WE HAVE ARRIVED! PART ONE

We are finally here! I am writing this in the international dorm room Emily and I have finally settled into. Its been a tumultuous and exciting past few days, but I am really glad to finally be settling down in the town we will be staying this month.

BE WARNED: TWO PART POST, LOTS OF HAPPENINGS- my apologies >.<

ONCE UPON A TIME IN AN AIRPORT...

It all started on Friday morning when I said goodbye to my parents and Brian and got on our plane to JFK and then on our fourteen hour flight to New Delhi. Even though it was a fourteen hour flight, it didn't seem as long as I had thought it would be. I slept a lot and watched a lot of movies, and because Indian airlines give full meals on their flights, I was fed pretty delicious airplane Indian food. Long story short, Danielle was pretty content with the present circumstances. What I found interesting though is that there were lots of young children on this super long flight, and so at times it sounded a little bit like a daycare. All of my blessings and kudos went out to those parents.

Anyway, we then landed in Delhi where we didn't go through customs, but did go through security, where it is both a little more lax but at the same time more strict than American security.

First of all, you know those luggage tags airlines hand out to you so you can ID your bag? Yea you HAVE TO HAVE ONE TO THESE. Due to communication barriers, I thought they just really wanted me to know which bag was mine, but I found out later that what they actually have you put this on so that they stamp your bag once it goes through the X-ray to state that "no this nervous strangely tall white girl is not carrying anything lethal".
Another difference from American security is that women and men are checked differently. Instead of everyone getting in the same line to be wanded down, the women and men get in separate lines. Once it is your turn (if you are a girl) you are brought into this closed stall where a woman security guard wands you and then you exit the opposite end of the stall. Men on the other hand, are wanded down for everyone to see (sorry boys). I will have to do more research, but I believe this has to do with the culture and ensuring the privacy of women, which I definitely appreciated.

Anyway, once we got through security, we got on the last plane for the day to Chennai. Again, we were served a meal (though I wasn't very hungry, I didn't turn it down - I'm not one to turn down food often) and I slept almost the whole time. By this point Emily and I were exhausted, jet lagged, and ready to be in our hotel for the night. Luckily when we got off the plane and into baggage claim our bags made it to India with us! Celebration all around! We then went to find customs only to find that its simply two guards that ask for your customs card and your passport, check both, take the card and give you a warm welcome to India. Emily and I were very surprised, as we were expecting to be in customs a long time. As it turns out, it took us longer to get through transfer security in Delhi than it took to get through customs.

Grateful to be done flying for 18 hours or so, we then exchanged money and found a prepaid taxi service to get us to our hotel 8 miles away. Even though it was only 8 miles away, traffic was CRAZY. First of all, VERY FEW RULES. I mean, there are stop lights and such, but they aren't always erm...used. Also, blinkers are only used for making turns into places or onto completely different roads, NOT MERGING. They use their horn for that. Or they just slip by as if it were pedestrian traffic. But unlike pedestrian traffic, if you bump someone, you are BUMPING SOMEONE WITH 2 TONS OF STEEL AND FIBERGLASS. NOT REALLY THE SAME THING. On the way to the hotel that night we bumped into a moped, which in the U.S. would have led to an insurance claim etc etc. Not here, both parties scoffed and yelled at each other and then went on their merry way.

Also, sidenote/fun fact: You often see men wearing helmets while riding mopeds, but almost never see women wearing them. In fact, you more than often see women riding side saddle on the back of mopeds and seldom drive them. Oh, another fun fact, many women just hold their children, while riding side saddle, on the back of a speeding moped.

In short the drive was very interesting to observe culturally, but a little harrowing to experience as a human being.

Once we got to the hotel and fad angled our way through payment and accommodations, we slept. In air conditioning. It was glorious. Oh and they had toilet paper, which we weren't expecting. It was a good day.