August 18, 2009

Hi All,

TRANSPORTATION (first 3 pictures) The buses don't really stop, they just slow down and people hop on and off. In some cases, there isn't really room, so they just "hang on". The 3-wheeler (also called auto rickshaw or meter taxi) seems to be the most common. Again, in this picture, people are crammed in. This is the vehicle that carried 7 children to and from school every day. The motor cycle (called 2 wheeler) is blurry but shows a family with the kid in front, dad driving and mom with purchases in back. I have seen mom, dad and three kids on one bike a few times. The last pix is of a typical shopping market in a big city of 4 million people. We bought 2 pomegranates for about $0.60. We wish we could figure out how to get them home!
EDUCATION Today, when we arrived at the college in Hyderabad for Chuck's lecture, the gate was locked. Students who had arrived late were waiting outside. They could not enter until the start of the next class. Attendance is taken. They go to class from 9-5 daily. At most colleges, students wear uniforms. "Girls" sit on one side of the classroom and "Gents" on the other. Students stand when their professor enters the classroom. Kids start school at age 3. They all wear uniforms, but not all wear shoes. The schools are regimented by our standards. Children stand in lines, at attention to listen to announcements, practice dances, go into their classes, etc.
Yesterday, we went to the Birla (Hindu) Temple. We have never seen so much white marble in our lives. The sculptures and lattice work was most beautiful. There were sculptures and verses from Confucius, Judaism, and Christianity in keeping with Hindu acceptance of other religions.
Hyderabad has many Muslims. There are many women dressed in black with only a slit for their eyes. The Muslim men wear western clothes just like most men in India.
We met a women and her children at a Hyderabad restaurant. She speaks excellent American English since she works for a call center. She invited us for dinner at her house tonight. We are going to take a 3-wheeler to her house. Experiences like this are how we are seeing India.

Off to Dehli tomorrow morning for our last leg. We are still really enjoying this experience of a life time, but miss you all and can't wait to talk to you when we get back. Thanks for the emails.

Love Chuck and Jan