This year, my Thanksgiving went a little differently than usual. Whereas Thanksgiving is a national holiday in the United States, it is not celebrated in India. This was the first major American holiday I got a chance to share with my host family. The first step to celebrating Thanksgiving is to make sure you don't have other plans to interfere with preparation of the Thanksgiving meal. Since, like I just mentioned, Thanksgiving is not celebrated in India that often, this meant I had to take a day off from school (yay!). In the morning, I woke up at a reasonable time with no 5 km race to run, and everyone in the family hugged and wished each other a Happy Thanksgiving. The rest of the morning proceeded pretty normally, with a few messages exchanged between my school coordinator and I about the definition of Thanksgiving as a 'festival'. I also prepared a Thanksgiving lesson plan and Powerpoint for my Amitasha class though I won't be able to use it until next Friday. I took a shower and then headed with my host mom Le Marche to pick up all the ingredients we would need for the day. We were able to get everything, only forgetting to buy the Brussels Sprouts (which is pretty good since I usually forget what I need as soon as I leave the house). We came home and the rest of the day - from 12pm-7pm was spent as a mixture of cooking and relaxing in the house with a couple of miscellaneous trips to the market. We faced surprisingly little difficulty in preparing the Thanksgiving Dinner (which, by the way, consisted of hash brown potatoes, green bean casserole, stuffing, chicken and pies) considering my lack of cooking experience. Some of the dishes, like the chicken, had a little Indian masala added in to make it extra special. Let me tell you, that chicken tasted better than any Thanksgiving turkey I've had in the past! In the evening, two of my host massi's (aunts) came over for the meal. They very kindly and unexpectedly gifted me some chocolates and we also exchanged wishes of 'happy thanksgiving'. Soon enough, my dad arrived home and we put all the food onto the table. Everyone filled their plates, but before eating I said a prayer and everyone held hands and went around saying what we were thankful for. After that, everyone chowed down on one of the most delicious Thanksgiving meals I have had. All of our hard work had paid off in the end. One of the highlights of the meal was the dessert during which we took out our homemade pumpkin pie and not-so-homemade apple pie. The pumpkin pie was absolutely amazing! All the credit goes to my host mom who made this pie without really following a recipe - she is actually an amazing chef. One thing I did learn from watching her cook was that following the recipe to a 'T' isn't really the most important thing about preparing food. I think every dish we served had some sort of improvisation by my host mom, and they all turned out amazing. By the end of the meal, I was feeling as stuffed as a Thanksgiving turkey and was ready to go to bed. I had a very very memorable Thanksgiving spent with the people I love most. Remember how I told you I had to take a day off from school to make all this work? Well, my school coordinator didn't let me get off the hook that easily. I had to prepare a speech to give about Thanksgiving and to give thanks to everyone who has helped me during my exchange. This request was fair enough since speeches are one thing I feel comfortable enough doing; plus, it was a great opportunity to share American culture with my host school. Besides being a little bit lengthy, everyone liked my speech and told me I spoke well. Giving thanks did not end there for me since I followed my host mom's request to bring in some pumpkin and apple pie to give to principal ma'am and a couple other VIPs in my exchange. The pies were a huge success at school. Many people did not come to school the day after Thanksgiving because GTSE (Global Talent Search Examination) was taking place in the school and bunking school is the way to get out of taking it. But, as my class teacher told the exam invigilator, "she is not registered for the test but is here for one year and is taking part in every single activity we have to offer". The exam was not so bad, it was an English test. If you ask me, some of the questions were too hard for someone (me) who speaks English as their mother tongue. Getting to the point, I was able to share some leftover stuffing with my classmates who all agreed that it was very nice. This Thanksgiving is one I will never forget. It has been the very best thanks to the efforts of my host family. It was our first Thanksgiving together as a family, and definitely not the last. I am incredibly thankful to everyone around the world who has been supporting me throughout this exchange and to everyone who is making this possible. An especially big thank you goes to my host family for making this day so special and memorable for me. A very happy Thanksgiving from me to everyone around the globe!
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Before I came to India, I had little idea of what the three letters - MUN - stood for. Five months later, halfway through my exchange, I have participated in two Model United Nations, one even being an internationally acclaimed event. The recognition is never the part that matters though, and I can say that, without a doubt, AIMUN (Amity International Model United Nations) 2017 played a large role in helping me see not only myself, but the role of exchange through different lenses. For the actual MUN sessions, I must admit I was slightly unprepared as my countries were swapped - from Ethiopia and Estonia - just two days before the conference commenced. Nonetheless, the agenda for my committee was 'the elimination of racism and racial discrimination' as well as 'racial discrimination within the US judicial system'. I found this to be quite an interesting topic as solving it would be within the same realm of the goal of my exchange - to bring peace through understanding. Though I walked away with a Special Recognition Award from the General Assembly, most of my time at AIMUN was spent interacting with exchange students from 10 different countries! It was the perfect way to embrace the immense benefits of International Education during IEW. Some of us exchange students were meeting each other for the first time since we had landed 4.5 months earlier, so it was enriching to be able to share stories of success and overcoming our challenges. To me, the most amazing thing was to hear how different our exchanges have been despite residing in the same country. On the same token, we also shared many laughs due to some common sticky points in adjustment. Furthermore, this MUN was a chance for me to step out of my comfort zone - something I have learned is key to making the most out of an exchange, or really any situation in life. On the Monday before the conference, I was called into school to start preparing a dance for the cultural gala that would happen on Friday of the same week, following the second day of the MUN. Aside from a few ballet lessons as a little girl, I had never put on a dance performance, let alone a solo performance in front of an audience. To be honest, I was seriously doubting my ability to prepare the dance well. Before I knew it, I was putting on my Indian clothes, picking up my dandiyas and heading out onto stage. Considering my dancing ability (or lack thereof) I put on a performance everyone enjoyed. Sharing what I had learned so far in India was a way for me to give back to those who have helped me grow as a person and a way for me to reflect. The happiness I brought to those around me made me feel amazing even if my dance was not so. I gained an immensely valuable life experience. MUN, Model United Nations, three words that have come to mean so much more to me than just a platform of debate. It helped me to embrace what it means to be a cultural exchange student and reminded me of my role as a cultural ambassador here in India. As I head into the next half of my exchange, I will keep what I have learned in mind in order to make the most of my exchange both for myself and those I interact with. International Education Week (IEW), is the one week out of my exchange year where I got to take a step back and realize the true importance of international education. IEW is an amazing opportunity for exchange students and students across the world to celebrate and share the countless benefits international education and cultural exchange. This annual celebration of cultural sharing is a joint initiative by the US Department of State and the US Department of Education. It acts as a way to promote programs such as YES Abroad which prepares American students for an increasingly diverse and global environment and programs such as the YES (inbound) program which aims to attract future leaders from abroad to study, learn and exchange experiences with people they meet.
