expensive gifts from stores. But I received the best one of all, one
you can’t put a price on, and one that is never found in stores. True
hospitality and true friendship. I have found out who my real, true friends
are, and I am so fortunate, lucky and blessed to know you two! Here’s to
another reunion, soon!
Similarities Across India
The
first thing I noticed about India is how friendly the locals are. As soon as I
stepped out of the airport at Bangalore, when a local noticed that my friend
hadn’t shown up to pick me up yet, he immediately offered me to use his phone.
While I was waiting for my friend to come, another Indian guy asked if I was
all set, or if I needed a ride somewhere. This Indian hospitality showcased
itself later, when I actually needed it the most. When my flight back to Boston
was cancelled, and my phone didn’t work (because someone dropped it in the
pool), I needed to borrow cellphones to
call my friends, and the locals would always not always let me do so, but even
allow my friends to text their numbers! Indians are really friendly, too. They
always went around offering to help me carry my luggage, or asking me questions
about my home and how I was liking India, or telling me what to see and even
offering to show me around! It’s so easy to make friends here, which I made
many of. My friends’ families were so hospitable, too! They absolutely went
above and beyond my expectations to making sure I was as comfortable as
possible, even offering to do my laundry! Several times, I ate so much that I
was literally about to puke, since I kept eating so much as not to hurt my
hosts’ feelings about not eating the food they’ve cooked for me. Indian
hospitality is one of the awesome things about that country. Contrast this to,
say, New York, where not only would people refuse to let me borrow their
cellphones, but forced me to buy crap just so they would give me change to use
a payphone! Us Americans can learn a lot about how to treat friends and guests properly
from the Indians!
Ironically,
beyond all the friendliness, a more troubling pattern emerges, businesses taking
advantage of tourists. When I visited the Taj Mahal, for example, our tour
guide offered us to buy stuff from one of the stores….at a price over 5 times
more expensive where we found a similar store, right nearby! Same with our
driver from the Delhi airport to Agra, and back; he literally drove us to
stores and told us where to buy things….except there was nothing good there, at
a reasonable price! These guys do this because the stores give them commissions
for every client they “refer”, who then makes a purchase. When I was flying out
of Bangalore to Delhi, my friend already gave the luggage guy a tip, and told
me so, yet after he brought all my luggage, and my friend left, he again
demanded a tip from me! Although the lowest bill I had was 500 rupies (around $8),
he refused to give me change, and took the whole bill! As a matter of fact, locals,
and especially foreigners, need to be careful when shopping in India. So many
people are ready to rip you off and take your money, and you need to be on your
toes at all times and bargain effectively. This is why it is so important to go
shopping with Indian friends, who have your best interests at heart, and know
how to bargain properly.
Some
of the top sights in India also practice price discrimination between locals
and foreigners. Many places, including the Taj Mahal ,the Labagh Botannical
Garden, Tipu Sultan’s Palace, and Mysore Palace, charge a cheap price for a
ticket for locals and then over 5 times as much for foreigners! In the USA,
this would probably be illegal and discrimination, but in India, I guess they
just assume if you visit you have the money to spend, and try to take the most
of it. So not fair!
But
you want to know what the saddest, most messed up thing about India is? The
beggars, especially the freaking child beggars. Do you know why they are there?
If the poor kids are lucky, they are merely “rented’ from their families for a
while to give begging more “credibility”. But many of them are kidnapped from
their homes at an early age. Around 60,000 children each year are literally
stolen from their homes by the Mafia, and then forced to work as beggars. They
are purposefully kept looking thin and sick, and criminals even go so far as to
purposely disable them, cutting out the child’s eyes, throwing acid in his/her
face, or/and cutting off limbs. Sometimes, the mafia even pays “doctors” to disfigure
the children! To prevent kids from escaping, the kidnappers often keep them
addicted to drugs, such as opium. I know it’s not just in India, but these beggars
are one of the most disturbing, fucked up things about India, and if you think
about it too much, it almost makes you cry. Just so disgusting and wrong on so
many levels! Does no one care? Will the Indian government do nothing to help? But
as much as you want to help these poor kids, don’t give them money, because all
you are doing is enabling child trafficking, and filling the Mafia’s pockets.
