Today there was a picnic for Father Herman and his staff. He runs an Integrated Community Development Program and his staffs primary work is creating and supporting self-help groups (SHG). The picnic was about an hour and a half drive away and a large portion of the roads were under construction (just as annoying no matter what country you are in, orange cones and all). Being driven in India has given me a new understanding of potholes, they are everywhere here. On the drive to the picnic Hannah and I watched Grays Anatomy on her iPod in German. I have been amazed at how much I am able to understand when people speak in another language. We were driving to DDC that morning to pick up Hannah and I thought the car was stopped, so I opened my door to get out. Father Herman said da, da, and I closed my door. He looked back at me and asked if I understood him. I said, you were telling me to wait right? He and the driver (Romeo) started laughing. Apparently da does mean wait. And I often find myself laughing at two people joking around in Bengali. I don't usually understand the words but I can guess at the meaning. When we arrived at the picnic, we unloaded the sweets and snacks and sat down on a tarp next to the lake. The park area was beautiful, although many of the staff were upset that we couldn't bring music. I guess there are migratory birds that were visiting the lake and the music disturbs there sensitive ears. I thought we had a great time regardless. We started with snacks, and then the staff conducted their staff meeting. There was a high school student at the picnic, whose parents were friends of Father Herman, and we walked around the lake with her during the meeting. The area was beautiful and Hannah and I had a nice time talking. I learned that in Germany when a boy graduates from highschool (which ends at grade 13) he has to go for one year of military training or one year of social work. Interesting, huh? As we sauntered back to the picnic we found that the meeting was over and it was time for our boat ride. The boat was not that rickety, although I was a little deterred when the boat rower had to scoop water out before we could get in. Once we were on the boat (no one fell into the water during this process!) the ride was really fun.
Transgression: I have a stable internet connection now and the Ethernet cord is located in the large meeting area where the Sisters work and where the immunization center is. Currently there is a little boy receiving immunizations and he is crying up a storm!
Back to the picnic. When the boating was over it was time for lunch. We ordered from a hotel and each little box had rice, curried vegetables, and mutton. It was probably the spiciest thing I have eaten and I enjoyed it! I am sure my lips were bright red and I know I made a mess of trying to eat rice with my hands, but I the enjoying part is the most important! After lunch we went to a local historical site, an burial site for some royalty or general with an underground tunnel to a palace that no longer existed. It was cool and we all took some pictures. Then we drove to a local fair. There were booths selling dishes, bengals, jewelry, clothing, bedsheets, towels, stuffed animals, and various food items. There were also a few fair rides. We went on two rides, one that spun around and one that swung back and forth. It was great fun, but Hannah and I both questioned the safety of the rides, but you only live once! On the way out Hannah and I got Henna on our hands. The henna was stamps, and the designs were really cool. The drive home was uneventful, besides the face that I had to pee almost uncontrollably! When we reached DDC, I was thrilled. I got to see Hannah's room and she seems very comfortable there. We had dinner with Sister Philo and Sister Sarita at DDC. The dinner there is very good! We had egg, three types of vegetable, chapatis, and grapefruit. Hannah stayed at DDC and Puthmai, Father Herman and I came back to SWI. I went to bed early and am slowly feeling better each day.
An interesting story from a few days back. We were driving home from the villages and there were village people dancing and blocking the street. Sister Mini told me they were tribal people, and they would block the street, dance and ask for money. It seemed pretty clever to me, and the dancing was cool. Thats all for now. Sending love.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Thursday, January 29, 2009
1/28
This morning I woke up feeling not so grand. My throat hurt less, but the pain had moved into my sinuses. Even my teeth hurt from sinus pressure. I took some pills and put on an upbeat face. Chatting with Mom and Dad was great on Skype. And the breakfast noodles were red (they are usually yellow) and they had egg in them. Class was okay, because I went so quickly to bed the previous night I did not have time to plan my lesson. The first half of class was good, except that my crossword was too easy for them. Then halfway through I admitted that I was ill the night before and did not prepare a lesson. They were extremely sympathetic and helped me impromptu plan the rest of the class. We talked (one sentence one person at a time) about the Indian family structure. That was interesting for me, and then we played a few of our usual games plus a word jumble.
