1. Indian driving is not scary to me. It is similar to how some of my friends drive. Some facts:
- the cars get very close to each other, but never intersect. you can count on this.
- they honk before they overtake from behind
- they honk when they're coming up to an intersection
- it's kind of like in Chicago where you're required to honk when exiting an alley so that oncoming traffic knows that you're there
- when you cross the street, it;s best to do it in a group. The drivers can see that you are waking towards their path. People do this every day, and they will let you by. All road-crossing is a giant game of chicken, and even the timid (me) learn how to play fairly well in under a day or so.
2. I have no proof for this and I haven't run scientific trials, but I strongly suspect that the reason I got a giant pile of bugbites those two days was that I was using American soap that I brought with me. Other current TWUers who wear cologne also have bugbite problems. Bring your own soap just in case, but only use it if there is no soap waiting for you in your room. Buy soap in the N block grocery. Buy anything that looks local to India and you should be good.
3. The grocery store is in N block basement. Go downstairs in N and just walk around. It looks scary and the ceiling is very low, but it is a safe place and the prices are reasonable. The entrance is not very easy to see, but aim towards the light and wander. Bring your own bag/backpack if at all possible so that you will not have to buy a plastic bag (5R and also some disdain - there is a large saign saying "avoid plastic bags!" (they are bad for the environment) It is open form roughly 8am to 9pm.
There is an all-night cafe in G building. Walk into the building and turn, and it should be right there...
Somewhere there is a pharmacy but I haven't found it yet. I think it's under N building.
3. At a resturaunt, they will bring you bottled water, and the cap should be sealed. That click of the cap pulling open and snapping the little plastic partitions that hold it on is yur safety sign. Unless your waterbottle does that in your hearing, don't drink from it. Also, avoid ice. You have no way of knowing what water was used to make the ice. It is probably not safe water.
4. At the B1 office, meals work like so: they're in the back pantry (all the way back and to the right after you walk in the front door after the security desk on the 2nd floor)_ you take a plate and go through the buffet line putting things on it. It;s considered acceptable to skip the line if you only want something from the end of it (but I haven't seen many do it?). When you're done eating, scrape your plate off into the trash can (behind the long table that had all the food on it) marked food scraps. Then give your plate a pre-rinse in the sink and put it in the stack for the professional dishwashers. Ditto for forks, cups, etc. If you leave any plates/cups in the office, eventually a man in a maroon polo (the catering staff) will come around and pick it up off your desk.
5, I strongly recommend that you never use a public toilet. They are the epitome of filth. If you need one badly enough to approach it despite the smell, I can only say good luck to you. Try to use a bathroom in a resturaunt if you can find one. Walk in, order something if you have time or possibly pass the waiter a bill if you don't, and aim for the loo. You may want to develop a habit of never using a toilet before proving that you know how to flush it. This is sometimes a problem.
6. A rickshaw from Diamond to MG should be around 40R, although paying up to 60 is ok. I know that you don;t care because you have lots of money, but rich tourists overpaying for rickshaws make the drivers exhort the locals too. Don;t be part of the problem. Frequently, rickshaws will refue to carry you; try to negotiate in an area where there are several rickshaws and just go from one to one arguing. Using the meter is preferable but it's hard to get them to do that. Frequently when you get out of the cab after negotiating verbally, they will want more than the agreed-upon price. Just keep saying no, pay them, and leave.
While you are in a rockshaw stopped in traffic, it will not be uncommon for beggars to come up to you. Say no. They will go away sooner or later. I did give a packet of cookies to a child who was begging, but she looked at them with disdain and obviously preferred money. So do as you will, but eh.
7. Diamond District is surrounded by bars and you will probably see most of them during your stay. The correct price for a shot is around $1-2 USD, no higher than that. The correct price for a pitcher of import beer is around 600R.
8. The office will give you a phone. It will not be a very good phone (think USA era 1999ish, and heavily used by the previous owner) but it will work. If you have an unlocked phone, just put the sim card from your office phone into it. If not, eh.
9. Your apartment's electrical system is unable to run more than any three items which are air conditioners or water heaters. If you try to turn on all 3 ac and water heaters at once you will knock your power out and have to call the office to have it reset.
10. Your bed will be harder than USA hotel beds. Personally I find it comfortable but to each their own.