नमस्ते (Namaste),

There are many things that I don't think of as "different" anymore. As I have often been reminded, there are many aspects of India that Americans would find out of the ordinary. I have put together a list of things that occurs in my daily life here.

1. I take my shoes off before entering any sort of building. This includes temples/ houses/ shops/ rooms in schools, ect. This is done to show respect and of course to keep the floors clean!

2. I take auto rickshaws at least once a day. These are three wheeled taxis with no doors, painted yellow and black (the colors vary according to where you are in the country) and often look like they are going to fall apart. They are my  major form of transportation and I get a lot of practice communicating in Hindi with the drivers, as many of them don't speak English. I barter for each trip and it usually costs around 30 rupees ($.60) for a 5 minute trip and up  to 80 rupees ($1.60) for 15 minutes. It is a very convenient form of transportation.

3. There are always so many people on the street. At any given time I would say there are at least 10 people nearby. This means there is always someone or something making noise. Whether it is honking, hammering, yelling, crying, TVs, or the sounds of engines, there is always sound. At first it was overwhelming, but I now find it relaxing and soothing. Noise and people are definitely two things that I will miss about India.

4. Given that I am white, tall and blonde I tend to get lots of stares from the Indians. It is something that I don't notice as much anymore. The women generally just stare and then look away if I look back. Young girls will sometimes come up to me and ask where I am from. The men and teenage boys often ride by on their motorcycles and yell things like "Aare Yaar", "Foreigner!", "Hey babe!", "Hey, Hello, Hi", "Where from?". I usually just ignore them and keep walking. Indians also like to take pictures of me and the other exchange students and we usually ask them not to.

5. Another thing that I will miss is that most buildings in the city have roof terraces. It is so nice to stand on top of my house and watch the city.

I know this is not a very long list, but it is surprisingly difficult to think of everything that used to seem so different. I guess it means I am fully immersed in the culture :) 

हना (Hannah)

Indian Wedding

Namaste,
As some of you may know, I had never been to a wedding before. How appropriate that my first one be in India :)
There was no walking down the aisle, music playing, everyone seated in organized rows, silence. Nope. Instead it was held in a huge temple, chairs were randomly placed here and there, everyone was talking and in the middle of it all was a beautiful square tent where the bride, the groom, their parents and siblings all sat. As the ceremony proceeded everyone ate their lunch and talked amongst each other while the bride and groom were married.
The bride wore a beautiful red and white sari with a veil.  Red dots were lined from one side of her forehead to the other and she wore bangles eight inches up her arm. Her right hand was tied with the grooms right hand and placed under a scarf. He wore a red turban with a gold patterned jacket and baggy brown patterned pants. The fathers and brothers of the bride and groom wore white handkerchiefs on their heads, the ends tucked behind their ears. 
On one side sat the bride and groom with the brides parents to the right and the grooms parents to the left. Across from them sat the pandit (leader of the procession). He chanted for around five minutes while the parents took turns scooping oil into a spoon and pouring it on a fire in a bowl. 
The bride and groom stood and walked around the table in the center seven times before sitting down again.
The older brother of the groom unsheathed a knife and stood behind the couple holding it in his right hand to his chest. The pandit held a platter of rose petals and continued to chant as he tossed the rose petals, falling delicately over the bride and groom. The platter was passed along to the older brother who then held it over the couple as their heads were pressed together.  
The groom was given the knife and a plate of kaju katli (an indian sweet). I personally didn't see this one coming... He hit the plate with the knife and it broke into pieces. Everyone cheered! 
The cloth holding their hands together was untied and the groom took out a gold necklace that was put around the brides neck. Blessings were given by the parents and rings were exchanged. Not only did the couple exchange rings but also the parents. The pandit said a few words and the new married couple were off to their house!