Softball Update # 5

I hate to even post this...

We lost our game today. The score is too embarassing to share. Our pitcher wasn't able to come and she is what holds our team together (and strikes everyone out).

I was proud of myself because I actually made bat and ball contact!! Yay for me.

Taboo Anyone?

How many of you know and love the game Taboo? If you don't you should go to Wal-mart and purchase it! I love to play games (well certain ones) and this is one of my absolute favorite games!!

Right now, we have 6 friends from Germany visiting us. Several of the couples have been staying at our home so we have had lots of time to sit and talk. We all communicate in English- although it is limited because they are not quite fluent. So we begin to talk and they can't remember the English word...so they start explaining the word (just like in the game Taboo). Then we throw out words until we get the right word!! It is actually really fun. I feel like I am in ONE REALLY LONG game of Taboo!

This time last year...

... I arrived in India! Happy Anniversary to me! Happy Anniversary to me! Happy One year of survival in India...Happy Anniversary to me!!

(this picture is of us toasting to 1 year and you can't see everyone's face, but thats what you get you use the self-timer on the camera!)

To celebrate the excitement and survival of my past year in India- we decided to celebrate with new friends!! We have 6 amazingly fun and funny friends from Germany visiting us. They spent today recovering from Delhi belly so it allowed for an evening of relaxation and fellowship. So we watched some t.v, laughed, and played SPOONS!!

This is the fun part of my job- I get paid to hang out with all types of people from different countries and places in the world! I have a growing desire to visit Germany now!!

So What Exactly HAPPENS on Divalli ?

I am going to share Divalli with you through pictures so you can get an idea of what happens on this famous festival.


One unique thing about Divalli is that you go around to your friend's home and pay them a visit. Lindsey and I visited our Landlord's house first. We brought them a small gift of Indian sweets and we sat and enjoyed their fellowship. They served us juice and a display of different kind of nuts.

Later that afternoon, we went to visit Anita. She served us chai and Indian sweets as well. We told her that was enough food, but she insisted on feeding us a real meal. So she fed us some chicken- a delicacy for Lindsey and I these days (we have kind of accidentally turned vegetarian) which she informed us that she killed herself. Apparently this was VERY FRESH chicken!

Because Anita is our helper it is appropriate to give more than just sweets. So Lindsey and I had some fun! We strolled through her neighborhood looking like the rich white girls with lots of gifts! We gifted Anita a Sari, a pressure cooker for cooking, and the game Connect Four for the kids!! It was such a joy to see them tear into the gifts!! They LOVED them. It really is more fun to give than recieve sometimes!

Divalli is also the day that families have their own special puja or worship to Laxshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity. Lindsey and I attended Sunjay and Mona's puja time. We sat in the back and watched, but did not participate. The puja lasted about 20 minutes and consisted of bhajins (songs), chants read from a holy book, lighting candles, offering food to the idol, and prayers. It was honestly fascinating and highly depressing to watch.

After the evening puja, it is customary to give gifts! This is Ericka handing me the gift that her family got me! We then also gave gifts to their family along with Juma and Monica. (Gifts are given individually if you have a very close friendship or relationship. Other than that, you gift something for a person's house or a simple Indian sweet).

After puja and gift giving you light dyas. Divalli is known as the "Festival of Lights" because King Ram defeated evil once and for all and returned to his kingdom after being in exile for many years. Traditionally, people lit dyas to welcome his return. The tradition still continues to this day. I lit dyas for Jesus, because He is the True Light which gives light to all men and He defeated death and evil once and for all!

Finally at about 9:oo we went to Mona's parents home. It was firecracker time!! Firecrackers are huge!! The crazy and dangerous thing is that there are NO guidelines or rules so people shoot them off in very dangerous places. Nevertheless, EVERYONE in the whole city enjoys shooting off crackers! Crackers were heard non-stop for hours the night of Divalli!! Fun times. In fact, as I type this, I still hear fireworks going off!!

