What You've Asked...Or Are Probably Wondering

I think about 5% of people I know are either familiar with, have been to, or are from India. For the other 95% of you, here are the answers to all your curious questions you keep asking!

First of all, India is HUGE (look at the map comparing the US and India's area!). I am in Mumbai (Bombay).  

Facts About Mumbai:
1) It is India's largest (and richest) city and the 5th largest city in the world
2) It is "modern and old-fashioned, rich and poor, beautiful and ugly- all of India concentrated in one metropolis" -Fodor's: India
3) The population density is 20,500 per sq. km (Manhattan's population density is 27,000 per sq km.)- VERY CROWDED

FAQ's

1. Where do you live?
• I'm in Mumbai, Maharashtra which is on a peninsula on the west coast of India, facing the Arabian Sea. I am not in the heart of the city though, I'm living in Powai, suburbs right outside the city.
2. Is it Mumbai or Bombay?
• Everyone calls the city both names. I read that the right-wing Hindu nationalist party Shiv Sena won elections in the state of Maharashtra and took control of the state assembly. Their leader argued that "Bombay" was a corrupted English version of "Mumbai" and an unwanted legacy of British colonial rule. So they renamed the city in 1995 after the Hindu goddess Mumbadevi, the city's patron deity.
3. Have you visited Delhi yet?
• No, it is a 20 hour drive (which I won't be doing!) or a 1.5 hour flight, so we haven't had a chance to go yet. Luckily, Arshiya (my company) is planning a 7 day trip to Delhi at the end of June, so I will get to travel to all the places in Delhi I've been wanting to see very soon!
4. Do they shake hands?
• Yes, in the office. Otherwise, most people say "namaste" with a head nod (I feel like I'm at yoga) which means hello.
5. Do you have to act any differently there around certain people?
• Everyone is treated the same as far as I can tell, especially at work. However, when we are on the streets, women are advised not to make eye contact and smile at men (obviously) because we don't want to give off an invitation! I also I have to act uninterested around hawkers and beggars, but this can be especially difficult when little kids are asking for food and money.
6. Do they have American TV channels?
• I'm not really a TV expert since I barely watch TV at home! There are a lot of Indian channels on the TVs in our apartment that aren't in English, but there is also VH1 India (all American music videos) and American movie channels. I usually just watch those channels. If you want to get the news, you have to watch it online.
7. What are some easy words you have learned?
• Namaste: hello, Dal: lentils, Dahi: yogurt....umm is it bad that's all I know off the top of my head?! I can't pronounce anything correctly anyways. Its really hard to understand people sometimes because of their accent, so its best to have them write it down. Most people at work, stores and restaurants speak English, so we usually figure it out.
8. What is there language called?
• The official language is Hindi and English is the secondary official language. 
9. Are most people religious and how/where/when do they worship?
• The Indian people are free to follow any religion- 80% practice Hinduism, 13.45% Islam, 2.35% Christianity, and 1.94% Sikhism. I haven't been to any places of worship yet, but every morning when we come into the office it smells like incense. There is a special corner on our floor at the office with pictures of gods and flowers, and every morning they light the incense. Many people pray when they walk into the office in the morning and when they leave in the evening. Also, 1/3 of Indians are vegetarians mostly for religious reasons.
10. When you want a second helping of food, why do they try to serve it to you?
• We have been wondering this every time we go out the waiters insist that they serve us more food every time we try to help ourselves. The old fashioned reason is that serving yourself is considered polluting the food if you try to help yourself because you have already been eating with your "food-contaminated" hands. For the most part, they just want to give you good service.
11. Do they have dots on their foreheads and what does it mean?
• This dot is called a "bindi" and is a forehead decoration. Traditionally it was a red or maroon colored dot, but many women also wear jewels and other colors and shapes. Now they have stick on bindis too! They aren't as fashionable to younger generations but are worn on special occasions. There are a lot of interpretations. It is known to be mark that enhances beauty. It is placed in between the eyebrows, known as the seat of wisdom. It is also believed to be the exit point for coiled energy, so the bindi is said to retain this energy and increase concentration. The color red represents honor, love, and prosperity. It is a myth that only married Hindi women wear bindis as a symbol of wedlock.
12. Do they listen to our music and go to American artists' concerts?
• Yes, they listen to ALL the same music. Our driver likes to listen to indi-pop music in the car, but when we have gone to to the night clubs, they play the same stuff at home. In fact, on Friday night we are planning on going to Blue Frog because T-Pain is performing!
13. Do they have police and what are they like?
• What police? We have barely seen any police! This explains the crazy driving! I've seen a couple police regulating traffic. People don't get speeding tickets- that's for sure. Our friends did say that they will sometimes sit by a red light in the city and get people that way (the only traffic light I've seen in India)
14. Do they carry machine guns like a lot of countries?
• I think I saw one police carrying a gun while directing traffic. Other than that, I haven't seen enough police to say.
15. Is there anything British left there and do you feel the influence and how?
• You drive on the left side of the road like in England! There have also been a few words I've heard, like biscuit for cookies, and lift for elevator. Cricket was introduced by the British and now it is the most popular sport in India! 
16. Do they have big families?
• I haven't noticed any big families walking around together. I think family size depends on how many people you can support. I was told that most average families have 1-2 children. I was super surprised to find out that it is really normal for extended family to live together. Families usually live with their grandparents in the same house (well, building in Mumbai). There aren't any houses in the city, everyone lives in buildings. Some families even live with aunts, uncles, and cousins all on different levels in the same building! 
