Monsoon season has arrived! Madhya Pradesh is landlocked so our state needed rain, but I’m still shocked with how much we are getting everyday. It never stops drizzling, the roads are constantly flooded, and our two parrots are very irritable that they have to stay inside all day. My family and I were presented with the fun challenge of leaving our apartment when the water rose almost 2 feet at the entry way of the stairs and parking garage. Besides almost being trapped I’m a big fan of the monsoons. School was canceled on Monday and Tuesday due to flooding and the temperature has dropped to an enjoyable level.
One of my goals coming to India was to learn how to cook. I thought it would be a nice skill to have considering I will be going to college next year and I only know how to make scrambled eggs, quesadillas, tacos, and macaroni and cheese from a box. My mom is an incredible cook so I lucked out with my whole family. The first Indian food item I have mastered is called parrata. A parrata is Punjabi in origin and ridiculously similar to a grilled tortilla with butter. Obviously my priorites are aligned correctly because grilled butter tortillas are so healthy, but whatever. Parratas are not only super easy to make they are delicious and I could probably eat 7 of them in one sitting. The best part about parratas are that they are always served to you hot. Indian mothers usually don’t start off eating dinner with their families if their dinner consists of rotis, chibatis, or parratas (all very similar tortilla foods) because they stay in the kitchen dishing out hot, steamy parratas until everyone if full to their eyeballs.
I went to my first Bollywood movie this weekend, Bajrangi Bhaijaan. Salman Khan, the star of the movie and probably the number one Bollywood superstar was faced with the task of returning a lost, mute Pakistani girl to her family. Even though the whole movie was in Hindi I was able to follow what was going on and I enjoyed what the movie had to offer. This movie took the difficult and interesting job of promoting peace in the real world between Pakistanis and Indians. Yes, it was a cheesy movie about Indians and Pakistanis working together for the common good which is a little dreamy, but the movie theater was packed and no audience members seemed to be offended in any way. So as funny as it may be film seems to be lessening the tension in India surrounding Pakistan’s existence. Just so you can get a mental picture of what the movie was like here’s the trailer.
One of my goals coming to India was to learn how to cook. I thought it would be a nice skill to have considering I will be going to college next year and I only know how to make scrambled eggs, quesadillas, tacos, and macaroni and cheese from a box. My mom is an incredible cook so I lucked out with my whole family. The first Indian food item I have mastered is called parrata. A parrata is Punjabi in origin and ridiculously similar to a grilled tortilla with butter. Obviously my priorites are aligned correctly because grilled butter tortillas are so healthy, but whatever. Parratas are not only super easy to make they are delicious and I could probably eat 7 of them in one sitting. The best part about parratas are that they are always served to you hot. Indian mothers usually don’t start off eating dinner with their families if their dinner consists of rotis, chibatis, or parratas (all very similar tortilla foods) because they stay in the kitchen dishing out hot, steamy parratas until everyone if full to their eyeballs.
I went to my first Bollywood movie this weekend, Bajrangi Bhaijaan. Salman Khan, the star of the movie and probably the number one Bollywood superstar was faced with the task of returning a lost, mute Pakistani girl to her family. Even though the whole movie was in Hindi I was able to follow what was going on and I enjoyed what the movie had to offer. This movie took the difficult and interesting job of promoting peace in the real world between Pakistanis and Indians. Yes, it was a cheesy movie about Indians and Pakistanis working together for the common good which is a little dreamy, but the movie theater was packed and no audience members seemed to be offended in any way. So as funny as it may be film seems to be lessening the tension in India surrounding Pakistan’s existence. Just so you can get a mental picture of what the movie was like here’s the trailer.
