First Explorations!

Over the last few days, I have been able to start exploring my neighborhood. The street where my apartment is located is lined with clothing shops, food shops, restaurants, and lots of and lots of honking vehicles.

Let me start with the honking and traffic. For those of you that are familiar with Indian traffic, you know exactly what I talking about! The streets are packed with cars, buses, motorcycles, rickshaws, bikes, and any other mode of transportation you can think of. I have learned very quickly that the lines in the street mean very little, maneuvering around car after car is a true skill, and there can never be enough honking. It's Chicago on steroids. I mean lots of steroids. I've also noticed that use of traffic signs and signals are basically non-existent. This means that crossing the street can be very difficult. It is exactly like the game Frogger dodging vehicle after vehicle to safely get from one side of the street to another. So, imagine me semi-screaming and semi-running from street corner to street corner. I bet my Mom feels much better about getting me that Nintendo years ago. See, video games can be useful.

Aside from the traffic, traveling on foot isn't entirely easy because there aren't many paved sidewalks. You have to watch very carefully as you walk or you risk taking a tumble into the dirt. Luckily, I have avoided a complete face plant, but have had a few close calls. I am learning quickly. I am sure the people that watch me cross the street, then proceed to fall walking are very impressed by my American ways.

I have wandered into a few of the clothing shops, which are very similar to American clothing stores. Guess, Wrangler, Levi, and United Colors of Benetton. The Food shops on the other hand are not very similar to American stores. I say food shop, because I am not sure exactly what to call them, possibly a convenient store. They are much smaller than the Super Targets I am used to and don't necessarily prioritize organization or instocks. I am still able to get a few things at these shops, but they carry very different types of grocery products, which will take some time to get used to.

I have only eaten at one of the restaurants, but plan to try quite a few more. As I continue to explore my neighborhood and Bangalore, I am sure I will have much more to share.