Wow! February is almost over, meaning that I have been in India for about two months. I honestly cannot believe it! Then again, as they say, time flies when you are having fun. This cliche has proven itself altogether too accurate in describing the past few weeks. I have been incredibly busy but having the time of my life. Here are a few highlights:
As part of a required cultural/art experience, the group from CSB/SJU visited an artist in a village called Krishnanagar. This particular village is known for the creation of clay dolls. Artists mold these clay dolls using clay from the Ganges river. Our group had the wonderful opportunity to try our hand at making these dolls. I look forward to seeing my clay version of the Hindu god Ganesh when it returns from the kiln. It was a fun day that even landed us in a Bengali newspaper.
My twenty-first birthday landed on the same day as another group activity, this time far more informal. Our program director and assistant director, Madhu and Munu, invited us to their home for a sari party. We selected saris from their extensive collection to wear for the evening. Then, all dressed up, the group followed a rather unorthodox order for dinner. We began with a toast to my birthday and to the trip in general, followed by cutting and eating my birthday cake (my second of the day thanks to a cake with breakfast from my host parents). Then, we ate a delicious dinner that included piyesh, a traditional birthday sweet. I had a wonderful birthday evening of fun, friends, great conversations, and beautiful saris.
Last Monday, we had the unbelievable opportunity to meet Amitav Ghosh, a famous Indian author whose books we read. Ghosh gave a book reading and answered questions in a formal presentation at St. Xavier's. Then, the CSB/SJU group met Ghosh and his wife, author Deborah Baker (who met with our class the next day), for tea. We loved talking with this very unassuming author. Ghosh was very curious about our lives and our experiences in Kolkata. He was impressed that we have adopted various aspects of Indian culture, especially the food. Apparently, his own kids, who are our age, prefer chow mein and pizza when visiting India from their home in New York. Madhu proudly added that we eat with our hands like Bengalis to further praise our cultural immersion. I don't know if we fully appreciated this opportunity to meet Amitav Ghosh, but I enjoyed myself immensely.
This past Wednesday brought Bekkah and me to another wedding with our host parents. We wore saris and ate delicious foods from around the world. Just before we left, someone pulled the two of us into a picture with the bride and groom. I enjoyed seeing the beautiful saris, although I would never want a wedding like that. It probably literally cost a fortune with the massive quantities of food, an elaborate venue, and unbelievable clothing. Then again, I have not yet found much that would qualify as an example of simplicity here in India.
Beyond that, we have visited a variety of sites around Kolkata:
As part of a required cultural/art experience, the group from CSB/SJU visited an artist in a village called Krishnanagar. This particular village is known for the creation of clay dolls. Artists mold these clay dolls using clay from the Ganges river. Our group had the wonderful opportunity to try our hand at making these dolls. I look forward to seeing my clay version of the Hindu god Ganesh when it returns from the kiln. It was a fun day that even landed us in a Bengali newspaper.
My twenty-first birthday landed on the same day as another group activity, this time far more informal. Our program director and assistant director, Madhu and Munu, invited us to their home for a sari party. We selected saris from their extensive collection to wear for the evening. Then, all dressed up, the group followed a rather unorthodox order for dinner. We began with a toast to my birthday and to the trip in general, followed by cutting and eating my birthday cake (my second of the day thanks to a cake with breakfast from my host parents). Then, we ate a delicious dinner that included piyesh, a traditional birthday sweet. I had a wonderful birthday evening of fun, friends, great conversations, and beautiful saris.
Last Monday, we had the unbelievable opportunity to meet Amitav Ghosh, a famous Indian author whose books we read. Ghosh gave a book reading and answered questions in a formal presentation at St. Xavier's. Then, the CSB/SJU group met Ghosh and his wife, author Deborah Baker (who met with our class the next day), for tea. We loved talking with this very unassuming author. Ghosh was very curious about our lives and our experiences in Kolkata. He was impressed that we have adopted various aspects of Indian culture, especially the food. Apparently, his own kids, who are our age, prefer chow mein and pizza when visiting India from their home in New York. Madhu proudly added that we eat with our hands like Bengalis to further praise our cultural immersion. I don't know if we fully appreciated this opportunity to meet Amitav Ghosh, but I enjoyed myself immensely.
This past Wednesday brought Bekkah and me to another wedding with our host parents. We wore saris and ate delicious foods from around the world. Just before we left, someone pulled the two of us into a picture with the bride and groom. I enjoyed seeing the beautiful saris, although I would never want a wedding like that. It probably literally cost a fortune with the massive quantities of food, an elaborate venue, and unbelievable clothing. Then again, I have not yet found much that would qualify as an example of simplicity here in India.
Beyond that, we have visited a variety of sites around Kolkata:
- The Victoria Memorial is a beautiful building dedicated to Queen Victoria that houses a museum. I enjoyed learning more about the history of Kolkata itself.
- The Rabindra Bharati Museum commemorates Rabindranath Tagore (see my Santiniketan post) at his birthplace. It displays countless photographs from the man's life and travels.
- The Botanical Gardens is a large park area with ponds, trees, and other wildlife. It's most famous site is a huge, 250-year-old banyan tree with thousands of post-roots. When we first saw it, my friends thought we were looking at a forest rather than a single tree!
- My favorite site of the bunch was the Missionaries of Charity Motherhouse. We saw Mother Teresa's tomb and walked through a quaint museum. The whole place had a sense of memory for the sake of memory rather than for profit. Then, we attended a mass in the room that housed her tomb. This prayerful experience left all of us reflective of our lives and our stay here. I know I am not alone in hoping to return for another mass there.
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