Being an NRI

Some thoughts on being an NRI (Non-Resident Indian) in India. Please note that these are my thoughts only!

• Its hard to look the part. I'm an Indian-American, dressed in traditional garb, but I don't speak the language and don't know the customs. I am constantly expected to know every prayer, ritual, holiday, etc. When I don't the look of shock on people's faces is priceless.
• I'm tired of talking about marriage and I haven't even been here for one month! I don't care what the custom here I am not of marriageable age and as a matter of fact no one will determine what that 'age" should be but me!
• Its hard to know what my gender role is, even though people expect me to know it! I have to be home at a certain time, know who is okay to talk to, etc etc. Sometimes I think it would just be easier to look totally foreign, then I would have an excuse for not knowing!

Walk to Work

So, I know I've been a bit, as one of my friends likes to say, crab apply, on my blog recently, so I wanted to write about my favorite part of the day, my walk home. So my aunt recently told me that "Dharwad is a zoo!" and it kind of is. On my walk home I pass pigs, cows, bulls, goats, dogs, cats, roosters, and the occasional monkey klan (yikes!). But also I see autorickshaws bursting at the seams with school-children, children on bikes, people selling all sorts of stuff on bikes, a small forest, and the train station. I also pass my uncle's house, which used to make me sad but now I look forward to it because I think he's watching over me.

India wins!

Before I post anymore I must take this moment to thank Brian Heilman for teaching me the rules of cricket. It's a fantastic game and tonight India won the Twenty 20 World Cup in South Africa. It was an amazing match as India beat their arch rivals Pakistan by a mere 5 runs! People are celebrating in the street and I'm about to join them! Go India!

Funny Quote

My cousin is going to New York for a couple months through work and my aunt asked, “Can you buy rice in New York?” I love it.

Frustrations.......................

I wish I knew Kannada. Its Kannada non-stop around here. I know some words here and there but not enough to communicate effectively. Also people speak ten times faster here with far less English. Kannada is everywhere, with my family, at work, and on the signs. There are very few English signs. Also all of the names are incredibly long here, street names and people’s names. So I have a hard time remembering anything. At work I was introduced to people but very quickly, i.e. this is “vanketeshwara swami, blah blah”. Street names are similar.
My first day at work at SPS, was okay. My desk space is separate from everyone else’s so its feels isolating. Also I’ve been given a lot of books to read, which I’m grateful for, but I already feel like I’m going to be useless. They want to know what I would like to do, and my answer to be useful to them, isn’t really working out. I hope it gets better.

Pictures of Dharwad!

Some pictures of the market place and the outside of my aunt’s house, also a a picture of the kitten named Putu.

Ganesha Chachurti !

This years celebrations were subdued but I thought I would included some pictures of our Ganesha. The bigger Ganesha’s are in the market place. Ganesha Chachurti celebrates Ganesha’s birthday. Ganesha is the remover of all obstacles so people have been celebrating like crazy. There are firecrackers going off all the time but they sound like bombs so sometimes I feel like I am in a war zone!