This one might not be the most "artistic pic" but I loved getting to meet one of my beautiful friends today and catch up before she went back to college... who knows if I will get to see her again before I leave! :(
Friday, July 30, 2010
7-30-2010 photo of the day
This one might not be the most "artistic pic" but I loved getting to meet one of my beautiful friends today and catch up before she went back to college... who knows if I will get to see her again before I leave! :(
The South Asia Art of Not Coming
So after being here for almost two years, I am now a PRO on being cancelled on. Not necessarily cancelling, but being cancelled on.
And here's why: In South Asia, prior commitments don't really have as much meaning as the here and now. So, if you are with someone and they ask you to stay for dinner or go to a movie or come with them somewhere, because they are with you NOW, it doesn't matter that you made a commitment to be somewhere EARLIER.
To the American mindset, that is ajeeb. We think that everyone should honor prior commitments because time is valuable. But to the South Asia brain, it seems that it is more important to not "hurt" the person you are with NOW, giving little regard to the person out there waiting for you.
To make matters worse, many times, they won't tell you that they aren't coming or that they will be late...so you will just be waiting, with no idea that you are being stood up. To an American, this is so frustrating...and honestly something I'm not used to.
I am friends with some people from Central Asia here. Yesterday, I was stood up again. One of these friends said, "You love people and people make you sad." I thought about this for awhile...and I agree. When you love people, they are going to make you sad because they aren't going to always live up to your expectations. So I told my friend, "True...but that's part of loving people. They make you sad because they aren't perfect..." and that's ok. It doesn't give me an excuse to stop loving people. :)
And here's why: In South Asia, prior commitments don't really have as much meaning as the here and now. So, if you are with someone and they ask you to stay for dinner or go to a movie or come with them somewhere, because they are with you NOW, it doesn't matter that you made a commitment to be somewhere EARLIER.
To the American mindset, that is ajeeb. We think that everyone should honor prior commitments because time is valuable. But to the South Asia brain, it seems that it is more important to not "hurt" the person you are with NOW, giving little regard to the person out there waiting for you.
To make matters worse, many times, they won't tell you that they aren't coming or that they will be late...so you will just be waiting, with no idea that you are being stood up. To an American, this is so frustrating...and honestly something I'm not used to.
I am friends with some people from Central Asia here. Yesterday, I was stood up again. One of these friends said, "You love people and people make you sad." I thought about this for awhile...and I agree. When you love people, they are going to make you sad because they aren't going to always live up to your expectations. So I told my friend, "True...but that's part of loving people. They make you sad because they aren't perfect..." and that's ok. It doesn't give me an excuse to stop loving people. :)
Thursday, July 29, 2010
7-29-2010 Photos of the day
Today, I have 3 photos of the day...
#1 #3 happened when our auto rickshaw took us up the one hill in our city. The bamboo walla was having a hard time getting up the hill so he asked our rickshaw walla to give him a hand...or a foot...
#2 is another beggar I met in the morning.
#3 is a beggar child I met in my morning outing. This picture, while I think it's beautiful, is so sad. Do you see the sadness in her eyes and the flies all over her?
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
2nd 7-28 picture of the day
Couldn't help it! I have to post this picture of a precious girl at the market...so today is worthy of two pictures of the day.
7-28-2010 picture of the day
The newspaper said today that there have been 44 major cave-ins and 21 potholes in the city due to the torrential monsoon rains...today, we stumbled across one of the major ones...here it is.
Mama said there'd be days like this...
Today's ajeeb story is about how one thing, one decision, can change the entire day and can mess up a lot of plans...Today, I went with Katie to go to the tailor (yes! I get my clothes tailored! It's so much fun). As we left the house, I thought to myself, "Self, do I want to take everything I need for the day or just my wallet?" I decided on the wallet. Little did I know that I would not make it back before we were running around for the day. After the tailor, I asked if Katie needed help with the scooter (the tire was flat last night). She said yes so we headed to the scooter's last destination. Still didn't register that we weren't going to make it home before we left for the day. So the tire on the scooter was dead. They were going to patch the last patch, but we just asked for a new tire ($3 to replace the tire vs. $.50 for each patch). And we waited...Next thing we know, the scooter walla is taking a pair of scissors to our scooter tire and we're like, "Whoa! What is this???" Long story short, there was this wire stuck in the outside covering that was most likely just going to puncture the new tire if it wasn't fixed. So, it was fixed. But in the process, we ran out of time to go home. So, we headed for the market. I texted Kimberly and asked her to bring my camera and purse. When the purse arrived, here is a list of what didn't make it with me because I didn't make it home: a pic for friends at the market, a newspaper clipping, my camera's memory card, a pen...and my keys.
I realized I didn't have the memory card and begged Katie if I could use hers. Then, I met my friends and had to explain to them (in an Indian language because they don't speak English) why I didn't have the picture for them. Then, after the market, I went home and my roommates went out. This doesn't happen often because I'm usually the one running around and never home. But today I was excited...some language time, a nap, some computer work before going out again in the evening...and honestly this extrovert needs some introvert time every once in awhile. So one of my friends took me home. I took all my roommate's packages with me because I was the one going home...including a bundle of more than 80 peacock feathers my roommate had just purchased.
