Barefoot, sitting on the stone floor are beautiful women cutting up vegetables and stirring big iron pots of rice. Everyday, these women cook for us; breakfast, lunch and dinner. Each meal is absolutely incredible, with a crazy amount of spice and flavor. A few days ago Amanda and I went into the kitchen space and sat down on the stone floor with the women. Our intentions were to help cook, but with the little English they knew, the women insisted we simply sit with them as they continued chopping and stirring. All they really wanted was our presence and our time. Our company was enough for them, they didn’t let us slice the “no name” vegetables for the lunch that day. So we sat there, crisscrossed and barefoot. We spoke very poor Telugu with them and they laughed with us as we laughed at ourselves. Songs were sang, both in English and in Telugu. The language barrier didn’t keep us from sharing a moment and creating a relationship with these two beautiful women. Both were wearing anklets that jingled with each step they took. In their culture almost every women here wears beautiful silver anklets and other jewelry. The toe rings they wear are actually their wedding bands, they don’t wear rings on their fingers to represent marriage. I pointed to their anklets and told them they were very beautiful, as I did this the women took off their anklets and placed them around our ankles. We thought they were just letting us try them on but no, they gave us each one of their precious silver anklets with smiles stretched across their faces. Amanda and I looked at each other, hearts warm and tears in our eyes. We then ran to our room and grabbed a necklace and bracelet that we had brought from home. We gave the women our jewelry to reflect the love they had just shown to us. Language barrier or not, it didn’t stop us from sharing a special moment with those women. Now when we walk past them they give each of us a little squeeze and a sweet smile with love in their eyes. The people here are so welcoming to their guest, in their culture guest are treated almost like royalty. They offer all they have even when its very little, like a small cup of Thumbs Up soda. This is something that I want to take back to the states. I have so much to learn from the culture and generous heart here. When I have a home of my own I want to make my guests feel as welcomed as I felt when I stepped into a home in India.
