TWO more days in INDIA

Okay, so with two days left, I thought I would go into detail about my overall experience here in India.

The Food

Well, coming in to the country, I knew that the food would be totally different, and thought I would totally enjoy because me and food have this relationship with each that only a me and food can have with each other....yeah, I said it!!

With that being said, it was to my surprise, that me and south Indian food, are not the best of friends. I grew to tolerate the food, but I am not crazy for it. I learnt a lot about myself in regards to being able to eat things that I wouldn't eat at home just because I don't like them. And me being semi-vegetarian for all of the time here, I was introduced to a lot of vegetables (subji) --the include ones that I like and one that I don't like at all.

VEGS/FRUITS that I LIKE

• Kheera CUCUMBERS :)
• PattagobiCABBAGE :) :)
• Phoolgobi CAULIFLOWER
• Makai CORN
• Fansi FRENCH BEANS
• Batata POTATOES
• Phanas JACKFRUIT 
• Amba MANGO

VEGS/FRUITS that I can go without

• Bhendi OKRA :( :(
• Methi FENUGREEK LEAVES
• Kadoo PUMPKIN
• Bigana EGGPLANT
• Naral COCONUT

THE PEOPLE

On the back of a tractor in Baramati!!

Jocelyn :) She's so sweet!!

Me, Anjuli, and our faculty guide Dr. Simrita Gopal Singh...

The group!

My roomie!! Angela!

The group @ Ajanta/Ellora

Since I was a week late for joining the program, my feelings about getting to know everyone late were kind of mixed...but in the end I grew to love each person in their own individual way. Each individual person had impacted my experience in India in they own way. I I am really going to miss them all.

THE RESEARCH

This last week of my research was probably the most stressed that I have been since finals week aka "hell week" back home. Between finishing up my final interviews, analyzing all my data, writing a 20 page paper, and presenting I really felt like the following images...

"Oh how am I going to get all this work done?!?"

"I DON'T Think I can DO THIS!"

"I REALLY DON'T THINK I CAN DO THIS!!"

"I'm on the verge of giving up!"

But....

With the help of my wonder faculty guide and the Directed Research professor...I made it!!!

Japanese Garden and INDIAN FAST FOOD!!!

Japanese Garden

Here are some photos of me and the Japanese Garden that it less than a mile (or more than a mile...I can't tell) away from where my Host family lives.....

Indian "FAST" Food

OK, so if you haven't figured out by now that food is the one of the sole things on this planet that make me happy. I often say "I LIVE TO EAT, I DON'T EAT TO LIVE!" So before coming to India, my I thought healthy food or food that's good for you doesn't always taste that good. And although I still feeling that way...I have come to know it's what you do with the food that makes it taste good or bad. With that being said, let me talk about Indian Fast food. 

I not talking about Mickey Ds, or KFC, or Wendy's (all things that I'm not craving as much as I thought I would be) but  I'm talking not eating at all.

So on Friday was one of the many holidays observed by Indian people for religious purpose. Friday was the day that several thousand dedicated pilgrims reached their destination. So in my host home, my host mother, along with many other Indian fasted in celebration of their arrival. 

So I-- craving to experience the Indian culture to the fullest--observed the fast as well.

My favorite thing to eat  was Khichadi, which was a little spicy but it was good for what it was...

Khichadi

BIRTHDAYs IN INDAI!!!!

In the last two weeks we have celebrate 3 birthdays in my host home. My roommate's (Angela), mines, and my host mother's. Can you say ALOT of sweets. 

The sweets in India are sooooooooo sweet!!! I thought american sweets were sweet, but they have nothing on the Indians...

When singing happy Birthday and there's a cake, one has to begin to cut the cake first then the singing will proceed afterwards. Also, the "birthday girl/boy" is suppose to be fed the first slice of cake. On my birthday it was kind of awkward being fed the cake, but it worked out.

