Apparently I'm not so great at blogging. Sorry y'all!
So much happens everyday it seems, although at the same time it feels as though not a lot has been happening. I guess that means a routine is beginning to set in, which I suppose is a good thing, considering we have started classes. But, its the little changes that will get ya every time.
The past week has been chalked full of adjustments to life and realizations that I will be living this way for quite a while. The first noteworthy adjustment is the smog. As we walk and drive through Coimbatore, I feel as though my lungs slowly become more and more black and full of soot. Needless to say, I have taken crisp and fresh air for granted in the past, and let me tell you, that will not happen again.
Another change I have been working on becoming accustomed to is sleeping on the equivalent of a large brick. The first few days, my back killed me but now its just my neck and hopefully that fades. Our beds are little beds that if you jumped on them, you would surely break bones. But, on that note, its a bed, in which case, I'm not complaining. A bed in and of itself here is a blessing.
Next, I am still getting used to bathing out of a bucket and brushing my teeth with purified water out of a water bottle. It takes a long time go get the shampoo out of my hair, but hey, the cold water feels good on a hot day (which every day is here).
Possibly the most difficult adjustment, as you may have guessed (providing you know me even a little bit) is the food. Yes, I am a picky eater. No, it is not easy to be a picky eater here without starving to death. We eat most meals at the mess hall at school every day (usually for lunch and dinner) and it is the same thing every day. I refuse to believe that all Indian food tastes like this cafeteria food, because if it does, I'm severely disappointed. Its not that the food is bad; its just that eating it so frequently is a little bit of a shock to the system. Everyday the meal is white rice and a yellow sloppy liquid made of lentils. I keep the yellow to a minimum, so I basically eat a few handfuls (yes, don't forget I eat with my hands now) of white rice. I'm growing accustomed, and luckily the small store across the road from school sells Oreos for ridiculously cheap (10 cents - 20 rupees - for a huge package). So, don't worry, I won't starve!
I am still getting used to the fact that women are treated differently here and because of that, there is not a lot to do in the evenings. The girls that we go to school with have a 4 pm curfew in the hostels. Yes, 4 pm. That makes me feel a little guilty for complaining about my 11 pm curfew all of junior year. I guess it wasn't that bad, comparatively. On a similar note, it is still strange to be stared at and pointed at every time we go anywhere. It would be nice to be treated like a normal person, rather than someone automatically given special privileges. We are trying to fit in through our dress; we wear salwars, which are these very huge parachute pants (and by very huge i mean gargantuan...as in one size fits all). These are paired with very long dress-like tops (kurtas) and a scarf (dupata). The scarf is essential, otherwise you are pretty much wearing lingerie, or so they think (you are actually still wearing pants and long sleeves which would be considered far from sleepwear at home). Oh dear. They are so hot and every day I just wish I could wear my Nike shorts and a plain old tee shirt.
As far as class goes, we are slowly getting accustomed to standing up when the teacher enters the room as well as being careful not to cross our legs when we sit. It is highly inappropriate to cross your legs when you sit here, which makes sense when it is explained. You see, India is a very dusty place; the ground is made up of red dust which gets everywhere easily. Because everyone wears sandals, the feet get very dirty from that dust very quickly. In turn, feet are seen as unclean and if they are shown or pointed at people (as systematically happens when you cross your legs), it is incredibly rude.
The small changes are the changes that really get ya. Its been the little things that have been the hardest for me to get used to, but, slowly and surely its becoming normal. I've been learning a great deal about living day-by-day, which is something that doesn't come naturally. I like to have a plan every day and I do not like when things are up in the air. But, this is India, and everything is always up in the air. Its all a learning process, and that is part of the beauty.
I have been taking comfort in this verse this week, as I have been living one day at a time: "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own" (Matt 6:34). Every time I read it, I can hear Steve Green singing it (flashback!), but even though Steve turned it somewhat into a cliche, it holds such value. God has my back, and thats really all I need.
