Namaste! I have arrived in India. :)

Namaste to everyone reading this blog! :) My name is Holly (in Hindi: mera nam holly hai) and I am studying Hindi and learning the Indian culture for six weeks in Noida, India on a scholarship with the NSLI-Y program. I'm so thrilled to have this opportunity, and my time here has just begun. :) If you're reading this, thank you so much for keeping up with me.

Warning: the first few posts will likely be very long and detailed, so bear with me. :)

First, the plane ride. The flight to India was 15 hours; all I could think about was meeting my family. After the first 7 hours, I finally fell in and out of sleep; we had Indian food for dinner, snack and breakfast, and it was really delicious. :) One dish was quite spicy; my eyes began watering, my throat, burning, but thankfully they served plain yogurt with both meals and that certainly helped to calm it down!

After going through customs in the Indian airport, we walked outside to wait for our families. That was when the first tangible wave of India hit us: the thick heat, the strong smell, the constant honking of crazy taxis and rickshaws. There were Indian officials in uniform walking around everywhere we could see. We waited for around five minutes before I saw Khushi (my host sister), Arnav (my host brother) and Ruchika (my host mom)! I greeted them with "Namaste" and gave them all hugs, and Khushi handed me a lovely little basket with purple flowers, as well as a wrapped gift. They insisted on taking my bags and luggage, and we walked to wait for a taxi to drive us to their home.

First thing I learned about India: you don't wear seatbelts in the car, you don't follow traffic rules or stay in lanes, and honking is always an appropriate default response on the road! :)

My host family's home is absolutely beautiful. I'm not sure about posting or taking too many photos, but it is the most gorgeous traditional Indian home I could imagine. There are curtains acting as or in front of nearly every door. There is a room for my host grandmother's morning and evening pooja prayers. After meeting my host grandma (who doesn't speak Hindi, but is being patient with me; I was told to call her dadi) and host dad (Neeraj, or papi) I was told to sit down for food: a fruit drink, cake, canteloupe, spicy chips (sort of) and strong salsa, small jam sandwiches and muffins. Everything was absolutely delicious!

My room is beautiful as well! I have a balcony with a view of India outside: people are constantly in the streets, whether it be someone driving a car, using a bike, a motorbike, or walking, and everywhere you look there are people behind stands selling their goods - mangoes, pottery, clothing, small flowers, etc. Even as I sit here typing this in my room, I can hear honking. It certainly is the signature sound of India. :)

I woke the next morning for my first day with my family; although typically Arnav and Khushi have school, and mami has work, today they were all kind enough to take the day off to spend it with me.:) When I woke up, Pooja, one of their young maids, was sweeping my balcony. I truly hope I can speak with her (and the other maid) more when I learn more Hindi, because she doesn't speak English. Having others serve me, both the maids and the family, is definitely an adjustment I'm struggling to grow accustomed to.

This morning I played a sports video game with Arnav and Ruchika. After that mami took me to her office (of the family light business) to show me around; it was very nice! As we sat in her office she and I were served chai, and it was of course delicious. :) We came home and I played a game with Arnav and Khushi that is similar to the American game Sorry. Arnav gets very competitive and they all get very into the game, so it was fun to laugh with them. :)

For lunch we had homemade chapati with yellow curry over white rice and pickled mangoes and lemons (it seems like pretty much anything can be pickled here). It was delicious! :) Dadi let me roll one of the chapati out - a real privilege, because my help in the kitchen is not encouraged - and she said that I rolled it out almost as well as she does. :) 

After lunch, I chatted with Arnav, mami and Khushi for a while and then watched a movie with Arnav and Khushi. Then they took me to the recreation center where Arnav plays cricket and Khushi plays basketball and swims. Before we left we went to a cafe to drink coconut water (served in coconuts :); then we headed home. Before dinner, we walked to the temple the family usually goes to.

When we arrived at the temple, I was told to take off my shoes and wash my hands. When you walk through entrance rooms, a tradition is to ring the bells hanging from the ceiling. Arnav and Khushi showed me all of the idols, which represent gods and goddesses for Hindus, and explained the story behind all they knew. Khushi said the idols' clothing, which is very ornate, is changed weekly.

Leaving the temple, the priest gave me a mango as a blessing, as well as a tikka (not sure of the smelling), a small, dark orange dot on my forehead. We drank holy water out of our right hands and ate something very sweet - it tasted like rock candy - before leaving. 

Upon arriving home, Khushi and Arnav's tutor was waiting for them. He comes every night for an hour; many Indian students have "tuition" (pronounced "tooshon") as extra studies. He helped them with math and science and even gave me a few problems to try. :) Afterward, we had dinner (at around 9:30 - we eat very late here!) - I forget what it was called, but it was a South Indian dish! Arnav told me that mami is the "best cook in the whole world." :)

The little things I'm learning about India are the ones that are molding my perspective and understanding the most. :) There are many different types of mangoes, and summer is mango season; the wall plugs are different here than in America; you never wear a seatbelt; you have to take off your shoes and wear house slippers when you come home; watermelon is incredibly different here...my mami added some sort of spice that gives it a very pungent flavor; homemade chai tea is very popular; Indians never shake their heads yes or no, they just bobble it left and right (what AFS students at orientation called "the Indian head bobble"); and, just as I had heard before, saying thank you is considered unnecessary, even unwanted. It's a mutual expectation and appreciation that goes unvoiced; to say "thank you" is somewhat like saying, "Wow, I didn't expect you to do that!" Nonetheless, it's one of the only words I have learned well so far: Dahnyavad. I have used it far too often, according to dadi and my family, because I'm part of the family and my thanks should go unsaid, they're being kind as I learn to express my appreciation in other ways than words.

I'm so incredibly grateful as I learn to adjust to Indian ways and traditions to have a host family who is welcoming, friendly, and enjoys laughing. :) Though I miss my family so much, I feel so blessed to be a part of this family! I have to keep reminding myself that God has gone before me to prepare my way, and that He'll stay with me and guide me all along it. The challenge is not to learn the culture, but to thrive in it; not to witness how my host family lives this culture but to live it with them, and understand how it shapes their mindset and life. The challenge is to be fully present in India in the midst of homesickness. The challenge is to remember and stay firmly who I am, with what and who I believe and value, while at the same time embracing this culture and letting it shape and change me. It would be a shame if my time in India did not sculpt and challenge my heart, as I know it will, for the better.

Tomorrow is my first day of school, though it will be a bit out of the ordinary because we have a welcoming orientation. I am so, so excited to start learning Hindi and communicating with my host family and others in the language! Dahnyavad to everyone reading this blog; I'm so glad I'm able to show you the beautiful country and wonderful family I have been experiencing for the last few days. :)