Our first weekend at Rising Star allowed us to have a little site seeing time. On Saturday we all loaded up and drove to the bustling town of Mamallapuram. It is a coastal town and for most of the time I called it the “beach town” until I figured out how to correctly pronounce the name.
The driver parked the van near some temple ruins that we could walk through and explore. I didn’t get to fully enjoy this as our white skin drew the attention of every beggar and trinket seller that existed. It was my first time being fully exposed to this and my age was definitely a target. They new I would have a little more money than our young college kids and I’m sure they could sniff out the weak one. I desperately wanted them to leave me alone so I could take time to enjoy these sites and take pictures of my daughter. Finally, after a little frustration, I bought a couple of overpriced treasures due to my lack of expertise in the bartering game. It was baptism by fire into the land of bartering and I definitely failed on my first attempt. I didn’t improve much on it either. Quincy loved the game and became good at it as the opportunities were always available on various excursions. That is the way of shopping in India. As for the ruins, I still don’t know why they exist or what they are about. I may have to go online, beggar free, and find out.
After the ruins we walked through the downtown. There is stores that will make you Indian clothes within the space of an hour. There was a store that a few of the volunteers had leather sandals made within a couple of hours for pick up. Many of the stores sold jewelry, purses, food, scarves, various kitschy items that had been handmade in India .The price of everything is negotiable and it is expected that you barter. Sometimes they will drop their prices just to get the game started and entice you to buy more. Quincy was excited to find a drink stand that was selling Diet Coke. She had been experiencing a slight withdrawal and happily fed her addiction with many to accompany her. My only regret was that on that day we were lacking in rupees and we didn’t realize how much better the prices were there in comparison to New Delhi.
The people watching was fun and jaw dropping at times. At one point Quincy spotted and old naked man walking down the street as confident as can be. She said she has never witnessed so much male privates until she has entered this country. Many of the men here think that their world is a toilet and have no trouble relieving themselves wherever. Indecent exposure rules only seem to apply to the women in this country. One of those things that you shake your head and say Tii (This is India).
During the afternoon we got to witness a ceremonial parade that took place down the main road that led to the temple ruins. People were adorned in bright orange and yellow show stopping outfits with fancy bowls on their heads. Periodically they would pause and do a ceremonial dance. It was a site to take in. India is definitely a Technicolor event for eyes.
When we were done shopping we were driven to a fancy beach resort. This is a resort only for the wealthy Indian people and western travelers. We paid admission to use their well-kept beach line and go swimming. On the beach we ordered food that was delivered to us as we sat under the shade of a cabana with borrowed blue and white striped towels and beach chairs. It was so relaxing and I felt rescued from the humidity for the time we were there. No matter where I am in the world the ocean has always had a therapeutic and calming effect on my mood and spirit.
On the way home we stopped at a roadside open air restaurant to have perrahta for the first time. This is India’s version of a truck stop restaurant. It has a roof with fans installed with two walls open and chairs and tables set up. We loved it and enjoyed the unhealthiness of the carbs being laid before us. I talked a little about this in my food blog. We revisited this place one more time after a medical rotation. The driver would call ahead and have them make sure that they spruced up the sanitary conditions for us coming in. I didn’t realize that until our second visit. This was a welcome end to a fun filled day.
The next day we loaded up two vans full of church members and some that are investigating from Rising Star for the long journey of two hours to Chennai to attend our LDS service. Many of our volunteers were clad in their newly purchased saris. The rest of us wore ornate chudadars with pants. Some just wore modest western clothes. It is so comforting to attend church and know that the same lesson is being taught in the U.S. You always can count on it feeling like an extended family sharing a common faith. Wherever you are in the world you can guarantee that it will be conducted in the same manner that you are familiar with in your home country. In india all the meetings were spoken in English with a heavy accent. The spirit was felt throughout the meetings. Many shared their testimonies on various topics with conviction and passion.
The church in Chennai is presently held on a top floor of a building. They are patiently awaiting the completion of a brand new building. It is much larger than our Stake Center in America. It almost is like a miniature temple. The success of conversions is very high in India. They have been baptizing five people weekly on the average. At that rate they will be filling the pews of that new church in no time. It is nice to know that we are a worldwide church and people from all walks of life, leading very good lives already, are able to enrich it more by having the comfort, support and truth of the gospel. Having faith in God is a blessing daily. He is there not only during good times or in times of need but in those moments when one questions why we are here on earth and what are purpose is. By understanding the Plan of Salvation, life just makes more sense. By being worthy to have the Holy Ghost present with me at all times, he helps me to make good decisions for myself and my family. I cherish my faith and hold the gospel very close.
