what i've learned during orientation

Tomorrow is our group's last day of orientation, and it's been an informative couple of days. We've been living out of our suitcases and barraged with a ton of information about safety, health, academics and Indian culture as a whole. Here are some of the gems that I've picked up along the way.

A sign for the "Women Only" car on the Delhi Metro.

1. What you wear is important. Kurtas and salwar suits are the norm for woman, and if you're a Western woman who wants to be taken seriously in India, you better dress the part. Our program of 21 is made up of 18 women, so what to wear has been the talk of the town. We're finally going shopping tomorrow, so I'll be able to show you all the colorful goodies and what I'll be wearing for the next three months.

2. Things are cheap. A bottle of water is 15 Rupees. A ride on the Metro is 32 Rupees round-trip, although that depends on which stop you get off at. A cup of coffee is about 80 Rupees. A good meal will run you a couple hundred Rupees. A kurta, or tunic, will cost anywhere from 350-500 Rupees. Now consider the fact that $1.00 is 50 Rupees, and you'll get a sense for how much things cost.

3. The Metro rules. It's really clean, and there's even a women's car in the front. (That's not for segregation; it's for safety.) It's quick and efficient and wonderful. I have a feeling that's how I'm going to rely on getting around while in Delhi.

A smokestack located next to the park...near Gandhi's grave.

4. Smog does not rule. I've got a little bit of a sore throat because of the pollution, and (not to be vulgar) my snot was black the other day. There's a constant haze over the city. It's a little brutal. I'm hoping I adapt, but I won't die if I don't. I'm just grateful that I don't have asthma.

5. Things aren't always what they seem. When I arrived at the hotel, there was a swastika painted on the door. In fact, there are swastikas almost everywhere. In Indian culture, that's a sign for good luck -- not for Nazi Germany.

6. Delhi belly is a thing. We've been continually warned about the dangers of street food and not to be alarmed if we start having diarrhea from the food. They told us at our Program Center that they've been taking it nice on us for our first week, but the food's only going to get spicier as the semester goes on. I don't know if my GI tract will be able to handle that...

This is not anti-Semitic pottery. I promise.

7. India is a vegetarian's dreamland. Everything is labeled "Veg" or "Non-Veg," and every place will have Veg options. Most importantly, it's all delicious.

8. I don't know how to read Hindi. I promise I made flash cards, but I really don't have any idea what I'm doing or saying. Sorry, SIT.

9. Indian toilets are essentially sideways urinals that you have to squat over. It's tough on the legs, but if you want a tutorial, you should watch this video. They showed it to us during orientation. It's a laugh and a half, let me tell you. He's the Napoleon Dynamite of Tamil Nadu, and he can use a latrine like it's no one's business.

I'm still learning, and I'm still getting oriented. SIT gave us an Internet stick that gives us access to Internet anywhere in India. I know it's not actually called an Internet stick. It's actually a USB drive that blinks and lets me log onto Facebook; I think it's called an "external modem." But Internet stick just sounds way better. Let me live the dream, and I'll tell you more about my adventures as they happen.