I Can Get Away With It

The other day I was in a classroom and this student said to me, "You're really tall." And then not too long after that one of the student-teachers was looking at a picture I have from home and said, "You're really white!"

I have come to the conclusion that no matter how much I try to look and act like an Indian, its just not gonna happen. I'm inches taller than most people here, even the men. And I'm the only person without dark skin for miles. So I might as well embrace the advantages of standing out.

I usually cringe to have to walk down the street here because everyone just stares at me. But I've decided to just stare back and greet them.

I asked one of the student teachers what their equivalent of "hello" is. She said they don't have one. She told me that they don't show much emotion, no excitement when they see each other. I've definitely NOT been fitting in with culture on that one! I smile and wave a lot. No one seems to mind that I do show emotion. I can get away with it because I'm tall and white. :)

Today I was in a classroom with 8 and 9 year olds. We were playing games and singing songs while the teachers were in a meeting. The students were getting really loud, cheering and jumping up and down. (I'm horrible at keeping control of them. haha). One of the teachers came in and smacked a desk with a stick and told them to keep it down. But she didn't get upset with me, just the kids. Then again, I can get away with it.

So I'm finding a new freedom in being different instead of feeling a bit self-conscious about it. And I'm realizing that its a lot of fun! I'll of course stay conscious of cultural "do's" and "don't". I definitely don't want to offend them. However, there are some things that I can't help being different in, so I'll just take advantage of those things.

By the way, two corrections I need to make for some past blogs. The people going house to house with a drum are indeed Christmas caroling. So they are singing about the birth of Christ. They just do it with a drum.

And the reason the woman who cleans at the school does not wear jewelry is not because of her caste or finances. It is because she is pentecostal. I just learned that today. Just wanted to clear that up.