Some Facts, and Answers to Questions

Namaste and Happy Holidays to all my classmates!  Thank you for your questions.

We are still in Mumbai, and will be leaving for Goa tomorrow.  Mumbai is a big city like Toronto or New York, but it has lots more people.  Goa is not as big and has beautiful beaches.

Here are some answers to your questions and some interesting facts about India:

- India has approximately 1,200,000,000 people or 40 times more people than Canada.

- India has 28 states and 7 union territories.

- the most popular sport in India is Cricket.

- the most common language in India is Hindi, and English is also very common in some parts.

- there are many religions in India including Hindus, Muslims, Catholics, Buddhists, Sikhs.

- Singh is a very common last name in India (mostly in the state of Punjab).

To Maya, the capital city of India in New Delhi which is in the North of India.

To Allan, the President of India is Pranab Mukherjee.  The Prime Minister of India is Manmohan Singh.

To Riley, here is a picture of the India flag:

To Aksel: the beggars use the money for food and water.  Most beggars do not have shelter and sleep on the streets.  We will share pictures soon.

To Arman: there are lots of animals on the streets.  We mostly see dogs and cows everywhere including on the roads.  Cows are sacred to the Hindus and they have a lot of freedom.  Sometimes we see cows walking on the roads and causing traffic jams.  We also see goats and cats near the streets, and we've seen some cool bugs and cockroaches here as well, and we've seen 1 or 2 rats as well.  Also, click here to see a list of Indian state animals.  And finally, here's another fun picture:

To Allan: here are some pictures of Indian money.  In Canada, our money is called Dollars.  In India, money is called Rupees.  55 Indian Rupees is approximately equal to 1 Canadian Dollar.  For the bills shown below, can you count how many Rupees are shown?  How much is this in Canadian Dollars?

For Emma, there are many instruments that are unique to India.  Some common musical instruments are the Sitar and Tabla:

In Mumbai - also known as Bombay

Hello all,

We are settling down in Mumbai but are still jet lagged.
The time difference is almost 12 hours. So right now it is 7:30 am Tuesday while it is about 7 pm Monday evening in Calgary.

The days are hot but the nights cool down but you can still walk around with shorts and a T-shirt.

Mumbai is very crowded. There are lots of people everywhere, lots of traffic and lots of dogs, cats and cows on the streets.

At night, the really poor sleep on the sidewalks. You even see families sleeping on the ground. These people come and beg for food, money and there are even little kids, barefoot, who come and beg while our taxi has stopped at the lights.

We also travel by rickshaws. It is a lot of fun taking these fast little motorbike like cars. I will send you a picture of one. We do not wear any seatbelts here as they don't have any in these cars. So my parents hold onto us very tight.

Last night, we went into town, where some famous Mumbai landmarks are. We went on a horse and carriage. We also went on a few small rides, where the man pulls or pushes up on the ride. These rides are not motorized. We had indian style corn on the cob, and a little girl came and begged so I gave her my corn on the cob - she ate it all.

The food is fresh, and they cook food all over the streets, and indian chai is sold everywhere. You smell the foods cooking all the time. But we cannot eat it. It is not safe for us to eat. You can have a meal on the streets for a family of 4 for less than 3 dollars. (150 rupees). But we have to be very careful with what we eat and where we eat it.

Yesterday, my sister and I had fresh coconut water. The man will even deliver it to your place daily if you want. It is yummy.

My grandfather is also with us. It is his first time in India since he left with his parents and three brothers 64 years ago. They took a boat to Tanzania, East Africa.

Last night, we met my grandfather's first cousin, who lives in Mumbai. This was the first time the two of them have met. It was special for all of us.

My Dad and my grandfather are going to fly to the little town, where my grandfather was born. They are leaving today. My parents do not want us to go as they are worried about the food and water there.

Thanks for your questions. I will send you my answers soon. And I will also send you some pictures.

Write to you soon - Namaste.

My First Blog Post

Hi!  My name is Ilan Rajpar.  I will be in India for the holidays in December 2012 - January 2013, and I will use this blog to write about my experiences in India.  I hope to share lots of photos as well.
 
I am a Grade 3 student at Westmount Charter School in Calgary, Alberta.  Our Grade 3 class blog site can be found here.