From the food to the people, India has a lot of flavors. It can be overwhelming — for example, the brain-rattling honking that is done for no apparent reason. Trucks, motor bikes and tuk-tuks  are always honking for who knows what reason, and it’s extremely aggravating. It’s crowded and busy. Cows roam around casually, as if the town wasn’t packed enough. Interestingly, the locals don’t seem to notice. They just continue about their business, selling their goods as if all the commotion is normal. But then again, it is. It’s almost like the people here are trying to be hurried and aggressive. Nope. It’s their way of life. It’s part of their culture, and I’m learning/trying to accept it.

For me, life can be a little rushed. When I want to take a break from all of it, I’ll shoot hoops for a few hours until I’ve got a clear and empty useable brain. Perhaps the people here in India do the same as I do. When life gets crazy, sports can be a relief. (BTW this is coming from a middle schooler, so I know some of you may disagree.)

Cricket is the most popular sport amongst Indians, so I decided to give it a try. With my noodle arms and terrible stamina (for I haven’t worked out in ages), I attempted cricket.

Okay, first of all, putting on a stranger’s cup in front of that stranger and many other strangers that are intently watching you with their smug smiles, is not easy. And that’s putting it lightly. Along with all of the other borrowed gear, I was carrying a lot on my scrawny body. The bat was somewhat heavy, which I guess is why people playing the sport don’t swing it like we would in baseball. I tried it. My arms were falling off by the end of practice. The proper way to swing, in my mind, which is probably completely inaccurate, is kind of like a “Happy Gilmore” golf swing. Except with only one side step forward instead of three, in addition to the ball moving at 70 mph. The person pitching (bowling) must bounce the ball after a running start, instead of a straight pitch (bowl) as in baseball. Off of the bounce, the leather ball curves and spins in crazy directions, so you have to time the “Happy Gilmore” perfectly.

The field consists of two home plates (bases) that the striker (batter) runs between. Every time the striker reaches the opposite base, it’s one point. In addition to the plates, there are two zones. If a striker hits the ball into either one of these zones, their team receives four points. If someone crushes a homer, its six points.

A bolwer gets six pitches, which is called an over. Once an “over” is over, the person bowling will be replaced. One format of the game is where a team gets a turn of twenty overs, and then the other team gets a turn of twenty overs. This version takes a few hours to play.

One of the ways to get out is by hitting a pop fly, same as baseball. Another way is similar to a strike. Basically, if you miss the ball, there is a high chance it will knock down at least one of three wickets (sticks) behind the batter. If it does, the batter is out. If the batter is running between bases after a hit and someone throws the ball at the wickets and knocks one over, you’re out. Or, if the ball hits a striker (most likely in the leg) the striker is out. Once a striker is out, the other striker who was standing by the bowler hits. If you get to the plate before they knock down the wicket, you’re safe.

My summary- First, protect you wicket. Second, run as fast as you can. Third, don’t get hit by the super fast ball, or you’ll surely regret it.

I probably got something wrong, so don’t take everything you have just read and sell it, because the idiot who buys it will be crying for their money back after some easy research.

In India, I also played field hockey at a local university, which was arranged by our guide.  Although cricket is the most popular sport, field hockey is the national sport. I honestly don’t know the rules, but that didn’t stop me from playing. Imagine ice hockey being played on dirt with no ice skates. That’s basically what it was. It was simple enough, but hard to play. Probably the only rule I remember is that you can only use one side of the stick to hit the ball. Therefore, sometimes one must play with the stick backwards, which I found very hard. The ball was pretty hard too, and man, would they hit it hard. Guarding someone was like standing in front of a sword-swinging, torpedo-shooting maniac. Or at least, that’s what it felt like.  All in all, I loved the sport. It reminded me a lot of the hockey we would play on the concrete in P.E., or lacrosse.

So far, India has been fantastic. Despite the craziness that I mentioned earlier,  it is still one my favorite countries. I can’t wait to squeeze the best out of the last few days we have in this amazing country.