Have you traveled to India? These everyday anecdotes from a tourist's life in the subcontinent will likely bring back a few memories…

The Joys of the Rickshaw

When you first arrive in India, taking a rickshaw is quite a pleasant experience. The pre-ride negotiation is charming, the journey refreshing—if you overlook the CO2 you're inhaling—and arriving at exactly where you intended is a luxury for us Westerners. But sometimes the rickshaw wallah, nodding with conviction when you give him your destination, has no idea where you're actually trying to go. With an air of confidence, he drops you off, pockets your money, and when you question him, swears the place you're looking for is right there. Prepare for lengthy wanderings through the city.

The Common Cold

You've followed all the guidebook advice about India and packed a solid first-aid kit. Traveler's diarrhea no longer frightens you and you're ready to face malaria. But thanks to the temperature swings caused by ambient heat and air conditioning, you catch the cold of your life. No matter how hard you search through the sixty boxes of medicines you conscientiously brought to India, there's not a single throat lozenge among them.

Stray Dogs

During the day, they curl up in balls along the roadsides. They're tormented by a few local kids and adopt a sheepish demeanor. But come evening, they transform. The night belongs to them and woe to any human who dares approach them. With growls to match, these creatures flash their teeth and sometimes decide to block your path. Charming.

Festivities

Indians love to celebrate. It's not uncommon to stumble upon a hundred people going wild in the streets, celebrating a wedding, or to enjoy firecrackers and fireworks set off by neighborhood kids at nightfall. Sometimes, right outside your window, a brass band comes by to enliven the street. At 5 in the morning.

The Golden Rule

Disaster! In an unfamiliar city, you've forgotten your guidebook and it's mealtime. What to do? Rule number 1: follow the Indians. Rather than judge by the place's appearance, look at how many locals are eating there. The walls may be crumbling and the stools a bit rigid, but the thali is excellent and generous for just 30 rupees (45 euro cents).

Honest

After a shopping spree through Rajasthan, seeing shawls offered at 1,500 rupees (22 euros), you decide to do your last-minute shopping in a New Delhi market. A scarf catches your eye. "Seventy-five", the vendor proposes. Understanding 750 rupees, you counter with 200. "No, seventy-five, I said", he replies, writing "75" in a small notebook. Surprised by the price and, more importantly, by the merchant's unwavering honesty, you leave with five scarves, three kurtas, a rug, and two tablecloths. In the end, instead of the 200 rupees you'd initially planned to spend, you've spent over 1,500.

Service With a Smile

In India, everything is deliverable. Groceries, laundry pressed and folded, food. You can order pizza, but also fine dining from an upscale restaurant. You might order just a sandwich for 50 rupees (70 euro cents) or have McDonald's brought to your door. It's enough to make you lazy. But sometimes the pizza never arrives. Or it shows up at teatime. Such are the risks of comfort.

Bollywood

Excited, you've bought tickets for the latest Bollywood blockbuster at the city's multiplex. The film barely starts when cries erupt from the audience. You'll have to accept it: here children accompany their parents to the cinema regardless of the film's content. At best, the little one will have to sit through 3 hours of incomprehensible film and express his displeasure to 400 other viewers. At worst, the parents brought their 5-year-old to see Ghajini, which features some twenty murders more or less graphically depicted in a thoroughly eerie atmosphere...

The Head Wobble

Sitting on a train platform, you ask a uniformed man if the train is indeed departing at 11 a.m., as scheduled. He answers neither yes nor no, but executes a meaningful head wobble that suggests the answer is yes. Noon arrives and you're still sitting on the platform.