I am not like you, I live in India

(Yea, hi, shout out, Madatz 08!)

Many of you may be familiar with the expression "NBD", which stands for "No big deal". It is usually used sarcastically at the end of a statement to say that something is, in fact, a big deal. Here in India, Suzanne and I have created a similar phrase, "Yea, we live here".  Much like NBD, we casually drop this expression to note something that is part of everyday life in India, but would be completely ridiculous on US standards. There are times when I have to remind myself that this is not a malaria-medication-induced vivid dream, but my actual life. Yea, we live here. Here are a few examples of how my day-to-day life is drastically different than it was in the US...

• I have mastered the skill of slapping a mosquito between my hands and instantly ending its life. It requires determination, dexterity, and lots of practice. But every time i get one.. YWLH.
• I got chased by a cow for a few seconds on my way home from the bus stop the other day. I saw that a herd had just crossed the street and was kind of spacing out until suddenly there was a straggler cow sprinting to catch up to the group-- with me standing in the way. I don't think I have ever experienced such genuine fight or flight. YWLH.
• Indians don't use toilet paper so why would their plumbing system be capable of processing it? Not only do I carry my own TP, but I throw it away in a trash can. Logical and very unfortunate. YWLH.
• Every single day, I eat-- one bowl of whole milk with some oats, two mugs full of whole milk coffee or chai, one plateful of white rice with lunch and then another plateful with dinner, and everything cooked in clarified butter. Yet somehow, I am losing weight. YWLH.
• Sometimes, its just not worth the bus driver's time to come to a complete halt at every single bus stop. And why would he when he can just slow to a reasonable enough speed for passengers to hop off while others grab hold and hoist themselves on? I know you don't want to hear this, Mom, but I jump off/on of moving buses. YWLH.
• I am quickly adopting the ambiguous "head bobble" that can mean yes, no, maybe, or sometimes just "Im listening". It is very contagious, so I will be coming home with the mannerisms of a little indian bobble-head. YWLH.
• A large group of CIEE students and myself were eating lunch one day in this delicious cafe in a posh part of town. Then, an Indian woman came up to us and said that we looked like a cool group of girls (true) and she would love for us to star in her next Telugu pop music video. That may or may not be happening. YWLH.
• Shockingly, I haven't been wearing nail polish at all since I left the US, but that doesn't mean they aren't colored!  The nails on my right hand are slowly being tinted yellow from mashing up curry and rice with my fingers. YWLH.
• Twice a day, we have to cross Mumbai Road, the main street in Hyderabad that connects my homestay to campus. There's no such thing as "lanes" in India, but I would say it is the width of a four lane road in each direction. If you know anything about traffic here, you will understand why every successful street crossing ends in a proud announcement... YWLH!

I could sit here all day and think of funny happenings, but these give you enough of an idea. Maybe this posting with have a sequel, because these outrageous occurrences don't seem to have an end...