One thing that I have really noticed in the past three weeks is the large number of western (western as in Americas/Western Europe, not Wild West ;) ) businesses there are here. American fast food- KFC, Mcdonalds, Taco Bell, Subway, Dominoes, Pizza Hut, California Pizza, California Burrito-to name a few, are dotting the city. I can go to the mall and shop at Sephora, The Body Shop, or H&M. Grocery shopping includes Barilla pasta, Lays, and Coke products. Many people drive Fiats or any one of the German car brands. I could go on; Western culture has reached India and is here to stay. The interesting note about this is not only the prevalence of these western establishments, but how they have all adapted to survive in a country with a very different economy, set of standards, and cultural norms. A few examples below:
1. Fast food: Indian people are vegetarian at a much higher rate than in the US, where these fast food chains originated. Vegetarianism is taken very seriously here; the tools and surfaces used to make food are separated by 'veg' and 'non-veg'. Even the microwaves at my office are so. The fast food chains have taken note of this and offer an extensive selection of vegetarian options. Even KFC, whose entire model is around chicken has several vegetarian sandwiches on the menu. You can get paneer (a type of cheese) on just about anything here-paneer burritoes from California Burrito are actually pretty good.
2. The prices: the cost of living in India is significantly lower than at home. I can grab a kitkat from the vending machine for 20 rupee (about 30 cents). A bottle of Fanta or Sprite is 35 rupee. Sandwiches at subway are the equivalent of $2-3. I don't know what I going to do when I get back to SLC and pay $10 for lunch every day. I rarely spend $5 on food for a whole day here.
3. The adjustment to Indian needs: in my previous post, I had a picture of the hair dye section at the local grocery store. Many American brands are offered, but tailored to the audience. Since the Indian race is typcially dark skinned and haired, blonde dye isn't necessary. I also bought Tide at the grocery store the other day. I have a few items of clothing that I don't want to give to my hotel laundry service to wash, so I do it in the tub; this is not at all an issue here, as washing things by hand is normal and detergent is made to be used in a bucket (also, a decent sized package of Tide detergent was only about 75 cents - can I take it home?!)
So, there you have it. India has embraced Western culture, but in a uniquiely Indian way. It has been fascinating to watch and learn about. More to come!
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