First of all there's the culture shock. I mean, a different language! It's hard to get past that barrier, but all except one person that I met didn't speak English. It was comical really... I was at the beach with my dad, sisters, cousin, and uncle and being the only one in our family who loves horses, I wanted to take a beach ride.
I mean, how cool would that be? So, I climbed on and the owner of the horse led me away... The thing was, the horse just walked. It didn't gallop, didn't even trot (it's the speed after walking for horses, I believe) I asked the guy if it went any faster, because I was pretty annoyed. How could I enjoy just sitting when I could be riding?
He didn't understand a word...
Okay, I understand Tamil, but apparently not enough, because I didn't understand a word he said.
It was pretty interesting, but it turns out that it was the speed we'd go and no faster... At least the ride was a little less than an American dollar, and I got some cool pictures of me and the horse, on a beach.
Then there's religion. The majority of the population in India are Hindu, and it's a little strange seeing shrines with almost countless gods on it. All of them portray different colors, and from far away you would think it was a bouquet. It's sad seeing anyone worshiping idols when you know that you have the truth in your heart, and there is a God for them who still stands, waiting for them to call upon His name. Thankfully, there are churches out there where I went. In other parts of India there is persecution perhaps as bad as those notorious for hating followers of Christ, but through fire, things are bettered and grow stronger. It would be a great blessing for the millions of people in India to breathe a prayer, even if once.
There's also the food! Curries, sambars, ildies, dosais, pooris, tandoori chicken, chicken 365....Ah, the list could go on and on, but there's always one theme. SPICY! I also think that Indian ice cream is one of my favorites. No, there isn't a chili to be found... It's really creamy and light, and it doesn't make you feel guilty after you eat it. The milkshakes are also unbelievable!
And restaurants have another name there-hotels! Okay, so what are hotels called? Well, just hotels. Pretty interesting.
There were several American style restaurants, and, while we were in Delhi, India's capital, I got to eat at a McDonalds. It tasted VERY VERY good (I prefer American food over Indian), but I could tell that it was different. We also passed a restaurant with a neon sign that said, "Never trust a skinny chef". Ha!
There was pollution, yes, and in some places the air was SOOOO smoky-looking that it was scary. I believe that we should take care of the world God has given us, but I've never been into being green, though I recycle and whatnot. I do believe that India needs to clean up her air before it starts harming people. The streets were dirty, and I always had to wear shoes when going out. In South India, where I stayed, there was almost NO grass that was wild. I think all of it had to be specially cared for. Palm trees grew freely, and I loved looking at them.
It was SOOOO hot. I think it got into the 100's while we were there, but I survived. It was too hot to go to the beach in the daytime, but we went at night. I wish I could've gone more, but it just wasn't possible. I loved watching the waves roll in, and seeing the moon peek out from the clouds. It definitely inspired the writer in me, feeling the graniness of sand on my bare feet, the waves touch my toes and hurry back to the ocean taking shells captive with it, and the cool ocean breeze. Oh, yeah, a beach will definitely be included in one of my writings...
As for school, I worked ahead of time, not taking any breaks, and, since I am homeschooled, my schedule is more flexible than most. I did have to get up a few times at midnight, though, to attend some online classes I take. Was that interesting! I spent the days lazing around and having fun with my cousins, who live there. If I haven't mentioned it before, I soooo apologize! You've probably already guessed or known it... I'm American Indian.
There's so much to tell, and my feeble writing skilles cannot fully capture the uniqueness of that country. I hope to cover as much as I can in the next few posts!
For my next post, I'll tell you about my visit to Delhi in more detail, and my trip to Agra, the home of the Taj Mahal. Stay tuned!
Until then, ya'll!
God Bless,
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