In love with:

Hookah
After chai, smoking hookah is the runner-up in the competition for the world’s most addictive activity (for me, anyway). It’s really relaxing, and it’s a great social lubricant. Plus, it is much less harmful than smoking cigarettes or any other substances. I bought the pipe in Mumbai, and coals and tobacco in Delhi. I really didn’t think I’d succeed setting it up all by myself. Even when pros do it, the smoke often hits the throat, and that’s just not pleasant. So, it was a surprise to me that my hookah tasted great on the first attempt! Now it’s just a matter of telling myself: “everything is good in moderation”!

Young boys touching women’s feet
I think it’s one of the most adorable traditions! All adolescent boys and young men do it in their inquiry for a blessing. They go up to an older woman every time they greet her or say goodbye and quickly touch one of her feet. I wish I was allowed to ask for blessings in the same fashion, but unfortunately, girls are not supposed to do that because feet are considered dirty. Girls can only touch feet of their in-laws, which I have not acquired as of yet. So no free blessing for me!

Women’s clothing
Most Indian ladies living in the urban centers wear a kurta (a long top) over a pair of kameez (baggy pants) decorated with a long scarf that hangs on the backside. In more rural areas, women still wear saris. The bright colours and intricate designs of both outfits are always perfectly matched into a manifestation of femininity. Honestly, if I could wear Indian clothes in Canada, I would be absolutely delighted! But then I’ll probably be put into an asylum as well, which is not my priority destination at this moment. So, perhaps, for now, I’ll just stick to the depressive, but accepted by North American society, greys, browns, blacks, and other pitiful neutrals. I’ll just throw a yellow scarf over top and stick a dandelion in my hair as a statement of rebellion!

Men signing or humming any time they get a chance
They sing while cooking, washing dishes, driving a rickshaw, or doing anything that doesn’t require talking. And even when they talk, it often sounds like they are singing. It just puts a big smile on my face! I wish everyone was comfortable enough to sing whatever is on their mind (well, maybe not ‘whatever’…some censorship would be nice). That would at least justify my urge to showcase a raspy voice paired up with a complete absence of musicality.