An American woman’s video is garnering attention online after she revealed the things in her house in India that surprised her and would also shock people back in America. On July 9, Macy Gonsalvez, an influencer who is married to an Indian, posted a clip revealing surprising facts about her home in India.
In this video, she highlights several cultural and domestic differences she has encountered while living in a rented home in India. Her observations reveal the daily adjustments she made as she transitioned from living in America to India, where her home lacked some common Western conveniences.
‘Each room in my house has its own air conditioning unit…’
Sharing the video, Macy wrote, “Things that would shock an American about my home in India.” She also added, “Why does the stove make me feel like I’m camping?”
The video begins with Macy explaining that she was shocked to know that instead of using modern appliances like dishwashers or clothes dryers, people in India often rely on domestic help or traditional air-drying methods. “These are some facts about my house in India that would absolutely shock an American. Starting off strong and number one, most homes here do not have dishwashers because most people employ maids who come to your home almost every day and do your dishes,” she explained.
Next, she pointed out the lack of water pressure, saying she was surprised to learn that one can manually activate it. “We have a water pressure switch. Yes, you heard me correctly. In India, this is my hot water switch, and then this is a switch to turn on my water pressure. It will literally just be a trickle unless you turn the switch on,” she explained.
Furthermore, the use of individual air conditioning units for each room rather than a central system, and manual gas stoves that require physical ignition, were equally new to her.
She shared, “Number three would be that each room in my house has its own air conditioning unit. I do not have any central cooling or heating. This admittedly has caused so many arguments between my husband and me because he is Indian. He’s used to having hot rooms in the house when he’s not using them. As an American, I cannot stand walking into a room that hasn’t had the AC unit turned on. Even if I’m only in there for like 5 seconds, it drives me crazy.”
“My house only has a washing machine. There’s no dryer. So, whenever my clothes are done in the wash, I have to hang them out to dry…Ovens do not naturally exist in your kitchen. You have to buy them separately. This is my oven set on top of my fridge. Reminds me of like an Easy-Bake oven, when you’re a little girl,” she added.
Macy also found the stove gas unit in Indian homes quite amusing and shared, “The other kitchen appliance that’s funny is the stove. You have to manually open the valve to let the gas flow in and then light the flame yourself before you can start cooking.”
How did the internet react?
Macy’s observations sparked mixed reactions on Instagram. One user noted, “I’m genuinely surprised by some of your observations. Do people not care about wasting electricity in the US?”
Another user pointed out that India, too, has modern appliances, saying, “You are probably living in a very, very old apartment with old appliances. I would suggest you check out some fairly new houses for an idea.”
A woman from Europe related to Macy’s observations and noted, “Yup, this oven thing was surprising also for me coming from Europe! I came into a new flat and was shocked, like, ‘ Where do you guys cook here?’.”
Someone else commented, “That stove is not normal. Most of these are not normal. Update your home.”
Note to readers: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.
