Now that my self-imposed holiday from blog writing is over, it is time to get back into the swing of things, at least briefly. I will avoid all the of New Years clichés of writing about my resolutions (of which I don’t have any) or reflecting on the past year because, well, I think pretty much all I do in this blog is reflect so I’ll spare you the worst of it. However, I will discuss one of the biggest events in the month of January for me which will be the arrival of one of my best friends from home and our subsequent trip down to Kerala and to see the Taj Mahal in Agra. I’m sure I’ll have plenty of stories for you in a few weeks time so just sit tight. However, the prospect of someone from the US who has never been to India arriving has given me new perspective on this country I have called my home for six months.
For one, I am disappointed that my friend will not be able to see my school. It is midterm exams now, which means that my effectiveness at school has decreased exponentially and that my students and teachers will be on holiday for the majority of the month of January. It is nice that my holiday will coincide so well with that of my school but this also means that February is completely full. I will be running the spelling bee at my school then, working on constructing our library and raising books for it, trying to start a reading program at my school, and basically sprinting around all month since it is perhaps the last chance for me to make any impact in my school.
So school aside, another thing I am curious to see is my friend’s reaction to the Indian psyche. By now, ambiguous head wobbles, yes’s when people really mean no, staring and interrogation about your life to the point of rudeness and interference are all an accepted part of my reality. I have to say I hold a sort morbid curiosity to see how my friend will confront the challenges of being in India. But at the same time I also feel a bit of protectiveness. Yes, I can complain as much as possible but I’m a “foreign resident.” I live here. Only I can make fun of India.
All that being said though, I do really look forward to the next few weeks. I remember when I was studying abroad in Spain and one of my friends came to visit. At that point, I was fed up with Spanish lateness, their piropos or catcalls in the streets, the way nobody was rushed to do anything, or the way no one was ever concerned. But seeing Spain in the eyes of someone who hadn’t lived there for a few months and who was new to the place made me see it in a new light and really fall in love with the country all over again, the way I had when I first came there. I wonder if the same thing will happen in India.
You see, a person’s feelings towards a country or a culture are like those of one person towards another person. I have come to realize I foster a living, breathing relationship with India as I have with the United States, Ecuador, Spain and Mexico. This relationship changes and matures with time but it is still there. For instance, I picture the United States as I picture my relationship with my family - stable, understanding, always there for me, but I don’t have to physically be around them to know it is there. Ecuador was like my first crush – the first foray into the unknown, feeling acutely the anxiety and the giddiness and immaturity that comes with it. Spain was my first love and one I will always hold dear to my heart. Mexico was a short acquaintance; a friendship with a gregarious person that you just met, at times beautiful and fun, and at others awkward and a bit lonely. Yet finally there is India. My relationship with this country continues to grow and evolve on a daily basis but I have to say it is like an antagonistic brother. You love it because well, you have to. But it can drive you crazy and sometimes you just need space from it or to complain to Mom about it. Yet it will all of the sudden surprise you and remind you why that love is there in the first place. Once you have been here, India is a part of you forever, and not by choice. It just is.
But of course, who better to judge your current relationship situation than the friends who know you best? I can’t wait to see how my own perspective changes over these next few weeks with the benefit of an outsider’s viewpoint. So here’s to a few weeks of adventure, newness, and hopefully, rejuvenation. Stay tuned for the real story.
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