Ten good reasons why you should go to India
India is not exactly everyone’s destination. She’s like a crazy, temperamental lover that you can never understand – yet being with her brings out the person that you never thought you were. When you are together, you learn that rules are meant to be broken, and the most beautiful conversation is said with a smile, rather than an avalanche of words.
Personally, I feel that everyone should go to India. If you hate it on the first try, go again the next time. If you get punched in the eye during the second time, harden your heart and return again. If you still haven’t fallen in love with her on your tenth trip, then I guess, you have the prerogative to stop reading my blog.
Note: If you’re thinking of working in India, the PAN card might come in useful – click here to Apply for a PAN Card.
There are ten great reasons why you should go to India. You may not agree with all, but if any one of them agrees with you, you should pack your bag and hit the airport.
1. Your main goal of travelling is NOT for a massage, shopping for clothes or good food.
If there’s a place that doesn’t have these three things, chances are it’s India. The food in India is somewhat exquisite – you will need hardened taste buds and a little courage. Do take note that a “Delhi Belly” (diarrhea) is very common, so come prepared with rolls of toilet paper.
I love buying books and cheap lip balm there, but there’s really nothing else to shop for. Unless you are looking for a Sari or Salwar Kameez.
2. You are tired of seeing fellow Singaporeans or your own countrymen.
I am not sure about you, but I detest seeing my fellow countrymen during overseas trips. I have no wish to see suaku Singaporeans haggling at bazaars or talking very loudly as if they know the place very well. Since you are paying so much money for the air ticket, why not get an entirely different experience from that at home?
3. You want to get into a fight, but you’re afraid of getting caught.
In most of my experiences with Indian men, there is a higher tendency for them to get into fights. Sorry to generalise, I mean hotblooded young Indians not the mature kind (like you my dear reader). Simply scold his mother, father or girlfriend, and he is bound to make the first move. Duck quickly, and show off those moves you have learnt from National Service (applicable only to Singaporean guys).
Also, cops in India are willing to look away if a high valued rupee note has been tucked into the breast pocket of their uniform.
4. You have a lack of cash but need to travel badly.
Food, accommodation and transportation are very cheap in India, if you don’t mind the lack of comfort. The barest rooms go for under SGD10 a night – (that’s not even a dorm but a full room with a fan and personal toilet). Getting from state to state takes time, but a train ticket that costs less than SGD10 will bring you hundreds of kilometres in sleeper class.
5. You are facing burnout from your job.
Burnouts happen when an activity that stresses you out happens repeatedly. A trip to India will stress you out in different ways, ensuring that you forget most of the unhappiness back at home.
There are some places in India which will allow you to calm yourself down, rest, meditate and think about your next steps.
6. You want an uninterrupted annual leave.
If you hate being bothered by emails and phone calls during your annual leave, tell the office you are going to India. It’s difficult to get a local SIM card there, and there is a common perception that things in India don’t work the way you want them to be. Just like the phones and Wifi connection. 😉
7. You are trying to escape from something or someone.
This has never happened to me but I can assure you that it’s pretty easy to lose yourself in a bustling city like Delhi or Mumbai.
8. You need bragging rights.
If the rest of your peers are always going on about how awesome Europe is, shut them up with talk of India. And your stories will be sure to be more interesting than theirs. : )
9. You have nothing else to do.
If you are unemployed, retired or have too much time on your hands, go to India. India’s the window to the world, and you stand to learn about more things than you ever did, holing up in that small apartment of yours in Singapore.
10. You are searching for love.
India has its fair share of hunks and babes, but let me clarify that “love” doesn’t mean the romantic sort of french kissing and holding hands. When I mean love, it could mean loving a place, country, or a group of random people that touches your heart in many different ways. And that is for you to discover.
Good luck.
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