Krishna, 3, is taught to worship during the Maha Luxami celebration by his parents and grandparents in his home.
I'm starting to get really interested in the relationship between generations here, cultural transmission, and the ever so slight cultural gap between the generations. The generations blend together here more homongenously than they do in the US. It seems like cultural change happens so quickly in the US that the cultural gap between generations is huge. Every generation has its music. My grandparents danced to different music than my parents, and reportedly hated the Beatles, while now, rock 'n roll is considered to be a classic part of American culture.
In rural India, it doesn't seem like any of this applies. The generations live closer together here, living with 3-5 generations in one house seems to be the norm. The living situation combined with the idea of cultural 'duty' seems to quell change before it begins. It is your duty to uphold your traditions, to repeat the traditions of your ancestors, and to keep your culture alive.
It also seems like the need to rebel, to question the validity of everything, to question the rights of your parents as parents, is less blatant than in the US. In fact, I haven't seen this happen at all, and while this doesn't mean that its not there, it certainly isn't as prevalent or as intense.
Sex is a topic that seems to be completely edited out of society here, so much so that even the suggestion of it makes one uncomfortable. Today, Loren and I watched "Striking Distance," an old Bruce Willis movie. Our friend Gaju came in and pulled up a chair. A few minutes later, there was the one and only bedroom scene, which was tame by our standards. No one was ever naked... but Gaju wasn't going to stick around to find this out. There was a shot of the floor, and once a pile of clothes hit it, Gaju got up and quickly walked away, laughing uncomfortably.
This week has been busier than most, and that American need for repose from the masses has hit me hard. It's really interesting to me that here in India, you are never alone. It is hard for me to fathom a life that is more or less completely public. The need for privacy, for moments to oneself, for secrets seems to be a social construction, not an innate need. Kelly and I have started making secret half hour trips to the roof, in search of isolation and tans.
This week was full of celebration: there was Maha Luxami, Kelly's birthday, Pornima.. etc. etc. We've gone shopping, had lunch here and tea there. My classes are picking up, and I really enjoy teaching; however, it is exhausting some days, and requires more preparation and creativity than I would have imaged. When I am not teaching, I am engaging students in other ways. The hours when I am not teaching are like office hours, and my office is constantly full of eager students. After the “work” day ends, I play sports with students and faculty.
The shrews have returned, and this time, there is at least one family of them living with us. Last night one woke me up when he crawled into bed with me, in search of somewhere warm to spend the night. It is cooling down here, especially at night. A month ago, a top sheet was unnecessary. Now, I wake up shivering if I forget to cover up with a blanket. The guard makes a fire at night to keep himself warm.
My friend Karuna has been teaching me mendi. Every day, she draws a new design for me to copy, so I can practice on paper. Once my technique is perfect on paper, then I will start practicing on people's hands.
My Hindi is improving, slowly but surely. Tomorrow a teacher will start coming every day in the morning to teach Kelly and I. I'm excited. I don't think he speaks very good English, which could be either negative or positive. Perhaps not knowing English will force me to learn Hindi faster. It is also possible, however, that the language barrier between us make learning more difficult.
I came here to teach, but I also came to learn. I'm learning so much here, and not all about India. I'm learning a lot about myself. One of my friends living in the pacific northwest recently said that he thought that coming to India might have been the best thing I could have done after graduation. I wholeheartedly agree.