Jaipur Week 1

---

In much better spirits than my previous entry might have made it appear.....I've been in Jaipur a week now, but it feels much longer. I'm really comfortable in my homestay now. My host 'auntie', Prahba is a teacher and there are students going into and out of the section of the house all afternoon (a room off of the house). I go in and sit with her occassionally during the classes, doing my own work while they do their studies. When classes finish around 8:30 we eat together. This has turned into a great time for us to sit and talk for a couple hours. I'm learning so much about culture and attitudes from these talks. Prahba and her husband, Lalit had a love marriage, but are currently preparing for their daughter's arranged marriage (by her own choice) in Feb. We have talked at length about both her marriage and the decisions leading up to her daughter's arranged marriage. She has also talked to me quite a bit about the various gods and goddesses when I ask, though there are only certain fasts she participated in (only 2 to be exact). The religious (not to be confused with spiritual) side of her has only emerged really since her marriage as she came into Lalit's family and chose to participate in these rituals as her children grew up.

Lalit, her husband, has digestive issues so eats earlier and Nanny (shes 87!) doesn't come downstairs at night. Nanny is also a teacher in the school--the students going up to see her for their class of English dictation and reading. She is a spitfire, in amazing shape and only has lost some of her hearing. This is only problematic when i'm trying to get her attention in her room and have to eventually go over and touch her...she jumps and we both start laughing--its become a normal occurence. After dinner every night, Prahba and I go up and sit with her watching Indian shows or movies on for the night---I've become somewhat attached to the characters though I hardly can follow the story line---but I'll also just go in to do my homework there. Nanny looks over my Hindi for me--Last night we went over my homework multiple times so i could hand in a perfect take home test. Often when I am doing work in my room she will come visit...shes always curious to see how i'm doing and we've had a chance to chat about various cross cultural and just general things.

Lately we've been sitting up there wrapped presents for Divali, which is on November 9th. Luckily we are in Jaipur during the Holiday Season---Last night I went to a celebration of Ram defeating Ravana. I'm in the middle of reading the Ramayana so I have a better understanding of what is going on around me in the festive season. Getting ready for Divali has had a lot of focus on the upcoming wedding and to make sure gifts are included for all of Rahul's (her daughter's financee's family). I can appreciate being in my host family even more given the detail and general inclusivity of everyone by Prahba reminds me of my mother.

Valentine (Valley) and Faith are the family's two dogs. Yesterday, Sunday, I gave them a bath outside with Aiush (my host 'brother'). Faith is a Lab and really well natured and Valley is a dalmation that is quite excited about life--though she won't go crazy jumping on you if you can get her to calm down. Both were dogs saved from the streets by Prahba's daughter, Lara, who is a big lover of animals and really interested in the wellbeing of animals in India. This has been a REALLY welcome change given the amount of street dogs I have seen since I have been here.

Also on Sunday I went 'shopping' with Aiush (i didn't end u buying anything, hence the quotes). Since he works on a UK schedule at a call center, I had only seen him 3 days throughout the week. He offered to drive me to the mall and then the market so we had time to talk and get to know each other--its been great to get the perspectives of all 3 of them on different subjects and just generally to have someone near my own age (hes 25) to hang out with at certain times. Plus he loves to roam around the city and has offered to show me more parts that he has photographed around Jaipur--its been a good opportunity for me to get out and around.

A couple days ago when I came home from class and before dinner, Prahba and I did puja to Durga together in the kitchen at a makeshift temple--Durga is depicted as a warror goddness, riding on a tiger--the embodiment of feminity. Prahba and I lit a candle and prayed. Earlier in the day girls had come to the house for Lalit to wash their feet and to be fed and given money--This is symbolic of societal caring for women. Which reminds me--that in my 'family' we've had some great converations on the skewed sex ratio and sex selective abortions.

Classes are going well. I'm in a great mood today because an economist came to talk about poverty--and i'm realizing that my brain has been wired in such a way as to be really interested in what he has to say and be excited about participating in the lectures. He is quite distinguished in his field and I'll have a chance to meet with him on my project in the coming weeks--as well as go to his office on International Development for research.

I have to grab my rickshaw home now, as I need to do work before going to a wedding celebration tonight. Sorry if this entry doesn't make much sense--just wrote without looking it over

---