Girl Talk on the Train

At the train station on the way to Kolkata (Calcutta), I caught myself thinking, "This would be so much more peaceful in China." Ladies and gentlemen, using "peace" and "China" in the same sentence is a symptom of insanity, and I was getting there. I was weary of tuk tuk drivers pretending to get to know me while quoting exorbitant prices, sick of touts sticking around long after the first "No, thank you." After almost 10 weeks on the road, I was also just tired.

It's amazing the difference a little girl talk can make. As soon as I met the women in my train compartment--two Indian engineering students and a German fellow traveler--I teleported to a slumber party. Everyone spoke good English (After years of English-medium education, the Indian girls' English was not only fluent but pretty.) and we spent much of the 20+ hour ride chatting, exchanging photos, and watching Vampire Diaries. I finally made some Indian girlfriends!

Like all good sleepover party attendees, we talked about boys: When we asked our new Indian friends about their future plans, they said that after graduation this spring, they both already have telecommunications jobs lined up and, "In four to five years, we'll get married."

They explained that in India, women marry at around 25 or 26. I asked, "What if you turn 28 and still haven't found a husband?" They looked confused: "In four to five years, we'll get married."  Between them and their parents, they will find someone. They'll have good jobs for a few years and then get husbands who tick all the boxes (and who merit their and their parents' approval). After the weddings, they'll move in with their in-laws, but will continue to work except when their kids are young, because this will be one of the conditions of the marriage.

Their plans sound so certain compared to my wishy-washy future. I don't know where I'll be this fall, let alone in four to five years. I told them that, although I hope to marry, it's going to depend on when and if I meet the right person. They smiled and said, "You should marry!" Looking at our German friend, they repeated, "You should both get married!" (Well, if only that Mughal emperor bachelor would get back to me...)

Still, although my American sensibilities put marriage a little later and I don't envision living with my in-laws, our goals are strikingly similar. Good career and good man? Sounds like a plan! And, as a group, we have more in common overall than not. We all wear jeans (They said only older people in their families wear saris on a regular basis.), watch American TV, and spend way too much time on Facebook. In fact, since I just friended them, they're probably reading this right now...

Thanks for an amazing train ride, ladies! A little girl time was just what I needed.

PS: I'll post a photo when I get my camera attached to a computer...