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My first trip out of the US was to India. I accompanied an Indian friend for two weeks during Christmas time, to his hometown of Mangalore. I already look forward to going back.

It was certainly a culture shock for the first few days. But I wanted to see as much of the local Mangalore city as possible.

I snapped this photo from inside our car while we were stopped at a redlight. I was too nervous to request that we get out so I could explore the market. There were no tourists in Mangalore. And I certainly didn't speak the local dialect.

I got my chance later, but I loved how this photo turned out. I'll always remember this as one of my first sights after landing in the foreign country.