Cultural differances (that I have observed)

Hey. So we're still at Thiruvenamali. It's a great place. I think we'll be here for four more days or so. One of the best things about being here is that we have had the chance to learn about the Indian culture. In our travels we had become used to simply not understanding many of the things we saw. We had become somewhat accustomed to 'India'.

Our hosts, Vulker and Uta, have lived in India for eight or nine years (depending on who you ask). They know the ins and outs of India culture and society. Their knowledge has changed how my mom and I view 'India'. The differences between India and America are huge and not always immediately visible. So, here are some of the ones I have observed. I don't want to summarize anything and this isn't meant as the definitive view of Indian culture. I'm a novice and this is simply what I've learned/observed/been told.

Waste Management

One of the most obvious differences is how Indians deal with waste and how Americans/Westerners deal with waste. The deal in Thiruvenamali is that each household has to have their own septic system. There is no sewage system or anything like that. The septic system is meant for 'black water'. This means poop and stuff like that. The 'gray water' is dealt with differently. Gray water can be channeled into trenches that run along side most houses. The government is responsible for digging and maintaining these trenches. The water is filthy and contains pretty much everything. It's often black, so I can only imagine what the 'black water' is like.

This system creates a couple of problems. First of all many families can't afford to have septic systems installed. This means that they simply go to the bathroom in the bushes and discard their garbage on the side of the road. This works OK for small groups of people but becomes a real problem with larger groups.

The other problem (that I've observed I'm sure there are more) is the effect the gray water has on the overall environment. This water simply sits in these trenches. I haven't seen it move or go anywhere. I guess eventually it must be cleaned up but I don't know when or how often. This stagnant water smells terrible. It's also the breeding ground for mosquitoes. Although malaria isn't a problem here the bites still itch like mad.

Marriage

In India people don't marry for love. Instead families arrange marriages (at least in rural areas). When a family is well off financially and truly loves their daughter or son an arranged marriage usually works out. However, if a poor family has a daughter things go differently. Because the brides family has to pay a dowry to the grooms family poor families can't afford to marry their daughter into a good family. The better the family the higher the dowry. So, generally what happens is the family marries their daughter to a drunkard or some other lowly man. This means that they don't have to pay much of a dowry. This also usually means the bride is abused and mistreated by the husband or the husband's family.

Corporal Punishment

In India I've been told everybody beats everybody. Fathers beat wives, wives beat children and children beat animals. Generally this kind of abuse is reserved for poorer families (like in any nation). However, it is much more obvious here than in the States. I've seen parents hit children while waiting in line for groceries. Somehow the fact that everybody hits everyone makes me feel a little bit better, but not much.

Scheduled Power Cuts

Every day the power goes out for for thirty minutes or longer. At first my mom and I thought it was a power failure. It is but it it's a scheduled power failure. The government cuts power to certain areas to conserve power throughout the nation.

Beggars

When I think of beggars in the United States I generally think of an alcoholic or a drug addict. In India it's a completely different story. Beggars here are born beggars. It's a caste and their job is to beg. Like I said in an earlier post often these men and women are disfigured at birth to improve their job performance.

Holy Men/Spirituality

Like beggars holy men known as Saduhs live on the streets and depend on other people's charity for their livelihood. However, Saduhs are holy men who have taken vows. There are three primary vows that these men (and women sometimes) take. They vow to never work for money, to never own anything and to never spend more than three nights in the same spot. Saduhs are admired and respected for their commitment to god and the divine. However, many beggars pretend to be Saduhs by wearing the characteristic orange robes.

This underlines another interesting difference between India and the west. In India spirituality and the sacred are everyday aspects of life. People don't hide their devotion to God. So, in India renunciates and other holy men and women who depend on the generosity of strangers for their livelihood are respected and taken care of. In the west these men and women are often considered to be lazy or crazy.

Family Business

In India almost every business (I've seen) is a family business. This means that often you will walk into a shop and there will be four people shopping and 10 people working.

Miscellaneous

• Some Indian mothers believe it is good to wash your newborn infant in nearly boiling water. Apparently they sleep really well afterward.

• You drive on the left side of the road (sometimes).

• “Every cow has the right to a human death.” Cows are cared for extremely well in India. After a milking cow has 'gone dry' they are sent to Old Cow Homes. Seriously, not kidding. At these homes the cows are fed and cared for until they die. A lot different than the mechanized killing sheds that American cows live in

• People eat with their hands. But only their right hand. The left hand is reserved for wiping your butt.

• The lowest people in the caste system are called untouchables. These men and women clean out septic systems and do other jobs that involve close interaction with human feces. Although they are the lowest caste they get paid very well. So, economically they are better off than many of the higher castes (The name untouchables is a misnomer. They are in fact touchable. I touched one).