For the past week, we have been slowly adjusting and learning the way of life here in India. The concept of time is very different and although life moves a little slower, the traffic certainly does not! We have now experienced riding in the auto rickshaws with our feet dangling out the back, dodging between buses and motorcycles through the Vempalli market, which was exciting. And we still get the stop-and-stare-because-they-are-white look from everyone we pass on the street!
Yesterday, Friday, we experienced our first Indian wedding. It was very different from a quiet, precisely planned, and promptly on time American wedding. Between the camera man walking up and down the aisles in a "my name is Khan, and I'm not a Terrorist" t-shirt with his spot light that blinded you as he filmed and the crowd of children that all brought their chairs to sit as near to us as possible and breath down there necks behind us, we had a good experience! The bride and groom sat in thrones that reminded me of the kings and queens of Narnia and 9 different men sat on chairs between them in order to give their message to the new couple. At the end, the first group to sit down in the long aisle of chairs they created were served rice with daal and chicken and some delicious ice cream, while the second group waited in chairs behind. The first set of people scarf down their food (including us, eating our whole meal with our hands for the first time since we've been here) and then the second group moves in. This continues until all 500 people who attended were fed! It was quite the experience. Overall, it was louder and had a different focus than an American wedding.
Today we had church here at the school and then made a trip by autorickshaw into Vempalli to our new friends house, Raju, Vani, and their son Blaine (named by Hillary and Kati :)). Raju used to be the english teacher here at the seventh-day adventist school, but now he teaches at a school in Vempalli. When they were at our school two years ago, they became good friends with Kati and Hillary who were the SM's in our position at the time. They are two of the nicest people I have ever met and were so generous to us, feeding us more food than we could handle as well as Indian sweets and coffee! It was neat to be able to meet them even though they aren't here at the SDA school anymore. They even want us to come back every month to visit, and we will definitely be doing that! After we ate lunch, Raju and Vani took us over to their neighbors house where we were served cold thumbs up soda (after we were already stuffed to the brim with food) and gave me a new hairdo, a nose piercing, and a forehead bead!
Yesterday, Friday, we experienced our first Indian wedding. It was very different from a quiet, precisely planned, and promptly on time American wedding. Between the camera man walking up and down the aisles in a "my name is Khan, and I'm not a Terrorist" t-shirt with his spot light that blinded you as he filmed and the crowd of children that all brought their chairs to sit as near to us as possible and breath down there necks behind us, we had a good experience! The bride and groom sat in thrones that reminded me of the kings and queens of Narnia and 9 different men sat on chairs between them in order to give their message to the new couple. At the end, the first group to sit down in the long aisle of chairs they created were served rice with daal and chicken and some delicious ice cream, while the second group waited in chairs behind. The first set of people scarf down their food (including us, eating our whole meal with our hands for the first time since we've been here) and then the second group moves in. This continues until all 500 people who attended were fed! It was quite the experience. Overall, it was louder and had a different focus than an American wedding. 
Today we had church here at the school and then made a trip by autorickshaw into Vempalli to our new friends house, Raju, Vani, and their son Blaine (named by Hillary and Kati :)). Raju used to be the english teacher here at the seventh-day adventist school, but now he teaches at a school in Vempalli. When they were at our school two years ago, they became good friends with Kati and Hillary who were the SM's in our position at the time. They are two of the nicest people I have ever met and were so generous to us, feeding us more food than we could handle as well as Indian sweets and coffee! It was neat to be able to meet them even though they aren't here at the SDA school anymore. They even want us to come back every month to visit, and we will definitely be doing that! After we ate lunch, Raju and Vani took us over to their neighbors house where we were served cold thumbs up soda (after we were already stuffed to the brim with food) and gave me a new hairdo, a nose piercing, and a forehead bead!
The only down side to the kindness and generosity people show here is that our stomachs can't hold all the things they give us! Our neighbors Ramana and Chandu give us meals and tea multiple times a day and don't ever ask for anything in return or accept our offers to pay for food etc. Even though we have only been here a little over a week, we have already made good friends that we will hold on to. Everyday we have been going running/walking through the villages that are close to our school and meeting kids and saying hello to villagers. It's fun and I think they get a kick out of seeing us come through with our sweaty faces and funny looking clothes...
We are excited to start school on Monday and get into some kind of routine. Many of the kids arrive tomorrow and we can't wait!!! Time for some volleyball and cricket games!
Until next time...
-B
Until next time...
-B
I love that video guys shirt
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