I got home and realized that I had no key. It's in my other bag which is locked inside the house. So I sit for a moment and feel sorry for myself before I decide to go to ccd, a coffee shop near my house (because coffee makes everything better!) So, I set off in a trusty auto rickshaw, feathers and all, and make it inside the coffee shop right before it starts to pour...and it's monsoon season so it can pour. And I sat there....no pen, no language book, no book, no nothing...(so yes, I might have written this blog post on my cell phone notes...don't judge! I was bored!) A coffee drink and a veg pizza later, I decided it was time to go...but where could I go with multiple bags and two bundles of feathers?
I decided to go to Crossword, one of the bookstores in our town. When you go inside shops in our town, if you have any bags from another store, you have to check them at the door...so I thought, "I'll just check my bags at the door," and crossed my fingers that the store would accept and check my peacock feathers. Long story short, they accepted my feathers and I got to spend an hour or so looking at books, movies, and music. Then, I had to get my feathery package and get back into a rickshaw...go back to our flat...get into the elevator with 10 people...and I definitely almost dropped the peacock feathers..but I'm happy to say that they made it home safely and unscathed...and I am also in my flat, glad to be inside!
I realized I didn't have the memory card and begged Katie if I could use hers. Then, I met my friends and had to explain to them (in an Indian language because they don't speak English) why I didn't have the picture for them. Then, after the market, I went home and my roommates went out. This doesn't happen often because I'm usually the one running around and never home. But today I was excited...some language time, a nap, some computer work before going out again in the evening...and honestly this extrovert needs some introvert time every once in awhile. So one of my friends took me home. I took all my roommate's packages with me because I was the one going home...including a bundle of more than 80 peacock feathers my roommate had just purchased.
I got home and realized that I had no key. It's in my other bag which is locked inside the house. So I sit for a moment and feel sorry for myself before I decide to go to ccd, a coffee shop near my house (because coffee makes everything better!) So, I set off in a trusty auto rickshaw, feathers and all, and make it inside the coffee shop right before it starts to pour...and it's monsoon season so it can pour. And I sat there....no pen, no language book, no book, no nothing...(so yes, I might have written this blog post on my cell phone notes...don't judge! I was bored!) A coffee drink and a veg pizza later, I decided it was time to go...but where could I go with multiple bags and two bundles of feathers?
I decided to go to Crossword, one of the bookstores in our town. When you go inside shops in our town, if you have any bags from another store, you have to check them at the door...so I thought, "I'll just check my bags at the door," and crossed my fingers that the store would accept and check my peacock feathers. Long story short, they accepted my feathers and I got to spend an hour or so looking at books, movies, and music. Then, I had to get my feathery package and get back into a rickshaw...go back to our flat...get into the elevator with 10 people...and I definitely almost dropped the peacock feathers..but I'm happy to say that they made it home safely and unscathed...and I am also in my flat, glad to be inside!
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
7-27-2010 Pic of the Day
Today's pic of the day was taken when I had to stop to wait for my roommates...it's been raining and these people were sitting under a tarp waiting for the next rain.
Today we talked about despair…and how much despair hangs over this city. It covers it like a blanket. It clings to it like a wet blanket. Most people have no hope. They feel like there is nothing to live for. And we’ve realized how easy it has become for us to fall into that same slump… It’s like a cloud is over us, raining on us and bringing the dreariness on us.
In our newspaper, everyday, there are 2-3 suicides. That’s crazy. We read in the newspaper once that in three weeks, there were over 21 suicides… and more than 2/3 of those suicides were for unknown reasons. One day, your loved one is with you and the next, he or she is gone…no warning, nothing…just gone.
People commit suicide here over school grades, arranged marriages, lost love, money problems, loneliness, or anything else. Because there is no hope. When someone makes a comment like, “I don’t want to live anymore,” or “maybe I’ll just kill myself,” you have to take them seriously.
So how do we keep ourselves out from under this cloud? By remembering who we are and WHOSE we are.
In our newspaper, everyday, there are 2-3 suicides. That’s crazy. We read in the newspaper once that in three weeks, there were over 21 suicides… and more than 2/3 of those suicides were for unknown reasons. One day, your loved one is with you and the next, he or she is gone…no warning, nothing…just gone.
People commit suicide here over school grades, arranged marriages, lost love, money problems, loneliness, or anything else. Because there is no hope. When someone makes a comment like, “I don’t want to live anymore,” or “maybe I’ll just kill myself,” you have to take them seriously.
So how do we keep ourselves out from under this cloud? By remembering who we are and WHOSE we are.
My blog
Here's my blog...I'm going to start doing a pic a day, and hopefully a quick story every now and then...just to give you a chance to get inside the life of an American in South Asia. So let's get ready...for the ajeeb (weird), the hard, and the hilarious...cause it's definitely a wild ride...
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