We had a lot of fun with the spinners!! We like to jump around them. Why not? We shot off fireworks for about two hours from the roof of Mona's parents house!

Here is Lindsey and I "looking so very smart". This is the phrase Indians use when they think you look nice! Do we look Indian yet? We are trying hard these days!! Secretly we love to wear all the big jewelry and bracelets and the bling bling on our clothes!!

After fireworks we were served dinner at about 11:30 PM!! By this point I was absolutely EXHAUSTED as you can see by the picture!!!

HAPPY DIVALLI!!!

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...Oh and tell me what city or country you are in?! That could be fun to know!

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I LOOK FORWARD TO READING YOUR COMMENT... YES YOURS.

Divalli Markets in Pictures

Get Your Own! | View Slideshow

My Newest Joy

My ESL students are my newest joy. Lindsey and I have been teaching for about one month now. It has been such a great experience. We teach two times a week in a lower income community about 15 minutes from our house. We have about 9 students who come consistently!



This is the market area where we teach. I love this picture because it typifies my city! There are always people everywhere as you can see. At first markets really really intimated me especially because everyone stares at you (not too many foreigners come through- I am sure you can imagine the looks we get). However, the chaos has become normal and is now my preference. I love the presence of being around and among the Indian people. There is a certain high you get from being in an Indian market!



These are my students. These are the faces that I look forward to seeing every week. They are a gift from God!! Lindsey and I haven't really had many friends around our age, but now we do!! Thanks for sharing this joy with me.

Today was our first Divalli initiation!! We gave our students Divalli gifts and Indian sweets! Let the celebrations begin!!

Babysitting and Divalli Shopping

Today was my first day to babysit SWEET BABY Kiran!!! Tomorrow she will be 6 weeks old. We had a lot of fun today. We rocked, and walked, and talked! She was very very joyful and didn't cry except when she was hungry. I think she really likes her AUNT ALICIA!! Her Aunt Alicia really loves her too!! J & K...you're pretty stinkin' awesome too!!

I think Kiran really likes her toy ducky. I caught them having a conversation today on film. I wonder what she was really trying to say? This pictures is one of my favorites that I have taken in her first 6 weeks of life.

After babysitting, Lindsey and I went shopping for Divalli. The market was marked with brightly festive lights and tinsel! I could definitely feel the celebration in the air! The markets were soo busy tonight!! It was fun...it kind of feels the holiday season in America. I love it.

This is the market where I do most of my shopping. About a five minute walk from my house. To me it looks a lot more festive, but I am realizing now, for you, it might seem just like a typical crazy market in India!! Wait what is typical? This lady in this shop is my favorite!! I always go to her...technically she is my grocer and this is my grocery store!

This is Lindsey and I in a rickshaw on the way home...and this is lindsey wrapping all the gifts!!! I helped wrap too, but her picture was more fun than mine. Fun times.

Softball Update # 4

Today, our softball game was canceled. The team we were suppose to play was out of town so they had to forfeit. Next week is a major holiday so no games next week either. Sad.

Stay tuned...for more updates.

Festival Season

This time of the year is filled with lots and lots of festivals!! In fact, there are so many festivals I can't keep track of them all. This celebration time is leading up to Divalli- "The Festival of Lights". This is a Hindu holiday that is equivalent to our Christmas. People buy everyone gifts and they celebrate by hanging lights everywhere!! The excitement in the air right now is the same excitement we feel following the day after Thanksgiving. So its kind of fun!!

This is Mona all dressed for Sanjay. She came over for a short time while waiting for her husband to come home.

Yesterday was the festival known as "Karva Chauth" (fourth day of the moon). This is holiday shared between husband and wife. Therefore, I did not participate. It is a time where the husband pampers his wife by buying her a new sari and new jewelry. The woman even gets henna on her hands as tradition. The woman fasts all day for her husband. She doesn't even take any water. When the husband gets home they offer sacrifices to the moon and pray to the moon. Then the husband feeds his wife and gives her water.

