Colorful

 

     Shine

They love beauty and protect/foster beauty in women. Make up is commended, not to stand out, but to show one’s beauty. The more jewelry you wear, the more beauty and value you have. You don’t have to wear expensive jewelry for this to apply. Long hair is prized. They wear their hair in a low pony-tail braided and often put a long sprig of jasmine or other sweetly scented flowers in their hair.

 

     Free

I love how they maintain a high standard of modesty in dress while prizing beauty. I felt protected by the strict modesty. That I am valued enough to not be displayed like an object. That other than my body I am worth interaction. The safety their dress provides has allowed me to feel comfortable showing whatever other beauty God has given me. I rarely care to do such things in America, (there it seems they are done to attract and not to display the fullness of who God has made), but here I’ve enjoyed wearing makeup and colorful bold feminine clothing, braiding my hair, and displaying my personality and character. This is something I would change about America if I could. I am universally respected here. Here they want to see the beauty of my speech and manner; here I feel safe enough to show them. Here women are honored by having their modesty guarded; here I feel free to be beautiful. 

(I know this is a utopian understanding of the way many women are treated here, as in most of the world. Yet there is value in these thoughts too.) 

 

Interactions 2: Protect Him

     Smile
This next part has been hard for my team. I’ve blatantly failed repeatedly. It’s that women aren’t supposed to smile at men. Just thinking about it makes it difficult at first. Smiling is flirting here. So is too much chatting beyond curt politeness when speaking with a man. It seems rude or impolite at times, but it’s cool too. People here are still largely in arranged marriages, so the entire culture seeks to guard people’s hearts as they’re all already committed to people. To them you’re saying you’re interested in them and you are messing with their hearts if you smile at them. It’s true; it’s not an exaggeration. I accidentally smiled too much with multiple clerks and someone I bumped into; they got excited, brought their friends, followed me around … I was embarrassed and regretful each time. Thankfully for me, a serious demeanor comes in handy here. But I’ve honestly been smiling more – just not at males.

Perhaps for the same reason, ads and billboards are not so frustratingly indecent as they commonly are in the states.

 

     Heart

Hearts are at the core of these outward boundaries. Although I appreciate the safeguards, I suppose they do little good to protect hearts who oppose them. 

 

Interactions 3: Everyone Else

     Unit

Other interactions (not between unmarried men and women) also have some differences. Men are warm and physically affectionate with each other, as are women. But the way everyone interacts as a whole is new to me. I don’t know it well enough to describe it decently. Community is central, everyone values each person, if you want something you go for it, if something is sitting out it is being offered for anyone to have (no one would go into your things to take something from you though), men and women generally don’t eat together, bobbing your head (slightly tilting the top of your head to the left and right, repeating) is a sign of respect.

 

     Juxtaposition

There are very rich and very poor all living side by side. It looks like mansions and shacks, wooden scrap stands and magnificent modern skyscraper shops all right beside each other. I’ve seen “classes” in that people show great respect for their employers. But it’s not like the groups of people ignore each other. It’s more like they work together to live in a resigned, seemingly contented way. I love the richness of this juxtaposition of extremes, but it is frustrating to see the needless struggle and pain of one that could be covered over by the excess of the other. I’m all for hard work and responsibility, but I’m even more for mercy and freeing people caught in past injustices. 

 

Outside These Walls:
     Ride

Besides walking, one of the best ways to see outside of SCH is to take a three-wheeled vehicle without sides, called an “auto.” Sometimes all six of us, plus a driver, will cram into one. There are also motorbikes and tiny cars and trucks. Everyone drives crazily! I hear it’s a leading spot for traffic accidents. That’s not surprising, but simply because there are loads of people here (From the roof of our home, you can see off into the distance all around. The hills roll out covered in houses (thick walls of concrete painted white) until they are hidden by smog.) Although they scare me, the drivers are alert and skillful – they have to be. It’s like an amusement park ride every time. 

 

     Still

Despite the amount of people, it is very quiet and still outside. In public places everyone is subdued in volume. Looking off the roof, walking in the street, or shopping at the market, I am often surprised that so many people are alive and moving around, because it’s remarkably peaceful. I like it.

I cannot describe the music, but it’s other-worldliness is worth mentioning. 

Few people speak English, so there is a lot of gesturing and well-wishing faces. Telugu and Hindi are spoken in this Indian state, Andhra Pradesh. I wish I could have real conversations with some of the ayahs and cooks especially, though I have learned to make chai tea anyway.

 

     Holi

The colors are deep and vibrant in shades we don’t largely use in America. I wish we did; they are stunning. The Holi festival was yesterday (St. Patrick’s Day). It’s a commemoration of one of the Hindu god’s killing the devil who exploded leaving everything drenched in colors. To celebrate, people add bags of die powder to water and squirt each other with guns similar to caulk guns. They also throw the tops of various aromatic flowers everywhere. (Spring is coming here and the temperatures have been in the hundreds this week.) People end up soaked in color. It’s a fun and joyful time. 

 

Curry

     Shops

The variety of grains, lentils, rice … is extensive. The selection of things is greatly different than what we have at grocery stores. Like they still have juice, produce, grain, snack food, … but the sorts of those things are new to me. I enjoy walking through and seeing what people here eat. For the most part prices are much lower here. I enjoyed this: McDonald’s doesn’t serve beef here! 🙂 Instead they have an array of chicken and vegetarian meals that look much healthier than what is served in America.

 

     How to Eat

You do not drink the water at the sinks. Large water containers are purchased. You eat with your right hand and no utensils (not everyone eats like that here – we do because the women in our house do). Your left hand is what is used at the toilet (But really, carry toilet paper.) so you never use it while eating. You also leave some food on your plate to show you’re full. It seems the more you eat the more you compliment the cook, but they load your plate with enormous portions of rice that you can’t always eat.

 

     Potent

I like the food a lot. It is potent (hot) and spicy (seasoned) and I don’t know what I’m eating sometimes (not that it’s creepy, just new flavors), but I like that it’s new. Generally for breakfast we eat a cooked grain or rice with a bit of vegetables and sort of chicken base taste that isn’t potent but is warm in temperature. You dip it in raw sugar. Lunch and dinner are usually nearly the same meal twice. Most frequently we eat plain white rice, yellow lentils (the way they are cooked is different each day), and a cooked vegetable that is very spicy. But there are many other dishes and a lot of variety in flavor, and that’s just the cooks in this house. It would be neat to visit each state and see what aspects of their culture and food make each one unique. There is also delicious chai tea in tiny cups each morning and afternoon.