After class I spent a few hours working on my project. I was able to complete the Project write-up and will start on the Concept Note early next week. I hope to have the project completed by the end of next week. I had a quick early lunch and then Susmita, Shahnawaz (previously Sha-na-watch) and I left for Bindol. Today was the last day of the training, and we went to award the certificates. We took the Jeep, so travel was comfortable and quick. When we arrived we did the usual, sit around, chat in Bengali, look at the leaf plates, take pictures and smile. That is enticing enough for me, but today the village women showed Susmita and I how to work the sewing machines to sew the leaf plates. Let me just say, it is harder than it looks. The old machines really have a way about them, and it is difficult to convince them to work with you, not against you. Oh! And Mom- I saw them threading a bobbin, it was so cool. They put the bobbin on a stick and then after the top wheel was spinning then put the end of the stick against the spinning top wheel. I know my explanation makes very little sense-so you will have to trust me, it was neat. After awarding the certificates and enjoying a little tiffin (means snacks and coffee/tea) we left the village and headed to the Sisters of the Divine Saviour’s convent. Sr. Anisha, Sr. T, Sr. Elizabeth and Sr. Mini are all Sisters of the Divine Saviour. They run a hostel and a school and work at various posts in the community. The Sisters were very nice and we had a nice time chatting with them and having coffee.
Back at SWI, Fr. Herman and Shahnawaz were leaving to go marketing. I decided to tage along. We walked down Raiganj Street and they picked up a few toiletries at an all in one shop ( a shope with a little bit of everything). They asked if I needed to pick up anything. I have been wanted to go out shopping for shoes for my sari (because I can’t wear tennis shoes with my saree) and asked if we could look at a few shoe shops. They were both fine with that, and we ended up visiting 6 different shops, trying on shoes at all of them, and having them go around and help me pick out different styles. It was a lot of fun and I finally found a cute pair of brown sandals for Rs. 195 (about 4 dollars). Dinner was good and after dinner I helped Fr. Herman prepare for the picnic tomorrow.
I didn’t see much of Hannah today, but she seemed as though she had a nice night at DDC and like Fr. had given her some work to do today. I will go to the picnic tomorrow, the puja on Saturday and then we will take a short trip on Sunday and Monday. I hope that I feel better quickly and that this annoying little cankersore on the corner of my lip goes away. That is all for now, sending love and hugs.
PS. Ajla the moon tonight was wonderful. It was a little little little fingernail like slit that was really bright. I hope we can skype soon, love you dear.
After class I spent a few hours working on my project. I was able to complete the Project write-up and will start on the Concept Note early next week. I hope to have the project completed by the end of next week. I had a quick early lunch and then Susmita, Shahnawaz (previously Sha-na-watch) and I left for Bindol. Today was the last day of the training, and we went to award the certificates. We took the Jeep, so travel was comfortable and quick. When we arrived we did the usual, sit around, chat in Bengali, look at the leaf plates, take pictures and smile. That is enticing enough for me, but today the village women showed Susmita and I how to work the sewing machines to sew the leaf plates. Let me just say, it is harder than it looks. The old machines really have a way about them, and it is difficult to convince them to work with you, not against you. Oh! And Mom- I saw them threading a bobbin, it was so cool. They put the bobbin on a stick and then after the top wheel was spinning then put the end of the stick against the spinning top wheel. I know my explanation makes very little sense-so you will have to trust me, it was neat. After awarding the certificates and enjoying a little tiffin (means snacks and coffee/tea) we left the village and headed to the Sisters of the Divine Saviour’s convent. Sr. Anisha, Sr. T, Sr. Elizabeth and Sr. Mini are all Sisters of the Divine Saviour. They run a hostel and a school and work at various posts in the community. The Sisters were very nice and we had a nice time chatting with them and having coffee.
Back at SWI, Fr. Herman and Shahnawaz were leaving to go marketing. I decided to tage along. We walked down Raiganj Street and they picked up a few toiletries at an all in one shop ( a shope with a little bit of everything). They asked if I needed to pick up anything. I have been wanted to go out shopping for shoes for my sari (because I can’t wear tennis shoes with my saree) and asked if we could look at a few shoe shops. They were both fine with that, and we ended up visiting 6 different shops, trying on shoes at all of them, and having them go around and help me pick out different styles. It was a lot of fun and I finally found a cute pair of brown sandals for Rs. 195 (about 4 dollars). Dinner was good and after dinner I helped Fr. Herman prepare for the picnic tomorrow.
I didn’t see much of Hannah today, but she seemed as though she had a nice night at DDC and like Fr. had given her some work to do today. I will go to the picnic tomorrow, the puja on Saturday and then we will take a short trip on Sunday and Monday. I hope that I feel better quickly and that this annoying little cankersore on the corner of my lip goes away. That is all for now, sending love and hugs.
PS. Ajla the moon tonight was wonderful. It was a little little little fingernail like slit that was really bright. I hope we can skype soon, love you dear.
