First day in India

The night after Singapore we arrived in Delhi International Airport. And it is sad to say that it was my first taste of India. I would hate for anyone who has never been there to have the Delhi Airport as the first taste. It is cramped and dirty and not very well organized (though I must admit that all the airports get your baggage to you much faster than anywhere in the US). Once we got out of the terminal and to Sridhar mama (uncle) the rest of the ride home was smooth and comfortable- as long as you ignore the ridiculous thing they do on the streets that they call driving. I will have a short discourse on that later.
The next day we woke up nice and early, had sambar and idli if I remember right and went touring. We started off with the Humayun Tomb (as shown). There is a nice long mythological/historical story to this place as well and you can wiki it if you'd like. But, my brother, father, uncle, and I walked around here through the sultry weather. Once we finished we went back to our driver and he took us to India gate and the Parliament house. The India gate is exactly as it looks on tv and movies, I didn't find it that great. But the Parliament house was comparable to Britian's, or what I can remember of it. It far surpasses the White House and is a impressive view for all visitors.
Then I had an eye opening experiance, one I never expected, "McDonald's". I knew it was everywhere and I knew it was in India. But it was amazing how well they adapted to India. From the food, pretty much beef patties switched out with potato patties and fake mexican wraps, to the way they treat customers, cutting in front of them to the bathroom and seemingly shrugging them off as they give their orders. One instance that captures one cultural difference in India is the concept of personal space. As my uncle was in line to order, the man behind him - who had no one behind him- crowded my uncle and almost had his chin over his shoulder to look at the menu. Instead of taking one step back or to the sides he had to get as close as possible for absolutely no reason. Seeing how my uncle was unaffected by it, I take it as a common place idea that they beleive. But overall, I must admit I like McDonald's there so much more than here, it just tastes better.
Then, in the evening we picked up Tarun (cousin) and Kavita atha (aunt) and went shopping. I ended up getting the only t-shirt I would buy in India and it was expensive, though good quality. Here I also noted differences of lifestyles for different income ranges. For example, my aunt bought her son a balloon for a minimal 5 rupees. Now, imagine the child who was holding it on the street corner. If he sold and average of 2 an hour throughout the 16 hours he was awake he would make 70 rupees on the day, that's a little less than 2 dollars a day, not including the cost of goods. Then again costs of food/housing there are quite different. but seeing those two very different lifestyles so close in contact is interesting to see. There is much more to talk about on this issue, but I'll leave that to another discourse of mine.