See, the kids never get this money, the Mafiosi reap the profits because they
then take this money from the kids! So no matter how many kids get in your face
as you walk the streets and touch your arm, no matter how many literally start
banging on your car windows as you sit in the car, no matter how sick, or
pitiful they look, just ignore them. It sounds heartless and sick, but at least
your money isn’t going into mafia pockets! Tourists can’t help these kids, only
the government can take measures to outlaw this shit, and arrest the criminal
thugs child trafficking. Don’t believe me? See for yourself, and read this:
Anyways,
if you think about child trafficking in India too much, it might well ruin your
vacation, so let’s put it in the back of our mind and try to move on, shall we?
Let’s discuss something hectic and crazy, Indian traffic! Indian drivers are
crazy! They somehow manage to turn a 2-lane road into 4 lanes of traffic. There
is so much congestion, and yet Indians break the rules all the time. Running
red lights, weaving in and out of traffic, cutting other cars off. Sometimes,
when there is a traffic jam on one side of the highway, Indian drivers
literally go to the other side of the road, and take up a lane, driving in the opposite
direction, to beat the traffic! So imagine you are peacefully minding your own
business, just driving on the highway when, bam, a whole row of cars are
heading the other way on the lane right next to you….scary stuff!
And
it’s not just cars! There are rickshaws (cheap taxis), motorcycles, cars,
random pedestrians just jaywalking all over the roads, and even the occasional
cow just minding its own business, wandering right in the middle of the roads
(fun fact—it is a federal offense to hit a car with your vehicle; rubbing its
head, however, supposedly brings good luck)! An Indian road is truly a side to
behold! You got all kinds of cars, from expensive German and Japanese ones to
$2,000 Tatas, Muslim women riding motorcycles in full burqas, Indian women
sitting unsafely sideways in the back because they are wearing saris (a long,
Indian dress), guys riding 3 at a time on motorcycles, and even motorcyclists
holding random stuff like stoves or TVs, while someone else drives their bikes.
The traffic is so hectic, you feel like any second someone will crash, but
somehow the Indians make it work! Well, most times, at least, we did see some
accidents, and heard about others. It’s truly a side to behold, and to believe
it, one must see the roads with their own eyes!
As a
matter of fact, driving in India is so hectic, that even the Indians themselves
often don’t dare try! If you rent a car, it comes with its own driver. Even if
you have your own car, and you want to travel to another city, you hire a
driver. For example, my friend’s girlfriend and her friends have their own car.
But to drive from Mumbai to Goa, they hired their own driver, who then drove us
around in Goa! Besides driving, it is also scary to cross the road, because you
have to jaywalkacross multiple lanes of traffic, and aggressively signal cars
to stop, as you cross. It almost feels like you’re in a game of “Frogger”! The
first couple of times I tried crossing the road in Bangalore, I am embarrassed
to admit that my friend literally held my hand! Once, I even almost got hit by
a bus, literally feeling the wind as it passed by. But, just like the locals,
eventually I got used to the chaos. I even worked up the courage to drive in
Mumbai, surviving a jaywalker, a car on the wrong side (coming toward me) of
the road, and having no clue where the heck I was going!
