From Brahma to Buddha, Spring 2010

On March 1st we all partook in the festival Holi. In the morning, Margie and I were awoken by our mother at 8 AM. She said "come" and we followed her into the kitchen where she gave us a bowl full of Almonds to peel. When we were finished we went back to our room to get some sleep, but our mother, aunt, cousins and brothers followed us. Our aunt proceeded to rub lines of red dye on our foreheads and then stick rice on them. Our mother tied yellow and red strings around our wrists, and the kids ran around with our toilet paper claiming it to be our diapers. Our mother then again told us to "come" and we followed her to her mother-in-law, where we had to bend down, touch her feet, and then our foreheads. After this awkward exchange, we followed our mother outside where all the neighbors were waiting for us with bags of dye to throw at our clothes and rub on our faces. Then all the kids of the house soaked us with squirt guns full of dye. The day was full of sweets and bright colors.

Our homestay has been full of fun times and awkward cultural faux pas. My mother Sangeeta (before Margie moved in with me) dressed me up in a Sari a few times. I have two little brothers who are 9 and 4 that are obsessed with running into my room and asking what every single thing I own is and how to say it in english. Yesterday, I took my little brother and cousins to the park and I realized how much I really love India. I have become quite familiar with the squat toilet and other indian things like touching feet and wearing bindis. We will definitely be sad to say goodbye to our homestay family and Jaipur.

-Haley