Diwali and Thanksgiving

Here I am, thousands of miles away from home, and I can still feel the exasperation of my dad as I procrastinate packing for my upcoming trip.  “Make a list!” he says.  “You should have packed yesterday!”  Now, I have not discussed packing in any way, shape, or form since the day (ok, maybe the hours) before departing MSP what seems like a lifetime ago to begin my exchange here.  However, I have found that simply being on the other side of the world cannot make that little voice in your head go away.  You could hardly tell by looking, but I am currently in the midst of packing for my tour of South India beginning tomorrow and have not had a fit of madness which provoked me to violently throw my belongings around my room.  I like to think that I have made some progress and that there is indeed a method to my madness. 

Regardless, I seem to be getting ahead of myself.  Since I last blogged, I have experienced firsthand the relentless overstimulation and chaos that is Diwali.  It is difficult to describe Diwali but loud, crazy, and frightening come to mind.  Now I will not say that it is not an incredibly enjoyable festival, because that would be completely untrue.  It was immensely entertaining and a great deal of fun, and the enthusiasm and excitement was contagious.  Kids ran everywhere with sparklers, matches, and an alarming array of explosives.  I should mention that as far as I know, there are no restrictions on fireworks during Diwali in either size of the explosive or age of the buyer.  This, in addition to the ridiculously cheap prices, was enough to make me a little wary, but that uneasiness fell away quickly in the midst of all the fun.  Akash and I bought a small arsenal of fireworks which was enough to provide us a steady stream of sparks and explosions throughout the festival.

Now, before you complain that this blogger is a mighty poor photographer, take a look at one of the best turnouts of the pictures I took.  It may still be my fault, but I have searched my camera’s settings and tried nearly every possible combination, but without success.  Firecrackers are difficult to photograph, especially with an old point-and-shoot like mine.

Enough of my excuses.  On the day before Diwali, November 10^th, I went shopping with my host mom and brother, because buying new clothes for the festival is just something you do.  I received an awesome new maroon kurta (light, long-sleeved shirt that goes down to your knees) and the accompanying white, poofy pyjamas (awesome pants that actually make sense to wear in the heat).  I wore this new outfit to all the formal events of the festival, and they fit really well.  I was pretty excited to have some Indian clothes other than the plain white ensemble I wore for the Ganpati celebrations.

One week later, full of lights and explosions far surpassing the 4^th of July and Christmas combined, and here I am, packing for my trip.  Tomorrow morning I will wake bright and early and board a train which will take me (along with another nine exchange students) to Hyderabad, hometown of my host sister Rachael in Northfield, where we will check into our hotel and meet the other eight exchange students joining us on this trip.  The 18 of us will spend the next two and a half weeks traveling around southern India.  From what I have heard, this trip promises to be one of the highlights of my year and I cannot wait to begin!  We have quite the itinerary (including a stay in Kerala, where I will do my best to avoid all interaction with Orangedrink, Lemondrink men) and I am sure I will have multiple posts worth of experiences to share along with a ridiculous number of pictures.

Assuming I can pull myself together long enough to complete my packing, I will have an amazing trip filled with all manner of new experiences.  I am not bringing my laptop on the trip, so do not expect an update until I get back on December 5^th.

Seeing as I will be gone for Thanksgiving, I would like to take a moment before I leave to share some things for which I am grateful.  Rotary said that this year would give us a new perspective of and appreciation for our home, and I have certainly experienced more than my fair share thus far.  Seeing all of the poverty that surrounds even the most luxurious lifestyle in India has made me aware of the very high standard of living that we demand and that our government provides for us.  There are so many things which I never gave a second thought, which I now appreciate so much more.  I find myself thankful for nearly every aspect of my American life: a fantastic school, caring teachers and neighbors, a hometown that smells like cereal, so many opportunities that I could never take advantage of them all, and a community of family and friends that I hardly feel I deserve.  I am also immensely grateful to Rotary for providing this inimitable opportunity to experience a new part of the world and understand an entirely different culture.  There is certainly no substitute, and I, along with all the other exchange students you support, owe a great deal of thanks to Rotary and all Rotarians who have helped me to be where I am. 

Now, I need to get back to packing.  I suppose the thought of my trip should be sufficient motivation.  To everyone back home, enjoy your turkeys and eat as much food as humanly possible for all of the exchange students wishing we could celebrate with you.  Happy Thanksgiving!