Liz's Homestay in Phey
In my Ladakhi family in Phey I had four sisters, a niece, mother, father, grandmother and grandfather. The oldest sister, who is 25, did all of the cooking. We usually ate rice, dal and vegetables for dinner instead of a more traditional dish like skyu, which is made up of cooked small chunks of dough, potatoes and seasoning. During the evenings we all sat in the kitchen cross-legged on cushions on the floor at low tables. Since I was the guest, I was offered a seat by the stove. My meme-le (grandfather) always sat under a thick wool blanket right next to the stove and against the wall lined with gold, copper and silver pots and pitchers, drinking chang (barley beer) and spinning a prayer wheel.
My sisters studied their school books written in English while my grandmother and mother played with the child. My house had no running water so the sisters would have to haul water from a pump. There was no source of heat other than the stove run on wood (traditionally they burn dung). My abi-le (grandmother) wore a thick maroon goncha while the younger women in my house wore thin salwar camiz's with wool sweaters for warmth. All of them covered their heads with colorful scarves.
On my last night with my host family my sisters decided to dress me up in traditional Ladakhi clothing. I wore a red chupa, a colorful scarf as a belt, a teepee hat, a sheep's wool blanket and necklaces and earrings decorated with colorful stones. My grandmother, mother, sister and niece pulled out their traditional clothing that they only wear for special occasions and proudly posed for pictures with me. We spent the rest of the evening playing cards and knitting. Each of my sisters wanted a turn at my scarf and crowded around me to watch as I knitted. The morning I left, my grandmother and sister were in tears. "Don't forget us!" they yelled after me. "Come back and visit!"
-Liz