Today marks the half waypoint of the Indian leg of my studies and it seems hard to believe. I feel like I have been here for so long and seen so much. So I figured I would share with you a few more of my findings since my last update, so early on in my stay.
Firstly, lets get straight to the elephant in the room.... or should I say cow in the room? I realized the other evening that I have become too used to the loose cows and bulls roaming the streets that it felt perfectly normal to have to dodge one at the entrance of last evenings restaurant of choice. They are literally everywhere and I have yet to understand the entire purpose of their existence, which often culminates in them crossing the road and halting traffic, laying in the middle of anywhere they damn please (think medians, side walks) and just casually strolling past you in your everyday pursuit. It is not clear who owns them, or at least not to my naive eye, and they are usually just eating whatever they please out of the scattered trash piles. But they are scared in India, so its the Cow's way or the highway here.
Another thing that often strikes me, but in a very pleasant way, is the way people in India interact with friends and loved ones. It is completely normal here for men to hold hands with their friends, or squeeze tightly onto a seat with arms slung around each other. People are truly friendly here and even I have experienced this disposition with the people who I frequently come in contact with. For example, there is a small vegetable stand and my favorite little outdoor restaurant down the road from my campus and although they do not speak English and I do not speak Hindi or Oriya, we always get our messages across with a genuine smile. Did I mention that dinner, a tray filled to the brim with the most delicious black dal (lentil stew), roasted gobi (cauliflower) and chana masala (chickpeas) with roti runs me around 30 rupees, or 50 cents? Some things here will never get old!
Also, in India, they follow an eating pattern that essentially consists of 4 massive (and delicious) meals. I have yet to adapt to this routine, as it is truly too much food for me, too late in the evening. Indians usually have breakfast before work, lunch between 1 and 2 pm, Snack between 6 and 7, which is usually a fried dish like a samosa or something of that nature, and dinner after 9pm.
My last observation for this installment's analysis is IST, or Indian Standard Time. At first, I thought this phenomenon was a joke: the idea that Indians truly are usually late, often cancel/change plans or just don't have them at all. But I was wrong, it is certainly no joke and something that everyone on my program has adopted as well. Literally, no one is ever on time here! Showing up 30 minutes after the scheduled time is totally acceptable. And planning something, with certainty, more than 2 weeks in advance is pretty much useless. For those who know me, this was basically my worst nightmare, being someone who thrives on planning. Yet, it has been a welcomed change to just learn to let go sometimes and to see that the world doesn’t burst into flames when things do not go accordingly. However, it will not be a trait that I carry back with me from abroad, just an understanding of cultural differences.
On a different note, the Project Asha Kiran team and I spent Saturday giving the orphanage a little facelift! We painted the walls, with the help of the very enthusiastic girls and it was an absolute blast. I loved how much they enjoyed painting the walls and laughed when we picked them up to let them paint a little higher. I feel like I am developing such an incredible connection with these talented, smart and adorable little girls. I am so blessed to have been allowed into their world and to try to make a small impact. The director graciously invited us to have lunch with the girls and so I tucked myself among them, sitting cross-legged on the floor of their living area, as they snickered while I completely failed at eating rice and dal with my hands. I will cherish these memories, being granted the time to just exist among these little angels and experience life though their eyes. They still completely floor me with the genuine nature of their laughs, smiles and happiness when they have so little to call their own.
6 weeks down and 6 to go and I am so incredibly excited to go home and be back with my loved ones again. I am appreciative of the experiences I am getting while I am here and I will truly miss my time at the orphanage but I am also looking forward to going home with a new set of eyes. My home is truly amazing and I have a life filled with so much: so much love, so much support, so much sushi... (sorry I didn't mean to let that one slip). It will be a welcomed return to what I consider normalcy as well as to be back with the my amazing boyfriend and our adorable cat and dog! However, I do realize how blessed I am to have had these moments that challenge me or bring me joy and I hope that I can take away from all of it a new set of lenses on life.
Firstly, lets get straight to the elephant in the room.... or should I say cow in the room? I realized the other evening that I have become too used to the loose cows and bulls roaming the streets that it felt perfectly normal to have to dodge one at the entrance of last evenings restaurant of choice. They are literally everywhere and I have yet to understand the entire purpose of their existence, which often culminates in them crossing the road and halting traffic, laying in the middle of anywhere they damn please (think medians, side walks) and just casually strolling past you in your everyday pursuit. It is not clear who owns them, or at least not to my naive eye, and they are usually just eating whatever they please out of the scattered trash piles. But they are scared in India, so its the Cow's way or the highway here.
Another thing that often strikes me, but in a very pleasant way, is the way people in India interact with friends and loved ones. It is completely normal here for men to hold hands with their friends, or squeeze tightly onto a seat with arms slung around each other. People are truly friendly here and even I have experienced this disposition with the people who I frequently come in contact with. For example, there is a small vegetable stand and my favorite little outdoor restaurant down the road from my campus and although they do not speak English and I do not speak Hindi or Oriya, we always get our messages across with a genuine smile. Did I mention that dinner, a tray filled to the brim with the most delicious black dal (lentil stew), roasted gobi (cauliflower) and chana masala (chickpeas) with roti runs me around 30 rupees, or 50 cents? Some things here will never get old!
Also, in India, they follow an eating pattern that essentially consists of 4 massive (and delicious) meals. I have yet to adapt to this routine, as it is truly too much food for me, too late in the evening. Indians usually have breakfast before work, lunch between 1 and 2 pm, Snack between 6 and 7, which is usually a fried dish like a samosa or something of that nature, and dinner after 9pm.
My last observation for this installment's analysis is IST, or Indian Standard Time. At first, I thought this phenomenon was a joke: the idea that Indians truly are usually late, often cancel/change plans or just don't have them at all. But I was wrong, it is certainly no joke and something that everyone on my program has adopted as well. Literally, no one is ever on time here! Showing up 30 minutes after the scheduled time is totally acceptable. And planning something, with certainty, more than 2 weeks in advance is pretty much useless. For those who know me, this was basically my worst nightmare, being someone who thrives on planning. Yet, it has been a welcomed change to just learn to let go sometimes and to see that the world doesn’t burst into flames when things do not go accordingly. However, it will not be a trait that I carry back with me from abroad, just an understanding of cultural differences.
On a different note, the Project Asha Kiran team and I spent Saturday giving the orphanage a little facelift! We painted the walls, with the help of the very enthusiastic girls and it was an absolute blast. I loved how much they enjoyed painting the walls and laughed when we picked them up to let them paint a little higher. I feel like I am developing such an incredible connection with these talented, smart and adorable little girls. I am so blessed to have been allowed into their world and to try to make a small impact. The director graciously invited us to have lunch with the girls and so I tucked myself among them, sitting cross-legged on the floor of their living area, as they snickered while I completely failed at eating rice and dal with my hands. I will cherish these memories, being granted the time to just exist among these little angels and experience life though their eyes. They still completely floor me with the genuine nature of their laughs, smiles and happiness when they have so little to call their own.
6 weeks down and 6 to go and I am so incredibly excited to go home and be back with my loved ones again. I am appreciative of the experiences I am getting while I am here and I will truly miss my time at the orphanage but I am also looking forward to going home with a new set of eyes. My home is truly amazing and I have a life filled with so much: so much love, so much support, so much sushi... (sorry I didn't mean to let that one slip). It will be a welcomed return to what I consider normalcy as well as to be back with the my amazing boyfriend and our adorable cat and dog! However, I do realize how blessed I am to have had these moments that challenge me or bring me joy and I hope that I can take away from all of it a new set of lenses on life.