The movie experience in India doesn’t just come from the film itself it also comes from the time before, after, and during the movie. I went to a 12PM showing of this movie and it was packed, I mean packed for Indian standards, a line out the door and people standing in each other’s personal space like sardines. If you are even thinking about seeing a movie you had better buy your tickets in advance before you arrive at the movie theater. The great thing about Indian movie theaters is that they have reclining seats and are set up so that no annoyingly tall people block your view of the film. Many of my American friends would be sad to know that the amazing jumbo popcorn bucket deal does not exist here because their portion sizes are normal and personalized, darn. Something that’s kind of interesting is that before each advertisement and movie they show an information/certificate about the upcoming advertisement/film stating the duration, subject matter, and purpose. Because Bollywood movies are so long we have intermission! This is a great time to think about how badly you need to pee. You should never actually indulge yourself in this wish at the movie theater though. Bidets, floors, and walls never look super clean, so if you’re smart you just avoid the whole situation until you are at home. Like I previously said these movie theaters are packed but from what little travel I’ve done this overcrowding in movie theaters seems to be pretty common in countries besides the USA. In Panama last summer I went to see Transformers with my host family and you needed to wait in a 2 hour line to buy a ticket. I’ve concluded that movie theaters are a form of entertainment that do not discriminate therefore they are immensely popular. They are affordable to most socio-economic classes, there is no dress code, and they are a worth while indulgence. You have something to talk about with your friends, you get to sit in air conditioning for 2-3 hours, you get to escape reality for a while, and you can marvel at the strength and dashing looks of Salman Khan! Why wouldn’t you want to go?
As some of you know it was my 18th birthday this past Wednesday and I guess I’m making it a tradition to spend my birthdays away from home, out of the country (sorry Mom and Dad). Last year I celebrated my 17th in Nicaragua and this year I got to party Indian style! On birthdays it is customary for the birthday girl/boy to get part of their cake smeared on their face. I’m not sure how old of a tradition this is, but I wasn’t going to question something that would allow me to check a box off my bucket list. The best part of the cake smashing is that it happens on midnight of your birthday and no matter how badly you actually do want to be “cake smashed” you have to resist because it makes it all that much more fun for you and those participating. My sisters, Muskan and Ranjana did the honor of getting cake all over my face, parts of my hair, and neck. My family just keeps getting better and better, so then I opened birthday presents. I now sport a much needed watch that matches my school uniform, some cute necklaces, and a dress for family dinners. On the actual day of my birthday my mom let me pick everything we ate because a birthday girl should have the whole day be all about them. Because I’ve only been here for about a week I decided to let my mom surprise me because I haven’t really had a chance to decide what Indian food has stood out to me yet. My mom is so incredible that she cooked a Punjabi dish with rice and beans because I talked so much about the food from my region- Tex-Mex. Not going to lie I didn’t realize how much I would miss rice and beans.
It’s only two weeks into ten months and I’m still adjusting to everything, but I am missing little things about home. I usually do not get homesick so this is a little unusual for me, but I am a little farther away this time so it makes sense. Despite my identity as a gringa I find myself using Spanish phrases in my mind more and more. I miss the excessive amounts of cheese on top of all my food and even my job at Rosarios. I know that I associate all of these things with home, comfort, and safety and that it’s normal to seek familiarity when you are surrounded by new and different things. No need for alarm family. Just par for the course adjusting to my new life!
As some of you know it was my 18th birthday this past Wednesday and I guess I’m making it a tradition to spend my birthdays away from home, out of the country (sorry Mom and Dad). Last year I celebrated my 17th in Nicaragua and this year I got to party Indian style! On birthdays it is customary for the birthday girl/boy to get part of their cake smeared on their face. I’m not sure how old of a tradition this is, but I wasn’t going to question something that would allow me to check a box off my bucket list. The best part of the cake smashing is that it happens on midnight of your birthday and no matter how badly you actually do want to be “cake smashed” you have to resist because it makes it all that much more fun for you and those participating. My sisters, Muskan and Ranjana did the honor of getting cake all over my face, parts of my hair, and neck. My family just keeps getting better and better, so then I opened birthday presents. I now sport a much needed watch that matches my school uniform, some cute necklaces, and a dress for family dinners. On the actual day of my birthday my mom let me pick everything we ate because a birthday girl should have the whole day be all about them. Because I’ve only been here for about a week I decided to let my mom surprise me because I haven’t really had a chance to decide what Indian food has stood out to me yet. My mom is so incredible that she cooked a Punjabi dish with rice and beans because I talked so much about the food from my region- Tex-Mex. Not going to lie I didn’t realize how much I would miss rice and beans.
It’s only two weeks into ten months and I’m still adjusting to everything, but I am missing little things about home. I usually do not get homesick so this is a little unusual for me, but I am a little farther away this time so it makes sense. Despite my identity as a gringa I find myself using Spanish phrases in my mind more and more. I miss the excessive amounts of cheese on top of all my food and even my job at Rosarios. I know that I associate all of these things with home, comfort, and safety and that it’s normal to seek familiarity when you are surrounded by new and different things. No need for alarm family. Just par for the course adjusting to my new life!