Bodily Functions and Flirting

Here is a culture story for all of you back home!  First, the story.  Then, some cultural notes to shed some light on why this was blogworthy. 🙂

STORY TIME!!!

  This wonderful team of 21 girls is split into two groups of about 10 girls each. The team that I am on goes to dinner twice a week just to get away and build team unity.  This usually consist of invading a local food establishment, ordering some food, prayer, deep talks about anything and everything (Legit: one of my team leaders warned us about constant talks about bodily functions……..I joined in on the conversation 2 days after arriving in India).  After our dinner, six members of our team headed back to our place of residence while here.  Two of our teammates, REALLY needed to use the bathroom!  Quickly, we grabbed a tuk tuk and crammed six of us into this vehicle.  Six white American girls in long skirts and baggy t-shirts in this vehicle (explained in cultural notes)

   On the way back,  I was sitting on a small bar, holding on to another small bar for dear life that I might not fall off the tuk tuk and onto the highway.  This would mean that in about 2.5 seconds after falling out of the tuk tuk, I would have been hit by yet another vehicle (Going which direction?  Who knows!   India does not give specifics like that!), three of my teammates were crammed in the backseat.   Our last two teammates sandwiched out gracious driver in the front.  (The image is nothing that I can do a decent job trying to explain in a blog).

   In the front, one of our teammate members thought that our driver was going too slow to accomacadate the needs of our bathroom needing teammates.  While he was stopped for most likely 5 seconds (for India, that is a LONG time since apparently, brakes are near illegal as well) she pointed around another vehicle and said something along the lines of "Move faster!"  Since our driver was getting a good amount of money from this drive, he listened to her.  At this point in time, our team is cracking up and there seems to be no sign of stopping anytime soon.

    Shortly thereafter, the same teammate asked if the teammate on the other side of the driver (who also really needs to go to the bathroom) can honk the horn on the tuk tuk.  He smiled, said yes, and our teammate honked the horn of the vehicle.  After many more laughs, numerous jokes, and too many smiles to count, we FINALLY arrived to our final stop.  Our two teammates who needed to use the restroom, made it within the nick of  time! 😀

    Now our team has a goal that everyone honks the horn at least once (I think we're at 4 (I just honked the horn today!!!!!)), and maybe some other crazy fun adventures.

CULTURAL NOTES

• Bathrooms:  Unless you bring some with you, there is no toilet paper.  Sometimes you might be doing a squatty potty (due to lack of toilets and running water).  If you have no toilet paper, your hand (usually your left) now becomes your toilet paper.
• Women:  Women here do not have a very good standing in society.  American women are seen as very "loose" here in India.  Looking a man in the eyes and smiling is just as equivalent as to showing your cleavage in America in a flirting manner.  We have joked about being engaged or dating numerous men while here.  Nothing bad has happened, I promise.  This has been frustrating some days but we weren't sure what exactly the tuk tuk driver was thinking about while driving the six of us home.
• Tuk Tuk: Imagine a tricycle.  Next, add the function and look of a taxi in America's society. Then add the adventurous side/lack of doors of a Jeep Rangler.  Finally, add the steering of a golf cart!:)

I hope this gives you a taste of my crazy/wonderful life in India!