Happy New Year!
Happy New Year!
I ended 2006 by not feeling real well, so it was a rather low-key week (only in comparison to the other weeks of non-stop activity here in India). This meant, however, that I also had more than enough time to think and reflect, so I will dedicate some of this blog to sharing cross-cultural thoughts and a few personal insights. By the way, I’m feeling much better again now – and enjoying 2007 in lots of ways!
On New Year’s Eve, I attended a service at the little church here near our home. There was a small group of us gathered there (about 40 people?) and the energetic pastor encouraged people to share their thankfulness about 2006 in a type of personal testimony. It was perso
nal and meaningful for me as I thought back over my year as well. The year 2006 began very badly for me, but I certainly have ended it in amazing ways (besides my illness, I mean). To think about how I have worked through so much anger and hurt to experience such joy and adventure now is truly amazing. As I looked at the colorful paper cut out decorations of angels and doves in the church sanctuary that night, I felt hope that 2007 might continue in ways leading to PEACE (in my heart and in our world).
On New Year’s Day, we had a long morning service in the same congregation. There were many more families there this time, but it still had that home-like feeling. (Everyone here seems to be related somehow…even related on both sides of the family sometimes!) Nijhar and Neeraj have introduced a new style of communion here where families come to the table together rather than remaining separated by men and women on each side of the sanctuary. People really appreciate it and it certainly helps me to understand how people fit together. I was welcomed more officially (th
rough hand washing) and I also sang a song during worship. In the afternoon, we journeyed to the site where Nijhar and Neeraj are overseeing the start of a training center for lay leaders in the church. The place is about 20 km outside of Ranchi and we sat in a little grove of trees for our picnic. Going for a picnic on New Year’s Day is how most people in this area celebrate, but we chose to go to a quieter place rather than the main waterfalls and parks where the party scene is a little wild.
Nijhar and Neeraj are both ordained pastors in the Lutheran Church here. However, since their return from the U.S., their role here has not been as parish pastors. While they are asked to preach and participate quite regularly in various congregations, their call is to be resource persons in starting this new training center. There is already a group of students who are being trained by various pastors and teachers in the area, but the center will enable the program to grow…hopefully to become a seminary in the future. The constructi
on on the main buildings is to be completed by November of this year and to begin with, the school will train 10 students in a 4 year undergraduate degree in theology, 10 evangelists in a 1 year program, and 4-5 missionaries to do church planting. The numbers will steadily grow and they will add programs for Christian education, social concerns, and another health care. Three couples (all 6 persons) will be full-time teachers and reside at the training center campus. I am very proud of my friends for this ministry that they are doing. I know that they are well-suited to serve and lead in this way! The two of them have been teachers and leaders for me for a long time (even if I was officially Neeraj’s boss at Luther, which he keeps telling people here) and they continue to encourage me in processing the cultural things I am encountering here. This goes together with identifying similar things in my own culture as well.
I enjoy so many of the touching traditions that I have seen, such as the sprinkling water on people as a blessing, washing feet or hands as a welcome, and building a wedding tent o
ut of a sacred tree. These things contain wonderful symbolism and add to the festivities in a very obvious way. There are other traditions, or aspects of the traditions which are no longer practical or meaningful. For instance, after the bride and groom receive all their gifts (big things like beds and tables), they are supposed to bring all those things with them to the groom’s home. However, nowadays, when the groom often lives in a city far away, it doesn’t make any sense to carry all these items to his family home in the middle of nowhere and then have to again transport it to his home later. But it’s TRADITION, so it must be done, even at the expense and inconvenience of so many people. Or, as was explained to me by Nijhar’s bro-in-law at an engagement party where the future groom’s family welcomed the future bride’s family in their home for the first time, if the groom’s family were to not wash the feet or hands of their guests, this could be a terrible insult and held against the family for years to come.
I try so hard to understand the reasons behind why a tradition was begun before judging it as necessary or unnecessa
ry, helpful or a hindrance. With the help of my friends here, I often am able to get that insight. Even then it is difficult to assess whether a tradition may need to be changed or eliminated. As I watched one family welcome the other through foot washing and a great feast (imagine having 60 people to your house for a meal! See photo of a wedding meal being prepared.), I tried to identify traditions in the U.S. which were similar. I decided that wedding showers often provide a similar kind of getting to know each other. I laughed as I thought about how much I dread coming up with games or activities to entertain at a shower, but how important it is to me that some interaction is provided or it would likely turn into a silent staring at one another, just like it did in the celebration I encountered here.
Showing one’s appreciation or closeness is something else I have been perplexed by in India. I sometimes have wondered if it is ever really experessed?! Then, I wonder if it is just done more privately where I do not see it or if there are non-verbals that I do not yet understand. Gift giving is done very differently here, and I know that sending‘thank you notes’ is not practiced in India, but I still struggle so much to figure out how people recognize their care for one another. I already have misinterpreted people’s interaction and response to one another or to me on occasion, so I try not to assess whether people like one another or me based on my own expectations or from their body language.