In 2017, IEW is celebrated from November 13-17. As a YES Abroad exchange student, I had a very enjoyable week not only sharing my own culture, but also gaining new experiences through connecting with others. My week started slowly with the weekend being extended into Monday as school was canceled due to high levels of smog. However, I have come to realize that there is no such thing as an uneventful day in the life of an exchange student and Monday was no exception. As soon as I started thinking about preparing for the AIMUN conference occurring later in the week, I got a call from my school coordinator telling me that I needed to come into school to prepare a performance for a cultural performance on Wednesday. Once I reached the school, I met with Shivani ma'am, my dance teacher and she started to teach me a dance performance. Even though she made sure to use the easiest dance poses she knew, I still felt extremely nervous as I am definitely not the most graceful dancer (that is putting it lightly). Being IEW, it was an excellent opportunity for me to learn something about the Indian culture even if it may not be the most easy thing to do. For me this was another time to reflect, I realized that intercultural learning is only as challenging as you make it. In other words, it is extremely easy to come together and share ideas and traditions if both sides have an open mind and a willing attitude. On the second day of IEW, it was my turn to share American culture. From what I have witnessed and experienced from participating in different activities such as Amitasha is that children are more often than not the most receptive to new cultures; they truly embrace whatever you teach them. That being said, with the help of my host family, I organized an evening session to teach the neighborhood kids how to play a couple American games: "duck-duck-goose" and "capture the flag". It is amazing to me to see how everyone, regardless of culture or background, can bond in an instant and forget all differences in such as short period of time. By the end, I started to realize that most of the kids are better than me at these games! To add to that, I now know that I have a group of people who would be up for an intense round of capture the flag at any point of time. One of the challenges I was having with IEW was the fact that I also had an MUN conference for the last half of it, from the 16-18 of November. I soon realized that it was not really so much a challenge as much as it was an opportunity. During the MUN conference, I spent little time actually participating in the sessions. For more than half of the time, I was hanging out with other exchange students who were equally confused with the proceedings of an MUN session. There were delegates from 10 different countries at the MUN, some who I had met before at the arrival orientation and some completely new to me. Countries included India, the United States, the Netherlands, Germany, Slovakia, Japan, Canada, Thailand and a couple others. It was amazing to be able to speak with people from so many different backgrounds. We all have one thing in common which is being an exchange student, yet we share so much more than that. We all share a passion for learning about the world around us which is what made this IEW have such a tremendous impact on me. On Friday, the last official day of IEW, the MUN conference sessions were proceeded by a cultural gala. If you're wondering what happened to the dance performance I mentioned earlier, this is the time it came into play. During the gala, I enjoyed seeing the performances of every delegation from abroad. It was so nice to see so many cultures come together in one location. I watched regional performances such as a South Indian Dance and international performances in the form of various instrumental compositions, cultural dances and traditional songs in many languages. I contributed by sharing not only the American style of dance - through non other than the Cha Cha Slide, but also sharing what I have learned in the past 5 months abroad through the Indian dance I mentioned earlier. Though I may not have given a flawless performance, I was proud of myself for stepping out of my comfort zone and it felt amazing to be congratulated by so many people. The combination of this performance and all the other events I took part in proved to me that International Education is not confined to a classroom or even a country, it is a worldwide celebration that occurs on every level and platform whether it be a planned performance or a simple talk with those of a different background. Everyone has something to share. After participating in IEW, I am definitely more conscious about the opportunities I am given as an exchange student and have been reminded what my exchange year is really all about: promoting intercultural learning and peace through making connections with people I may otherwise have never met. International Education week passed by more quickly than I ever imagined possible, but through it I have come to realize that international education does not need its own time to be celebrated. It is something that happens through the everyday interactions of life and quite often occurs without thinking. As the midway mark of my exchange approaches, I cannot think of a better way to have prepared myself to make the most of the rest of my time here. IEW may have just ended, but there is no limit to where it will take me. This past weekend, the last weekend of October, I went to Jodhpur with the other YES Abroad India students. It was largely filled with orientation sessions as it is nearing the midpoint of our stay in India. It was a time of reflection and goal setting, but also a weekend of my exchange that I will not soon forget. I saw amazing sights and shared many memories with my fellow exchange students -Colin, Olivia, Alexander and Mckenna. As someone wise once said, its’s not just about the destination, but also about the journey. To get to Jodhpur, we took an overnight ride on a train. On 27 October, I came home from school to find my bag already packed (courtesy of Muskaan). We all ate lunch together and then I put my shoes on and was pretty much ready to go. I said goodbye to my host mom first since she was not well, so she stayed home while I went with Muskaan and my host dad to be dropped at McKenna’s house. When we got to McKenna’s house, we rang the doorbell but to no avail. We had to call McKenna’s host mom. A little comedy was added to the day when McKenna’s host mom answered the phone as if my host dad was the pizza delivery guy (they were also waiting for a pizza to arrive). Nevertheless, we were let inside, and I met McKenna’s host mom, grandma, sister and their two dogs. My host dad soon had to leave to go to the office and with him went Muskaan. We exchanged a hug and said our goodbyes. I was quickly consumed with the attention of a hyper German Shepherd and sweet old black Labrador. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out what my favorite animal is. Anyways, the pizza soon came but we saved it for the train ride. Instead, we had garlic bread and chocolate lava pies with ice cream. I don’t know why Pizza Hut in the US doesn’t have the latter because they are delicious. McKenna, her sister Dipannita and I chatted for a while and then it was time for us to go. We loaded our bags into the car and went with McKenna’s host mom to the airport where her host dad works as an ATC. From there, we switched cars and headed to the Old Delhi Station. It was a good thing we left so early because we got lost along the way. The positive aspect of that was finding a street vendor who sold amazing masala chai. We finally found the station, and decided to walk around Chandni Chowk market for a while since we still were a bit early. I didn’t buy anything, but just walking around such a bustling market was quite the experience. At around 8:15, we met up with Roshan (an AFS Staff Member) and waited for everyone else to show up. Colin and Olivia came first followed by Alex who got caught up in traffic. We entered the train station and walked straight to McDonald’s to satisfy Alexander’s undying hunger (he will NEVER say no to food haha). I got an iced tea and we all ate the pizza McKenna ordered earlier. The train was supposed to leave at 9:15, but it was closer to 10pm when we finally started rolling down the tracks. All of us talked for at least an hour and a half before going to bed because it was the first time we had all been together since the AFS party in August. We talked about anything and everything and Colin demonstrated his skill in a completely made up language. He sounds fluent in that language which was hilarious to me. I slept on the top bunk and slept well considering I did not notice that my pillow fell into the aisle at some point during the night. By the time I woke up, we were nearing Jodhpur. Colin and Olivia unfortunately did not have such an amazing experience since they both got sick overnight. We were met up by an AFS volunteer from Jodhpur and took a small bus back to where our orientation would be, at the Rajmata Krishna Kumari Girl’s Public School. This school is a boarding school owned by the royal family of Jodhpur, so the campus was stunning. We were greeted in the traditional Indian manner with a marigold garland and tika. We were shown to our rooms and allowed to relax before the first orientation session started between 11:30 and noon. We all took showers and then had an abundant amount of food and chai brought to our room for breakfast. We met with the principal of the school and (of course) got a group photo with the flags in front of the principal’s office. She was very nice and welcoming and hoped we would all have a great time in Jodhpur. Soon after, we were given a tour of the grounds and saw everything the school had to offer: the sports facilities, the junior wing and even the boarding houses. It seemed like no students were there but that was just because all the senior students were writing exams. The first day’s sessions came and went like any other orientation. We had to draw our mood curves (which we already