One
of the coolest things about India is the amount of diversity. The country has a
Hindu majority, yet also hosts the 2nd largest Muslim population, at
120 million strong, only behind Indonesia, and is also the birthplace of
Buddhism; there are also Christian and even Jewish minorities. I found myself
exploring Hindi temples, as well as going inside mosques. Every morning at 4:30
AM and afternoon at 4:30 PM, the Islamic call to prayer, called an Adhan, is
called out by the muezzin (an imam), which sounds out from the minarets. The first couple
of nights, I was annoyed by this because it woke me up from my hangovers in the
early morning, but I soon got used to the sound. Actually, the Adhan helped me
know the time, as my phone did not show the correct time, I officially had no
idea what time it is….except for 4:30 AM and 4:30 PM! Next to the temples and
the mosques, there are a bunch of churches, decked out in Christmas lights and
all. It’s pretty cool how in a world of extremism and cultural, racial, and
religious conflicts, the Indians manage to coexist mostly in peace, something
many other countries can learn from India!
So
far, I’ve been discussing what is common all across India. But what is
different about the 4 cities I’ve visited, Bangalore, Agra, Goa, and Mumbai?
Quite a lot! It’s almost as if I was in 4 different countries!
Bangalore
Of
all the cities I visited, I spent the longest, 6 days, in Alok’s hometown, Bangalore.
Of all the Indian cities, this one has the narrowest streets and the most
hectic traffic. Also known as Bengaluru, it was founded in 1537 by Kempe Gowda.
Originally, the city was not supposed to exceed the limits past the La Bagh Botannical
Gardens, but as it grew, it did. This in turn sometimes causes water shortages
or flooding during the monsoon season.
The
city is also the beer capital in India, with 12 independent breweries, which
are basically pretty sweet bars. Large drink selections of good, local beers,
excellent party music, and a fantastic opportunity to have a great time! One
can get discounts for the bars, and other entertainment venues by purchasing a
“Blue Book”, which has coupons on drinks and food, and saved me about 30% of my
money. Definitely better than the bars in Boston! Unfortunately for the
independent Indian brewers, they are only allowed to sell their beers on
premises, not in stores. This is because the primary beer maker in India,
Kingfisher, gives nice kickbacks to the politicians to ban competition. Despite
the enormous amount of tax revenue selling more beers would generate, despite
providing more quality choices of beer to Indians, many politicians are
corrupt, and accept bribes and kickbacks in exchange for allowing Kingfisher to
create a beer monopoly. Whether Indian or American, our politicians are really
not much different, ehh? Just a bunch of egoists looking out for their own
interests, instead of the people they serve…
Some
of the best stuff to see in Bangalore include:
·
The Bangaluru
Palace
-built by Reverend Garrett, the first principal of the Central High School (Central
College as of 1862). It is modeled under the Windsor Castle in England. In
1952, it was renovated by Srikanta Wadiyar, a Prince form the Kingdom of Mysore.
It's pretty cool. Lots of sweet illustrations and photos, and a beautiful
courtyard to relax outside, while enjoying the view. Kinda expensive, though,
they even charge you $12 extra to take photos! But definitely worth seeing!
·
Lal
Bagh Botanical Gardens--3/4th the size of New York's
Central Park, this is a serene place to explore and relax in. Lots of old trees
(including the ones that you make pencils out of), plants, and a nice, peaceful
lake. A main attraction is the Rose House, with its flower shows, but
unfortunately those begin in February; apparently, while I am in India at the
best time to enjoy the weather, flowers bloom at the beginning of monsoon
season! There are all kinds of trees here, ranging from palm trees, to those
you make pencils out of to, shockingly, even pine/Christmas trees! With a pond
around the area and fountains, it is a serene, peaceful place, great for a walk
or a date. The best part of the gardens, is the interactions with wildlife,
though. There friendly macaque monkeys, stray dogs, and cows The macaques, in
particular are awesome…just give them something to eat or drink, and they will
climb on your head to eat and hang out!
·
Hindi
temples...Ganesha Temple (dedicated to Elephant God) and the
Bull Temple (dedicated to Nandi Bull, the vehicle of Lord Shiva). I won't go
into lots of detail because I don't know much about Hinduism, and shall not
talk about things I do not really know much, out of respect, but it was
interesting to see how the people worship. You take off your shoes, go to the
altar, give money to the priests (in yellow-and red togas), who then give you
sweets and even the Bindi (the Hindi red dot, a symbol representing wisdom, and
said to help retain energy and improve concentration). There are cool statues
idols to the gods.
