Ask Shalu

If you are visiting India and would like to know something then why not ask me. What better way to get your questions answered by a native of India! If you have any questions; no matter how silly they are, send me an email on info@ShaluSharma.com or use the contact form here. I will try to answer your questions as best as I can.

Question on buying water

I am staying at a couple 5 star places, but most of my lodging will be Bed and Breakfasts. Is it safe to buy water from a grocery store? Do I have to worry about people refilling water bottles in stores or just on the streets?

Buying bottled water is fine from stores. Just do not buy from an individual on the streets. Shops/stalls are generally fine. Make sure that the lids have been factory sealed and not glued together. If it is then, it probably has been refilled with tap water. Further reading on water buying guide in India.

Wedding question – what to wear in an Indian wedding?

My friend asked me to buy 2 saris to wear to his wedding in Pune. He has been impossible to get in touch with. Will a lengha work as well, instead or should it be a sari? Does it really matter. It is a sindhi wedding.

Lehenga is fine; it’s a wedding dress that can be worn by the bride and guests alike. Saris are great as well. I personally would wear a Sari but a lehenga would do great as well. You can wear either one of them. Here’s how to wear the sari.

Question on what to wear in India (for females)

I was particularly worried about what to wear in India. I bought a bunch of brightly colored trousers. Some of these trousers are fitted but they go to my ankles or heels. I plan on wearing tops. What do think?

Your clothes seem to be fine as far as tops and trousers are concerned. I would refrain from wearing skimpy clothes. Perhaps you could consider wearing Indian clothes. Jeans and tops are fine. I prefer to wear jeans that do not show the shape of the bottom or tops that hide the hips. Although, its perfectly fine if you don’t. Perhaps I am being too conservative. You can also wear combat pants as they can free you hands.

Question on celiac disease

I have celiac disease. I am very concerned that no one in India will understand what gluten is? I cannot digest gluten and get really sick if I do consume it. Gluten is in breads, sauces (as flour), pastas etc. I usually eat a lot of salads, except I won’t be able to enjoy that in India as the water is an issue. Rice, potatoes, corn is all ok. Do you think it will be difficult for me to find safe foods to eat that do not contain gluten?

You are right about the celiac disease, it’s not common. I do not think anyone would understand if you tell them that you have celiac disease. What you need to say is that you do eat wheat products. Flour in Hindi is AATA (pronounced, aaa taaa and wheat is GHEHU, pronounced gee huu . Remember those two words. Let the waiters know.

Bengali numbers 1 to 100 in words in English

Bengali (or Bangla) is the second most widely spoken language in India after Hindi . It happens to be the seventh most spoken language in the world. If you are considering visiting the state of West Bengal, then these Bengali numbers 1 to 100 will come in handy. These Bengali numbers will certainly come in handy when in Kolkata or any other place in Bengal. Important point to remember is that Bengali is also spoken in Bangladesh hence these numbers will be useful if you are planning to visit Bangladesh as well. These Bengali numbers can be used for haggling or simply trying to understand what you are being sold or told in a shop or street seller. It will also be useful when ordering something in a restaurant or eating street food . This will indicate the listener that you have done your homework when comes to Bengali numbers. Please note that these Bengali numbers are similar to Hindi numbers and if you were to say the Hindi version , it will be well understood but nonetheles...

Hindi Numbers 1 to 100 in English

To explain the Hindi numbers from 1 to 100 to someone unfamiliar with the language, it's essential to start with the basics. Hindi, one of India's prominent languages, uses its own set of numbers, and they can be related to their English counterparts through pronunciation. Each Hindi number is written in the Devanagari script, and it has a corresponding English pronunciation. For example, " एक (Ek)" in Hindi means "One" in English, and " दो (Do)" translates to "Two." Visual aids can be incredibly helpful in this process, as they provide a clear connection between the script and pronunciation. It's important to note that Hindi numbers are grouped similarly to English, with tens and ones. For instance, " तीन (Teen)" in Hindi corresponds to "Three" in English, and " चार (Char)" means "Four." Patterns can be identified as well, such as the unique names for numbers from 1 to 10 and a common pr...

Tamil numbers 1 to 100

Are you planning a travel to Tamil Nadu? Do you want to learn some Tamil numbers? Are you learning Tamil? Whatever you want to do, here are Tamil numbers 1 to 100 in English . These Tamil Numbers from 1 to 100 will certainly come in handy while shopping or travelling to places. These numbers can be used for bargaining or simply trying to understand what you are being sold or told. These numbers are different to Hindi number s hence if you are considering visiting the state of Tamil Nadu then these numbers will come in handy. Nowadays people from South India do understand Hindi to a great extent but it’s worth learning a few Tamil numbers just in case. Learn 1 to 100 Tamil Numbers in English. Make sure you watch the video for the pronunciation. Tamil numbers from 1 to 100: 1 – Onnu 2 – Rendu 3 – Moonu 4 – Naalu 5 – Anju 6 – Aaru 7 – Yelu 8 – Ettu 9 – Onbadhu 10 – Pathu 11 – Pathi nonnu 12 – Pannandu 13 – Pathi monnu 14 – Pathi naalu 15 – Pathi nanju 16 – Pathi naaru 17 – Pathi nelu ...

Filipino Tagalog numbers 1 to 100 in words

If you are traveling to the Philippines, then these Tagalog numbers (Filipino numbers) will be useful for you. Tagalog is spoken as a language in the Philippines and is the official language of the Philippines. There are two forms of Tagalog namely Old Tagalog which is an ancient form of the language while Batangas Tagalog is a dialect of the language. In addition, the Filipino language is a standardised form of the Tagalog language that forms the official language of the Philippines. If you traveling to the Philippines, then you might wish to learn a few words and numbers for your travels. Here’s a list of Tagalog numbers 1-100 compiled by Amihan Balasaba s. Feel free to print them out if you wanted to them with you. If you press the print button then you can eastly print them as printable Tagalog numbers 1 100 in words. Tagalog numbers in 1 to 100 One 1 ...

Most sexually open countries in the world to travel

Many countries in the world have laws which forbid sexual openness. If you were to go to virtually any Middle Eastern country, you would find no sexual openness whatsoever. But if you were to go to Europe or America, then it would be a different story. For a long time, the culture in these countries made people think that women were not interested in sex the way men were. However, this was really just society trying to make women feel guilty for wanting sexual pleasure like men do. Ever since feminists started coming out of the woodwork, women have been able to become more sexually open and not be ashamed of it. So, which are some of the most sexually open countries in the world? Below is a list of the top 5 countries and many of them might surprise you. Japan From the outside, Japan is certainly not a country that you would think is sexually open. They are a country that believes in hard work, respect, and honor. With that being said, the Japanese people are very open-minded when it c...

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