knew we would have to) and talked about the Cultural Iceberg (another AFS staple). It was nice to reflect on what we had experienced as exchange students because there’s no one that can relate more to the types of experiences we have. For lunch and dinner, we ate in the mess. We were expecting to eat just like any other students there would, but when we walked upstairs to our table, we were surprised to see a table draped with a white table cloth and nice dishes set up for everyone. From that point on, we came to expect to be treated like guests. What was the most surprising was that the food was not spicy at all. It was catered to a stereotypical American palate which can tolerate no spice. It seemed like every dish was a variation of some sort of Indian dish except in place of the spicy sauce, tomato sauce was given. Even the green chilies they served were not spicy – just ask McKenna who generally almost dies when she encounters spice. The first evening’s activity was watching a movie. We watched English Vinglish which is a hindi/English movie (we watched with subtitles). It is a very nice movie but of course, as with anything that’s a part of the orientation we couldn’t just watch the movie for entertainment. In fact, they had to pause the movie when someone (*cough cough McKenna*) fell asleep just 20 minutes into it. It was then that they revealed that the entire next day of sessions would revolve around this single movie. Even I sat up and started critically assessing the movie. We all went to bed on time (or even early) that night because it had been a long day. We had gone straight from the train ride into a day of sessions. The next day was a day of orientation sessions for us. It was kind of annoying to be staying in Jodhpur but not being able to experience everything it had to offer. I kid you not, the Umaid Bhawan Palace was visible from the terrace outside the orientation classroom. Nevertheless, it was still a fruitful orientation. We discussed intercultural conflict styles, generalizations and stereotypes, high and low context communication, our experiences in the past 4 months and what we hope to accomplish in the coming 6. After filling out a reflection about the orientation and doing a 5-minute private counselling session, we were all done with the mid-stay orientation. It feels so unreal to me that I have been in India for nearly half of my exchange year. The longer I am here, the more I want to continue to be here for as long as possible. The second night’s activity was going shopping at the National Handloom Corporation. It was just a 5-10-minute walk from the school, so we all went together. I bought quite a few small things for friends and family. There, I also bought kulfi and ice cream (which are very similar to each other, but I couldn’t help myself). While trying to order kulfi for my friend and I (she was too nervous to ask for something in Hindi), I noticed for the first time that some random people were taking pictures of us. It was amusing to me because I don’t really feel that different than those around me, but it confirmed that I definitely do stick out. The second night was much more interesting even once we returned to the school. McKenna still had a chocolate cake that her host dad bought, so we (Olivia, McKenna and I) brought it down to the park and sat on a bench each having a small piece. Before I knew what was going on, we were surrounded by 25+ kids from the boarding school. We had so much fun together and almost forgot to save a piece of the cake for Alex. We got interviewed by the girls and amongst the chaos, McKenna was renamed Macaroni. Soon enough, they broke into song and dance. Before they had to leave due to curfew, we all got pictures together. The same night, all five of us exchange students stayed up talking and giving each other shoulder massages until 2am. Again, we talked about anything and everything. All in all, it was a great time though I won’t go into depth since this post is long enough. The next and final day we were in Jodhpur was the one day we could leave the campus and go sightseeing. We woke up and followed the usual routine of eating breakfast and drinking chai. We went and spoke with the principal ma’am who listened to all of us recount what we learned during the orientation sessions. We then got another picture beneath the flags and wished one of the students a happy birthday when she came to pass around the candy. We met with a volunteer who had hosted a student through AFS in the past. She is from Jodhpur so she acted as our guide for the day. The first place we went was the Umaid Bhawan Palace. It was only about a 5-minute drive from the school, so we didn’t even have time to fill out the survey about our stay at the school. Going up the driveway to the palace was amazing because in the rear window, we could see the fort in the distance. At the palace, we walked inside and were greeted by a guide wearing traditional Rajasthani clothes. He was very helpful in explaining everything about the royal family and the palace. For example, I learned that the Umaid Bhawan Palace is the only palace you can visit other than Buckingham Palace in which the Royal Family still resides. After touring the inside of the palace, we headed out to the garage where countless vintage cars were kept in pristine condition. McKenna, using the philosophy of ‘it never hurts to ask’, got permission for us to go in the non-tourist zone to take pictures of the palace and of us as a group. In the direct sunlight, it was still quite hot despite it being end-of-October, so we went to buy chilled water at the entrance only to find that they had already set up a corner for us with chilled water, cold drinks and kulfi on demand. It was all complimentary because we were staying at the boarding school which is owned by the royal family. It was an unexpected but very pleasant surprise. After refreshing ourselves, we boarded the bus to go to the Mehrangarh Fort. Along the way, we stopped to drop off one of the AFS volunteers because he had a plane to catch and then we stopped another time, so the bus driver could pick up something. But the second time, we didn’t really stop moving because the bus was put in neutral and not park, so it immediately started rolling backwards when the driver left the front seat. When he saw his bus moving, he tried to turn back but the poor guy slipped on gravel and fell over. Luckily, the AFS volunteer on the bus was smart enough to pull the emergency brake. Finally rolling forwards, we made it up the hill and to Mehrangarh. The fort is massive and unlike anything I had seen before. It’s crazy to think that this one building is older than the entire United States! We got a tour guide for the fort who was very monotonous (including the built in humor) but he still was able to give a lot of information. The famous view of the ‘blue city’ of Jodhpur was incredible. No picture of mine really does it justice. The fort seemed to go on forever. It took 2 hours just to walk through it. My favorite part was the courtyards which had a view of the city but also were surrounded by walls which had windows which the women traditionally looked down from since the coronation ceremony is traditionally viewed by males only. I was able to see the spot where the current king was crowned at the young age of 4 years old. From the fort, I bought a spice for my host mom since I know how much she enjoys spices. Plus, I had not tasted any really spicy food which is what Rajasthani food is famous for. The meal at the fort was also complimentary courtesy of the royal family. After exiting the fort, we walked down to the ‘blue city’ to do some more shopping. Along the way, we saw a camel and Colin and I were asked to take photos with some Indian men. For me, it was the first time being asked to take a photo with a stranger, but I had been told that it does happen (since I obviously don’t share the Indian complexion). Walking down the roads of the old city was an amazing experience. The roads were very narrow and didn’t make much sense to me, but being surrounded by all the old blue buildings amazed me. It made me stop and think about how small I am in this endless maze of a world; it was a moment of realization. Nonetheless, we made it to the clocktower and the marketplace. We were able to find an ATM that worked for McKenna and then we made it to the shopping destination. I didn’t buy much because it was just another branch of the National Handloom Corporation. After everyone got what they wanted, we walked back to the bus. Walking back to the bus was another extremely tough moment for me. The entire way back, I was being tapped and pleaded for money by the poor women and children on the streets. As someone who is fortunate enough to have more than I could ever need, experiencing this makes me feel extremely sad. The children in those positions may never be able to get out of it. It’s one problem that I, and probably most other people, hope will be solved soon. When we reached back to the school, we had just under 2 hours until we had to leave for the railway station. For almost the entire 2 hours, we talked with the exchange students hosted at the school – Elena from Italy and Alice from Thailand. It was not nearly enough time to talk about all we wanted to. Before we knew it, we were leaving Jodhpur. It was a bittersweet time for everyone. It marked an accomplishment (the midpoint of our stay) and we were all happy to go back to our host families (4ish days away is much too long). On the other hand, we were leaving Elena and Alice whom we won’t see again until May and it marks the almost halfway point. At least for me, I feel the time is going by too fast. The train ride back was much less eventful. We were all tired and fell asleep within an hour of boarding the train – though admittedly this train did not roll as smoothly as the last one. We were supposed to reach Old Delhi Station by 6am, but that of course became close to 8am. When we got off the train, Alex’s host parents were right there to meet him, so we wished him well since he had just moved in with that family less than 1 week prior.
