Whitey Revels in Madurai

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The whole family is back together, one of the last times in a very long time that this will happen. And to think that its in India, man I never would have imagined that 6 months ago.

Today we went to the tailors and I got a couple of sets of clothes made. I have no idea how they will turn out, but it wasn't a big investment, $12ish for 2 shirts and 2 pants. You cant steal clothes for that much in America. In fact I bought a sweater at a thrift store before I left and I cost me $4. And these clothes were made specifically for me. Its a pretty sweet deal. Its an awesome experience too since you get to pick out the fabrics, have them take your measurements and then finally my family will return after I have left and pick up the clothes. Boy is that going to be cool. I hope the clothes turn out like I hope they will.

Its weird traveling with the whole family. It means that I have a lot less freedom to go and do what I want when I want. I guess this is good, but its very different than all the rest of the trip. It is actually really nice to travel by yourself because it is very easy to meet people this way and strike up conversation. I cant even begin to count the interesting conversations that Ive had with people, many of which are Indian-Americans so they can offer a very unique perspective on Indian and American cultures. They really are quite different.

Here is a listing of random events and thoughts:

-Villagers dry out and sell dry cow dung to rich people as fuel since it burns for a long time (irony?)
-Buses are really insane, and a very culturally intense experience
-Traveling as a family we get harassed a lot less than me traveling by myself
-Speaking the language gets you an automatic discount
-Its very hot here in the middle of the day
-All temples begin to look the same after a while
-All of the family has now eaten with their hands, some with more enjoyment than others
-India is a land of contrasts - villagers in the depths of poverty living next to people with cars and nice houses
-I have come to agree that the Indian hand holding thing is more a sign of sexual repression than friendship - go to internet cafes in India, you will see what I mean

There are a whole lot of photos to go with this post, enjoy

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Comments

[mom]

hi from Madurai
Hi Ian, So glad that you made it safely home. These photos are awsome. I look forward to seeing more and to talking with you. Love, Mom