As Sunday came to a close, I realized how much I enjoy experiencing different cultures and how easy it is to adapt to new places. This week I had acclimated to the climate, dealt with mosquitoes, heat exhaustion and adjusted to a surrounding so polar opposite to what I am used to. What will week two have to offer?
The driver parked the van near some temple ruins that we could walk through and explore. I didn’t get to fully enjoy this as our white skin drew the attention of every beggar and trinket seller that existed. It was my first time being fully exposed to this and my age was definitely a target. They new I would have a little more money than our young college kids and I’m sure they could sniff out the weak one. I desperately wanted them to leave me alone so I could take time to enjoy these sites and take pictures of my daughter. Finally, after a little frustration, I bought a couple of overpriced treasures due to my lack of expertise in the bartering game. It was baptism by fire into the land of bartering and I definitely failed on my first attempt. I didn’t improve much on it either. Quincy loved the game and became good at it as the opportunities were always available on various excursions. That is the way of shopping in India. As for the ruins, I still don’t know why they exist or what they are about. I may have to go online, beggar free, and find out.
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| Quincy made her first purchase-two chudadars (Indian shirts) |
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| Carl and the Coca Cola Girls |
The people watching was fun and jaw dropping at times. At one point Quincy spotted and old naked man walking down the street as confident as can be. She said she has never witnessed so much male privates until she has entered this country. Many of the men here think that their world is a toilet and have no trouble relieving themselves wherever. Indecent exposure rules only seem to apply to the women in this country. One of those things that you shake your head and say Tii (This is India).
During the afternoon we got to witness a ceremonial parade that took place down the main road that led to the temple ruins. People were adorned in bright orange and yellow show stopping outfits with fancy bowls on their heads. Periodically they would pause and do a ceremonial dance. It was a site to take in. India is definitely a Technicolor event for eyes.When we were done shopping we were driven to a fancy beach resort. This is a resort only for the wealthy Indian people and western travelers. We paid admission to use their well-kept beach line and go swimming. On the beach we ordered food that was delivered to us as we sat under the shade of a cabana with borrowed blue and white striped towels and beach chairs. It was so relaxing and I felt rescued from the humidity for the time we were there. No matter where I am in the world the ocean has always had a therapeutic and calming effect on my mood and spirit.
On the way home we stopped at a roadside open air restaurant to have perrahta for the first time. This is India’s version of a truck stop restaurant. It has a roof with fans installed with two walls open and chairs and tables set up. We loved it and enjoyed the unhealthiness of the carbs being laid before us. I talked a little about this in my food blog. We revisited this place one more time after a medical rotation. The driver would call ahead and have them make sure that they spruced up the sanitary conditions for us coming in. I didn’t realize that until our second visit. This was a welcome end to a fun filled day.
The next day we loaded up two vans full of church members and some that are investigating from Rising Star for the long journey of two hours to Chennai to attend our LDS service. Many of our volunteers were clad in their newly purchased saris. The rest of us wore ornate chudadars with pants. Some just wore modest western clothes. It is so comforting to attend church and know that the same lesson is being taught in the U.S. You always can count on it feeling like an extended family sharing a common faith. Wherever you are in the world you can guarantee that it will be conducted in the same manner that you are familiar with in your home country. In india all the meetings were spoken in English with a heavy accent. The spirit was felt throughout the meetings. Many shared their testimonies on various topics with conviction and passion.
The church in Chennai is presently held on a top floor of a building. They are patiently awaiting the completion of a brand new building. It is much larger than our Stake Center in America. It almost is like a miniature temple. The success of conversions is very high in India. They have been baptizing five people weekly on the average. At that rate they will be filling the pews of that new church in no time. It is nice to know that we are a worldwide church and people from all walks of life, leading very good lives already, are able to enrich it more by having the comfort, support and truth of the gospel. Having faith in God is a blessing daily. He is there not only during good times or in times of need but in those moments when one questions why we are here on earth and what are purpose is. By understanding the Plan of Salvation, life just makes more sense. By being worthy to have the Holy Ghost present with me at all times, he helps me to make good decisions for myself and my family. I cherish my faith and hold the gospel very close.
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