The rest of us exited the station but then figured out that all of our host families/drivers were on the other side of the railway station. After waiting for 5 minutes (not sure for what reason), we reentered the station and started walking to the other side of the station. While walking down the overpass, I was slightly surprised and very happy when I saw Muskaan coming to greet me. We interlocked our hands; we were reunited after a long weekend and I honestly couldn’t be happier. McKenna also came with us since she lives in Gurgaon as well. I (surprisingly) did not fall asleep in the car on the way back. I felt happy to be back at home. I couldn’t help but smile while thinking about how fortunate I am. I am exactly where I want to be, and I try to savor every moment. If anything, this weekend I learned to be proud of my accomplishments thus far and hope to continue creating memories just like the ones I have made. Once I get in a conversation with someone about my time in India, I am usually asked "where have you been in India". Up until now, I had only been able to say that I stayed within New Delhi and Gurgaon. This past weekend, I went to Agra which is famous for the Taj Mahal. On Thursday, while driving to visit family in Ghaziabad (in Uttar Pradesh), we somehow got on the topic of where I had been and whether or not I had been to Agra before. Rather than ending where the conversation had ended in the past when I said I hadn't been, my host parents started formulating a plan to go see it this weekend or the following weekend. The only concern was getting permission for me to go from AFS since they need to know when I leave the Delhi region. Since Agra is a very popular tourist destination and AFS already plans on taking us at the end of the program, we didn't foresee any issues getting the permission. As expected, getting the permission was painless; it was obtained in a 2 minute phone call from my host mom to Vyom. The next step was getting a hotel room which we managed to do despite the whole trip being last-minute. The rest of the day went by very quickly with all the Diwali celebrations going on. By the end of it, I was pretty much falling asleep during the final rounds of the card games which lasted until 12:30 am. Muskaan and I decided to pack for Agra the same night so that we would be ready to go in the morning. As I have already told Muskaan, she is the most organized packer I have witnessed. I am used to seeing Katherine stuff all of her belongings into her duffel bag in no particular order every time we switch from my mom's house to my dad's or vice versa, but Mus had a written plan of what she would wear and when in order to match our schedule. Despite the high level of organization, it was 1:30 am by the time I finally sunk into the mattress and fell asleep. We had decided to wake up the next morning at 6:30am so we would have time to shower but it was closer to 7 by the time we actually got out of bed. We had leftover Instapizza for breakfast and were ready to get going. I saw Cherry (the neighbor's French Bulldog) that morning and couldn't resist stopping to pet her for a little before actually getting in the car. It took about 4 hours to get from Gurgaon to Agra by way of the Yamuna Expressway. I must say that road trips are much more enjoyable/relaxing when you aren't travelling with a younger brother and sister, I actually managed to sleep for a good chunk of the trip. The time I spent awake was just as nice. The expressway was pretty much just a straight road so the inner NASCAR driver came out of my host dad a few times along the way when we couldn't see any CCTV cameras in distance. When we stopped for a break 2 hours into the trip, we had brunch and visited the gift shop. I did not buy anything because the prices clearly reflected the fact that the target consumer was a tourist who had no idea of the true value of the items. Some of the jewelry was 3 or 4 times the cost you would pay at a market like Janpath. Even though I am also a foreigner, I still couldn't help but look at the others. There was one guy who Muskaan dubbed as 'Maggi Hair' because his curly blond hair looked like a plate of masala noodles. Agra marks the other end of the Yamuna Expressway, and we arrived at around 1pm. The hotel was only about 3km from the Taj Mahal and was really nice. After all the formalities of checking in as a foreigner (passport and visa check), we made our way to the rooms on the third floor. We could see the 1st floor outdoor pool with the Taj in the background from the window in the hallway. It was such a great view and was the first time I laid my eyes on the iconic masterpiece. The pool, but not the Taj, were visible from the hotel rooms. My host mom and dad shared one room and Muskaan and I shared the other a couple doors down the hall. We settled in and waited for a plan to be made for the day. As I ate the complimentary chocolate chip cookie, Muskaan sat on the other side of the desk reading from the guest services book. I think all hotels have these books but does anyone ever really read them? Long story short, we found the kids menu items very entertaining but got even more amused by their 'Careline' service. Careline was everywhere. Have any queries? Call Careline. Before you open the door of your hotel room, what should you do? Call Careline. I am not joking when I say the first step in their fire escape plan posted on the door is...you guessed it... Call Careline. Since then, it has become one of our inside jokes and whenever it's mentioned, neither of us can help but laugh. Soon enough a second ring of our doorbell was heard and (without calling Careline) I opened the door to my host parents. The plan for the day was to relax for a while, go swimming and then go for dinner followed by a light and sound show at Agra Fort. Originally we were going to see the Taj that day, but we decided it would be better to go early the next morning to beat the crowd and the heat. Mus and I spent some time watching sports on the TV while laying in (a very comfortable) bed. After some time, I changed into my swim suit (which is called a swim costume here) and Muskaan and I went to the pool. While I swam, she studied Indian history. The inner lifeguard in me cringed when I saw a younger boy try to get in the pool with the rescue ring but luckily someone came out and directed them to the shallow end where the water was literally only 6 inches deep. I swam laps for a while and soon realized how out of shape I am. After I found where the towels were kept, I went with Muskaan back to our room for a shower and then we headed over to my host parents' room where my host dad, Mus and I all played Trivia Crack while laying in the bed. Trivia Crack became very addictive for us - whenever the notification came saying that it was our turn to play, we would immediately sit up and play the game. I didn't contribute much to answering the questions because the questions in Entertainment, History, and Geography categories were all related mostly to Indian facts. Muskaan proved to be very knowledgeable in the areas of Entertainment and History and is also pretty good at guessing the answer when no one is confident in any response. Soon enough, it was time to head out for lunch. On the way to the restaurant we stopped at Panchi Petha to get some petha (pumpkin) sweets. This particular shop makes the best ones, so we got quite a few. After stopping there, we drove to an area that was filled with huge red signs adverising "Mama Chicken Mama Franky House" which was quite hysterical. We did not eat there, instead we went to a sit-down restaurant very close by. We had butter naan (highly recommend you try this) and chicken which was really nice and very filling. We got back to the hotel at around 6, so we had just under an hour before we had to leave for the light and sound show. We thought the show started at 7:45, so we wanted time to get tickets and seats. We continued our game of Trivia Crack and then left for Agra Fort at 6:50ish. Since it only took about 10 minutes to drive there, we thought we would be pretty early for the show. There was a pretty sizable crowd at the front entrance and were happy we came early because we soon realized the show's timing had been moved up by 30 minutes to 7:15. Even at night, the fort was quite the sight. It is made from red sandstone and is massive. To enter the fort, you go cross a (empty) moat and two huge gates. We passed through a stretch of the fort which would have held the market twice a week for the women that lived there and were not generally allowed to leave at their leisure. The light and sound show took place in one of the yards of the fort and told the story of Agra through the time of the Mughal Dynasty. The history behind the fort and of Agra in general is quite impressive but I won't go too much into detail since it is something you can easily Google. The show took about an hour to finish and was well put-together. After the show, we went out to eat again. Driving to the restaurant, we passed through a busy area that was also showered with lights. It was very crowded and I joked that if I had to drive in those conditions, my car would have a million scratches by the time I made it through. In the car, Muskaan gave me a lesson on how to pronounce Taj Mahal because Americans have learned it the wrong way haha. If I don't think about what I am saying, I still tend to mess it up. Despite the crowdedness, we made it to the restaurant. This time, I ordered one of my favorite veg Indian dishes: Pav Bhaji. On the way to the restaurant, we passed by Keventers, a famous milkshake place of Delhi. I had not gone there before, so we decided to go after dinner. From the street, it looked as though Keventers had closed. Just to be sure, we walked up to the store front and found that they were closing because the supply had run out. After some talking, we managed to get three milkshakes in the only flavor left: chocolate hazelnut. My host dad drank his right away while Muskaan and I waited until we got back to the hotel, 10 minutes from then. The milkshake was very delicious. It tasted very similar to Reese's candy (which is sadly not available in India). After playing Trivia Crack, it was time for bed and we set our alarm for 5:30am the next morning so we could get to the Taj Mahal early. As always, we hit the snooze button until 6am when my host dad rung the doorbell to our room. We slid out of bed and got ready to go to the Taj within about 30 minutes. My host mom stayed behind to sleep since she has seen the Taj before, so it was just me, my host dad and Muskaan who went. The Taj Mahal was only about 10 minutes drive from the hotel. It seemed so surreal to input "Taj Mahal" into the GPS system and get a result so close to where we were. Mr. Paintal parked the car and we made our way to buy entry tickets. The tickets are quite cheap for Indian tourists, but Rs 1000 for every foreigner. We picked up our shoe covers and my complimentary water since I was a 'high value ticket holder'. As soon as we stepped outside, we were surrounded by bhaiyas who offered us Rickshaw rides down to the entrance of the Taj Mahal. We finally gave into one of their offers and ended up taking a ride in a horse drawn cart to the entrance. It was the closest I have been to riding a horse since I came to India. Riding there was a neat experience, and not something I expected to do that day. We still had to walk a little ways to get to the actual entrance of the Taj, but along the way we passed quite a few shops and cafes, most of which were not open that early in the morning. All three of us had to go in separate lines to enter the