My best friend is Indian. Many of my friends are. We talked a lot about India. I read a lot about India. I watched a bunch of Indian movies. I ate my fair share

My best friend is Indian. Many of my friends are. We talked a lot about India. I read a lot about India. I watched a bunch of Indian movies. I ate my fair share of Indian food. And then I went there. Nothing could have prepared me for it. Seeing it for yourself is a whole different beast. It puts the whole thing in context. Reducing a whole culture to a meal in a local approximation of its cuisine? Come on. Hell, after living in Canada for two decades and consuming American culture ad nauseum, going there for a few days is always a mind trip. The magic happens in the details, not in the broad strokes. I wouldn't pretend to understand America because I ate at a fried chicken place.