It's apology time!
I am truly sorry for the lack of posting and it is in no way a reflection on how fulfilling this experience has been every single day. To be honest, I've been living a bit of a mad dash, meeting my deadlines while juggling traveling and constantly trying to see and do new things. My time in India is coming to an end at a rapidly increasing pace. I have only three more weekends here, two more trips planned, four final exams, two end-term presentations and all of my favorite restaurants to visit at least one more time before I board my plane back to the States on April 1st! But excuses are nothing more than excuses and I promise to be more diligent about sharing the rest of my experiences here!
So, its been about two weeks since my last post (jeez, that sounds bad) and a lot has happened since then! I have some more cultural "learnings" to share with you as well as an update about my work at the Asha Kiran Orphanage and how I celebrated the very famed Holi holiday here in India.
Although its been "hot" since I arrived, my internal thermometer was certainly a bit off. With temperatures past 90 degrees, paired with unrelenting sun, the stagnant air has me drenched before I've even had time to lock my door on the way out. Holi is the festival of color and represents the coming of spring and this very, very warm weather. On the days leading up to the holiday, you can find colored powder sold everywhere. I bought some pink and some purple, along with a little squirt gun. I prepared by covering my hair and body in oil and putting on a make-shift turban in an attempt to protect my hair from becoming a rainbow (although, I still failed at this). On the morning of the holiday, everyone wakes up early and goes outside to "play" Holi and extend their blessings. On campus, everyone gathered in the main courtyard and began to spray each other with hoses and throw handfuls of colored powder in every which direction. It was utter chaos mixed shameless fun and ended in a bit too much colored powder being swallowed. It was certainly a once in a lifetime experience... and now I have some pink and purple streaks in my hair to show for it!
Beyond the festivals and beautiful colors, there are so many wonderful things about India and some things I will truly miss. One of them being the cuisine. The food in India is so incredibly diverse and I am almost embarrassed to say that I thought I liked Indian food before I came here... but I had NO idea what Indian food really entailed. The textures, whether it be delectably creamy Palak (spinach), blended cashew gravies or perfecty al dente Chana (chick peas), and the varying nuances of spice, namely cardamon, chili, cinnamon, coriander, meth, mustard seed, tamarind, and tumeric, that I have become accustomed to are stunning. I try new things almost everyday, although I certainly have my favorites, and I am regularly pleasantly surprised. Whether its at a stall without a proper roof or in an A/C equipped "upscale" joint with ceramic plates, I have yet to have a truly bad meal. On the subject of restaurants, it is important to note the very interesting fact that in India, restaurants are called hotels. When I was first arrived, I was quite disheartened by the nature of the countless "hotels" I passed on the streets, however the new and informed version of myself can advise that eating at the hotel is highly advised.
Last week, I tried my luck at Hotel Odisha and had my first experience with Odiya style cuisine, which was very different but nonetheless delicious. Be advised that there are no English menus, or English speakers for that matter, in the place. We were seated and then asked one single question: Veg or Non-Veg. I made the decision to only eat seafood and no meat in India, for various reasons, so Veg was the answer. Then the food started coming, and coming, and coming. Our table was full with all sorts of dishes that I had never seen before in their beautiful silver dishes. Plates were replaced by massive banana leaves and every single dish has an incredibly unique flavor and consistency. Odisha cusine is far less creamy and gravy based than other regions and their version of Veg also included a dish with prawns, which are extremely popular in the State (random side note: Indian's eat the entire prawn, shell and all, so that is how its served in the dal). Although it was not my favorite style of Indian cuisine, it was certainly a memorable experience.
As there are things in India that I will miss, there are also some things that I will not. The one thing that still gets to me every day is the constant noise pollution. Honking is used in place of blinkers here, which makes for some of the loudest roadways I have ever been on. This is only exacerbated when traveling in an open air style Tuk Tuk. Trucks often have designs painted and "Honk Please" scribed along the back. I have gotten used to many things here that initially shocked me (reference the cow post) but I will never stop jumping out of my skin when I hear those horns.
The aspect of India that I will miss most, without a single doubt in my mind, is my time with the girls at Asha Kiran Orphanage. Having been afforded the opportunity to get to know them, to learn and laugh with them has changed me in indescribable ways. The girls have taught me to keep my heart open to finding the extraordinary in ordinary things, to be grateful for the way the breeze feels on my skin and how it feels to laugh without inhibition.