Taj. The line for 'high value' (aka foreign) females was the longest of all 4 lines. Muskaan's was the shortest and my host dad's wasn't too long either. In the line, there were people from all over the world. The people in front of me were from Italy and Germany and the people behind me were from Malaysia. It is amazing to see how a wonder of the world can attract people from everywhere to one location. If only there was that sort of unification of cultures outside tourism. I finally made it through the line and into the area outside the Taj Mahal. Here, there was another gate to pass through but not before a bunch of pictures were taken by my host dad and sister. A lot of pictures were taken that day, but in the long run, I would want as many pictures as possible. As the saying goes, "a picture is worth a thousand words". The most amazing thing to see is the first time you the Taj becomes visible through the outline of the gate. Even that early in the morning, there was a crowd of people shuffling through the opening, but that did not make the view any less spectacular. Right past the gate is the best overall view of the Taj Mahal because you can see everything: the garden with it's fountains and the Taj. In the morning sun, the view was breathtaking. We slowly made our way down towards the Taj. We made it to the photography region (I call it that since this is where the hired photographers make the tourists pose). It was a little hilarious to watch the types of poses people were placed in. Some sat with their legs up on the bench, some with their arms spread wide open. But I am not really an exception to this crowd. As you'll see in the photos, I got the very touristy picture of me 'holding' the Taj Mahal. After that stop, we continued towards the Taj. We didn't hire a tour guide, but we still got some information just from overhearing the others talk to the tourists. I was lucky enough to have my host family take me, and they told me everything I needed to know. Once you get to the actual building of the Taj, you have to put on shoe covers so that you do as little damage as possible. We joined a mob of people headed up the stairs and I had to interlock arms with Muskaan so that I would not get lost in the commotion. Muskaan translated what the guard said: "Why are you in such a hurry, the Taj isn't going anywhere" (or something to that effect). It didn't take long before I could literally put my hand on the Taj Mahal. Seriously, it is crazy to think that only one year ago, I was looking at a picture of the Taj for my AP World History class, and now I was there in real life. No photography is allowed inside the Taj, but it is just as spectacular inside as it is on the outside. The carvings surrounding the tomb of Mumtaz Mahal were incredibly intricate and the flower decorations were beautifully done. Looking at the craftsmanship that goes into such a piece of art makes it clear why it took 21 years to complete. When we came out the back of the Taj, I was able to see the Yamuna River. The minarets around the building gleamed in the morning sun. We made our way to the front and laughed at a tourist who was doing stretches before finally assuming the 'namaste' pose for a photo. We walked back through the garden section of the Taj after taking off our foot covers. It was surprisingly green for being visited by so many people on a daily basis. I saw many different plants including the 'Beep Tree' to which I heard the people behind me start laughing while comparing the tree to a car's horn. I took a final look at the Taj before exiting the gate and captured a mental image I hope I will never forget. On the way out, Muskaan and I got a picture peeping from the columns of the entrance gate structure (unfortunately I don't have that picture to share). By the time we left, there were a lot more people entering the Taj itself, but the line to enter through the first gate was virtually non-existent. The stores were also open by this point in the day, so we stopped and I got a miniature snow-globe and a marble turtle (to add to my mom's collection). My host dad also got a marble mortar and pestle for my host mom. We walked back to the parking lot and my host dad jogged to go get the car. We rushed a little bit when we realized there was only 1 more hour for the breakfast at the hotel to be open. My host dad woke up my host mom by calling her to tell her we were on the way and we met up with her at the hotel restaurant. She asked me all about my experience and whether or not my host dad and Muskaan were good tour guides (they were). We had a very filling breakfast and then went to relax until 12pm when it was time to check out from the hotel and go home.
Muskaan and I decided to go to the pool and dip our feet in the water. When it became too warm outside to continue, we decided to explore other parts of the hotel. First, we went past the spa and to the kids room. There, I practiced my driving skills on one of the kid's scooter things and shot some hoops using an inflatable soccer ball. It was quite fun actually, and I bet the security guards got a kick out of seeing the footage from that room too. After that we moved onto the fitness center where I did some running on the treadmill barefoot since I was wearing sandals. Muskaan was right next to me - we both reached the level 9 speed and then she spent the rest of the time 'cooling down' at a snail's pace. Before we knew it, my host mom called me and told me to meet her in the lobby because we had to check out. We left around 12 and I was thankful to be out of the car at 4pm to go get lunch because the last stretch of roads we took made me feel nauseous. We went to Soul and Spice for lunch and the food there was amazing. Muskaan ordered her favorite egg biryani. I had bengali fish with rice which was really tasty. The food there was so nice, that we called out the chef to personally tell him how well it was prepared. We got home soon after that and Muskaan tried to scare me by saying we forgot my sandals in Agra, but it didn't really cause me any concern. As it turns out, it was just a joke. I had the most amazing time going to Agra with my family. I learned so much and really enjoyed visiting another part of India. This weekend I am going on an AFS trip to Jodhpur! It really is a time of travel for me. I should be making a post about that shortly after I come back. I had this post ready earlier but I am posting it today as a special way of saying HAPPY 18th BIRTHDAY MUSKAAN! I know you look forward to reading my posts, and this one took an especially long waiting period considering how long I 'worked on it'. I hope this one was worth the wait! The bright and varied colors of traditional Indian clothes, flashing of fireworks, beautifully strung lights, carefully crafted Rangolis and the glowing of a countless number of diyas and tealight candles are just some of the unforgettable sights I witnessed during Diwali, the Festival of Lights. My senses were flooded with new sounds – the laughter of the card-playing adults and bursting of hydrobomb fireworks outside the house – new smells – the burning of incense during puja and aroma of plentiful Indian dishes at the neighborhood potluck – and, of course, new tastes -authentic Indian food and sweets – as one of the most widely celebrated festivals took hold in India. Diwali brought everyone - friends and family - together in celebration. There is no doubt in my mind that this amalgamation of the true Indian culture had an invaluable impact on my intercultural learning. Before Diwali took place, I had only just moved in with my fourth host family. The festive season was a great time for us all to connect. One thing I am extremely grateful for is my host family’s desire to not only invite me to celebrate with them but also teach me the background behind why certain rituals are practiced and the history behind the festivals. Towards the beginning of this month, October, I went to a Ram Leela which explained the story behind Dussehra and Diwali. The Ram Leela also taught me a lot about the social values of India. For example, many parts of the Ramayana emphasize the value of one’s word or honor. King Dasharatha sent his son, Rama, on exile to honor his word given to his wife. Similarly, Rama accepted his fate happily to honor the word of his father. With these examples in mind, I can say that one of the most common traits I find in the people I meet is their ability to stay true to their word. Diwali has allowed me to look deeper into the reasoning behind people’s behavior, and has given me a greater sense of cultural-awareness which, in my opinion, is imperative to intercultural learning. By deepening my understanding of the Indian culture, I have increased understanding and therefore respect for the culture. Being completely immersed in the celebration of Diwali was without a doubt very exciting for me but it was also a time where my learning curve steepened. During the days leading up to Diwali, as I bought my suit for the festival, went to ‘Hong Kong’ market for Rangoli colors and assembled countless numbers of diyas, I not only realized the immense amount of preparation for such a big holiday but also learned about culture. What prevailed through all decorations and preparations was the concept of relationships. “India is built on relationships”. I was told this so many times and I had experienced it in the first months of my exchange, but during Diwali, I really saw this saying come to life. As my host family and I drove countless kilometers to and from family and friends’ houses, we discussed the difference between my experience in America and theirs in India. Drawing off my previous thought on a relationship-based culture here, one of the key points in our discussion was that so many of the festivals here act as a reason for people to come together. In my personal experience as an American, extended family often finds it easier to send gifts and cards through the mail, never talking in real time. What struck me also was how easy it was for my extended family to accept me in their celebrations and I always felt as though I had been there celebrating Diwali for the past 15 years. In the pre-card game discussions, I found myself mixed into a Hinglish discussion on anything and everything. There was talk of Gurgaon vs Delhi, which street food is the best, and the differences between driving in India versus the United States. Even though it was one of the first times all the neighbors had gotten together, everyone was keen to celebrate and share. Throughout the celebrations, I kept reinforcing what my program means to me, where possible, I always said “YES”. Whether it was ‘yes’ to playing ‘red letter’ with the younger kids at the neighbor’s potluck dinner or ‘yes’ to dressing up in Indian clothes, I know that all these experiences are what made Diwali an incredibly impactful experience for me. All the small activities amidst the festivities were the most enjoyable and the memories I created will be cherished for a lifetime. As my exchange continues, Diwali will continue to have an impact on my intercultural learning. Just as I continue to hear the bursting of firecrackers in the distance in the days following Diwali, I will take what I have learned, not only about culture but also about myself, into the future of my exchange and beyond as I encounter more and more new sights, sounds, smells and tastes of life. Today marks 2 weeks since I shifted to my host family - side note: I started this post on the 12th. Since I have reached this landmark twice before, I wanted to try a new sort of post; one that focuses less on me personally, and more on my family.
