So many people, such loud horns! Hello India!

Kolcata, India
We arrived today. WOW! It has been such an adventure just getting off the plane to this internet cafe, i'm overwhelmed by it all...i think!
i'm not sure what i am, i just can't stop giggling and laughing! Seems to be the response to all this. Not a bad response eh?
Right now i'm sitting in this internet cafe, paying under 50cents an hour, full of delicious vegetarian food from a punjab restaurant - garlic naan, dal with vegetable, rice, salty lassi (yogurt drink), black tea, and large bottle water = ~2CAD, face sticky with pollution grime, key in my pocket to a guesthouse that is currently lit by candles, a piercing horn blasting literally every 6 seconds (sometimes it actually seems like a cartoon world of horn competitions, "meep" "Bleep" "oh ya? meep meep" "BLEEEEEP" "meep meep meeeeeep"), and a delightful guy next to me that laughs as much as i do right now...i told him it was -20C at home today and he wide eyed responded, "whoa minus 20, you will all look like..oh how is it?..that (arms held out wide during this)...{hindi hindi hindi}...snowman! you will all look like snowmen walking around! no good for here!" (apply delightful indian accent).

and this giggle in my chest just keeps on buzzing within!

There are so many people here! everything is happening out on the street...cooking, selling, construction, sleeping, living, washing, brushing, feeding, watching, sitting, cleaning, peeing...i'd never seen an outdoor public area urinal before, just a 3 wall cubicle with 2 foot pads and the ground between to pee on. everything is out in the open here.
people don't seem to smile unless necessary either, but it doesn't seem at all rude..it's just how it is. no false fronts. smile when you want. Kind of refreshing really!

Our entry into the country, while adventurous and perhaps overwhelming (in a good way..i was in fact looking forward to the shock!), has been absolutely splendid overall, as several people have gone well out of their way to help us. Much like my trip to Turkey 3 years ago, I feel carried around by people and cared for. As though everyone is looking out for me until I figure out this foreign system.
One man helped us figure out the public bus, fresh from the airport. He got on with us and told us many helpful hints...i started to wonder if he would asked to be paid, but he soon said, "okay good luck and enjoy my beautiful India! this is my stop, goodbye".
Right after he left, our bench sitting neighbour piped up and, speaking excellent english, answered all kinds of questions, taught us 'thank you, yes, and no', told us good food to eat etc. then gave us his phone number and invited us for dinner on sunday, his one day off, and offered to take us to a temple earlier in the day. 'Just call! and call if you have ANY troubles in Kolcata, Any at all.' and then he jumped off at his stop.
A wonderful first impression!

the horns however, could drive anyone crazy.

and there are ALOT of people here!

so those are my first thoughts here, after a mere 5 hours in the country. Many more stories to follow!

so much love.
lauren