India at a glance
Many westerners think of India as a distant, crowded place, only interacted with on the occasional call to tech support. In reality, India is the world’s largest democracy, developing rapidly, and offering westerners unlimited opportunity and a high quality of living. India is a fascinating country, rich in tradition stemming from having one of of the oldest civilizations, contrasted with modern tech centers like Hyderabad and Bangalore. India is a true potpourri of cultures and races, with dozens of languages across the sub-continent. Tourists are sure to visit the Taj-Mahal, but other popular attractions include the Himalaya mountains and the beaches and casinos of Goa (a former Portuguese colony). Cuisine in India is certainly influenced by India’s varied cornucopia of foods, but western food is also highly available due to the large expatriate community in the large cities. While there American brands like McDonalds are widespread, India is famously the only country where you can’t get a beef hamburger due to the cow’s sacred status in the Hindu religion. Western palates are fully accounted for in other venues, and there is no shortage of shopping malls with stores that cater to western taste.
People and Culture
India is composed mostly of people of Indo-Aryan, with the rest diversified into numerous other groupings. Most Indians practice Hinduism as their religion, although there are also many practicing Islam Sikhism and Christianity. While Hindi is the official language, English is widely spoken, making it easy for tourists and expatriates to converse and get around the country.
Indians are widely known as friendly people with great minds – 30% of university students graduate with engineering degrees compared to just 4% in the United States. Compared to Western norms, Indians are generally very polite, especially in social functions and parties. Indians culture also places high value on hospitality and kindness.