It goes without saying that host families are the most valuable part of student exchange programs. They are the ones who you spend the most time with and who show you the culture of a country as it is practiced day to day. Everyone has a role to play in the host family and each is equally important. The relationships I have formed here are worth more than words can describe. My family has taught me more in two weeks than I ever imagined possible. To try to bring you into the unique experience of becoming part of another family, I will describe how I have come to know my family in just two weeks. Papa: Amicably referred to as Mr. Paintal around the house, my host dad or papa, is a kind and sensitive person. As the 'man of the house', he is a hard worker and spends a good part of the day at his office. He is dedicated and you can often find him continuing his work from home or even from the car. I have seen some of the flyers/posters he designed and they are done very professionally and creatively and are (obviously) much better than anything I could ever make. Muskaan and I often wish he was there to help when we are attempting something 'creative'. As much as he has to work, he always finds time for family and is a very caring person. From what I have experienced, he is not the most outgoing person, but he is very thoughtful. He is the type of person who speaks the least but says the most. When he does cook, he makes delicious food (especially omelettes and chai). I was watching him skillfully chop the veggies for the omelette and couldn't help but smile when my host mom told me "he is just showing off". Even if that's true, it takes me lightyears compared to him to chop things. One of the first things I was told (and later experienced) about my papa is that he is very passionate about his material possessions. He is materialistic not in the respect that he continuously wants more and more goods, but in the respect that he is protective and very careful with his prized possessions. One of these personal belongings is his bike. Similar to my dad in the US, Mr. Paintal cares a lot for his cycle. It is kept in pristine condition and is consistently being upgraded. The first weekend I spent with them, we had to bring his bike to a service center and before leaving he (somewhat uncharacteristically) allowed me to take it for a spin. Even though I am good at cycling, I made sure to return the bike the exact same way I found it. His cars are also kept nicely and I am reminded of one of the car's continued maintenance by the way the leather squeaks every time I shift my weight. He very recently got a new gadget - a car locator which will remind him where he parked the car. That's actually a genius invention in my opinion and I think my mom in the US is in desperate need of one. My host dad is a kid at heart, and it's hard for him to resist new things. One such example is Apple Products. When we went out for dinner last night, there was an Apple store very close by and had he not been sitting on the inside seat of the booth blocked in by my host mom, he would have been there in less than 10 seconds. He is also good at 'hands-on' tasks and helps fix things that break around the house (e.g. my backpack zipper). My host dad is not what you would call a 'macho man'. Rather, his personality translates into physical traits in that he can be very sensitive (and everyone knows it). For example, we went out for Breakfast and on the way back down to the underground parking, he ran into the elevator while the doors were closing. While doing this, he hit his shoulder on the door and once he was in, my host mom correctly predicted that 'now he will check to see if his shoulder is hurt'. We all watched as he lifted his arm up and down to be sure it was still intact. On the same topic, everyone in my host family has a different sensitivity to the temperature. My host dad is similar to my mom in the US in that he is often cold if the AC is on too long or the ceiling fan is on full blast. At home, Mr. Paintal also cares a lot for gardening (our area is the greenest of the apartments around). Similar to me, my host dad also loves dogs. It's more common in India to have a fear of dogs because there are many more street dogs than in the US; so I was happy to find a fellow animal lover. Our neighbors have 2 dogs: a fat pug and a black French Bulldog named Cherry. They are both very sweet and my day is made when I get to pet them. Back to the point, I really could not ask for a better host dad than Mr. Paintal. Host Mom: She is a housewife, mother of two (including me), excellent chef, whatsapp enthusiast, soff ( idk the spelling - basically like fennel seeds) addict, geography whiz and, most importantly, my mom. Without my host mom, nothing around the house would get done. For example, as I write this post, my host mom is dusting off the same study table that I watched Muskaan dust about 5 minutes ago. As for the 'mother of two' statement I made, I definitely feel like part of the family. She includes me in all activities of the house and while Muskaan (jokingly) refers to some of those as instances of"child labor", I personally feel better when involved in activities rather than just sitting around. Being part of the family means taking on some responsibility - not that I do that much since I'm lazy. When she is not in the kitchen making food, my host mom is asking everyone what she should make for dinner. As she has correctly stated, our lives revolve around food. Thanks to her, I try something new almost on a daily basis and she even impressed me by making "fish in the pouch" (a dish my natural mom makes often) without my help. In addition, it is no secret that my host mom loves to talk and she is often on the phone or sending whatsapp messages especially during this festive season. There are many small things that make my host mom the character I have come to love. Within a week of living here, I came to know about her soff consumption habit. She has a larger container of it at home for daily use and carries around a small container of it when we go out. One time, we went out for dinner at Sodabottleopenerwala (that's actually the name of the restaurant) and afterwards she went to search for a restaurant that would give her some to sooth the symptoms of withdrawal. She also loves having chai and has it at least twice per day - chai is really nice though so I don't blame her. Aside from that, my host mom's feelings towards dogs sharply contrast those of my host dad and my own. She is terrified of them. When we go out and encounter some street dogs, I am sometimes used as a human shield for her to hide behind - which I don't mind since I love dogs and generally the street dogs don't cause any trouble. She also dislikes other animals and I think rats and monkeys come close to the top. We recently discovered a rat living among the drawers where the keys are kept so for the first few times after spotting the rat, I got the keys from the drawer since I don't have a fear of rats (I used to have 2 pet rats). I also like seeing the monkeys (since we obviously don't have them in Corning) but they are notorious for being little nuisances - just this morning one came outside and tipped over one of our garden pots. Speaking of nuisances, my host mom manages to put up with the laziness of Muskaan and I on a daily basis, so I applaud her for that. Opposite to my host dad, my host mom is always warm. In her eyes, it is practically a crime to sit without a ceiling fan on (haha). Sometimes when we are going somewhere, Muskaan gives a silent signal to my host dad to turn down the AC in hopes that my host mom won't notice. That always makes me laugh a little on the inside. My host mom is also quite intelligent. Despite the negative connotation of the word 'housewife'(at least in the US), my host mom could beat anyone in a game of Atlas. At the end of the day, my host mom is someone who makes me smile and laugh more often and cares for me as one of her own. For that, I will always be thankful. Muskaan: As the best older sister I could have asked for, I could probably write a book's worth of information on Muskaan. I have heard a story from my host mom that when she was younger, Muskaan replied to the notion of getting a sibling by saying she would 'throw them in the dustbin'. Seeing as I am not in the dustbin yet (thank goodness), I now know that she enjoys having a sister. Before coming to India, I was never a younger sibling, so I am still figuring out the ins and outs of being one. The Muskaan I have come to know, helps me with everything. Even on the second day I was here, she helped me make a surprise cheer for Katherine who she barely knew anything about. Despite continuously saying how uncreative she is, Muskaan is the one who designed the board for Katherine and planned the short video along with it. As many of her friends have birthdays this month, she is working a lot on making cards and creative gifts for them (e.g. she is sitting across the room making something as I type this). All the gifts are handmade and - to me - mind-boggling. She showed me an infinity card she made and honestly I would have never thought of making one let alone been able to successfully make one. Even though Muskaan is not known for her amazing fine motor skills, she still manages to make amazing gifts. I only have 10 days left until her birthday on the 26th so my mind is racing to try to come up with something. In addition to being my older sister, Muskaan is also my personal translator and entertainer. I have learned many words and come to know the meaning of various conversations in Hindi thanks to her. Often times she is a better teacher than my actual Hindi teacher at school and I learn so much that my host mom sometimes reminds her not to teach so many words in one day - I actually prefer learning as much as possible; though sometimes I can't remember the words 5 minutes after learning them, it has definitely increased my understanding level when listening to people talk. Muskaan is also an amazing singer and I wish I could sing so that we could cover some songs but unfortunately Katherine inherited the good-singing gene and I did not. When we cleaned our room yesterday and organized her study tables I learned two more things: 1) organization is not one of her top priorities and 2) she hates to waste even the smallest thing (this is actually a good thing). Sifting through all the books and what others would call trash, I realized that I had seen this pattern before...with Katherine haha. Actually I think Katherine's and my shared room in the US is actually much worse because we have two times the amount of junk haha. Nonetheless, I now live in a diwali-ready room that has two study tables that are the most organized pieces of furniture I have had in my teenage life. Since I have told you that my host dad is always cold and my host mom is always warm, I will also tell you Muskaan also heirs on the side of being cold. Though it's never below 70 degrees even at night, she still wears a fleece sweater in the mornings. I have already advised them not to come to Corning in the winter unless they want to freeze. From making maggi and licking the flavor packets to dressing up and attending the start of an Indian marriage to judging and laughing