Being with the Ekka family has also reminded me of how much crazier life is with three kids around. Henrika and I used to shake our heads in wonder at the logic of letting little babies wear jingle-y ankle bracelets, squeaky shoes, and other loud accessories to church, only to have to shush them constantly during the worship. Now, in addition, I am amazed at the amount of sugar intake, especially at night for kids here. I laughed out loud even when Neeraj gave his two year old a syrup soaked ball of fried dough (gulab-jamun) to hold and eat in the middle of his parents-in-law’s living room at 8:00 at night! Of course, Neeraj was able to appreciate how funny it was for me to imagine doing such a thing in my upbringing, so he joined me in laughing. Besides, his kids, while they are very energetic all day, seem to go to bed without any problem and quite early. Overall, I really like the fact that kids here seem to be given recognition within the community rather than asked to be ‘seen and not heard’. It reminds me of my time at Holden Village in that way. As tired as they make me, Maani, Urbas, and Puna have definitely charmed me. When I was sick, Urbas drew me a really nice picture and as soon as I emerged from my room, he ran to his mom exclaiming, “Auntie Sara’s awake!” and Puna brought me a flower that day too. Maani talks my ear off whenever she gets a chance… mostly about memories of the U.S. They each have their own way of warming my heart. Oh, and my new Hindi word from Puna is, “Mera!”= Mine!
I have noticed that the city streets here are much more crowded and busy - like what I imagined all Indian streets to be. Nijhar and Neeraj live in a quiet residential area, but they are not far from the craziness of markets and businesses (kind of like multi-level strip malls). To add to the hustle, there are bicycle-rickshaws in addition to the auto-rickshaws I’ve seen in places I’ve been in the South. In general, I see more bicycles used here. The city of Ranchi is growing very fast, according to Nijhar and Neeraj, which is why it is so significant for me to experience some of the smaller towns and tribal traditions outside of the city. I have not been to a very rural village, but am getting a sense of the various community lifestyles.
One of my hopes here was to try and be helpful around the house, so I have watched the kids a little and this week even started to try some cooking – Indian style. I have had very little ability to spend time on the internet here in Ranchi. I do my best to check in on my messages, but then have to use the laptop at the Ekkas to type up replies and then go back to the boys at the café, where they have to transfer everything from my USB drive to the computer I am using to send it. It is a laborious process and only happens a couple times a week at the most. We plan to travel this weekend (Jan 5-7) to Puri (on the ocean) and the following weekend (Jan 12-14) I will go with Nijhar and Puna to Kolkatta as I make my way back to Hyderabad.
Until next week,
Sara
I ended 2006 by not feeling real well, so it was a rather low-key week (only in comparison to the other weeks of non-stop activity here in India). This meant, however, that I also had more than enough time to think and reflect, so I will dedicate some of this blog to sharing cross-cultural thoughts and a few personal insights. By the way, I’m feeling much better again now – and enjoying 2007 in lots of ways!
On New Year’s Eve, I attended a service at the little church here near our home. There was a small group of us gathered there (about 40 people?) and the energetic pastor encouraged people to share their thankfulness about 2006 in a type of personal testimony. It was perso
nal and meaningful for me as I thought back over my year as well. The year 2006 began very badly for me, but I certainly have ended it in amazing ways (besides my illness, I mean). To think about how I have worked through so much anger and hurt to experience such joy and adventure now is truly amazing. As I looked at the colorful paper cut out decorations of angels and doves in the church sanctuary that night, I felt hope that 2007 might continue in ways leading to PEACE (in my heart and in our world).On New Year’s Day, we had a long morning service in the same congregation. There were many more families there this time, but it still had that home-like feeling. (Everyone here seems to be related somehow…even related on both sides of the family sometimes!) Nijhar and Neeraj have introduced a new style of communion here where families come to the table together rather than remaining separated by men and women on each side of the sanctuary. People really appreciate it and it certainly helps me to understand how people fit together. I was welcomed more officially (th
rough hand washing) and I also sang a song during worship. In the afternoon, we journeyed to the site where Nijhar and Neeraj are overseeing the start of a training center for lay leaders in the church. The place is about 20 km outside of Ranchi and we sat in a little grove of trees for our picnic. Going for a picnic on New Year’s Day is how most people in this area celebrate, but we chose to go to a quieter place rather than the main waterfalls and parks where the party scene is a little wild.Nijhar and Neeraj are both ordained pastors in the Lutheran Church here. However, since their return from the U.S., their role here has not been as parish pastors. While they are asked to preach and participate quite regularly in various congregations, their call is to be resource persons in starting this new training center. There is already a group of students who are being trained by various pastors and teachers in the area, but the center will enable the program to grow…hopefully to become a seminary in the future. The constructi
