After settling into the campus for a couple of days, we wanted to see more of the area surrounding us. So, Dheera, one of our instructors, led us down the twenty minute walk to Mall Road. On both sides of the road, there are numerous cafes, general stores, produce stalls, and places to shop. On a typical weekday, Mall Road is a famous spot in the tourist town of Mussoorie to grab food or peruse through different vintage shops. However, on a Friday, the day we went for the first time, it was complete and absolute chaos. In this touristy area on a Friday, cars were backed up further than we could see. Car horns constantly blared in our ears, and the smell of burnt tires lingered in the air. We pressed ourselves against shops, weaved our way in and out of cars and motorbikes, and watched our feet so that vehicles wouldn’t roll over them. It was a fast-paced loud environment, unlike anything that I had experienced at home. Amidst the commotion, however, there was an odd calm to it. For everyone here, this was just a normal day in their lives. This chaos that was foreign to me was normal to them. People went about their everyday lives, buying groceries and looking through fabrics. Children coming back from school casually popped into general stores to buy ice creams and chip bags. Parting the ocean of motorbikes and cars was a cow just chilling in the middle of the street. This is when it hit me that I was really in such a different country with such a different culture.
A cow in the street
The times that I meandered through markets in India were honestly my favorite experiences. I really love the busyness of it all, and it is such a contrast to the grocery stores and superstores that we have in the United States. When talking about this with our instructors, I learned that there is a community that grows over time when it comes to these types of markets. All the vendors know one another because their families have run their shops for generations. When people buy vegetables from the same produce stall for years, there is a certain friendship between the consumer and the vendor. Every time someone buys groceries, they chat about how life is going and how the family is doing. This is how local communities develop and stay strong. By the end of my time in Musoorie, I had become friends with the sweet auntie at the craft store and the tailor that had made clothes for me.
In the United States, there isn’t this community that develops. In grocery stores and superstores, transactions become purely transactional. There is a disconnect between the consumer and the vendor that feels a bit sterile and heartless. From the busy markets of India, I’ve taken a lesson back with me: to sincerely talk to people and engage in small conversations. There is more warmth needed in our world today.
The Sunday market in Dehradun
A vintage store on Mall Road