After the special birthday person is fed cake she/he then has to proceed and feed the cake to others in the party....  On my aunty's birthday I was fed cake.

Also on my Birthday, I got the special gift of have butter chicken which was "AMAZING!!!"

In regards to me! I feeling great. Im meeting new people, even thought I standout ALOT....and over all I am getting the research experience that I need. 

SINGING and SPIRITUALITY---HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!!!

SINGING

Singing has always been a passion of mines. 

I singing when I am happy. I sing when I am sad. I sing to get my my friends and family's nerves, but regardless of the motives behind my singing, I always sing with a purpose.

At my home school, I sing on the Columbia College Heavenly Creations Gospel Choir. I joined the choir back home because I wanted to sing praise to God, and uplifts the spirits of myself and others.

I don't have any technical training in singing--I usually just sing by ear--I just love singing.So when the time came for the student to pick an expressive culture task, I choose Traditional Indian Singing. Of course there were other options like dancing, painting, and learning how to play a variety of different instruments, but  I choose vocals--frankly because I cant really dance (so I'm told :-/) and the other instruments seemed like more of a challenge that I was willing take on. I figure that by singing, I could learning some new techniques that I could use in my own singing styles.

SPIRITUALITY (a quick revelation)

Last night when I went to my singing lesson, I had a slight revelation to the spirituality behind singing. Our instructor (I say our because it me and two others), Sameer, is a renowned professor of music and is very famous int he state of Maharashtra--he is also the program director big brother.

Okay, so last night after we had finished singing our "Sa, Re, Ga's"... Sameer said to us, "In India we a a negative connotation with God. Instead of us we God is this, or God is that--we say 'God is not this, He is MORE than this', or 'God is not that, He is MORE than that.'"

I thought this was the most heart touching thing that I have heard thus far in India, until he said, (paraphrasing...it was over 12 hours ago) "Singing cannot be GODLY! People always want to be more Godly, but God is more than what you try to be. When you sing, you should not strive to be perfect/Godly, because as human beings, we are always becoming, we will never be perfect because God is always more."

JUST SPEECHLESS......

Anywho, Happy 4th of JULY!!! 

      PS. I am sad (low key) that I will not be able to get some of my aunty Angle cooking this year, but its all the more I will eat when I arrive home in August.

Second Week in PUNE: Food, Culture, and ME!!

HOW IM DOING

ME!!! on Parvati Hill

I am feeling a little bit homesick, I miss the FOOD the most. But I can definitely say that I am learning so much. My research is taking place inside Ramtekadi slums and this experience is by far the most influential. I use to think that I had somewhat of a rough life by seeing what the people in this community have to go through everyday is nothing compare to my minor problems back home. Really eye opening...a few pics are below.

FOOD

So far I have tried sooo many Indian foods. I learnt that the Indian food that I am used to eating back home is North India food, and the food that I am eating here is South India food.

So far, my taste buds have not been fully agreeing with the tastes of South Indian cuisine. The spicy food takes some getting used to, but if you are in to spicy India is definitely the place for you. If you are NOT into spicy, then you can definitely be accommodated to.


Panipuri- this is something I liked. Its' this crunchy sheel filled with vegetables and other spices. My house mom (AUNTY), took me and my roommate out for our first encounter with pani puri it was GREAT! today for luc\nch I also tried some pani puri from another place, but it was not nearly as good.

I'm learning that just like in America, everywhere you go you will experience a different taste...no matter if it's good or bad.


CULTURE

Parvati Temple

Beautiful

Random camel.

The autorickshaw "RICKSHAW" primary source of transportation, the amount of money you spend for a everyday seems like a little when you first arrived in Pune, but you soon find out that Rupees add up!!!

Palki- millions of people from all over India meet up in Pune to go on a pilgrimage.

Participants of Palki decorate a statue.

Every time you go to a restaurant, you are served so much food.

This food was extremely spicy!! But it was OK.