A Few Observances About India

The other day as I leisurely walked to the cafeteria for lunch I looked to my left and saw my laundry, underwear and all, laid out on a lawn in the center of campus! I was so surprised to see my clothes laying in plain view for everyone to see. Such are the surprises that I still encounter as I continue to become accustomed to this new culture. About the people, I’ve discovered that they are very friendly and hospitable, the women’s clothes are beautiful and so colorful, the children are adorable, most adults do not know how to use the computer nor drive a car, and they use British English. They sometimes use phrases I’m not sure the Brits even use. When I was chatting with a woman on campus she got up and said, “I’ll make a move!” I thought to myself “What kind of move are you going to make?” And then she left. I’ve come to find out that this is the standard way of saying, “Let’s go!” Another observation about the people is that the men and women do not interact with each other as frequently as we Americans are accustomed to. In fact, whenever there is a mixed gender meeting, the men and women always sit separately even if there are married couples in attendance.

A few observations about the cities: they are very crowded and dirty, there are many stray dogs AND cows who roam the streets, traffic is insane and there are numerous Hindu temples everywhere. I feel blessed that I get to live in the village on such a beautiful, peaceful campus in close community with other Christians. I’ve met many of the men, woman and children here on campus. They have all made me feel very welcomed. A few other random observances are that the electricity frequently goes on and off, shoes must come off when entering a house, 4:00pm is always tea time (Yum…I love Chai tea!), and you should bobble your head back and forth to respond positively. A few times I made the mistake of bobbling my head back and forth when someone asked me whether I like the food or not. I mean to say “It’s just okay” but they take it to mean I like it and want more of it! So I quietly and they take it and eat as much as I can remembering next time to save “the head bobble” for “yes” answers only.