·
Tipu’s
Summer Palace—a king of Mysore, which included Southern
India, which Bangalore is a part of, was renowned for his intense hatred of the
Brits, with whom he fought 4 wars (won the first 2, but lost the next 2). His
summer residence in Bangalore is a sight to behold. Beautiful gardens outside,
and a throne on a balcony inside. A fierce opponent of the Brits, he even built
a harmonica where a tiger is eating a helpless British soldier (inspired by the
death of the British soldier, son of a general, who was mauled by a Tiger in
India).
·
Mysore
Palace—a couple of hours’ drive from Bangalore, but probably
the best site to see! Located in the city of Mysore, it was the official residence and seat of the Wodeyars — the Maharajas of Mysore, the former royal
family of Mysore, who ruled the
Mysore from 1399 to 1950. After you manage to find parking and jaywalk
across 4 streets full of oncoming traffic without dying, and after jostling
with thousands of visitors to actually get a ticket and get into the building,
you will find yourself facing beautiful
courtyards, gardens, and meeting places to receive guests. The arching
architecture is stunning, and a great example of how Indians build palaces. At
night, it lights up, much like the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, and is just an
amazing site to look at.
·
The
Vidhana Soudha--this is where the legislature of the
Kernataka (the state that Bangalore belongs to) sits. There are 224 MPs. It's a
very fancy building from the outside....and unfortunately, this is the only
place I've seen it from. This is because
the politicians are on vacation...just like our American ones! See, I told you,
that our politicians, wherever they are in the world, are not so different,
after all!
·
Karnataka
High Court--this is Karnataka's Supreme Court is the highest
court outside of Delhi (which is the equivalent of the American Supreme Court).
It is very big, and very red! Unfortuantely, just as with the Vidhana Soudha, I
was unable to go inside. Is everyone on vacation right now, including me?
Agra
To
get to Agra, we first had to drive there from the Delhi Airport, about a couple
hours’hour drive that turns into a full 4 hours due to the intense fog. At
first glance, the drive from Delhi to Agra looks almost like an American road.
Wide roads, mostly cars on the street, and nice houses on the side of the
road…but looks can be deceiving!
We
arrived at our hotel around 9 PM. It was cold…about maybe the mid 40s, not much
warmer than in Boston. (all other Indian cities I’ve visited were in the
70s-80s). Everything in Agra apparently closes after sunset, 7 PM, for some
reason, and it seems like this extends to our hotel services! Despite asking
for a heater, we never got one, and had to freeze in our rooms. It was too cold
to take a shower, and we ended up sleeping in our sweatshirts, which must have
been the only time I’ve ever actually did this indoors! Even the food was
horrible…just a cold, miserable night!
But
our misery was totally worth it. The next morning, we woke up nice and early to
go see one of the must-see sights, in India, the Taj Mahal, one of the “new 7
Wonders of the World”, according to online voting. Built by the Muslim emperor
Shah Jahan in 1648, as a tribute to his 3rd wife, after she died
after the birth of their 14th child, it is a mausoleum made entirely
of white marble, and is widely renowned as the “the
jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of
the world's heritage". And what a stunningly
beautiful site it is! You absolutely gotta go see the Taj at sunrise! When you
do, admire the gleam from the rising sun, as it reflects on the white marble,
making it gleam in gold. Check out the carefully hand-crafted decorations
inside the Taj, too! But If you go on December, as I did, though, beware that
especially in the morning, it might be foggy and cold, not the best
circumstance to see beautiful architecture, but yet so worth it! By the middle
of the day, you can just sit for hours, as Nikhil and I did, admiring the
serenity and beauty of the site in peace, and just chill and relax, heck, even
hoardes of monkeys, which we saw, do it! It’s just such a chill place; if you
ever take your girlfriend travelling, take her there, it’s not exactly the same
as building her a freaking Wonder of the World, but she will still be
impressed!
