Sunday, December 21, 2008
Back in Canada
As the title suggest I am back in Canada, reunited with my beloved family. Canada decided to greet me with snow fall, and we had a wonderful sushi dinner.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Falling Action
Well folks, barring some extraordinary event this will be my last post to you in India. I hope you’ve enjoyed the ride, I certainly did.
So what is the future of Such Strings as These? Well, I will certainly put up a post when I arrive safely in Canada, and I intend to do a bit of editing for spelling and grammar. I may put up a few more posts about reverse-culture shock if it should hit me. I’ll probably leave the blog up permanently, surrendering it to the ages.
I'd like to thank all you for following along. and to those who actually commented, you have my special thanks. This place would have been a ghost town without you, and I doubt I would have enjoyed the process very much.
Please keep me in your prayers,
Over and out.
So what is the future of Such Strings as These? Well, I will certainly put up a post when I arrive safely in Canada, and I intend to do a bit of editing for spelling and grammar. I may put up a few more posts about reverse-culture shock if it should hit me. I’ll probably leave the blog up permanently, surrendering it to the ages.
I'd like to thank all you for following along. and to those who actually commented, you have my special thanks. This place would have been a ghost town without you, and I doubt I would have enjoyed the process very much.
Please keep me in your prayers,
Over and out.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Old Age and a Wedding
Sorry for the lack of posts or pictures recently. I've really been doing nothing of note these last weeks, and am generally gearing down (or up, depending on your perspective) for a trip around the world in a small metal canister.
I think I've entered the old age of my trip, where things have begun to seem a bit tedious in order to ease me into the next stage of my journey - going back home. It's now less than a week until I arrive, but that length seems absolutely filled with minutes and hours. As much as my time here has been amazing, I'm looking forward to going home, especially in the midst of the Canadian winter, which I've always found beautiful.
The only thing I've done recently was attend a portion of a Hindu wedding, but I didn't have my camera, nor did my roomates take many photos. Weddings here take place in the evening, and the actual ceremony doesn't start until after midnight. We arrived at about eight o'clock pm. The wedding was taking place at a hall which obviously specialized in that sort of thing. The grounds were lit up with christmas lights strung through the bushes. At the gate of the grounds, right after the parking lot was an archway, under which stood two men dressed up like some kind of traditional Indian soldiery, with massive fake moustache on their upper lips and large spears, guarding the archway. We walked down a red carpet lined with men in handsome suits and women glittering with gold in silk sarees. There was a small band playing with drums and horns. Beyond that was a dessert and tea stand, and further along the main dining area, lined with various stalls, and beyond that a massive tent with seats. At the far end of this tent was a small dais on which sat two golden thrones with plush red velvet cushions.
The colour scheme was white and orange. There was techno music playing in one corner of the tent. I was there due to a rather awkward string of association with the bride and groom - the volunteer worker for the brother-in-law of the sister of the husband of the sister of the bride. We took seats under the tent and I chatted and mused for a couple hours. Waiters would come by everynow and then offering coffee, or little snacks. One young man came by with drinks and I asked if it was chai (tea). It was coffee, so I declined, but after a few minutes the same boy came back with some other drink. I asked if it was chai, he said it was, but it was not the milk tea that I had my heart set upon. I declined, and his face seemed incredibly disapointed. I realized he must have gone off specifically to get me tea, and merely grabbed a different kind than I was hankering for. He came back several times, each time with things I didn't want. Finally, I just grabbed a coffee for his sake. It was the first coffee I've ever had.
After some time I looked up from a conversation to see the groom on his throne chatting with some other men. He was wearing a gold and red turban and a gold and red coat. He seemed fairly happy and was smiling. We had dinner, although I didn't eat much because I had eaten earlier that night. I just had some spring rolls and some saffron milk, because saffron milk sounds so exotic. It tastes like very sweet milk and has a slight yellow colouring. After we ate we got up to leave, since it was already about ten. As we were leaving we saw the bride walking towards the tent. She was dressed in a red and gold saree, and covered in gold jewelry, from bangels to a gold chain running from her nose to her ear. Her eyes were downcast, she walked slowly, surrounded by a cohort of other women and preceded by a camera man pointing his obnoxious light at her. The opposite of her jovial, relaxed groom, she looked completely timid, subdued and...well miserable.
One person in my party pointed out that this can hardly be blamed. For many women in India arranged marriages still spell the beginning of a period of servitude.
I think I've entered the old age of my trip, where things have begun to seem a bit tedious in order to ease me into the next stage of my journey - going back home. It's now less than a week until I arrive, but that length seems absolutely filled with minutes and hours. As much as my time here has been amazing, I'm looking forward to going home, especially in the midst of the Canadian winter, which I've always found beautiful.
