Bangalore -- Visible differences

The food in India while at home is definitely more different than is the food in the US, however eating out the food is much more similar. At home meals are often served in several courses: the first course is served with wheat or flour, the second course is with rice, and the third course is with curd (yogurt). At home, I am more likely than not eating the meal with my hands instead of a spoon/fork … even with foods that probably should not be eaten with you fingers such as yogurt. Outside of the homes, restaurants and pubs — or at least the restaurants and pubs I have visited — are very Americanized. Pizza, pasta, french fries, burgers, and so on are all served on the menu. In those style of places I would eat with a spoon/fork and have a traditional one course American styled meal. In terms of clothes, their is a rift between upper/middle and lower class Indians. Upper/middle class Indians tend to wear clothes that are the same as what you would see in the US. Some differences do exist, for example shorts are not really uncommon and athletic shorts are especially not appropriate for being outside of the home. Lower class men traditionally wear Kurtas which are kinda similar to what I would consider a skirt. The women of all classes (with the exception of the most Americanized families) wear saris. Grooming is something that men love to do, fancy styled mustaches and well groomed beards are some of the hottest styles on the streets. Religion in India is greatly variable. As one walks down the street it is not uncommon to see Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, and Christians (albeit Zorastrianism, Judaism, and Buddhism is also seen). In that sense, religion is a way communities form in India and each individual community forms its owns mores and values. The quality of infrastructure is definitely poor in India, at least in comparison to the US. Many people are frustrated with the problem and do desire for better infrastructure however without enough money for the Indian government to spend. As the country rapidly urbanizes though, India looks outward towards the Global North as a place from whence foreign capital will come. Many people in India do no have cars due to their high expense. Instead, most people get around in a two wheeler, auto rickshaws, or depend on a very weak public transportation system. Technology wise, everyone has a cellphone even if they do not have anything else. TVs are also common amongst everyone, though computers are available to only the wealthiest.