It was fun to see all the women with Henna on their hands and everyone looked so beautiful! There was such an extra spring in the air yesterday!!

My friend andrea posted pics and a much better explanation on her blog. Click Here.

Second Cousins- CUTEST KIDS ALIVE

My mom and sister went to Dallas. While they were there, they got to visit my cousin Tammie and her sweet kids!! Here are some pics of Blake, Ben, and Kirra! Aren't they adorable?!

Softball Update # 3- WIN

Lindsey and I played our fourth game today and we won!!

Final Score: 2 to 13 -This week our team had some amazing hits!! We have all really improved on our hitting from the last game. It was actually one of the funnest games I have played so far.

After the game, Lindsey and I went and ate at Fridays. I enjoyed a nice Southwestern Cesar Salad and Lindsey enjoyed a Chicken Chimichanga. yummy.

I think I also got cursed by a Eunuch today. Sometimes when you are in a rickshaw the males dressed in women's sari's come to your rickshaw asking for money. I didn't give money to her/him so Lindsey and I think he/she cursed us. He/she clapped his hands really loudly and then gave us a dirty look. WE didn't take it very seriously...we looked at each other and giggled. The craziness of this place...it never ends.

Home Improvement & Shopping

Lindsey and I have finally decided to buy a few things to give the finishing touches to our house! As I mentioned earlier, we finally bought pillows for our couch and now we have a new table cloth for our kitchen table!! We found the table cloth at a store called Anoki. Anoki is my new joy! It's this great store here that sales awesome indian clothes and also a large variety of home store items! Oh, we also recently took our curtains to the tailor...now they don't drag the floor (they are 6 inches shorter). It only cost $3.50 to get all 13 curtain altered!! yay. Does it make you want to come visit?! Seriously...think about it. :)

Today I went shopping! My roommate Lindsey was thrilled that I actually wanted to go shopping. I am actually not a huge shopper. I don't enjoy it unless I need something. I actually shop more like a male. Anyways... back to my shopping. I bought one ready made suit and two different types of material to make two new suits. I will take them to the tailor later this week.

The Indian Suit or Salwar Kameez- (model of green and blue suit)

Blue pants- salwar pants (kind of like MC Hammer pants...super baggy)

Green and blue shirt- Khurta- its not too flattering, but covers your booty!!

The green and blue scarf- Dupatta- It's purpose is to cover...well... you know... This is considered to be a woman's virtue. A male should never touch her dupatta!! Pretty much if you leave the house without your "virtue" you are considered to be a loose woman! Can i mention that most women including me hate the dupatta! It's very annoying. It always falls off and its super hot. It's like wearing a scarf in the summertime.

Random Pics

Jhuma and Monica. They were about to go out for the night!! Notice the Western Style Jhuma is modeling.


My Teammates minus me (i am taking the pic). We all went on a picnic to celebrate Lindsey's 23rd birthday!


Proof that I play softball in India. Don't you think the Khurta is a nice added touch? I can't take my camera into our "real" games. This is me at a park. Shortly after this a indian man approached Lindsey and I with his cell phone and asked to take our picture. Gotta love it.


Deepa and Me. She is one of my ESL students.


A painter on the apartment opposite mine.

The market where I teach ESL.

I love these girls.

Yes, the rumor is true. Cows really are every where. This is in a market where you buy all your computer supplies and gadgets.

Lindsey, Karen, Me, and Lindsey. We bought aprons together at a local market in hopes that we would all become better cooks!!

Silly Faces

This is kind of a random post. Lindsey celebrated her 23rd birthday on Friday and we had a LOT of fun. She posted pics on her blog that share her full birthday experience...so check it out!!
http://outtakesfromindia.blogspot.com

These pics are from her birthday and I thought you might enjoy them.... its just a bunch of silly faces...all day long!!

Fun New Website

My friends recently shared with me a fun new website that I thought I would share with you!!!

www.dontbethatguy.com

If you have i-tunes you can download their podcast which are short films that are HILLARIOUS!!!

Please let me know what you think.