Markets in India

How do I describe markets? Markets are where people go for pretty much everything. There are always clothing stores, a pharmacy or two, a mobile phone store, a bank, and sometimes a grocery. At nice ones you get bookstores, and even not nice ones have sweet shops (though they only sell pastries that-like every other westerner-are way to sweet for my taste). They aren't set up like, say a shopping center in the U.S. however. They are very crowded, and the stores are indescribibly small. Imagine a CVS, or a Duane Reade, and take about a fourth of it, and that is the size of a reasonably large store. Most are half of that again. Things aren't bought the same way, much like Chile you don't "shop" yourself you tell someone what you want and they get it for you. The only time this isn't true is in a grocery store, and there is so little choice at those anyway...I really miss bread and more than one brand of anything except cookies, and produce, and diet soda-GOD I miss diet soda-and candy and snacks in general. I thought Chile didn't believe in snack food! I resort to buying biscuits (crackers to americans) to help add on to my now nonfat diet and added exercise (I walk a lot, even more than in New York) which is causing the pounds to come off, ever so slowly. Hopefully this gives you a slight idea of how a market is in India, though if you ever come here yourself, only go at night. They are always dead until at least 8 p.m. when suddenly there are henna artists, neon lights and balloon vendors and shoppers galore. More chance of being run over, but way more chance for culture absorption too!