Besides the Taj, there is a mosque (where
Muslims still come and pray today), a large reflecting pool leading up to the
Taj, and gardens filled with flowers. You can go inside the mosque and see for
yourself. Outside the mosque, on the front steps, I was surprised to find the
floor decorated with Stars of Davids! What is this, a tribute to Jews? As much
as I’d like to think so, perhaps it’s just a tribute to the Jewish Egyptian
philosopher Philo, whose two
superimposed triangles, pointing both up and down, “symbolized the flow of
energy between action and reception, male and female, God and humanity, and the
upper and lower worlds.”
Besides the Taj Mahal site , the only other site
worth checking out in Agra is the Agra Fort. A UNESCO heritage site(which means
it’s historically protected), it is basically a walled city, complete with
rooms for guests, pools, and even a small mosque. It is fun to walk around this
fort with a self-guided audio tour, checking out the sites and listening to the
fort’s history. One of the fort’s gate, the Delhi Gate, is still used by
India’s military today, so tourists unfortunately cannot enter it, but we can
see everything else! Shah Jahan’s son, Aurangzeb, imprisoned his father in this
fort, where he sadly watched the Taj Mahal that he built, never getting out
until his death. No matter what father-son drama going on there, what kind of
son locks his dad up? Pretty messed up! The fort was also the site of the site
of the battle of the Indian Rebellion of 1867, which caused direct British rule
imposed on India until their, and Pakistan’s, independence in 1947.
Nikhil and I
stayed in Agra for 1 day and 2 nights…..you don’t wanna stay more than that,
really, unless you are OK with going bored out of your mind at night. Fortunately,
the 2nd night finally got our heater, which we had to tip for. Yes,
we actually had to pay for a service that should have already been included!
Crazy, eh? After finally sleeping warmly, we woke up early morning again to
begin the drive back to Delhi. And DAMN! Everything was covered in fog! You
literally could not see more than a foot in front of you! The ride was
basically like some highway to hell, barely seeing the road in front of you,
while to the side all you see is gray, no buildings, no people, nothing, it’s as
if everything to the sides, behind, and even before you has no life. Not sure
how people even drive in such heavy fog, but somehow, in just 4 hours, we
safely made it to the airport, and onward to Goa!
Goa
Up
until Goa, the purpose of this trip, besides hanging out with friends, for me,
was checking out the sites, familiarizing myself with the culture and just
talking to the locals and see how they lived. Goa, though, was party time! As
in Vegas, let’s just say whatever happens in Goa stays in Goa, thus why I have
so few pictures from there. But I’ll divulge what I can.
On
the plane to Goa, I came with some Hangover-themed rules, ‘Gorny’s Goa
Commandments’….”Thou shalt not get arrested”; “Thou shalt not have missing
limbs or people”; “Thou shalt not have a face tattoo”; “Thou shalt not get
roofied”; “With these exceptions, thou shalt party like you’re in the
Hangover!” And you know what? Other than briefly missing a couple of people (no
worries, they made it home safe, though their cabbie did ask the 2 males if
they “like big bananas”….awkward!), we had a grand old time.
In
Goa, a former Portuguese colony, and the smallest Indian state, we enjoyed the
beautiful beaches….while drinking, and swimming, and paragliding, of course. This
despite the fact that the Indian government has recently declared the water at
Goa as “unfit for swimming”! Oops, oh well….YOLO, right? We worked on our tan,
while destroying our livers. Some of us learned to drive mopeds, which we
crashed in 5 minutes. There were lots of international people in Goa, Germans,
French, Brits, Japanese, but especially lots of Russians! I made friends with a
Russian couple, as well as with this cute chick who is one of only 4% of
Russians who either dislike Putting or think that he is a “despot” (Putin has a
96% approval rating in Russia, apparently.)
