Preparing for India

I think it's fine time we get this blog on the roll. Our flight date is May 19, so we have just about two weeks to go.

Planning the trip is a pretty integral part of the whole experience: even though we're not there yet, it's obvious that our heads have been in India since we bought the tickets. Beyond spending like, 99% of the time daydreaming about what it will be like, we've also had a lot of logistical things to take care of. We've spent weeks laying out different possible routes, reading up on customs, sights to see, doing some Hindi Rosetta Stone, renewing passports, getting vaccines, obtaining visas, making lists, and (Yotam's favorite part) buying gear. Yet somehow the date approaches and I feel like nothing we can do will actually prepare us at all. So late last night Yotam and I brainstormed some possible measures we can take to get us ready for how generally intense this experience is going to be. Some of these include:

1. Eating food that looks delicious but will surely make us feel sick. For us, that means either Chipotle, or chopped liver with nacho cheese and raisins, frosted and baked in a cupcake tin.

2. Trying to navigate places we've never been to with only a map. If forced to ask for directions, we'll do so in broken English to account for any language barriers we may encounter.

3. Speak broke English to everyone now is good idea in general.

4. Sleeping with ninety blankets and a humidifier. And a sweatshirt.

5. Every once in a while, with no warning, one of us will pour an enormous bucket of water on the other to simulate the monsoon rains.

6. Carrying two months worth of stuff with us wherever we go. And sleeping with our backpacks on. While in a moving vehicle.

7.The rupee is used in pretty high denominations (Rs 45 = 1 USD), so from now until we leave we'll be paying for everything in coins.

8. Bargain practice. The best way to practice for bargaining is by trying to cut a deal with someone who is not trying to cut a deal with you. This can include attempting to negotiate prices at a grocery store, for instance, or simply trying to buy something off of someone who isn't selling anything. ("How much did you pay for that laptop? I'll give you $45 for it. Okay, $50. No deal. No deal. Okay $100 and that's my final offer. Will you accept payment in coins?")

9. In order to get used to people staring at us at all times (which everyone we've spoke to has said, as Americans, is unavoidable) Yotam and I will dress in the most outlandish way possible. It isn't easy standing out in the East Bay, so Yotam will have to wear a sequined navy uniform, and I will wear a dog costume.

10. In addition, since we'll have to get used to changing our clothes less often (or at least, I will... Yotam's already an expert at that) we've decided to wear these aforementioned items daily until we leave. I anticipate that Yotam's professors will think he looks beautiful during his music jury today.


That's all for now, but, yes, welcome to this blog. We're going to do our best to keep it updated during our adventures.