17. When do the women get married?
• Women are allowed to get married at 18, and men are allowed to get married at 21, but if they are 16 or 17, they can get annulled. Until a few years ago, 50% of the women got married before they were 18, but now women are getting married a little later.
18. Are most marriages still arranged or is that another myth?
• Yes they are still arranged! In the city, most people get married in their mid-20's but in the villages arranged marriages are happening earlier.
19. What is the fashion like?
• Most women wear the traditional sari or outfit called a shalwar kameez (loose trousers and a loose shirt). Men wear a button down shirt and any kind of pants. I haven't seen very many people in jeans, but sometime women wear jeans with their kameez (loose shirt). There are many types of shalwar kameez outfits and sari fabrics are all so different! The clothing is colorful and you rarely see solids or black. Some women at the office wear Western business clothes, there is no dress code. When we go out to dinner and out at night, I feel like I am in the US. Girls wear dresses and fancy tops, and guys wear anything. 
20. Do the girls style their hair or wear makeup?
• Yes I have seen a lot of girls wearing makeup and with beautiful hair! I don't know if they style it or if it just drys naturally wavy, but it is really shiny. We have seen a lot of commercials on TV for hair too and I can tell it is an area they pay a lot of attention to. Also, I've seen a lot of pretty elaborate eye makeup on women.
21. Do the kids like our fast food?
• So far I have seen KFC, McDonalds, Dominos, Pizza Hut, and Subway. McDonalds has a completely different menu (no hamburgers, just chicken and vegetarian things) and Pizza Hut and Dominos pizzas are really expensive because they are the best pizzas around. If I were a kid, these would not be my choices for dinner! Pepsi is extremely popular though! There are Pepsi commercials on TV all the time.
22. Do they have Starbucks?
• No. Good thing I'm not a coffee lover! It seems like they serve you free tea and coffee everywhere though, so I don't know how much business Starbucks would get.
23. Are they into technology; ie cell phones, iPods, computers, cameras and does everyone have one?
• Everyone has a cell phone from a Blackberry to an old school Nokia "brick". My work phone is just a newer version of the "brick" haha but it gets the job done. Everyone at the office has a Blackberry, but most people I see on the street using phones have just a simple cell phone. I don't see anyone using iPods when they work out or anytime. At work everyone has a computer, but it is so funny to use my computer at home because our caretaker is fascinated by it and loves to look at the screen. I'm not sure if everyone has cameras. I have mine out everyday to take pictures and I catch a lot of people staring...but they are probably just wondering why a crazy tourist is taking pictures of them!
24. Do they have pay phones?
• I haven't seen one.
25. Do they have subways or buses or any public transportation?
• Yes, there are lots of buses. No subways. There is also a train but I heard it is insane. A few of our friends from Brown said that it is so crowded in the train that people are hanging out the windows. Then when the train is coming up to the next stop, people just start jumping out because there isn't usually enough time for everyone to get on and off at the actual stop. I hear it is very stressful, hot, and unpleasant. It is also interesting that having cars is a "luxury". Many people walk to work, take rickshaws, or have drivers because no one likes to drive in the Mumbai traffic! It is really dirty on the roads, so if you do own a car, you have to wash it every day!
26. Do you think it's beautiful there or not, any natural beauty like flowers, trees, rivers, mountains?
• I do think it is beautiful. I am in the city, so there isn't a lot close by, but it is still very green. We are going to the mountains soon to visit some beautiful waterfalls! When we drove to the FTWZ for work, we went up through the hills and it was really nice to be out of the hectic city.
27. Do they have super markets or do you have to go to the butcher, baker, and so forth like in Europe?
• They have super markets. Haiko is my favorite because it is really clean and organized, has American food, and lots of organic things (reminds me of a whole foods). There is also D-Mart and G-Mart, which wasn't as fun to shop at because it was hot and the quality of food wasn't the same as Haiko!
28. What are there past times?
• People love to play games (tag, etc.), even adults! We see people playing cricket and soccer everywhere too. I haven't gone to the movies yet, but I heard it is a very popular thing to do.
29. Do they kids have public schools and have you seen the school children?
• I saw one private school and have seen some little kids walking around in uniforms, but besides that I really haven't seen any schools.
30. Any parks or playgrounds, baby carriages pushed down the street?
• That's a funny question because I don't think anyone here would even know what a baby carriage was! Women and men carry around their children like they are dolls- they keep them safe but in the US people would think they were dolls! There are no strollers, car seats, booster seats, or baby backpacks. Women ride side-saddle on the back of the motorcycle holding onto her husband in front with one hand and the baby in the other. There aren't really any parks in the city.
31. How are the bathrooms?
• The bathrooms at the office are really clean. A women is usually in the bathroom cleaning up after everyone. You aren't supposed to flush toilet paper in the toilet though because it will clog the drain, so there is a trashcan in the stalls, which the lady empties constantly. There is also some type of hose and a drain in the corner of all the bathrooms (I think it is supposed to be used like a bidet). Outside the office, it is very hard to find a public restroom and most women don't use them! There is no such thing as getting off the freeway to stop at a gas station here, you just have to suffer. 

Have even more questions? Post in the comment below and I'll be sure to answer them :)