So,
what did we do on New Year’s? Throw down over a grand for a nice, relaxing
beachside party at Goa’s posh Club Chronicle, on Vagator Beach. Just mixing
drinks and popping champagne bottles and dancing and having a jolly good time.
But this cost us. Some of us started New Year’s just barely surviving dying
from alcohol poisoning. Others brought in the first night of 2015 puking all
over the villa’s restroom. Those of us who were lucky had diarrhea for a day.
Others nearly got arrested for playing catch with fake candles. In other words,
a New Year’s to remember, and a very fun night! What’s better than bringing in
the New Year with some of your best friends, going swimming in the pool,
getting drunk by the beach, and dancing the old year away?
Even
when sober, we still had our share of issues. The girls stayed in one room of the
villa, only to get locked in the next morning! It took us over 3 hours to get
them out, and they decided to stay in the other villa for the remainder of the
trip. Then, that same day, one of the mopeds locked out, causing delays. The
one incident I was involved in was the weirdest and happened the next day. Our
car just popped a tire, the driver was unable to get it fixed himself, so he
ended calling for help. Meanwhile, the nice old lady whose house was next to
our broken-down car, with Christmas lights, a friendly dog, and “Merry
Christmas and Happy New Year” banners, received a sad call…someone in her
family was just involved in a horrible car accident and was rushed the
hospital! We couldn’t drive the poor sobbing lady to the hospital, so we did
give her money for the taxi. I wonder what happened to her, hopefully her
family member will make a full recovery! The whole situation was just kinda
creepy. It’s as if your bad luck got transferred onto her, or something. We
were glad to get out of there as soon as our car was fixed!
Mumbai
My
trip ended at my final destination, Nikhil’s hometown, Mumbai. Right as we took
a taxi to his house things got…interesting. Our cabbie almost hit a rickshaw,
and despite there being no accident, the 2 guys started arguing, almost got
into a fight, and actually had to be restrained by the cops! Thankfully,
nothing happened and we made it to our destination just fine. Speaking of
taxis, in Mumbai they actually put the luggage on the roofs of the cars,
because the trunks have gas tanks inside! Interesting but OK…
Mumbai, the most populous city, with a population of
over 20 million people (!!) is renowned for its long traffic jams and people
just hanging off trains and buses. Thankfully, though, I did not participate in
these traffic jams because Nikhil knows his city well enough to know when to
avoid traffic and which roads to take, so huge kudos to him! He says that
Mumbai is dirty and polluted, and this is probably true, but honestly, I didn’t
notice much of this. Mumbai is by far the most modern, Western-style city from
all the ones I’ve visited in India. While in Bangalore, the girls at the bars
mostly wore jeans (and there were lots of women walking around in saris and
hijabs, and burqas), the girls in Mumbai wear mini-dresses or mini skirts,
dance provocatively, and actively use Tinder. Basically, a bar in Bombay
(Mumbai’s old name) is pretty much indistinguishable from one in Boston!
I
heard stories of people literally hanging of the sides of trains or buses. I
didn’t get the chance to see the trains, but I did see a bus! And dang, it’s
crazy! People literally grab on to anything they can and just hold on for real
life! Buses packed to the brim, with people just hanging out! Do these people
not fear falling off and dying! Crazy, crazy, crazy!
What
are some sites worth checking out in Mumbai? The Grand Central Train Station
is, well, grand, as in very large, and very beautiful. Just an impressively
huge building. The Gateway to India, right on the Arabian Sea is so colorful
and pretty at night, as is the Haji Ali Dajah, a mosque filled with stories of
doomed lovers, and even a tomb! The Taj Mahal Hotel (nowhere near the actual
Taj Mahal) is a gorgeous 5-star hotel, and even affordable in January, at
“just” $300 a night. It was one of 3 targets in the 2008 terror attacks, where
Pakistanis terrorists shipped themselves from Pakistan to Mumbai via the
Arabian Sea and killed 167 people at this hotel, mostly foreigners. Never
forget, and RIP! Finally, there are the Elephanta Caves, which despite their
names actually have no elephants, though they do have cows, ox, and many
monkeys! The caves are Hindu shrines, filled with all types of idols, statues
of gods and goddesses. To get to the island, you take a one-hour ferry ride,
where you enjoy looking at downtown Mumbai from the waterfront, as well as spot
Indian warships, oil tankers, and your average Indian fishermen.
