Scotts Guide to India: Navigating / adjusting

The day has come. We have arrived in India!
This part of the Guide helps prepare you with what to expect
and how to navigate through a very different culture.

ARRIVING & ADJUSTING

FIRST IMPRESSIONS
India will constantly challenge, perhaps change you. There is such a juxtaposition between old and new, familiar and baffling. Yet India can get into your blood like no other country. If you're like me, after you return home, you'll miss India and experience even more culture shock coming back to our country.

On arrival in India, the first impressions can take you aback. The exciting images of an ancient and richly diverse culture which draw many visitors to India can be completely overwhelmed by the immediate sensations which first greet you:

Pollution. All the cities seriously suffer from pollution.

Noise. Many people find India incredibly noisy, as radios, TVs, and loudspeakers seem to blare in unlikely places at all times. Automobiles, taxis, and trucks all constantly use their horns instead of turn signals.

Smells. India has an almost baffling mixture of smells, from the richly pungent and unpleasant to the delicately sublime.

Hassle. As soon as you step out of your hotel, everyone seems to clamor to sell you their services. Taxi and rickshaw drivers are always there when yo don't want them, much less often when you do. There often seems to be no sense of personal space or privacy.

Public Hygiene. It is not uncommon to see people urinating in public places and defecating in the open trenches or fields. These can all be daunting and make early adjustment to India difficult.

Poverty. Especially when entering into large cities, it is not uncommon to drive through miles of dilapidated, gray, shanty towns. This first impression can be very challenging. Within cities, you will see countless numbers living and sleeping on the streets.

For one young woman's graphic story of first impressions, see Jaddou Unknown.

ATTITUDES TO ADOPT
It is important to give yourself time to adapt. Give yourself time to have your feelings and reactions. Talk to others in the group. Take it easy the first few days; don't overexert yourself or get too tired. Some days you may want to take a break and just stay around your hotel.

Soon you will settle in and relax into this incredible country. Yet it's also important to have realistic expectations and the following attitudes help:

India is a very intense country and in the same way, you can expect your emotions to fluctuate between sublime joy to intense disgust to incredible frustration. Luckily all of this comes and goes rather quickly. So it's essential to be flexible and easy-going. India requires you to go with the flow, not with your watch.

Be ready for changes. Often things don’t happen as planned. There is amazing inefficiency and bureaucracy. Take it slow and take it easy. Learn to let go.

Keep an open mind, and enjoy the experience. India can't be described, it must be experienced! It seems to be the sort of country that people either love or hate. At different locales, let yourself just wander around without always having a destination. India is the perfect place for this because you continually run into surprises. Magical things can happen.

Finally, you may want to pack a journal to record what will be a veritable torrent of thoughts and emotions during your trip. It will be a precious document for remembering and integrating it all after you return home.