Namaste Everyone!

So it’s been about a week since I wrote you last, but I feel like a lot has happened since then, and I have a couple more perspectives to share with you. I have become a little more comfortable with the culture itself, but I am still struggling to understand the layout of my city because during orientation they provided all of the transportation for us so we really didn’t have to know where we are going. Last week we saw a “bollywood” movie called Love Aaj Kal roughly translated to be Love These Days. I also learned that producers are sometimes not fond of the term “bollywood” because their film industry is actually older than Hollywood-when India’s film industry started; America’s industry was in New York. We have also had a couple of informal Hindi lessons, which have been a challenge for me. The characters in the script are very intricate, there are a lot of exceptions to the rules, and there a very very subtle differences in the pronunciation of the characters. My biggest problem is that I lack confidence when speaking the language; I get nervous that I’m not saying anything right and then I get flustered. But my language instructors are wonderfully patient and have tons of office hours where I can go and practice with them, so hopefully I will feel more comfortable with it as time goes on. I’ve also bought a couple of salwar kameez, which is a traditional Indian outfit consisting of loose pants and a long tunic. They are much cooler in this heat, more comfortable, and I get fewer stares when out and about. This past weekend, the whole group went to Choki Dani, which is a village themed resort where you can eat traditional food, get henna artwork done, watch tribal dances, etc. The next day we met our host family for the first time, which I was very nervous about, but they are kind, caring and generous people and they have made me feel very welcome in their home. My host father is named Chinmaya, and he is a fine arts professor at Jaipur University. He is extremely intelligent, and has many wonderful perspectives on Indian culture, cultural identity, and westernization. My host mother’s name is Meena, and she is so sweet, and always asking me if I need anything. I also have a host sister whose name is Soumya, and she is in her thirties but still loves to shop-she has already taken me to the mall! Soumya and her eleven-year-old son Patheya live with us because her husband works in Delhi and travels around the country. Patheya is a lot of fun to hangout with, and he is always trying to help me with my Hindi homework!

That pretty much brings us to the weekend, but as mentioned, there are a couple of issues I would like to share my perspectives on. The first is the hierarchy here. It is extremely prominent in everyday life; when faced with an elder, you should greet them first; men are always the head of the household, etc. When my host sister wrote down everyone’s name she wrote down first her father, then mother, then her husband, then herself, her son, and then she skipped two lines and wrote the names of their hired help, who they actually call “servants”. This brings up an entirely different issue. Almost all middle and upper class homes have at least one full time “servant”, and they are on the very bottom of the hierarchy. Santosh, who is the “servant” in our home, is not allowed to sit on the furniture, and he eats after everyone else has eaten. He is about 14 years old, but does not go to school because he works in the house all day. It is very difficult to sit there and allow him to “serve” me food, water, tea, etc, but it is not culturally appropriate for me to get these things myself, or treat him the same way I treat my host brother. This may not seem ethical or morally right, but again, things are different here. My family are good people and mean well with everything they do. They are not cruel mean people-the way they act is their cultural norm. So while it does not seem right to me, and can’t march into their house and tell them that they and the rest of the middle and upper class is wrong. With the background that Santosh comes from, if he did not work for my family who provides him with food, clothing, and a small stipend, he would most likely be malnourished, and possibly living on the streets, which would also make him susceptible to drug or alcohol abuse, violence, disease, etc. Again, his work in my family’s home does not fix the larger problem, but it is his best option. This is just one example of the problems and injustices that come with cultural hierarchy and the caste system.

The other phenomenon that I have observed is the incredible amount of pride that Indian people have for their culture and their history. Everyone I meet has another fact, story, or bit of history about their country. Coming from the United States where many people can not name everyone sitting on The Supreme Court, this is both pleasing and depressing. Even my host brother can tell me how many dialects India has. Everyone seems so interested in reformation, cultural identity, globalization, etc and they just seem so extremely informed about everything here. Granted, my interactions have been limited, but I am describing everyone from a taxi driver, to my neighbor to my instructors. In the United States, a country that has so much, it is sad that we don’t hold this kind of pride and knowledge.

As you can tell, I’m learning a lot over here and it’s really got me thinking! I spent this weekend in Agra at the Taj Mahal, so expect a blog with lots of pictures in the next couple of days!