This morning started off with a worship service that ended up lasting for 2 hours. And Ryan says Baptists like to sing! It was a nice service, though, half in English and Hindi. The music was almost all in Hindi, but I still really enjoyed listening to it, especially with the accompaniment of the conga drums (I'm sure Indians have another name for them, but I don't know what it is). We did sing one song in English, "What a Friend We Have in Jesus," and it brought me right back home.
Then Katie, the other American medical student, and I decided we'd take a trip into Dehradun, the closest large-ish city. So we hopped on a bus for the hour-long trip. The bus ride was fun, and it was one of those moments when I become acutely aware that I am in a very foreign foreign country. The paint on the bus was lime-green and chipping everywhere, and some great Indian music was playing over the speakers. I watched rural India pass by outside the window, and it seemed like these communities are just frozen in time, isolated from all modern advances. Horses and donkeys are still used to pull carts stacked high with hay, sticks, and reeds, which will be sold to be used to make beds, furniture, and even homes. And again, cows everywhere.
My favorite discovery of the day was on that bus ride on the way to Dehradun. The first time I saw one I wasn't even sure I had seen correctly. But then they were unmistakable: monkeys! We passed through a wooded area and all along the side of the road were monkeys, walking, sitting, eating bits of food, sifting through trash, watching the bus go by. There were even several babies walking behind their mothers. I was completely blind-sided by this. Cows, pigs, goats, dogs - all of these animals roaming the streets I was prepared for. Monkeys were a happy surprise.
In Dehradun, we ambled through the markets and took in all that there was to see. I learned quickly that you have to always be alert in Dehradun because something is constantly being thrust at you. Cars and motorcycles come rolling by, aggressive merchants display their wares, and children tap your arm begging for money. I caught quite a few stares from people; I think the blonde hair and very white skin must have been fascinating. Children pointed, young people spoke what English they knew - "hello, ma'am!" - and one woman came right up to me, grinning, and poked my cheek with her finger. I decided to find it all flattering.
When we got back to Herbertpur we stopped in the food market and picked up some fruit (only fruit that could be peeled, of course) and a couple of packages of cookies. Indian people aren't as big on sweets as Americans are, and dessert is not really a concept here, so I'm very grateful to have cookies in my possession now.
It was a fun but tiring day, and I think I'll sleep well tonight. Tomorrow I will probably start working in a different area of the hospital. I'm excited to find out where that will be.
Then Katie, the other American medical student, and I decided we'd take a trip into Dehradun, the closest large-ish city. So we hopped on a bus for the hour-long trip. The bus ride was fun, and it was one of those moments when I become acutely aware that I am in a very foreign foreign country. The paint on the bus was lime-green and chipping everywhere, and some great Indian music was playing over the speakers. I watched rural India pass by outside the window, and it seemed like these communities are just frozen in time, isolated from all modern advances. Horses and donkeys are still used to pull carts stacked high with hay, sticks, and reeds, which will be sold to be used to make beds, furniture, and even homes. And again, cows everywhere.
My favorite discovery of the day was on that bus ride on the way to Dehradun. The first time I saw one I wasn't even sure I had seen correctly. But then they were unmistakable: monkeys! We passed through a wooded area and all along the side of the road were monkeys, walking, sitting, eating bits of food, sifting through trash, watching the bus go by. There were even several babies walking behind their mothers. I was completely blind-sided by this. Cows, pigs, goats, dogs - all of these animals roaming the streets I was prepared for. Monkeys were a happy surprise.
In Dehradun, we ambled through the markets and took in all that there was to see. I learned quickly that you have to always be alert in Dehradun because something is constantly being thrust at you. Cars and motorcycles come rolling by, aggressive merchants display their wares, and children tap your arm begging for money. I caught quite a few stares from people; I think the blonde hair and very white skin must have been fascinating. Children pointed, young people spoke what English they knew - "hello, ma'am!" - and one woman came right up to me, grinning, and poked my cheek with her finger. I decided to find it all flattering.
When we got back to Herbertpur we stopped in the food market and picked up some fruit (only fruit that could be peeled, of course) and a couple of packages of cookies. Indian people aren't as big on sweets as Americans are, and dessert is not really a concept here, so I'm very grateful to have cookies in my possession now.
It was a fun but tiring day, and I think I'll sleep well tonight. Tomorrow I will probably start working in a different area of the hospital. I'm excited to find out where that will be.
2 comments:
I'm so glad you got to spend some time exploring an Indian city Angel, but please remember that the monkeys - even the baby ones - need to stay in India and not find their way into your luggage.
hello, ma'am!
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