it's the little things

if by now you haven't noticed: i'm an observer. and though i've been here less than a week, i've spent a lot of time processing the new sights/sounds (read: when i travel i'm kind of a creepy loner who lurks in the shadows and stares). as such, i've noticed that in delhi there are a lot of things that are familiar, but stare long enough and little differences start to emerge.

for example:

• we have bronzer; they have skin lightener

• they have campaigns that tell you to hurry up and get to it; we have campaigns that advise us to slow down and relax

• at work (at least at mine) they eat lunch around the table together, sharing food and stories; we sit in our cubes, dribbling overheated lean cuisine on the keyboard as we try to squeeze in just one more task

• they have more beautiful temples/historical sites than they know what to do with; we erect velvet ropes and overkill signage around any piece of rock some old white guy crapped near

• they have sidewalks (optional); we have sidewalks (mandatory)

• we have big macs made with 100%(*cough*) beef; they have "mc aloo tikki", made of potatoes and peas

• aside from a select sliver of society (celebrities and skanks), our women do their best to cover their mid-sections; their women let any and all belly hang out, no matter the occasion

• mustaches were hip here before hipsters were even a twinkle in our collective cultural eye

(i'm sure the list will expand as i skulk about the country some more)

and while we may have our differences, there are a few things that are universal: everybody loves coke more than pepsi, shiny hair is better than dull hair and no one can resist some good bollywood choreography (no. one.)