Thursday, September 3, 2009

A little taste of Experience


Okay, this is my test post of some of my India entries.


There were no monumental events in July, no tours or amazing sights (okay everything is still an amazing sight), but I started a lot of things and slipped into a routine. I also marked my one month period here in India, I'm up to forty something days now. At the beginning of the month I was still adjusting to the newness of this extremely different culture, but slowly it has all started to become normal for me. I have not really been active with the Rotary club here, actually I haven't really heard from them at all or attended Rotary meetings. I've had a couple brief introductions with an officer or two, but that's it. I have been fully immersed in this family, and really I'm not complaining that I haven't been with the Rotary. This family is always growing in size. It seems the chain of family expands all over India which is really interesting. I don't know how many times I have introduced myself, explained where I'm from, blah blah. What is also the same is how friendly and open everyone is with each other in the family. Nothing is personally yours, but everyone's. Your problem is everyone's problem. It is nice, but strange to me not to have so much independence. Where usually I would just go out with friends at home with no problem. Here, I have to ask the family, tell the friend's surname, status, etc. And then they can approve of them or not. I have actually not been to a friend's house and I doubt I will any time soon.


It's normal for me now to wake up at 6am, take a shower(with a pitcher and bucket), then change into a Salwar and go have some tea and biscuits before heading to school on a moped. And afterwards going to Bwaji's house just for some lunch and a nap then go to sketching and dance class, return for tea, then go home. Dinner at 8:30pm has also become normal. The dishes change according to what is available in the market. The season of mangoes has passed unfortunately. But now pomegranates and corn are really popular. A day doesn't go by when I don't eat about 4 pieces of corn. Pomegranate seeds are in everything cold, salads, anything. I'm excited that oranges will be available soon. We also have lemon a lot as well because there's a huge lemon tree next to the house, so we get fresh little lemons everyday. Manali eats them with salt on it. I have to admit that I tried it, and cried in the process. If there's anything more sour than eating a lemon straight, it's eating a lemon straight with a lot of salt. Now I just eat it with a little sugar unless I'm feeling really ambitious. But corn with salt and lemon is really good. If you can tell, I'm hungry at the moment. I'm going out for lunch with some extended relatives and some of my host family.


0 comments:

AboutMe

My photo
Ithaca, New York
Hey! I'm eighteen. I love elephants. My personal movie collection consists of Slumdog Millionaire, Mulan, and the Illusionist. (not saying those are my favorite movies, I just own them) I am a hookah fanatic. I am NOT a socialist, even if my Bio teacher wishes I was. I'm a college kid, a freshman journalism major. Oh I also eat popcorn daily.