1/27
I did not type my blog entry at the usual time yesterday. I had an awful headache and was getting sick. I went straight to bed after dinner instead of typing about my day first. So the entry for 1/27 will be short. It is difficult to recall previous days with much detail, and I want to save some time to type tonight’s entry. I will also type the entry as though it happened today, because that’s easiest for me.
This morning Father helped set up my Internet connection. Now I am able to connect to relatively quick Internet with the Ethernet cable in the Sr.’s office/immunization center. As long as the wireless box is functioning the Internet connects easily. That being said the wireless box’s functionabilty is beyond my understanding (and control). Overall though, great news. I was able to skype shortly with Mom and Dad. There is something so much more comforting to hearing their voices and seeing their faces. Hopefully as the weeks pass I will be able to connect over Skype with most everyone.
I woke up with a sore throat today, which is never a good sign. For my body a sore throat is the signal of a cold coming on. I tried to drink lots of water and watch my sugar intake (since sugar stunts white blood cells) but as the day progressed my throat just got worse. Ever since 4pm I have had an awful headache.
Some of the basics of the day: Class was good. I taught, the students spoke English and most everyone understand what was being said. In the afternoon I went to Bindol (the village with the leaf plate making training) with Susmita and Hannah. We traveled by tchecker, which was minimally crowded for Indian standards. The training is going well, and the women were very excited that I came again. I shared with them my increasing Bengali vocabulary (6 words) and they were very impressed. Bomali (the social worker in the village) had prepared some snacks for us, which was very sweet. For the ride home we took a government bus, my first Indian experience on a bus. It was bumpy and windy, and I fell asleep. There is something about bumpy roads and wind rushing through the windows that is perfect for sleeping. After arriving back at SWI Father rushed us to St. Xavier, for coffee and conversation. There I met Johannes for the first time, he is very nice and again it was nice to meet another Western student in Raiganj. Then we dropped Hannah off at DDC, she didn’t seem so thrilled to go, but I think she will enjoy the pace there. And the Sr.’s are so welcoming, I am sure she will feel at home soon. Then we came back to SWI, had dinner and I went to bed.
That is the jist of the day, I’m sorry that it is poorly written and rushed through. So here is a funny story from the day that should make up for the shotty job above.
When we were on the bike/door vehicle (picture to come soon) riding from the village to Bindol, we saw a large group of people gathered just off the road. We stopped the bike/door vehicle and got off to check it out. There was a game of musical chairs underway with a crowd of two hundred people surrounding. We started to watch, but soon the game ended and the crowd became more interested in the two white girls. As the crowd began to circle us instead of the musical chairs we headed back to the bike/door vehicle. I was sitting on the back and plopped down. I did not look up front and see that the driver was not sitting on the bicycle. Because I was the only one on the door part, the door part when down towards the ground and the bike part went up. It was kind of like sitting on one end of a table and having the other end fly up in the air. Except this happened on the road, on a vehicle with a crowd of 200 people watching. Everyone thought it was absolutely hilarious that the gigantic (this is not self-effacing, my height is huge for West Bengal standards) fair skinned girl had made a fool of herself. I laughed along with everyone and made sure that when I sat down next, everyone else was on first. Sending love.
This morning Father helped set up my Internet connection. Now I am able to connect to relatively quick Internet with the Ethernet cable in the Sr.’s office/immunization center. As long as the wireless box is functioning the Internet connects easily. That being said the wireless box’s functionabilty is beyond my understanding (and control). Overall though, great news. I was able to skype shortly with Mom and Dad. There is something so much more comforting to hearing their voices and seeing their faces. Hopefully as the weeks pass I will be able to connect over Skype with most everyone.
I woke up with a sore throat today, which is never a good sign. For my body a sore throat is the signal of a cold coming on. I tried to drink lots of water and watch my sugar intake (since sugar stunts white blood cells) but as the day progressed my throat just got worse. Ever since 4pm I have had an awful headache.
Some of the basics of the day: Class was good. I taught, the students spoke English and most everyone understand what was being said. In the afternoon I went to Bindol (the village with the leaf plate making training) with Susmita and Hannah. We traveled by tchecker, which was minimally crowded for Indian standards. The training is going well, and the women were very excited that I came again. I shared with them my increasing Bengali vocabulary (6 words) and they were very impressed. Bomali (the social worker in the village) had prepared some snacks for us, which was very sweet. For the ride home we took a government bus, my first Indian experience on a bus. It was bumpy and windy, and I fell asleep. There is something about bumpy roads and wind rushing through the windows that is perfect for sleeping. After arriving back at SWI Father rushed us to St. Xavier, for coffee and conversation. There I met Johannes for the first time, he is very nice and again it was nice to meet another Western student in Raiganj. Then we dropped Hannah off at DDC, she didn’t seem so thrilled to go, but I think she will enjoy the pace there. And the Sr.’s are so welcoming, I am sure she will feel at home soon. Then we came back to SWI, had dinner and I went to bed.