The only thing I've done recently was attend a portion of a Hindu wedding, but I didn't have my camera, nor did my roomates take many photos. Weddings here take place in the evening, and the actual ceremony doesn't start until after midnight. We arrived at about eight o'clock pm. The wedding was taking place at a hall which obviously specialized in that sort of thing. The grounds were lit up with christmas lights strung through the bushes. At the gate of the grounds, right after the parking lot was an archway, under which stood two men dressed up like some kind of traditional Indian soldiery, with massive fake moustache on their upper lips and large spears, guarding the archway. We walked down a red carpet lined with men in handsome suits and women glittering with gold in silk sarees. There was a small band playing with drums and horns. Beyond that was a dessert and tea stand, and further along the main dining area, lined with various stalls, and beyond that a massive tent with seats. At the far end of this tent was a small dais on which sat two golden thrones with plush red velvet cushions.
The colour scheme was white and orange. There was techno music playing in one corner of the tent. I was there due to a rather awkward string of association with the bride and groom - the volunteer worker for the brother-in-law of the sister of the husband of the sister of the bride. We took seats under the tent and I chatted and mused for a couple hours. Waiters would come by everynow and then offering coffee, or little snacks. One young man came by with drinks and I asked if it was chai (tea). It was coffee, so I declined, but after a few minutes the same boy came back with some other drink. I asked if it was chai, he said it was, but it was not the milk tea that I had my heart set upon. I declined, and his face seemed incredibly disapointed. I realized he must have gone off specifically to get me tea, and merely grabbed a different kind than I was hankering for. He came back several times, each time with things I didn't want. Finally, I just grabbed a coffee for his sake. It was the first coffee I've ever had.
After some time I looked up from a conversation to see the groom on his throne chatting with some other men. He was wearing a gold and red turban and a gold and red coat. He seemed fairly happy and was smiling. We had dinner, although I didn't eat much because I had eaten earlier that night. I just had some spring rolls and some saffron milk, because saffron milk sounds so exotic. It tastes like very sweet milk and has a slight yellow colouring. After we ate we got up to leave, since it was already about ten. As we were leaving we saw the bride walking towards the tent. She was dressed in a red and gold saree, and covered in gold jewelry, from bangels to a gold chain running from her nose to her ear. Her eyes were downcast, she walked slowly, surrounded by a cohort of other women and preceded by a camera man pointing his obnoxious light at her. The opposite of her jovial, relaxed groom, she looked completely timid, subdued and...well miserable.
One person in my party pointed out that this can hardly be blamed. For many women in India arranged marriages still spell the beginning of a period of servitude.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
And Now the Time is Near...
Sorry I haven't posted for a while, the Internet has been down for over a week. Two new volunteers have come from Australia and so I'm once more living in the office.
As the title suggests I am quickly coming up on the end of my Indian sojourn. In less than two weeks I will return to Canada. I'm looking forward to seeing all the people I love, and many of the beautiful features of my home. Living inland, in a flat country, and a smoggy city has really given me appreciation for the abundant natural beauties of my home. I'm dying to see a sky full of stars and hear the sound of the tide crashing against the beach.
On the other hand I'm sure there are many things I'll miss about India, from the exotic trees, to the wonderful people I've met, and the incredible job I've had. I'll probably even miss the thin layer of dust and dirt that seems to cover everything. One thing about India, at least from the perspective of an outsider, is that everything seems to have some story to tell. From the scars on the streets dogs, to the pink-painted feet of a young woman, the bright laundry hanging over a decrepit brick building and the spider-web of wrinkles on an old man's face. Perhaps its only that I'm so ill acquainted with the stories of this place, perhaps and Indian coming to Canada would feel the same way. But you also get the sense that the harshness of poverty, the dangers and extremes of life here give everything a gritty reality, and a story-like depth that is lacking in the western world.
As the title suggests I am quickly coming up on the end of my Indian sojourn. In less than two weeks I will return to Canada. I'm looking forward to seeing all the people I love, and many of the beautiful features of my home. Living inland, in a flat country, and a smoggy city has really given me appreciation for the abundant natural beauties of my home. I'm dying to see a sky full of stars and hear the sound of the tide crashing against the beach.
On the other hand I'm sure there are many things I'll miss about India, from the exotic trees, to the wonderful people I've met, and the incredible job I've had. I'll probably even miss the thin layer of dust and dirt that seems to cover everything. One thing about India, at least from the perspective of an outsider, is that everything seems to have some story to tell. From the scars on the streets dogs, to the pink-painted feet of a young woman, the bright laundry hanging over a decrepit brick building and the spider-web of wrinkles on an old man's face. Perhaps its only that I'm so ill acquainted with the stories of this place, perhaps and Indian coming to Canada would feel the same way. But you also get the sense that the harshness of poverty, the dangers and extremes of life here give everything a gritty reality, and a story-like depth that is lacking in the western world.
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