I am truly sorry for the lack of posting and it is in no way a reflection on how fulfilling this experience has been every single day. To be honest, I've been living a bit of a mad dash, meeting my deadlines while juggling traveling and constantly trying to see and do new things. My time in India is coming to an end at a rapidly increasing pace. I have only three more weekends here, two more trips planned, four final exams, two end-term presentations and all of my favorite restaurants to visit at least one more time before I board my plane back to the States on April 1st! But excuses are nothing more than excuses and I promise to be more diligent about sharing the rest of my experiences here!
So, its been about two weeks since my last post (jeez, that sounds bad) and a lot has happened since then! I have some more cultural "learnings" to share with you as well as an update about my work at the Asha Kiran Orphanage and how I celebrated the very famed Holi holiday here in India.
Although its been "hot" since I arrived, my internal thermometer was certainly a bit off. With temperatures past 90 degrees, paired with unrelenting sun, the stagnant air has me drenched before I've even had time to lock my door on the way out. Holi is the festival of color and represents the coming of spring and this very, very warm weather. On the days leading up to the holiday, you can find colored powder sold everywhere. I bought some pink and some purple, along with a little squirt gun. I prepared by covering my hair and body in oil and putting on a make-shift turban in an attempt to protect my hair from becoming a rainbow (although, I still failed at this). On the morning of the holiday, everyone wakes up early and goes outside to "play" Holi and extend their blessings. On campus, everyone gathered in the main courtyard and began to spray each other with hoses and throw handfuls of colored powder in every which direction. It was utter chaos mixed shameless fun and ended in a bit too much colored powder being swallowed. It was certainly a once in a lifetime experience... and now I have some pink and purple streaks in my hair to show for it!
Beyond the festivals and beautiful colors, there are so many wonderful things about India and some things I will truly miss. One of them being the cuisine. The food in India is so incredibly diverse and I am almost embarrassed to say that I thought I liked Indian food before I came here... but I had NO idea what Indian food really entailed. The textures, whether it be delectably creamy Palak (spinach), blended cashew gravies or perfecty al dente Chana (chick peas), and the varying nuances of spice, namely cardamon, chili, cinnamon, coriander, meth, mustard seed, tamarind, and tumeric, that I have become accustomed to are stunning. I try new things almost everyday, although I certainly have my favorites, and I am regularly pleasantly surprised. Whether its at a stall without a proper roof or in an A/C equipped "upscale" joint with ceramic plates, I have yet to have a truly bad meal. On the subject of restaurants, it is important to note the very interesting fact that in India, restaurants are called hotels. When I was first arrived, I was quite disheartened by the nature of the countless "hotels" I passed on the streets, however the new and informed version of myself can advise that eating at the hotel is highly advised.
Last week, I tried my luck at Hotel Odisha and had my first experience with Odiya style cuisine, which was very different but nonetheless delicious. Be advised that there are no English menus, or English speakers for that matter, in the place. We were seated and then asked one single question: Veg or Non-Veg. I made the decision to only eat seafood and no meat in India, for various reasons, so Veg was the answer. Then the food started coming, and coming, and coming. Our table was full with all sorts of dishes that I had never seen before in their beautiful silver dishes. Plates were replaced by massive banana leaves and every single dish has an incredibly unique flavor and consistency. Odisha cusine is far less creamy and gravy based than other regions and their version of Veg also included a dish with prawns, which are extremely popular in the State (random side note: Indian's eat the entire prawn, shell and all, so that is how its served in the dal). Although it was not my favorite style of Indian cuisine, it was certainly a memorable experience.
As there are things in India that I will miss, there are also some things that I will not. The one thing that still gets to me every day is the constant noise pollution. Honking is used in place of blinkers here, which makes for some of the loudest roadways I have ever been on. This is only exacerbated when traveling in an open air style Tuk Tuk. Trucks often have designs painted and "Honk Please" scribed along the back. I have gotten used to many things here that initially shocked me (reference the cow post) but I will never stop jumping out of my skin when I hear those horns.
The aspect of India that I will miss most, without a single doubt in my mind, is my time with the girls at Asha Kiran Orphanage. Having been afforded the opportunity to get to know them, to learn and laugh with them has changed me in indescribable ways. The girls have taught me to keep my heart open to finding the extraordinary in ordinary things, to be grateful for the way the breeze feels on my skin and how it feels to laugh without inhibition.