That is the jist of the day, I’m sorry that it is poorly written and rushed through. So here is a funny story from the day that should make up for the shotty job above.
When we were on the bike/door vehicle (picture to come soon) riding from the village to Bindol, we saw a large group of people gathered just off the road. We stopped the bike/door vehicle and got off to check it out. There was a game of musical chairs underway with a crowd of two hundred people surrounding. We started to watch, but soon the game ended and the crowd became more interested in the two white girls. As the crowd began to circle us instead of the musical chairs we headed back to the bike/door vehicle. I was sitting on the back and plopped down. I did not look up front and see that the driver was not sitting on the bicycle. Because I was the only one on the door part, the door part when down towards the ground and the bike part went up. It was kind of like sitting on one end of a table and having the other end fly up in the air. Except this happened on the road, on a vehicle with a crowd of 200 people watching. Everyone thought it was absolutely hilarious that the gigantic (this is not self-effacing, my height is huge for West Bengal standards) fair skinned girl had made a fool of herself. I laughed along with everyone and made sure that when I sat down next, everyone else was on first. Sending love.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
1/27
Father Puthumai came back to Raiganj today. He arrived early this morning with another students, a 20 year old girl from Germany. She is very sweet, and although she is a little reserved, I think she will enjoy herself. It was also nice to have a companion for the day.
After welcoming Father Puthumai back, I taught class. The question of the day was: “What is your dream job?” The questions are a daily activity that I use to force the students to speak. The answers must be at least 8 complete sentences and the questions vary, although they usually have to do with favorites. The students really enjoyed this question. Most of them wanted to be teachers, but one wanted to be a businessman and another a member of the Indian civil service. We played a few of our usual games, and Fr. Puthumai came and taught a new game. I have had 10 days of class so far, which means we are one fourth of the way done. Even though it seems as though it has flown by, I can really see improvement in their speaking skills. They are each advancing, and I am proud of their progress.
This afternoon I ran my errands. I went with Hannah (the new German girl) to the bank, the tailor, and to return a movie. Then after lunch at SWI we went to the sweet shop. I have discovered a sweet that is utterly irresistible! It is very flaky and melts in your mouth. It tastes like sugar, the description does not do it justice. The good news is that it is packaged in such a way that I will be able to bring some back with me! It is called soan paprid and you should all be excited to taste it when I come home.
There are two German students at St. Xavier and I have heard about them, but they were on travel until last week, so I had not had the chance to meet them. Today Regina, the girl, stopped by SWI and we were introduced. She was very nice, upbeat and positive. It was evident that she had really grown attached to Raiganj and that this experience has touched her. The three of us, Hannah, Regina, and I went to Chonditola (the orphange) and we played with the kids in the afternoon. That was so much fun today! We held some of the newborns, I chased after some of the older kids, and we helped feed the toddlers a snack. While running around, one of the little guys feel down, he bonked his head pretty bad, so I picked him up and held him until he stopped crying. He is about 2 and very cute. Regina (who goes to Chonditola most days) said that he was new a few weeks ago and painfully thin. He has filled out now, but he is still light as a feather. Well after he calmed down he fell asleep in my arms! There isn’t a better feeling in the world. He was so precious, and Hannah and I joked, because both of our mothers told us not to come home with children!
We had an early dinner with a Sr. who used to work at SWI and has since been transferred. Father Puthumai, Hannah, Sr. Lizzy and I went to a local hotel and had dinner. We had fish sticks, which I was very happy about. Because I really like fish, but I struggle to pick out the bones in the fish at SWI and usually end up with bones in my throat. The fish sticks were really good and for dinner we had tandori chicken, nan, and non-liquid dal. The dinner was really good. Nan is a thick pita like bread and tandori means very tasty spices. Sr. Lizzy was really nice and it was fun to hear Father tell stories about the days when they both had just started.
In the evening we watched television and sat with Father Herman and an visitor (Father Patrick) while they ate dinner. We all chatted and joked around. Overall it was a very good day.
