Prior to working in the Translation and Interpreting business I had the luxury of traveling to India a few times. Here is what I learned about India. I came to enjoy the food, and tested my tolerance to the many spices. I can safely say that I survived, and developed a love for Indian food. Although the food was great, what I really came to appreciate was the culture. The lifestyle is much different than Minnesota or the United States for that matter. I saw a strong emphasis that is placed on family and it is very common to see many generations living together under one roof. There is a true sense of family that ranks higher before work or friends.
Aside from the social aspects of India I came to enjoy the sites and sounds of the country. If you can go a day without hearing a car horn in India, then you might want to check your bearings because your probably not in India. In India and many other countries they tend to use a car horn for signaling. With such a large population and people moving about it is important for the driver to be familiar with their surrounding and keep other drivers and pedestrians aware of their presence. It is truly a unique experience that I will never forget.
I never did get the opportunity to drive in India and I am not sure if it would be something I could handle. On a recent trip to the UK I experienced driving on left side of the road and I did pretty well but India presents an entirely different challenge. Not only are you driving on the other side of the road you also have to consider the large number of people that are in the city. Imagine being in rush hour traffic with no traffic laws, people trying to move through traffic without patience, horns honking, and a near accident every 100 feet. India definitely presents its own interpretation of “rush hour” traffic, in the sense that you get an adrenaline rush simply from driving and making it safely to your destination.
I really enjoyed my experience in India and I wish I could have taken all of my favorite things back home with me. Unfortunately, my favorite thing was a car that would not fit in my suitcase. The vehicle just happened to be a common taxi in India but also known as “The King of Indian Roads”. Actually recently on a television show called Top Gear they ranked it the best taxi in the world. It has such a unique design you can see how ones eye might be drawn to the Hindustan Ambassador.
All countries have their own unique personality whether it consist of food, people, sights or sounds. When visiting a new country I encourage you to take your time and to truly take in your surroundings. You may find something that you will remember for a lifetime.
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