So much happens everyday it seems, although at the same time it feels as though not a lot has been happening. I guess that means a routine is beginning to set in, which I suppose is a good thing, considering we have started classes. But, its the little changes that will get ya every time.
The past week has been chalked full of adjustments to life and realizations that I will be living this way for quite a while. The first noteworthy adjustment is the smog. As we walk and drive through Coimbatore, I feel as though my lungs slowly become more and more black and full of soot. Needless to say, I have taken crisp and fresh air for granted in the past, and let me tell you, that will not happen again.
Another change I have been working on becoming accustomed to is sleeping on the equivalent of a large brick. The first few days, my back killed me but now its just my neck and hopefully that fades. Our beds are little beds that if you jumped on them, you would surely break bones. But, on that note, its a bed, in which case, I'm not complaining. A bed in and of itself here is a blessing.
Next, I am still getting used to bathing out of a bucket and brushing my teeth with purified water out of a water bottle. It takes a long time go get the shampoo out of my hair, but hey, the cold water feels good on a hot day (which every day is here).
Possibly the most difficult adjustment, as you may have guessed (providing you know me even a little bit) is the food. Yes, I am a picky eater. No, it is not easy to be a picky eater here without starving to death. We eat most meals at the mess hall at school every day (usually for lunch and dinner) and it is the same thing every day. I refuse to believe that all Indian food tastes like this cafeteria food, because if it does, I'm severely disappointed. Its not that the food is bad; its just that eating it so frequently is a little bit of a shock to the system. Everyday the meal is white rice and a yellow sloppy liquid made of lentils. I keep the yellow to a minimum, so I basically eat a few handfuls (yes, don't forget I eat with my hands now) of white rice. I'm growing accustomed, and luckily the small store across the road from school sells Oreos for ridiculously cheap (10 cents - 20 rupees - for a huge package). So, don't worry, I won't starve!
I am still getting used to the fact that women are treated differently here and because of that, there is not a lot to do in the evenings. The girls that we go to school with have a 4 pm curfew in the hostels. Yes, 4 pm. That makes me feel a little guilty for complaining about my 11 pm curfew all of junior year. I guess it wasn't that bad, comparatively. On a similar note, it is still strange to be stared at and pointed at every time we go anywhere. It would be nice to be treated like a normal person, rather than someone automatically given special privileges. We are trying to fit in through our dress; we wear salwars, which are these very huge parachute pants (and by very huge i mean gargantuan...as in one size fits all). These are paired with very long dress-like tops (kurtas) and a scarf (dupata). The scarf is essential, otherwise you are pretty much wearing lingerie, or so they think (you are actually still wearing pants and long sleeves which would be considered far from sleepwear at home). Oh dear. They are so hot and every day I just wish I could wear my Nike shorts and a plain old tee shirt.
As far as class goes, we are slowly getting accustomed to standing up when the teacher enters the room as well as being careful not to cross our legs when we sit. It is highly inappropriate to cross your legs when you sit here, which makes sense when it is explained. You see, India is a very dusty place; the ground is made up of red dust which gets everywhere easily. Because everyone wears sandals, the feet get very dirty from that dust very quickly. In turn, feet are seen as unclean and if they are shown or pointed at people (as systematically happens when you cross your legs), it is incredibly rude.
The small changes are the changes that really get ya. Its been the little things that have been the hardest for me to get used to, but, slowly and surely its becoming normal. I've been learning a great deal about living day-by-day, which is something that doesn't come naturally. I like to have a plan every day and I do not like when things are up in the air. But, this is India, and everything is always up in the air. Its all a learning process, and that is part of the beauty.
I have been taking comfort in this verse this week, as I have been living one day at a time: "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own" (Matt 6:34). Every time I read it, I can hear Steve Green singing it (flashback!), but even though Steve turned it somewhat into a cliche, it holds such value. God has my back, and thats really all I need.
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