Having met Regina and being tasked with introducing Hannah to SWI, I started to realize how settled I am here. Seeing Hannah in the beginning stages of adjustment, I was able to measure how far I have come. I have become attached to Raiganj, it has begun to change me. To teach me about living simply, finding peace in chaos and being friendly. And there are the children at Chonditola, I have only been there a few times, and already I am in love with every child there. I think that Raiganj has been teaching me all along, and that only recently have I opened my heart to the lessons. Yet another lesson, the importance of having an open heart. Sending love <3
After welcoming Father Puthumai back, I taught class. The question of the day was: “What is your dream job?” The questions are a daily activity that I use to force the students to speak. The answers must be at least 8 complete sentences and the questions vary, although they usually have to do with favorites. The students really enjoyed this question. Most of them wanted to be teachers, but one wanted to be a businessman and another a member of the Indian civil service. We played a few of our usual games, and Fr. Puthumai came and taught a new game. I have had 10 days of class so far, which means we are one fourth of the way done. Even though it seems as though it has flown by, I can really see improvement in their speaking skills. They are each advancing, and I am proud of their progress.
This afternoon I ran my errands. I went with Hannah (the new German girl) to the bank, the tailor, and to return a movie. Then after lunch at SWI we went to the sweet shop. I have discovered a sweet that is utterly irresistible! It is very flaky and melts in your mouth. It tastes like sugar, the description does not do it justice. The good news is that it is packaged in such a way that I will be able to bring some back with me! It is called soan paprid and you should all be excited to taste it when I come home.
There are two German students at St. Xavier and I have heard about them, but they were on travel until last week, so I had not had the chance to meet them. Today Regina, the girl, stopped by SWI and we were introduced. She was very nice, upbeat and positive. It was evident that she had really grown attached to Raiganj and that this experience has touched her. The three of us, Hannah, Regina, and I went to Chonditola (the orphange) and we played with the kids in the afternoon. That was so much fun today! We held some of the newborns, I chased after some of the older kids, and we helped feed the toddlers a snack. While running around, one of the little guys feel down, he bonked his head pretty bad, so I picked him up and held him until he stopped crying. He is about 2 and very cute. Regina (who goes to Chonditola most days) said that he was new a few weeks ago and painfully thin. He has filled out now, but he is still light as a feather. Well after he calmed down he fell asleep in my arms! There isn’t a better feeling in the world. He was so precious, and Hannah and I joked, because both of our mothers told us not to come home with children!
We had an early dinner with a Sr. who used to work at SWI and has since been transferred. Father Puthumai, Hannah, Sr. Lizzy and I went to a local hotel and had dinner. We had fish sticks, which I was very happy about. Because I really like fish, but I struggle to pick out the bones in the fish at SWI and usually end up with bones in my throat. The fish sticks were really good and for dinner we had tandori chicken, nan, and non-liquid dal. The dinner was really good. Nan is a thick pita like bread and tandori means very tasty spices. Sr. Lizzy was really nice and it was fun to hear Father tell stories about the days when they both had just started.
In the evening we watched television and sat with Father Herman and an visitor (Father Patrick) while they ate dinner. We all chatted and joked around. Overall it was a very good day.
Having met Regina and being tasked with introducing Hannah to SWI, I started to realize how settled I am here. Seeing Hannah in the beginning stages of adjustment, I was able to measure how far I have come. I have become attached to Raiganj, it has begun to change me. To teach me about living simply, finding peace in chaos and being friendly. And there are the children at Chonditola, I have only been there a few times, and already I am in love with every child there. I think that Raiganj has been teaching me all along, and that only recently have I opened my heart to the lessons. Yet another lesson, the importance of having an open heart. Sending love <3
Monday, January 26, 2009
1/26
Happy 60th Indian Republic Day. Seeing as today was a holiday I had no class, and was able to spend my morning leisurely chatting with my parents and watching the parade in Delhi on TV. Around 9am the Fathers took me up to the balcony, which is three stories high and has a great view of Raiganj Street. Two of the servants were already up there, and they were preparing to hoist the flag. I don’t know if I have ever heard raising a flag called hoisting, but it seems to be the common turn of phrase in India. It was actually pretty funny to watch the four grown men argue in Bengali and decide where to attached the pole, where to tie the rope, and how to hoist the flag. I stood in the back and giggled to myself. I took a picture and mentally captioned it: How many men does it change to hoist a flag, four! Once the pole was tied up, Father Herman folded it, and they filled the folds with marigold and pink flower petals. They wrapped the rope around the balled up flower filled flag (what I later discovered to be called a floral salute, at least I think I am remembering that right) and only when the flag was at the very top did the ball unravel and the flower petals come fluttering to the ground. They all clapped and then began singing the Indian National Anthem. It was really cool to be able to experience patriotism from another countries perspective. Especially after they joined me to watch Obama be inaugurated. It seemed like an appropriate swapping of patriotic traditions.