at the fashion and pictures in an oversized Vogue magazine well past our bedtime, I have made so many good memories with Muskaan and I look forward to making even more as time moves on. It has been said that the host family is the most valuable part of an exchange student's life and I couldn't agree more. Some of my most meaningful relationships are not only within this host family but among all the host families who have opened their homes to host me. I love my host family more than anything I truly feel that without them, my exchange year would not be complete. Looking back over the past couple weeks, much more has happened than merely taking exams. I have also had to switch host families for the 3rd time in 3 months. Whenever I told someone I was switching they (at some point) always asked "why are you switching so much?", as if switching families is a negative thing. As you already know the reasoning behind the switch, I will elaborate on the experiences I have had from saying goodbye to my third host family and being warmly welcomed into my fourth. I guess I should start off by saying that from the time I moved in with Kusum ma'am, I knew that I would only be with her temporarily while the school and AFS searched for a longer-term family. On September 26, just over 2 weeks from moving in with my third host family, I went to school and spent most of the day sitting in the library since it was an exam prep day for the last day of exams. The only 'task' I had to complete that day was talking with Poonam Goel ma'am (my school coordinator) about teaching Amitasha classes that Friday. On the exam prep days she is almost always in the staff room or her classroom, but when I checked both locations, she was not in either. No one else seemed to know where she went. After searching for her a little longer, I wandered around the halls for a while to pass the time and then went back to the library. Almost as soon as I sat down, I was called down to the reception to see Poonam Goel ma'am. I assumed that someone had told her I was looking for her so I went down to talk with her. She, as always, greeted me with a smile but I soon came to know that 1) she didn't know I was looking for her and 2) she was even happier than usual that day for a good reason: She had found me a new host family!! Poonam ma'am told me I would be staying with Muskaan Paintel. Since I really didn't know who that was (sorry there are just so many people at Amity) she told me that Muskaan is friends with Poorvi (who I met on the bus I rode when I lived with Kusum ma'am)(Update: Poorvi and Muskaan are not friends anymore). All that aside, she told me my host parents were there and asked if I wanted to meet them (I am not sure who would say no to that) and so suddenly on that boring exam prep day I found myself in a conference room with my new host parents. We shook hands and chatted for a little bit just about exams. I didn't know when I would actually move in, but I left very excited that my day took such an unexpected turn. As I was walking out of the reception, Poonam ma'am caught up to me and delivered a new rule to me: I was not allowed to tell anyone I was shifting. Even though there was logic behind that restriction (i.e. shifting wasn't finalized), I knew it would be hard not to talk about it. Getting off at the bus stop and catching up with my host mom gave me a sense of relief as she told me she already knew that I would be shifting from her home soon. We didn't let that fact stop us from living normally. We still went home, ate lunch and parted ways between lunch and dinner as she went for her daily afternoon nap. Before dinner that evening, I was excited when I checked my phone and saw that I had a message from Muskaan! After establishing that her family was excited to meet me and I was excited to meet them, it was time for dinner. The emotions are so confusing when you switch host families. On the one hand you get really excited to meet and live with your next family but at the same time you know that can't happen until you leave a family you have become a part of. Fortunately for me, my host mom is a teacher at school so I am able to see her when I want to. Hopefully I will meet with Shreya before I leave India also. Despite knowing from the day I came to my third host family that I would leave within a few weeks, I did bond with another mom and sister who will be part of my life forever. The last full day I was there was the 27th and it came and passed like any other day as it was not confirmed I would shift on the 28th until around 10pm the evening before. After officially finding out and while my host mom made dinner for us, I got to making a 'thank you' card for her and Shreya. It wasn't the best card since I only had blue and black ink I use for school but I did my best. I also gave her the last "New York" mug I brought from the US as a thank-you gift. My natural mom recently went to NYC for a business trip and bought me some more gifts which she will send me soon (I hope). After giving the gifts to my host mom, we hugged and I headed to bed for the last time in my third home away from home. Where one story leaves off, the next takes off. After managing to get all my luggage on and off the bus and into the reception area of the school, I was ready to shift. September 28 was also the first day back to 'normal classes' (I will explain why that's not true in an upcoming post) and so we had assembly in the morning. On my way out of the assembly, I met with Muskaan and Poonam Goel ma'am. It was the first time I met my (host) sister. As much as I love having an older sister, the drawback is that we are not in the same class, so I had to wait until the end of the day to meet up again. Since I did not want to store my phone with my other bags, that marked the first time I succeeded in carrying my phone with me all day at school even though it is against the rules. Actually though, I doubt anyone would really question me for having it because they tend to be more lenient on the rules towards me as the exchange student. Although my knowledge of the school's layout is extremely limited, I was able to find Muskaan mostly because she was standing and waiting for me (thanks!). We proceeded to the reception which was actually really crowded compared to what I have experienced there in the past. We met up with our mom and if not for Poonam ma'am coming to send me off, I would have forgotten to go get my laptop from the staffroom where it was kept safe during the day. Everyone took one of my bags (or more) and we managed to shuffle through the crowd. It's kind of amusing to me to walk through the crowds because it makes me feel like I need to master the art of defensive walking whereas in the US, I was able to complete a defensive driving course in 6 hours from the comfort of my living room. We met my host dad at the car and managed to fit all of my belongings inside. On the way home, after talking about school and non-veg (all except the 2nd host family who I stayed with for 9 days were veg), I learned that Muskaan reads this blog (hi!) and so she is well versed in what I have done in the 3 months before becoming part of her family. It only took about 10 minutes to get home which is the closest I have ever lived to school here. Driving over the speed breakers into Kendriya Vihar I realized that I had been there before when I went to McKenna's host sister's birthday party. It's too bad that McKenna had shifted to another host family just 1 or 2 weekends prior to me moving in. That didn't make the occasion any less special for me because when I entered my new home, I was welcomed with a banner and a chalkboard which said "Welcome Home Anna"! I was definitely not expecting that because in my three other experiences of moving in, no decorations were hung (mostly because 2 out of 3 other times were unplanned moves). Before unpacking anything, we washed our hands and ate lunch. I think it was one of the first times I had been given a fork and knife to eat lunch since I arrived in India. There is a mutual agreement that once I go back to the US, I will look like a crazy lady going to restaurants and eating with my hands. Looking back to the arrival orientation, a lot has changed. There, all the exchange students treated roti as a (very tasty) side dish and we always ate it separately from the vegetables (sabzi). When the five of us staying in Delhi met with Vyom for the first time and saw him eating them together it was such a foreign concept. Even though I am definitely not a pro at eating with roti (half of the time the sabzi just falls out haha), it seems normal to eat like that now. I am curious and kind of excited to go back to the one Indian Restaurant we have in Corning (Thali of India) and see if I attract any attention by eating with my hands. After we finished with lunch, we took my bags up to my room which I share with Muskaan. Though I am allowed to share a room, AFS was still a little worried about me sharing a bed with Muskaan. They have this idea that Americans are against sharing beds. It's true that generally we have separate beds but they are almost always twin or single size whereas here the beds are double size. Anyways, I don't mind sharing- though it may be easier for me to say than most since I have always shared a room in the US with my twin sister, Katherine. It just goes to show that there are generalizations made about every group of people. One of the goals of my exchange to to go beyond these generalizations and stereotypes and merge cultures by finding traits that are common among all human beings. Though I as an American may be more accustomed to independence and individualism than the relationship-centered lifestyle of India, I continue to see the benefits of each and learn a lot from experiencing different ways of life. Aside from settling in, my host mom, Muskaan and I took a walk around the society that evening. Because of Navratri (a 9 day celebration ), there were some lights set out that were really pretty. We somehow got on the topic of dandiya sticks which are sticks used for dancing most commonly in Gujarat (a state in India). In the section of the society where the Gujaratis live, there was a celebration going on. A lot of the people were dressed up really nicely in colorful clothes and there was a prayer going on which required the use of candles, so all the lights and colors combined to make the scene really nice. After removing our shoes, we joined the crowd and walked around seeing the prayer come to an end and watching all the people enjoy themselves. The activities stopped for a break soon after we got there and we decided to go back home after getting a couple of pictures since the music was very loud and nothing exciting was happening. Soon after we got back home, I got ready for bed because I had school the next day -Friday- while Muskaan got the day off (she is in class XII which had the day off). Thus ended another eventful day in my life as an exchange student. I felt happy to be with a new family and felt at home even from the first day. I look forward to all the adventures I will have living here and all the memories that will be formed. With that thought I will end this post until next time where I will describe my host family as I have come to know them in just 2 weeks.