Getting Home---a Flying
Nightmare
I
had a great time in India. Alas, all good things must come to an end….or do
they? On Sunday at 4 AM Indian time, I was supposed to fly out of Mumbai to Abu
Dhabi via Etihad Airlines, then on to New York, and finally, to Boston. Except,
the flight got fogged out! They would seat anyone who had their final
destination at Abu Dhabi, but no one else! My flight was outright cancelled!
It
is after this that I learned what a horrible airline Etihad truly is. Don’t be
fooled by their good food and wide movie selection! While trying to find a way
to get home, we were told to call a number, except no one picked up the phone.
I tried to ask Etihad to rebook me with a different airline, and they straight
up lied to me, saying that there were no seats available. Despite that the next
morning I found seats going for over $3,500 ONE WAY!....a grand more than I
laid ROUND TRIP! Etihad also put us up in a hotel and told us that they would
tell the hotel at 6:30 AM what we should do next. Except they didn’t. Or next
day at 6:30 AM. Or next day at 2 PM.
Seeing
that I would clearly be getting nowhere with Etihad, I took an alternative
flight….huge kudos to Nikhil for helping me get one for under $2,000! First I
flew from Mumbai to Delhi, where my bag came in on a different flight from
Mumbai. Apparently, when you fly domestically with Air India, it doesn’t matter
what flight your bags are on…they can be on any plane going to the same
destinations! Then, my flight from Delhi to New York got delayed by 3 hours.
The first 2, there was a duplicate seat issues, they booked the same seats forn
different people! Then, our route was made longer by an hour because Pakistan
and Afghanistan closed down their airspace…not that I’m complaining not flying
over those countries!
Long
story short, I was supposed to arrive in Boston at 9:30 PM on a Sunday, get a
good night’s sleep, and then go to work. What happened is I got into Boston at
2:30 PM on a Tuesday, and jetlagged and exhausted, went straight to work,
luggage and all! For my commitment, I was allowed to only burn one, instead of
1.5 vacation days!
What’s
happening with Etihad? They said they’ll reimburse me for the return flight I
booked with them originally, $1,260, though I’m still waiting for them to do
so. Also, they gave me a $140 gift card….less than a flight from New York to
Boston! Thanks to them, I’ve lost overt $600. But I’m not done fighting them
yet! But from now on, American or European flights only for me!
Random Facts and
Observations
·
When tolls are paid in India, instead of 1
rupie, they sometimes give a chocolate candy instead! LOL it’s cheaper, since
the government buys these in bulk!
·
80% of Indian marriages are arranged.
·
When visiting Hindi temples, mosques, or famous
sites, take off your shoes. It’s so dirt does not get brought in into those
buildings.
·
The left hand is considered the hand you
wipe your ass with (huh? I always wipe mine with my right hand), and is thus
considered “unclean.” Don’t eat with your left hand, and especially don’t offer
your left hand to shake, even if you’re a leftie!
·
A lot of Indian women do this really cute
headshake, up, down, side to side.
·
When crossing an Indian road, signal for
the cars to stop, and keep walking. The aggressive and the bold always win!
·
Don’t eat the street food, unless you want
diarrhea.
·
It is a federal offense to hit a cow with
your vehicle.
·
If you run over someone, I’ve been told to
RUN. Don’t stop, or the locals might beat you up!
·
Keep your wallet near your balls, so no
one steals it.
·
I’m apparently a decent dancer when buzzed,
and can even breakdance! But only when buzzed, not drunk, and certainly not
sober!
·
Never fly with Etihad Airlines….ever!