Today I went with the family I had dinner with on Saturday to a village for a picnic/fishing adventure. Father Herman came along, and we had lots of fun joking around. The family is composed of the father, mother, daughter, Neha in 7th grade and son, Anup in 4th grade. First we toured the petroleum plant that the father works at. We met his boss and saw his office, and then toured were they fill up the petrol for kitchen uses. It was really cool seeing how it worked, and the grounds were full of very bright flowers. Then we drove the rest of the way to the village, and met a friend of the families, who also works at the petroleum plant. It was his family that was hosting our picnic/fishing adventure. Father and I had stopped at the sweet shop before we left to pick up some treats to take as presents. (And ever since Ruchi pointed out how close the sweet shop is to Caritas, I have been a frequent customer. The sweets in West Bengal are famous in India, and for good reason!) Father gave me the individually wrapped chocolate candies we bought, and told me to pass them out to the children. He said it would be more exciting if the ‘fair skinned’ girl handed them out! So I first gave them to the five children in the family, and then Neha and I walked out front of the house and gave the chocolates to a large crowd of children that was developing out front. At first the children were very noticeably frightened of me, but after I coaxed one of them to take the sweet all of the others were quick to follow. As we went back into the courtyard of the family that was hosting us, I noticed that there were quite a few small heads poking up over the wall, starring at me.
Then it was time to fish. As we were standing outside, admiring the pond and waiting for the fishing supplies to be made (bamboo sticks with string attached), the crowd of children followed us. And about five minutes into our waiting I saw children running towards us from down the path. At first I thought there was just a few, but they just kept coming. A few more minutes into our wait and I swear there were at least 50 children standing around looking at me. They would look at me, until I smiled at them or made eye contact, and then they would turn away quickly. It was pretty cute. The day was pretty overcast, foggy and cold, so the fish were not biting at our poles. Although I quite enjoyed the fishing, regardless of not catching any fish. The village family father came out with his net, and showed us how they fish with their nets. The net was really cool, weighted down by stones in just the right areas. I will post pictures soon, but it was so cool. He would wind up and then throw and this net would fly open and a circle about 20 feet wide would ker-splat in the water. He caught around 8 fish this way, so it was more effective, efficient and not to mention really cool to watch. During this time I was also chatting with Neha about an upcoming photo competition at school and playing around with Anup. Anup and I were playing tag, chasing after one another and I had a blast acting like a 10 year old! Their family (Neha and Anup’s) is really welcoming – and I enjoyed every minute of the day spent joking around, laughing and smiling so much my cheeks hurt.
The family that was hosting us served us lunch, which was very good. They were very insistent that we took seconds, thirds, and fourths! The meal was rice in some sauce, cooked cabbage and spinach, grilled brinjol, chicken in gravy, cucumbers, fish in gravy, and a very thin crispy tortilla shaped food that I have had twice before and really enjoy. Nothing was too spicy and I enjoyed the chicken gravy mixed with the rice. Although since Indian food is spicier than American food, it turns my lips red whenever I eat something spicy. I think it must just be because my skin in sensitive, and it doesn’t hurt, it just looks like I’m a small child who found her mothers red lipstick and smeared it all over my lips. I tried out my new graciousness tactics, by expressing my enjoyment of the food in my enthusiastic eating and only saying thank you when we left. Overall it was a great picnic/fishing adventure and I took lots of documenting photos
This evening I successfully finished another Sudoku (although its Monday and they are the easiest on Monday) while Father Herman did the Jumble. We tried to get Slumdog Millionaire to work again, but failed. Which was a bummer, but what can you do. Father Herman and I read the horoscopes in the Sunday paper, and mine was to not be influenced by any negativity around me. All day we were making jokes about him being negative and my not being influenced (particularly about the cold and dreary weather, which I continued to say would improve in minutes). Another favorite anecdote of the day is when Anup asked Father Herman how he was, and Father said, better than you. It was really random and Anup didn’t know how to respond at first, but in the end we all ended up joking. It was a much more creative answer then the usual ‘fine’. For dinner we ordered a few special foods from the market, to celebrate Republic Day. They were delicious and we also had fried brinjol for dinner, which is one of my favorites (brinjol is like eggplant, but not purple).