As I promised two posts back, I am writing an update now that first term exams have concluded. Since most of you who read my blog are used to the American education system, I will give a brief synopsis on what it's like to take an exam in India. Preparations for the exams here are more intense than anything I have seen people do in the US. Most obviously, CPPHS (basically) only tests students once per year, every June. Other tests throughout the year are usually created by the teachers and given at the end of a unit or chapter. Though you need to study for some of the tests if you want to score well, it doesn't generally take more than 20-30 minutes to prepare. For term exams here, exams are given every other day for just over 1 week. The days before the exams are 'exam prep days' so no students go to school. The "no students go to school on prep days" did not apply to me this term because my host mom was a teacher at my school. Since it was only me and her during work hours, I always had to go to school on the days no one else showed up. It was quite boring since you can only chat with teachers for so long before they return to correcting papers. That being said, most of my time was spent in the senior library reading to prepare for the next day's exam or (after getting tired of that) reading a fiction book. During exam week I read "Anna Karenina" which is my natural mom's favorite book.
It would be so boring to have a post only talking about exams, so I will give an intermission to talk about how I spent my Saturday before exams (my host mom being a teacher dedicated Sunday to studying). First of all, I slept in until 7:30 and then went to breakfast which was simply chapatti with jam. There we tried to come up with some plan for the day. Originally, we were going to go to do grocery shopping but then (after quite a bit of persuading) Shreya and I convinced my host mom to let us go to Ambience mall for a movie. We booked tickets for "IT" and prayed that they would not check to make sure I was 18 (which, of course, I am not) since that was one of the main reasons my host mom was cautious about letting me go. We got an Uber and though we planned to arrive 30 minutes in advance, we made it to Ambience just in time for the movie. That's because it had rained in the morning so though the temperature was nice, the roads around my community were more so small rivers than they were roads. I won't spoil the movie for anyone who hasn't seen 'it' (haha), but it was well put together for a horror movie. Shreya is not easily scared, in fact she found It to be more of a comedy than a horror movie. After that we went to exchange some clothes which (in typical girl fashion) took much longer than it should have. While Shreya shopped, I watched a talent competition that was taking place on the ground floor of the mall. There were some really great dancers and singers who performed, so I was kept entertained. After 1.5 hours Shreya emerged from the shop with one shirt. Nonetheless, we decided to get dinner and headed to the food court. I got Chinese noodles with chili paneer and she got dosa. After eating, the real adventure began as Shreya tried to find a pair of black wedges to wear to the office. She was determined not to leave before finding a pair. We went to more shoe stores than I knew could exist in one location and finally she found a pair that would work. We ended the day by going to Starbucks and (since I don't care for coffee) I got passion hibiscus lemonade which was great but the funny part was that they spelled my name as "Aana" which is so close but yet so far from correct. We rushed to our Uber which had been waiting for about 10 minutes and then made our way home. When we got there we shared the day's happenings with my host mom who loved the shirt Shreya got but was disappointed to see her shoe-a-holic daughter come home with yet another pair of shoes. Sunday was spent with me 'studying' and my host mom correcting papers. A slow day but relaxing as I spent most of it listening to music and not actually studying. Of course opposite the exam prep days were the actual exam days. I first took Hindi on Friday the 15th followed by Physical Education, English, Economics, and Fine Arts. Somehow my '"brief synopsis" (why did I even think I was capable of writing anything brief) has strayed a little from the path but I can finally tell you about my experience with exams in India. The exam days are different here in that students have to go for the entire school day for just one exam. There's no allotted time for you to show up and leave like at CPPHS. Of course the exam doesn't take the entire day so the first half is given for 'studying'. Again, I never really studied during that time. I just chatted with friends since I had not been able to the day before. At 10am we had to be in the exam rooms. The exam rooms are based off of your role number and section so I went to the class which had class XI-H role number 19-37 (I am 37). The exams are just given in classrooms with everyone at a separate desk. The exams themselves are separate from the answer booklets (like answer sheets in the US) so they are passed out first. I always had to ask Vriti (my friend who thankfully sat ahead of me) what the name of the Invigilator was because I could never read the names scribbled in cursive on the board (not because I can't read cursive but because I am not that familiar with Indian names so I was never confident I did it correctly). After the bell rings signalling the start of the exam, the question papers are passed out to the students and 3 hours are given for each exam. Most of the time 3 hours is barely enough time to finish these exams but I found it plenty of time for all except economics (mostly because I got a separate exam for PE and Hindi was also really short). The main difference besides the time to question ratio is the style of question. Here there are practically no multiple choice (out of 5 exams only one exam had MCQs but that one too only had 2 of them) and all the questions are short or long answer. Depending on the number of marks the question is worth you write a different amount. For example, a 1 mark question should be one sentence whereas 6+ markers generally need 100-150 words. After 3 hours the exams are collected and often times the exams are not fully completed by all students because there's simply not enough time. Overall I think I did well on the exams but luckily for me, my grades will transfer back to the US as pass/fail only so it's low stress for me. It is a chance for me to experience a different education system without worrying to much about being the perfect student. So much more has gone on for me since exams, but that will be for the next post because I can guarantee I have too much to talk about to fit into just this one post. One of the most interesting aspects of India is the diversity in the languages spoken here. There are 22 major languages in India, written in 13 different scripts, with over 720 dialects. During my exchange year I am learning how to speak, read and write Hindi, which is one of the official languages of India in addition to English. I only know the basics of the language as most people here are comfortable speaking English or 'hinglish' with me. After living here for almost 3 months, I am starting to settle in and really explore the culture that surrounds me more in depth. In addition, (as always) I am constantly encountering new situations and meeting new people. Some of the most meaningful relationships I have created have the unlikeliest of foundations. For example, since moving in with my third host family almost 2 weeks ago, I have met two young girls who really brighten my day whenever I see them. In India, it is very common for middle class and upper class families to have maids in the house to do everyday chores like sweeping the floor and doing dishes. In my previous host families, these maids have always been friendly to me but they are always busy working of course. Therefore, I never really formed a relationship apart from just being friendly with them. In my current host family however, a deeper connection was formed almost immediately after we greeted each other with "namaste". I now know these girls to be some of my closest friends and their names are Ruksana and Simran. We face a language barrier as they only speak Hindi and my level of knowledge is limited. However, I can honestly say that the experiences we have shared whether it be greeting each other with smiles and hugs, sharing dance moves and music with each other, describing our families to one another or teaching one another how to write our names in two different scripts, have been so meaningful and have generated a bond beyond what words are capable of describing. I have come to realize that language barriers are not always communication barriers. I was able to use pictures and the few hindi words I know to describe my family and lifestyle back in the US to the intrigued onlookers. They were eager to use my camera and to point out my blue eyes, light skin and brown hair. Besides this reminder, I often forget that I am the 'foreign' person because I feel so at home with them. More than that though, we laugh at every little thing and that is what makes our friendship so unique.For example, we all giggle and smile and rush to make it appear that work is being done around the house when my host mom comes to check on their progress. I am sure we don't fool anyone but it still makes for a lot of fun! They have showed me that the most genuine relationships can come from the most simple means of communication. Moreover, they have reminded me of the importance of being yourself and expressing yourself through the way you act. You never have to look too far to find someone worth getting to know. Anywhere you go in the world, people have the same human qualities. Everyone has something to offer and it is the best feeling in the world to be surrounded by people who love you for who you are. Laugh and be happy, and the world will smile with you! |
AuthorNamaste! Mera naam Anna hai! Hi! my name is Anna. Please enjoy reading about my experience as a high school junior in India and ask any questions you may have! Archives
June 2019
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