on on the main buildings is to be completed by November of this year and to begin with, the school will train 10 students in a 4 year undergraduate degree in theology, 10 evangelists in a 1 year program, and 4-5 missionaries to do church planting. The numbers will steadily grow and they will add programs for Christian education, social concerns, and another health care. Three couples (all 6 persons) will be full-time teachers and reside at the training center campus. I am very proud of my friends for this ministry that they are doing. I know that they are well-suited to serve and lead in this way! The two of them have been teachers and leaders for me for a long time (even if I was officially Neeraj’s boss at Luther, which he keeps telling people here) and they continue to encourage me in processing the cultural things I am encountering here. This goes together with identifying similar things in my own culture as well.I enjoy so many of the touching traditions that I have seen, such as the sprinkling water on people as a blessing, washing feet or hands as a welcome, and building a wedding tent o
ut of a sacred tree. These things contain wonderful symbolism and add to the festivities in a very obvious way. There are other traditions, or aspects of the traditions which are no longer practical or meaningful. For instance, after the bride and groom receive all their gifts (big things like beds and tables), they are supposed to bring all those things with them to the groom’s home. However, nowadays, when the groom often lives in a city far away, it doesn’t make any sense to carry all these items to his family home in the middle of nowhere and then have to again transport it to his home later. But it’s TRADITION, so it must be done, even at the expense and inconvenience of so many people. Or, as was explained to me by Nijhar’s bro-in-law at an engagement party where the future groom’s family welcomed the future bride’s family in their home for the first time, if the groom’s family were to not wash the feet or hands of their guests, this could be a terrible insult and held against the family for years to come.I try so hard to understand the reasons behind why a tradition was begun before judging it as necessary or unnecessa
ry, helpful or a hindrance. With the help of my friends here, I often am able to get that insight. Even then it is difficult to assess whether a tradition may need to be changed or eliminated. As I watched one family welcome the other through foot washing and a great feast (imagine having 60 people to your house for a meal! See photo of a wedding meal being prepared.), I tried to identify traditions in the U.S. which were similar. I decided that wedding showers often provide a similar kind of getting to know each other. I laughed as I thought about how much I dread coming up with games or activities to entertain at a shower, but how important it is to me that some interaction is provided or it would likely turn into a silent staring at one another, just like it did in the celebration I encountered here.Showing one’s appreciation or closeness is something else I have been perplexed by in India. I sometimes have wondered if it is ever really experessed?! Then, I wonder if it is just done more privately where I do not see it or if there are non-verbals that I do not yet understand. Gift giving is done very differently here, and I know that sending‘thank you notes’ is not practiced in India, but I still struggle so much to figure out how people recognize their care for one another. I already have misinterpreted people’s interaction and response to one another or to me on occasion, so I try not to assess whether people like one another or me based on my own expectations or from their body language.
Being with the Ekka family has also reminded me of how much crazier life is with three kids around. Henrika and I used to shake our heads in wonder at the logic of letting little babies wear jingle-y ankle bracelets, squeaky shoes, and other loud accessories to church, only to have to shush them constantly during the worship. Now, in addition, I am amazed at the amount of sugar intake, especially at night for kids here. I laughed out loud even when Neeraj gave his two year old a syrup soaked ball of fried dough (gulab-jamun) to hold and eat in the middle of his parents-in-law’s living room at 8:00 at night! Of course, Neeraj was able to appreciate how funny it was for me to imagine doing such a thing in my upbringing, so he joined me in laughing. Besides, his kids, while they are very energetic all day, seem to go to bed without any problem and quite early. Overall, I really like the fact that kids here seem to be given recognition within the community rather than asked to be ‘seen and not heard’. It reminds me of my time at Holden Village in that way. As tired as they make me, Maani, Urbas, and Puna have definitely charmed me. When I was sick, Urbas drew me a really nice picture and as soon as I emerged from my room, he ran to his mom exclaiming, “Auntie Sara’s awake!” and Puna brought me a flower that day too. Maani talks my ear off whenever she gets a chance… mostly about memories of the U.S. They each have their own way of warming my heart. Oh, and my new Hindi word from Puna is, “Mera!”= Mine!
I have noticed that the city streets here are much more crowded and busy - like what I imagined all Indian streets to be. Nijhar and Neeraj live in a quiet residential area, but they are not far from the craziness of markets and businesses (kind of like multi-level strip malls). To add to the hustle, there are bicycle-rickshaws in addition to the auto-rickshaws I’ve seen in places I’ve been in the South. In general, I see more bicycles used here. The city of Ranchi is growing very fast, according to Nijhar and Neeraj, which is why it is so significant for me to experience some of the smaller towns and tribal traditions outside of the city. I have not been to a very rural village, but am getting a sense of the various community lifestyles.
One of my hopes here was to try and be helpful around the house, so I have watched the kids a little and this week even started to try some cooking – Indian style. I have had very little ability to spend time on the internet here in Ranchi. I do my best to check in on my messages, but then have to use the laptop at the Ekkas to type up replies and then go back to the boys at the café, where they have to transfer everything from my USB drive to the computer I am using to send it. It is a laborious process and only happens a couple times a week at the most. We plan to travel this weekend (Jan 5-7) to Puri (on the ocean) and the following weekend (Jan 12-14) I will go with Nijhar and Puna to Kolkatta as I make my way back to Hyderabad.
Until next week,
Sara
posted by Namasday | 11:00 PM
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