So Many Stories

I feel like the weekend came and went far too quickly. How is it Monday already?!

I spent the majority of the weekend lying in my bed with a book or on my phone because we got new Wi-Fi! I can now use my phone in my room which was something that rarely happened before. I was also able to get out the house a little bit though which was very nice!

On Friday afternoon, we went home with the librarian. We walked for about an hour to get there. I didn’t mind the fact that we were walking because I could use the exercise to work of some of the potatoes, paneer and naan. Anyways, about 45ish minutes in, I began to feel tired so mad props to Sunita for doing that twice a day! When we arrived to her home we were welcomed with smiles. We were led into the small room were we all sat in a circle getting to know her family with her and her sisters translating for us. At one point, her dad announced that he would tell our futures. He began by writing our names on his palm in Hindi and after a few seconds he would look at you then close his eyes again. After reading my mind as he said, he told me that I will be a teacher. He wasn’t too far off considering I am a paraprofessional during the summers. After a round of snacks, a few songs, many laughs and a cup of chai things got serious. Her dad told us that even when we are not at their home, we are his guest. By this, he meant that he and his family would be taking us in as their family until we leave India. One of the younger sisters even suggested that we spend Sundays with them so we can do different things and go different places throughout our stay. Our new “dad” even walked with us to get a rickshaw and negotiated a fair price with the driver to make sure we didn’t get ripped off. He walked behind the rickshaw for as long as he could waving goodbye to us. Sunita and her family insisted that she traveled back with us to make sure that we got home safely. We only agreed to this after she agreed to let us pay for her rickshaw home so she wouldn’t have to walk home. When we got back, we went straight to the café to hang out with Sunil, the café manager and Sunita’s older brother. We told him that he had an amazing family and that he now has 8 sisters instead of 3. He responded by puffing out his chest and saying he is the best big brother!

As I said in my last post, the crew wants me to write about some of the funny things that have been happening here. So, here they go:

After a few days in Varanasi, we were more than ready to see the Ganges River. Sunil came to campus at 6AM to walk us to the river since we got lost a few days prior. As we were walking one of the girls who shall not be named stepped in a pile of cow feces. Although, it was really unfortunate we couldn’t stop ourselves from laughing. Sunil asked one of the merchants along the way for some water so she should rinse her foot. It is hilarious even to this day.

While at the mall in Lucknow, we witnessed a push-up contest. A very terrible push-up contest might I add. Two of my teammates are studying here in India with me and I don’t know if it is because we are athletes or not but we were really critical of the contestants form. As soon as we looked over the railing, we all said, “Oh my God”. It literally looked like everyone was humping the floor and doing the worm at the same time. Quite the effort!

After we returned to Varanasi from Lucknow, it was time to stop putting off laundry day. So during one of our walks we bought a couple of bars of laundry detergent for our laundry party. We set up two of the bathrooms with buckets and a bar of detergent. After setting up ropes and finding all of the hangers in the house, we were ready. After about an hour of washing, the house was covered in clothes. The next day, after returning from class we saw that some of the clothes were missing from the hallway. Turns out one of the “didis” took the clothes outside to dry quicker in the sun. That was really nice of her however; the majority of the clothes taken out were some the girls’ underwear and bras. So the little school children got an eye full that afternoon.

Less than a week back, we discovered a mouse in our house. I didn’t see the rodent the first time however, Elizabeth did. She screamed so loud I think I lost my hearing for a few seconds. She said she saw it run into the bedroom closest to the front door. After leaving the house for a few hours we returned to see that the girl living in the room the mouse ran into, Katherine, deeply cleaning her room because the mouse made its presence known. She even moved her cupboard into the hallway so the mouse the mouse couldn’t use it as a hiding spot. It ended up running out of the house soon after. Of course the mouse returned a few days later when there were three of us in the house. We made Katherine be the brave soul to find it since she is the oldest. So she hopped across furniture armed with a broom. She eventually scared it enough to make it run towards the front of the house where it hid in a hole in the wall until it ran back out the front door. It was then decided that we should block the roughly 1.5 inch gap between the floor and the door with an old sheet. Two nights ago, it came back. This time when it left, we blocked not only the door but also the hole it likes to run into. Hopefully, it stays away for a while.   

For one of our Hindi classes on Thursday, we took a walk around the area we live in. Our neighborhood, if you will, is shaped like a triangle. It is filled with fairly new apartment buildings across and next to us, store front shops and the “curbs” are occupied by merchants selling fruit. When we finished our tour of the area, we went a lassi shop we passed at the beginning of the trip. A few months ago, I figured out that I am lactose intolerant. So, I have been trying to be very careful about what I eat because the last thing I need is to be sick. My friends and I tried to explain to my teacher that I was allergic to milk. My teacher insisted that I have one anyway because I wasn’t drinking milk but curd. I told her not to order one for me because I could just taste someone else’s. She said, “No, you try. Just pray to your God and drink it”. I laughed so hard. No one else heard her say it so I had to explain what was said. I did end up praying and drank the extra-small order of the lassi. I felt really weird after drinking it but that feeling went away after a little while.

Anything involving Sunil is funny honestly. Highlight of my time so far has to be the dance party/concert we had. We have gotten into the habit of staying in the café with Sunil until his shift ends. We usually just talk and listen to music on the radio. Depending on his goofy level for the night, we can get him to sin g to us or dance. This weekend, we got him to do both at the same time. Seriously, it was one of the funniest things to happen here.

Yesterday, we took a day trip with an art history professor to Sarnath. For those who do not know about Sarnath, it is the place where Buddha first preacched. As we walked through the museum, we noticed a very interesting piece. It was an elephant figurine. Not just any elephant though. This elephant was special because it was missing its trunk, three legs and both ears. This story isn’t that funny I realize because you weren’t there to actually look at the figurine but just trust me, it was funny.

Funny stories over! In other news, we started our new classes today. I had my first yoga class early this morning. It was really fun but I’m in pain right now because some of the moves aggravated a previous hip flexor injury. I also started my dance class today. I don’t remember the name for the style of dance but it is classical Indian dance which involves stumping my feet and moving my hands gracefully. There is a classical music festival going on here so Shadi, Elizabeth and Maddie went there tonight to watch some of the dancing. I will also be taking a classical vocal music class. I am not sure when I will begin though because there is difficulty scheduling my class because the teacher is very busy. Hopefully everything works out with that class! Besides Hindi and my arts classes, I am taking a class called Globalization and Local Narrative. I am currently in part two of the class where we do an internship type thing. I am going to have workshops that involve empowerment through music. So, I will be having the groups (boys and girls) write songs in Hindi and English that empower them to think more positively about not only themselves but their peers as well. At the end of my time here, I will host a concert for my students.

I am off to bed now. I am not feeling very well. Hopefully, I feel better by tomorrow! And I found out one of my wisdom teeth is growing in. Grrr.  Anyways, I will post again soon xx.