No Giant Balloons, Shawls, or Drums PLEASE!

Nisha writing: I also agree with Ian's assessment of Mumbai. Beautiful, clean, and it works. Lest you think that it is a different country from India, below is my experience from yesterday:

When we first arrived to India, we encountered some very ugly Western tourists. Unfortunately, I crossed into this group yesterday.

If you have never been to India or other places where street hawkers are common, you cannot imagine the effect this has. Naturally, your attention is diverted to a person calling out to you. These hawkers are selling useful items like water, lime soda, and taxi rides. They also sell anything from beautiful handicrafts, counterfeit items, and bus tickets. Often the hawkers will call out things you feel compelled as a polite Western tourist to answer like "you like India?", "where are you from?", "what is your name?" Sometimes they will try to help you with directions and actually be trying to sell you a watch. The hawkers will yell at you constantly while you are walking down some streets, often 2 or 3 at a time. Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur were the worst. There the hawkers seemed very unscrupulous, whether they were or not. Occasionally they will follow you for blocks holding items you wouldn't want even if it were free. After a few days of this, you get used to it and start to completely ignore the hoards of people vying for my attention (and therefore money). It is really hard when it is a child. Never would I want to be rude to a child who is innocently curious about the large white Westerner and wants to practice English. These kids are a delight to talk with. However, kids are also employed by hawkers and will use their cuteness to get your attention as well (by the way, I read in the paper that India would finally become more strict enforcing the child labor laws that were put on the books in the 1980s, finally!).

After trying to find some shoes from sellers on the street in the rain, I had been asked for the 1000th time that day if I wanted to buy a drum or pashmina shawl (there is not real pashmina sold on the street). The sad thing is, I actually like the drums and shawls and would buy both if my backpack weren't already nearly 25 pounds. There is also no way to express my true sentiment - I truly like their products and respect their right to sell me goods on the street since this is their livelihood, but I am not interested in their goods presently. Instead they follow you, yelling incessantly, and will keep dropping the price you until you have to say something like "even if it were free I don't want a drum/puppet/electric shaver (I kid you not)." The hawkers are the worst in Jaipur where I was accosted while getting into a rickshaw with a man screeching, "look, these puppets! heads wooden! 100 for 2, 50 for 2...." He threw the puppets on my lap and started banging the head together to prove they were wooden. Even if I had any inkling of wanting a puppet before this incident, I certainly don't want one with a face of chipped paint. While we drove off he yelled, "OK, 20 rupees for 2!!!" (50 cents for 2 beautiful handmade puppets).

Then yesterday, this guy asked me if I want a giant balloon. These are nothing like balloons you have ever seen. Fully inflated, they are about 12 feet long. Did I look like I needed a giant balloon in the rain? My patience for ridiculous Indian street salesman wore thin and I yelled to him "No, I don't want a giant balloon, shawl, or a drum!!" Immediately I felt remorse for this. However, later in the night he saw me again and before starting in his speech said instead "oh yes, no giant balloon, shawl, or drum." At last...

- Nisha