Tomorrow Father Puthumai arrives back in Raiganj and it will be good to have him back. Class starts up tomorrow and I will go and pick up my saree in the afternoon. I will also go to the bank and the shoe store for some basic flip flops to wear with my saree. It is a good feeling to have errands to run, it makes me feel independent, established and self-sufficient. Sending my love to all
Today I went with the family I had dinner with on Saturday to a village for a picnic/fishing adventure. Father Herman came along, and we had lots of fun joking around. The family is composed of the father, mother, daughter, Neha in 7th grade and son, Anup in 4th grade. First we toured the petroleum plant that the father works at. We met his boss and saw his office, and then toured were they fill up the petrol for kitchen uses. It was really cool seeing how it worked, and the grounds were full of very bright flowers. Then we drove the rest of the way to the village, and met a friend of the families, who also works at the petroleum plant. It was his family that was hosting our picnic/fishing adventure. Father and I had stopped at the sweet shop before we left to pick up some treats to take as presents. (And ever since Ruchi pointed out how close the sweet shop is to Caritas, I have been a frequent customer. The sweets in West Bengal are famous in India, and for good reason!) Father gave me the individually wrapped chocolate candies we bought, and told me to pass them out to the children. He said it would be more exciting if the ‘fair skinned’ girl handed them out! So I first gave them to the five children in the family, and then Neha and I walked out front of the house and gave the chocolates to a large crowd of children that was developing out front. At first the children were very noticeably frightened of me, but after I coaxed one of them to take the sweet all of the others were quick to follow. As we went back into the courtyard of the family that was hosting us, I noticed that there were quite a few small heads poking up over the wall, starring at me.
Then it was time to fish. As we were standing outside, admiring the pond and waiting for the fishing supplies to be made (bamboo sticks with string attached), the crowd of children followed us. And about five minutes into our waiting I saw children running towards us from down the path. At first I thought there was just a few, but they just kept coming. A few more minutes into our wait and I swear there were at least 50 children standing around looking at me. They would look at me, until I smiled at them or made eye contact, and then they would turn away quickly. It was pretty cute. The day was pretty overcast, foggy and cold, so the fish were not biting at our poles. Although I quite enjoyed the fishing, regardless of not catching any fish. The village family father came out with his net, and showed us how they fish with their nets. The net was really cool, weighted down by stones in just the right areas. I will post pictures soon, but it was so cool. He would wind up and then throw and this net would fly open and a circle about 20 feet wide would ker-splat in the water. He caught around 8 fish this way, so it was more effective, efficient and not to mention really cool to watch. During this time I was also chatting with Neha about an upcoming photo competition at school and playing around with Anup. Anup and I were playing tag, chasing after one another and I had a blast acting like a 10 year old! Their family (Neha and Anup’s) is really welcoming – and I enjoyed every minute of the day spent joking around, laughing and smiling so much my cheeks hurt.
The family that was hosting us served us lunch, which was very good. They were very insistent that we took seconds, thirds, and fourths! The meal was rice in some sauce, cooked cabbage and spinach, grilled brinjol, chicken in gravy, cucumbers, fish in gravy, and a very thin crispy tortilla shaped food that I have had twice before and really enjoy. Nothing was too spicy and I enjoyed the chicken gravy mixed with the rice. Although since Indian food is spicier than American food, it turns my lips red whenever I eat something spicy. I think it must just be because my skin in sensitive, and it doesn’t hurt, it just looks like I’m a small child who found her mothers red lipstick and smeared it all over my lips. I tried out my new graciousness tactics, by expressing my enjoyment of the food in my enthusiastic eating and only saying thank you when we left. Overall it was a great picnic/fishing adventure and I took lots of documenting photos
This evening I successfully finished another Sudoku (although its Monday and they are the easiest on Monday) while Father Herman did the Jumble. We tried to get Slumdog Millionaire to work again, but failed. Which was a bummer, but what can you do. Father Herman and I read the horoscopes in the Sunday paper, and mine was to not be influenced by any negativity around me. All day we were making jokes about him being negative and my not being influenced (particularly about the cold and dreary weather, which I continued to say would improve in minutes). Another favorite anecdote of the day is when Anup asked Father Herman how he was, and Father said, better than you. It was really random and Anup didn’t know how to respond at first, but in the end we all ended up joking. It was a much more creative answer then the usual ‘fine’. For dinner we ordered a few special foods from the market, to celebrate Republic Day. They were delicious and we also had fried brinjol for dinner, which is one of my favorites (brinjol is like eggplant, but not purple).
