The Women of Delhi

This week has been pretty....can't find the right word...interesting (I guess that will do). Delhi is truly like no place I have ever been. When I go out into Delhi the most obvious thing is how few women are out in public. It's quite overwhelming really. I mean, there are women, but the ratio of men to women is astonishing. This week Rajiv took us to the movie theatre to see a Bollywood film (which was FABULOUS by the way!) and apart from my group there wasn't a single woman in the audience. I'm not sure what to make of this yet. When I asked questions to Rajiv, Priya, and the Indians that happen to be on this trip with me, they explained that it is still very common for women to stay at home. I'm trying really hard to not impose judgment and ask questions before I come up with conclusions, but it's admittedly difficult. I've honestly never been in a context where it's normal for a large portion of the women to wear burkas or hijabs (covering their hair), and I'm still trying to sort out my reactions. One of my fellow travelers is Palestinian and the other night we stayed up for hours talking about the difference between what is written in the Quran and how Muslim culture is practiced. I won't go into details but just know that it was a very interesting conversation and she was very patient with all my questions. But it was also very frustrating, and I hope I can learn more.
Along the same lines, the other day Rajiv discussed in detail about what constitutes an arranged marriage in India. I don't know about you but when I hear that term, "arranged marriage," I automatically assume that the woman has no choice in the matter. However, after hearing Rajiv's explanation it sounds like it's just heavy involvement by the parents which is generally welcome by the daughter (and son...by the way, gay marriage is legal in India!!!). While I throw dirty looks at my parents when they even hint at questions about my personal life, over here a girl's decision to marry is regarded as one of the biggest decisions of her life and it makes sense that the parents would be so heavily involved, and that she would invite their involvement. You wonder which method actually makes more sense. Of course forced marriages do happen, but the majority of the time the girl (and guy) can veto any suitor. In addition, it's socially acceptable for parents to put ads in the newspapers looking for suitors for their daughters. These ads are expensive so if you can afford to post an ad that automatically means you come from a wealthy family. That one really threw me for a loop! It's all just so fascinating. I've honestly never been in a context where women are being treated so differently. Women wear burkas and at the same time India has a female president.Tomorrow I start my volunteer work with the woman's empowerment center http://spowac.org/profile.html and I am extremely anxious to learn more from the women themselves. In the mean time, I have been taking precaution never going anywhere by myself and wearing clothes that completely cover me.
On a different note, I went to the Taj Majal yesterday and it did not disappoint in the least. It is one of the most extraordinary things I have ever seen and until this past April I never would have dreamed I would have had such a privilege! For those of you who don't know the story, the Taj Mahal was built in 1631 (completed 22 years later!) by emperor Shah Jahan who was so devastated by the death of his wife that it was built to honor her. She died after her 14th child birth! And to think, these days we let men get away with just giving flowers. Hmmph! Attached are photos of me at the Taj Majal, some locals who let me photograph them.

Rajiv and Priya

I am so in love with my host parents and I thought I would give a brief glimpse into who is taking care of me over here. Priya (pronouced Pree-yah) is my host mom. She is a former University professor, she is half my height, and has a very friendly smile. She also has this absolutely fantastic laugh which sounds like a school girl's cackle--I don't know how else to describe it. She also is an amazing cook! She cooks a different dish for us at every meal which leaves me so excited for breakfast, and she has invited me to help cook with her so I can learn some of the recipes. I've been popping up at 5am every morning so this shouldn't be a problem at breakfast time. Rajiv (pronounced Rah-jeev) is the country coordinator and also a former University professor. Rajiv absolutely loves India, especially Delhi, and is eager to show us around. Yesterday we sat down with Rajiv and he gave us a quick Hindi lesson telling us how to say basic important phrases. We learned "Hello" and "Thank You" and also phrases such as, "How much is this saree?" "Pass the roti," "Go away or I'll call the police." Important stuff. I asked Rajiv if I would get laughed at when trying to speak Hindi and he replied, "Yes of course they will laugh at you! Enjoy it!" My kind of guy. Rajiv also showed us his wedding album and explained all the different customs--such a treat! I've actually driven by a couple of wedding processions and they look like so much fun. Well enough for now. I've posted pictures of me at important Indian monuments called Humayun's Tomb and Qutub Minar, one with Rajiv, and a photo of Priya on her wedding day.

First Impressions

So I have this idea about India in my head that dates back to when I was 10 or 11 years old and read A Little Princess. Sara, the main character, is a child who, after spending her entire life in India where her father was stationed with the British military, is suddenly sent to an English boarding school when her father gets drafted to serve in WWI. In the book one of her schoolmates asks her to describe India and she says, "The air smells like spices." For some reason that line has stayed with me and so when I walked out of the Indira Ghandi airport I was mostly wondering what exactly I would smell. Well, there were no spices but to my surprise I smelled rich sweet butter! I'm totally serious! Granted there were stalls right outside the door selling who-knows-what, but I was truly surprised that my first smell of India would be so delightful. Anyway, after an interesting taxi ride (I'm sure I will eventually write all about Indian driving etiquette) I arrived at my volunteer house. My host parents, Rajiv and Priya, were there to greet me and I liked them immediately. They offered me some water, painstakingly showing me how the water filter works, and then whisked me downstairs to bed as my orientation started the following morning and it was, "imperative that I get passed my jet lag as soon as possible." I really didn't sleep much of course because 1. I was too excited, and 2. It was so unbelievably hot. I'm not going to romanticize things, the heat is no joke over here. When my plane landed at 8:30pm it was 102 degrees outside, a very telling sign of what the weather would be like at say two in the afternoon... The heat is very physical out here in that it really weighs you down at all moments of the day. I have a hard time remembering to drink enough water so this is a habit I must work on. My ankles have already quit on me--I have no ankles at the moment, but everyone tells me they should return in a few days. Ah well, DC in August is looking pretty good right now. I am ending my second day in Delhi and I have definitely had the typical traveling moments of: eager to enjoy everything I see, determined to stay positive, admittedly uncomfortable, wondering what I got myself into, wondering if I will be able to handle everything...ready for an ice bath. The pictures in this post include some adventures in buying Indian clothing (salwar kamiz), my first lemon soda--which was actually really gross because it's made with a ton of salt, and a view of Delhi's Central Market where you can seriously buy anything and bargain all day. Thanks for reading along, it's incredibly comforting having people out there who I can share this experience with.

One Week to Go!!

So this time next week I will be in Delhi!! It definitely does not feel real yet and mostly I'm just a big ball of nerves. I've heard enough warnings about inevitable stomach issues, sweltering heat, and dangerous traffic to accept that my time in India will be intense. I hope I can maintain an open-mind and my sense of adventure in spite of all the caution that is swirling in my head. I am definitely looking forward to my first chai, dahl, and samosoa--as in most of my trips the food is always a main priority! Mostly I am excited to experience India for myself. I've talked to so many people in the past few months about India and it seems like every experience is incredibly unique. I really don't know what to expect and while that makes me completely nervous I'm also at a point where I'm just going to let go and experience everything as it comes.