Wow! We are surely in India...

What a way to travel! One major thing we are learning about this world is that it is HUGE. It took us 13.5 hours to get to Taipae, 6.5 hours to get to Delhi, and after some major travel plan changes, 4.5 hours to get to Chandigarh via car! This does not include about 10 hours of layovers that we spent in airports. Needless to say, when we got in we were beat.

Here’s a run-down of things we have seen and experienced along the way:

1. 1. We landed in Delhi and realized that we were definitely not in Kansas anymore. We went through customs without any problems. We were then stalked by taxi drivers for a ride to Chandigarh.

1. 2. We had to wait in the domestic lounge for our shuttle to come for about 2 hours. Workers watching the Ballywood production with a woman singing.

1. 3. We then boarded a hot bus that had no airconditioning to get to the domestic terminal.

1. 4. Got to terminal and everyone tried to help. Didn’t know who was helping or trying to take advantage.

1. 5. No one knew our airline. MDLR. Found a small ticket counter and it was our airline. Checked baggage.

1. 6. Went through screening process. Everyone came up and went ahead of us. They all cut in line and we couldn’t figure out how to eventually get to the front of the line. We are so formal in the US with lines. Here you have to fight and claw to get to the front. That having been said, no one is mad at anyone when they are getting cut in front of.

1. 7. Ate at McDonalds. There were no hamburgers! They don’t eat cows needless to say.

1. 8. I went to the counter to order and there were a few old men standing in front of the register. I politely stood behind them thinking they were in line. I then saw a college aged student come up and just place an order. He then turned to me and told me that those men were not in the line. I then went to the front and tried to order. Just as I started, a woman walked up and cut right in front of me and ordered. The guy taking orders was kind of chuckling as this happened as he knew that I had no idea how to get to the front and order. The lady then politely said sorry and FINISHED her order! I then jumped up to the counter as a young kid jumped in front of me and I just belted out my order quickly and the guy took it. This is so different for us. But you must realize that they don’t feel like they are cutting at all. This is just the way it is. So for us, we get mad, for them, they are wondering why we might be mad.

1. 9. Tried to find our gate. There was no information on our flight on the monitors. We kept asking people what was going on? No on knew. This was not good.

1. 10. Figured it out and then heard that the flight was delayed. There was no visibility because of a dust storm.

1. 11. Waited for 4 hours and then they told us that the flight was cancelled!

1. 12. Called Simar and he was waiting for us at the airport where we were supposed to meet him. He called and got us a taxi.

1. 13. The driver was about 25 years old and one amazing driver.

1. 14. Simar kept calling us on the driver’s phone (he spoke no English) and asking us if we were comfortable.

1. 15. Drove through the city and we were amazed! We now understood why they cut in line; they do it on the road all the time. There were about 10 vehicles of one type or another on a two-lane road. All were mircro-inches apart. We saw rickashaws, motor rickashaws, motorcycles, cars, busses, horse-drawn carriages, and bikes. Saw a guy with a gal on the back of his motorcycle and she was not even holding on! She was talking on her cell and not even looking concerned. Then we saw a family on a motorcycle, a man, woman and a small kid up on the front gas tank. We then saw a bicycle with a family of four on it! Amazing.

1. 16. We wondered at first why it would take us 4-5 hours to get to Chanidgarh. Now we knew once we were on the road and fighting it out with the traffic. There were smells, sights and experiences that we could not believe. It was very dusty and there were tons of people out and about on a Sunday night.

1. 17. Busses did not stop, they just slowed and people jumped off!

1. 18. Saw people crossing the road with children in tow. I would never attempt to cross any of these streets by myself.

1. 19. Signals mean nothing, they are just for a slight suggestion. People just run them and if you don’t you won’t go anywhere.

1. 20. Cars and trucks were traveling on the road in both directions. If there was not on-coming traffic, they would go into the opposing lane. The game of chicken looks like child’s play here.

1. 21. Our driver stops, puts his hand to his throat and then goes into a shanty type restaurant. We figured we were either being set up or he was going to eat. Luckily he ate dinner while we just waited in the car.

1. 22. During his dinner, we were watching three kids trying to secure a light pole that was blowing around and about to fall on a car. They fussed with it for about 10 minutes and then gave up. Dad could not believe it and thought that the pole was surely going to fall. Everything here looks like that; like it is in the middle of getting fixed or secured, but on the verge of collapse.

1. 23. A huge dust storm blew in and inundated everything. They people in the restaurant, which was open to the storm, just hunkered down and kept eating. Amazing. We then saw an older gentleman walk by our car in traditional clothing. He went behind our car about 10 feet and then did a kimchee squat and pulled his robes over his face. He was just waiting the storm out! We were laughing about it. This was just normal for him! As he was crouched down, we saw a misc. cow walk by. No one owns it, it just does what it wants when it wants…crazy for us to think about. No fences…just let them roam in the cities.

1. 24. Road was being worked on, but could not tell if they were really working on them, or if the project had been abandoned.

1. 25. We saw about 600+ (no exaggeration) incidents that would illicit extreme road rage in America. It was amazing to us that we only saw two other drivers show any emotion or anger. But it was really mild emotion at best. We realized that you HAD To cut off people and drive like a maniac to survive. It was so normal, that no one got mad really.

1. 26. Storm came, driver just kept going in very low visibility.

1. 27. At one point, there was a single lane road with curbs on either side about 1.5 feet high. Our driver came up on 4 trucks and came within inches of their rear bumper. He started honking and blinking his bright lights. It was impossible to make a pass; at least it seemed that way to Dad and I. He went to the side and scraped his wheels against the curb and with about 2 inches to spare on the side of the trucks, passed them all. This was the most amazing thing I have ever seen.

1. 28. Got into Chandigarh and saw our first roundabouts. Here, you just barrel into them at speed and people either get out of your way or you get out of theirs. We still don’t see how this really works, but we almost hit countless cars, bikes, motorcycles, etc. Truly amazing.

1. 29. We got to the hotel and were really impressed. It is clean and nice and very good. Simar tells us that this is where the Ballywood stars and diplomats stay. His wife Baljeet and their friend Sonia were amazed that they were able to eat lunch with us here and spend some time here. They insisted that they come up to our room and check out the accommodations. They loved it.

1. 30. Simar and the gang presented us with clothing. They gave me a great jacket and the kids and Jen something as well. They could not figure out what to get Dad, now known as “uncle”, so they got him a bolt of cloth that he could use to make a suit. We may go and have it made here and then shipped back. They thought that a tailor in the US could do it, but we had to explain that we did not make suits that way there and to boot we don’t know how to make the traditional clothing!

1. 31. We were supposed to meet Simar at our hotel at 9:30AM to meet with Daniel. He got there at 10:15 and then we went to the office (his uncles house). After we got to the office, they tried to set up a Skype session and struggled with it. We finally got Daniel on the phone and Daniel was able to go through his presentation. They liked it and thought that Daniel was a guru of programming and tools. Daniel is really going to bring them up a few notches. Thanks Daniel!

1. 32. We had great meetings yesterday and had a great time with the team. Once we started talking business, it went very well and they were on their A game.

1. 33. Today we go to Shimla and then tomorrow it is Simar’s Native Place. Simar is warning us that it is nothing like here (which he considers modern). We are in for a big adventure…