So here I am, back in Delhi, my home away from home. When I first got here after leaving the village, Raju (their help) came into my room in the morning and looked at me with concern, asking, "Sick?" Well I did have a cold but was surprised that it showed so much. Then he motioned to my face to indicate that it was thinner. "Oh! I lost weight Raju," I said, thinking this was a good thing. "Hmmm," he said disapprovingly, and left my room. Later he expressed concern to Ankur that I was too skinny, and since then he's been bringing me sweets and giving me extra servings of food even when I say no thank you. Bless him. I'll miss the appreciation they have for round people here. I got on the scale today to find out I've lost about 10 pounds since getting to India. This is a side effect of a mixture of things: being pretty bad at cooking Indian food, having a limited selection of groceries to buy, not having a fridge (which means no cheese, butter, and limited milk), and just a generally healthier culture. I've also rarely eaten meat since India is a vegetarian's paradise. Don't get me wrong, there are some overweight people since access to deep fried everything is by no means limited, but more commonly they are just pleasantly plump. But I've gotten used to eating healthier- less carbs, cheese, and butter. I've learned to make do with vegetables and grains I'm not used to and I'm pretty grateful for that. Once Olivia arrived, she taught me some creative combinations of certain foods and I really hope to continue with this kind of mentality when I get home.
Another positive I've noticed is a distinct change in my approach to challenges. This realization came upon me on a day close to my departure from the village. A cheap purse I bought when I first got here got a rip along the seam of the handle. I sat down and started sewing it (something I quickly found out I'm really bad at) back together. I think the last time I sewed was in brownies when I was 6... it's been a while. It was a painstaking, oddly frustrating process with pretty shoddy results but I did it. That's when I realized I've changed. If I'd been at home, I would've just tossed it, disregarding it as cheap and easily replaceable. But I think I subconsciously learned the "waste not want not" mentality while being in Janauri. Also, I was isolated, didn't know the language, and my work was challenging and often draining every day (often due to LACK of activity). There were so many times when I wanted to give up and go home, but the only option I had was to go to bed, and get up in the morning and try again. And as the moment of departure grew nearer I discovered that I had more perseverance in some of the things I did and more appreciation for the few things I had with me. I really don't think I could've done it without the loving, supportive phone calls from home. I also rediscovered the value of prayer. Though I have mixed feelings about the religion I was raised on and am still figuring what exactly my path to God is, basic prayer was something I found myself doing more and more. I found it interesting that that minor experience of sewing a purse revealed all of that to me. It really is the little things. If nothing else this trip has shown me how adaptable we really are when we're faced with something which we can't easily run away from. I'm intensely grateful for this lesson.
Now I'll tell you about Diwali, the festival of lights. The lighting of candles (and in modern times it includes decorating your house with electric lights and setting off fireworks) signifies the triumph of good over evil. More specifically, it celebrates the return of one of their gods, Lord Ram, from his 14 year exile and his vanquishing of a major demon. This eradication of the demon basically freed the people from evil. I participated in a couple of Pujas (which is basically a prayer where you request something from the Gods) and it was a really cool thing to be a part of. It starts by setting up a kind of alter with the goddess Lakshmi (the goddess of wealth) and Ganesh (the elephant God of prosperity or luck). During Diwali people pray for prosperity in the coming year. Side note: I found out that gambling is very auspicious during this time, and the more you lose, the luckier you'll be in monetary areas of life in the next year- so there are a lot of card parties during this week. Anyway, after setting up the alter you drape the the statues with flowers, particularly marigolds, and set up offerings (in the ones I was present for it was fruit and sweets- Ganesh has a favorite sweet that he likes to be offered :). Then we get the cermonial red dot between the eyes on the forehead. Then the puja really begins- candles and incense are lit and one candle in particular is set on a tray that you move in a circle while everyone sings particular prayers and ring bells. I believe the bells are meant to draw the gods to your prayers- it alerts them that the Puja is taking place. I was told to make a wish for the next year and throw flowers on the statues. I also took a turn with moving the tray with the candle on it in a circle. At the end everyone stands in front of that same candle and in one smooth motion gathers the smoke in their hands and washes it over their heads. It kind of looks like what you do when you're washing your face in the morning. After that candles are set in all of the corners of the house for purification. THEN, the fun begins. Or for me it was really more that the terror began. Remember the fireworks that almost hit us in Amristar? Ok well now multiply that by ten and add my nervousness from it. By midnight Delhi was a fog of smoke. EVERYONE is setting of fireworks and crackers. I ended up getting used to it after a couple of hours and was forced to set off a few myself. But I'm not gonna lie, I found every excuse to hide inside while this was going on.
So that's Diwali!
One more week! I go to the Taj Mahal tomorrow- maybe I'll run into Obama!
No comments:
Post a Comment