Tomorrow Father Puthumai arrives back in Raiganj and it will be good to have him back. Class starts up tomorrow and I will go and pick up my saree in the afternoon. I will also go to the bank and the shoe store for some basic flip flops to wear with my saree. It is a good feeling to have errands to run, it makes me feel independent, established and self-sufficient. Sending my love to all
Sunday, January 25, 2009
1/25
Sunday mass is in Bengali. I still don't understand more than 3 to 5 words. But this is the second week that the service has included my name. Last week it was a prayer because I was new, and this week it was referencing my country because Father Herman was speaking about inspirational leaders. My head always perks up when they say my name. I enjoy the time though, even though I don't understand it is nice for me to have some reflective time surrounded by pray. We had breakfast with a few community members and the conversation was about the age at which children become independent. In India usually children live with their parents until they are married. I was explaining how it is different in the US. I enjoy discussing the similarities and differences of US and Indian culture with people, but I often wonder if I am adequately able to explain culture. Culture is undefinable and variant based on person, region and life situation. So I usually add the disclaimer that I can only speak to a small portion of life in the US, and I expect in the same way I am learning about a small portion of life in India. That being said, I think it will take me 3 months to learn that small portion :-)
At Jonathan & Ruchi's house we were having an American lunch yesterday. Ruchi's brother was in town from Calcutta, so he brought a few food items not available in Raiganj. We had sandwiches with salami, tomato and we also had mashed potatoes. It was very good! It was such a treat to have American food. Over lunch Ruchi and Jonathan told me about the way 'thank you' fits into Indian culture. They said that around friends it is not customary to say thank you often. After this I became aware of how often I do say thank you. I have been trying to control myself, but it is such an ingrained habit, and it is one of the few ways I know how to express gratitude. I was very grateful though, to have been let in on this new piece of culture.
The rest of the afternoon we played with Trisha, watched Friends, had snacks and tea and chatted. I enjoy spending time wit Ruchi and Trisha(Jonathan is usually at work). They are a lot of fun and make me feel very welcome and comfortable. In the evening we went to the saree shop, to buy me a saree for the puja on Saturday. A puja is a worship celebration for the Hindus, this Saturday is the puja for Saraswati the goddess of wisdom. Ruchi is Christan, but said that it is commong for everyone to join in on the celebrations. Ruchi's neighborhood is having a party, and she invited me. She said that the women would be very excited if I wore a saree, and I have wanted to try one, so we went to the shop and I bought a very pretty red saree. The shop has tons of them, and it was really cool to see the beautifully decorated ones for weddings. We took it to the tailor and I should have it back by today.
In the evening I went with Father Herman to try and rent Slumdog millionaire. It is very common in India to find pirated movies at video rental shops. We couldn't find it, but I remembered that Ruchi and Jonathan said they had just watched it. We stopped by their house and borrowed the DVD. Unfortunately we were not able to set it up on the tv, so we postponed it until tonight, when we will try again. I hope that the Fathers enjoy it.
Today I am off for a fishing adventure with the family who hosted us for dinner on Saturday. I am very excited, and will take lots of pictures. Sending my love.
At Jonathan & Ruchi's house we were having an American lunch yesterday. Ruchi's brother was in town from Calcutta, so he brought a few food items not available in Raiganj. We had sandwiches with salami, tomato and we also had mashed potatoes. It was very good! It was such a treat to have American food. Over lunch Ruchi and Jonathan told me about the way 'thank you' fits into Indian culture. They said that around friends it is not customary to say thank you often. After this I became aware of how often I do say thank you. I have been trying to control myself, but it is such an ingrained habit, and it is one of the few ways I know how to express gratitude. I was very grateful though, to have been let in on this new piece of culture.
The rest of the afternoon we played with Trisha, watched Friends, had snacks and tea and chatted. I enjoy spending time wit Ruchi and Trisha(Jonathan is usually at work). They are a lot of fun and make me feel very welcome and comfortable. In the evening we went to the saree shop, to buy me a saree for the puja on Saturday. A puja is a worship celebration for the Hindus, this Saturday is the puja for Saraswati the goddess of wisdom. Ruchi is Christan, but said that it is commong for everyone to join in on the celebrations. Ruchi's neighborhood is having a party, and she invited me. She said that the women would be very excited if I wore a saree, and I have wanted to try one, so we went to the shop and I bought a very pretty red saree. The shop has tons of them, and it was really cool to see the beautifully decorated ones for weddings. We took it to the tailor and I should have it back by today.
In the evening I went with Father Herman to try and rent Slumdog millionaire. It is very common in India to find pirated movies at video rental shops. We couldn't find it, but I remembered that Ruchi and Jonathan said they had just watched it. We stopped by their house and borrowed the DVD. Unfortunately we were not able to set it up on the tv, so we postponed it until tonight, when we will try again. I hope that the Fathers enjoy it.
Today I am off for a fishing adventure with the family who hosted us for dinner on Saturday. I am very excited, and will take lots of pictures. Sending my love.
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