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| New sarees! |
After a fantastic month in the U.S., visiting friends and family, I am back in India. Hopefully my visa issues are over and I won’t be deported any time soon. When I left India, it was 115 degrees every day. It was so hot that you would still sweat in the shower. The mosquitoes grew in size daily. However, while I was gone, winter in India arrived. Those hot sultry days are gone. And the “cold” season in India brings with it a lot of changes and a few surprises.
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| My evening run...sunset |
Moments after I arrived in Bombay, I realized things had changed when I saw several men walking around outside the airport, selling earmuffs and ski masks. These salesmen were scattered everywhere when I exited the airport and walked out into sunny, 80 degree Bombay. Indians were covered from head to toe in winter-wear. I suppose they are extremely acclimatized to hot temperatures so this is very cold for them.
After 2 flights, 3 trains, a car, a bus and a rickshaw, I arrived back in my village. Seconds after I dropped my bags in my house, countless neighbours came over to greet me. “Emilyben, how was your Mommy and Daddy? What did you eat? We missed you! There’s a leopard loose in the village and it has eaten 5 people already!” They proceeded to formally warn me to no longer run my usual route after 6:00 pm because apparently that’s where the leopard has been prowling. Every night, when I leave for my run, everyone shouts to me in Hindi to be careful and not get eaten.
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| Snow in a Can! |
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| Merry Christmas Madhi! |
Life at school is the same, only everyone’s wardrobes have changed. Students sit in class in winter coats and gloves and teachers where decorative sweaters (perfect attire for Ugly Christmas sweater parties) over their sarees. I am still asked for my autograph at least once a day, even though I have been for 7 months. I am still asked what I ate for dinner the previous night and what I will eat on the given evening. And everyone has commented on my pale skin (I lost my Indian tan). Indians idolize pale skin and even apply skin bleaches, so I am quite the celebrity these days.
But my most favourite surprise upon returning to India was to find that it is badminton season here! As many of you know I am an avid player and supporter and once had dreams of going to the Olympics. Each night, everyone comes out to play-men, women and children. There are matches occurring up and down the streets between 8pm and 11 pm (apparently the leopard doesn’t hunt badminton players). And the competitive matches are right in front of my house, so my porch acts as the bleachers for the advanced boys’ teams. I play every night and only end when the birdie gets stuck on the roof. Perhaps the 2012 Games are possible?
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| 3 Santas. |
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| Holiday spirit! |
Christmas in the village was interesting. Since my village is 75 percent Hindu, 24.9 percent Muslim, people really don’t celebrate. However, thanks to India’s comprehensive holiday schedule, Christmas is recognized as a public holiday, so I did not have school. On the 24th, I celebrated at school with my Spoken English class. We had lots of tasty snacks, a cake which read, “MARRY CRIMAY” thanks to the fine writers at the bakery, and one student even brought “Snow in a Can.” It was really fun to see my students appreciate our American holiday.
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| Our cake |
On Christmas day, Eric, Priya and I took a rickshaw to the next town and feasted on Indian nachos and pizza at our favourite multi-cuisine restaurant. When we returned, we indulged in some Christmas movies on our laptops while sipping on some contraband mini bottles my family sent me in a care package. I ended the holiday watching my niece and nephew open Christmas presents, via Skype. All in all, it was a lovely, albeit mild Christmas holiday.
As the month and year come to a close, I am anxiously awaiting to see what 2011 has in store. I will be starting my new year in Goa, the southern coast on the Arabian Sea. I am flying down and spending a couple weeks relaxing on the beach, hiking some foothills and hopefully getting in a quick elephant ride before making my way back up to Gujarat for the International Kite Festival on January 14th. As with all of my travels in India so far, I am sure I’ll have some crazy stories to share. Happy New Year!
