so, again these are being posted after i got back due to internet troble. now, I am very tall, Irish, and have a red beard. this is not normal for India. also im still not good at titles.

This is a bit of an odd topic, but the amount that Americans stand out here is staggering. In the USA unless you’re on fire most people don’t pay attention to you. I am rather tall, with a red beard. People took pitchers of or with me in the streets, some waved hello, others gave dirty looks. India has a large population, of mostly Indian people. Some of the people we crossed paths with either could not comprehend someone of fair skin was around, or that I had some sort of disorder.
I find it very strange to be stared at, and in fact dislike it heavily. It did not help that our bus had a large tourist sing on it, so pan handlers would come up and ask for money for nick knacks or whatever. I will say I don’t mind tipping someone who has done a good job, but I was harassed by workers because they knew that to be here I needed some capital. One of the guys, who was trying to sell me some sort of elephant figurine insisted that I had cash after I told him I did not. I wanted him to go away, but I am very bad at this. When the Indian students are around this happens a lot less. I believe that because we are fourin, they try to tack advantage of us. For instance the car ride to the hotel I currently sit in at an airport was told to be a 15 rupee ride by the coordinator however many of the rickshaws where trying to gorge us at 350. I don’t think if they think we are stupid or jest exploitable. I think my concern for people puts me as a target for this, as I was asked it far more than others on the trip. I think it is because I talk to people if thay ask something rather then immediately dismissing them.
I will however say, no matter where in the world I am, I cannot stand bathroom attendance. I’ve come across a few in India and they are just as bad. They go into a bathroom, pull out all the tissue paper and black the door until you give them money. Many seem to not speak English ether but fully understand you if you produce cash.
I would feel bad about the panhandlers too if we were not told that the poor here are given free school, clothing, and supply’s if they send their children to education. I fell very badly for these kids that are pan handling on the side of the road, but handing them cash will only further the problem.
Someone tried to pick my pocket in the Taj mahal in fact, however I keep my wallet in side pockets, and thus they ended up jest grabbing my ass for about 3 very confusing seconds. The crowd would not let me turn around to see who, and they were jest a face in the crowd after.
My trip had very few issues with interacting with the local people once we were with the Indian students. I think this is partly in due to the fact that English is a second language here, and we speak much faster than some can understand. I am paranoid of crowds, but this had made me appreciate how much space Boston people give one another.