Oh Canada
It was about 8 am, and I was taking my bath in the common/shared bathroom - there are two "bathrooms" and two "toilet rooms". I'm pouring water on myself.. and soaping the left side of my body (I'm trying this experiment - I'm not soaping my right arm and lef and observing is there's any difference - dirtyness, smelliness, dryness, etc. So far, it's been about a week, and no difference.... is the necessity of soap just another myth? Well.. at least the necessity of it daily?)
So, anyways as I'm taking my bath, I hear in what I thought to be American accents - "How do you pee in there?" Then, a reply - "Well, I took off my pants and held them, then squatted... and then poured water down there." At 8 am, all of a sudden, hearing voices from a far away land... I was a little bit shocked.
I later found out that they were a group of 9 college students from McMaster University in Canada. They were herre through some health org. on campus - spending 8 weeks in India, supposedly doing some research.... their first week was here at SIDH. They had flown into Delhi, took a night bus to Dehradun (their first night in India was on the bus), then took a bus to Mussoorie, and then a taxi here to the SIDH center in Kempty village. So, basically, being at SIDH was their first glimpse of India.
I found myself like the local villagers... just staring at these strange foreigners, wearing strange clothing (showing their knees, and butt-cracks, and shoulders, etc.), speaking and laughing QUITE loudly. So, I talked to the group for a while - and for a while, it was strange for me... because I really haven't interacted w/ a group of Americans/Candaians in a long time.
I had forgotten what college students and all talk about... you know... everything has sexual connotations... there's an inside joke every other sentence.... laughing at the smallest things... at first, honestly, it was a little annoying. I was thinking, "they're in a new country, and they're not respecting anything here... they're not respecting the culture, people, lifestyle, etc... they're just in their own little world..".
But, as a couple of days passed by... I started remembering the beauty of it... no worries in the world... just out having a good time w/ buddies. No ill intentions... just being completely laid back. Sitting in our apt. till 3-4 in the morning... talking bout who knows what... playing random games like dandia baseball... and me watching them all play mario kart.... eating frozen burritos and pizzas for dinner.... for 3 straight nights. Going bowling.. going to the beach... going to 3rd street... going to vegas... going snowboarding... allll that good stuff in college. Sitting on Bruin Walk and shooting the shit... missing class not because I was too lazy and was in the apt... but because I would rather kick it on Bruinwalk.
OVerall... I had a good time with the Canadians... played some cards wit them... played frisbee.... initiated some quality interaction btwn the SIDH Bodhshala students and the group.
It was interesting to see just the "free spirit, no worries, we don't care" attitude that they brought out here, though. It's quite different from what I've seen a lot out here.... where EVERY moment isn't about seeking some momentary pleasure.... well, maybe it is.... but it just seems there's a little more awareness about it.
So, anyways as I'm taking my bath, I hear in what I thought to be American accents - "How do you pee in there?" Then, a reply - "Well, I took off my pants and held them, then squatted... and then poured water down there." At 8 am, all of a sudden, hearing voices from a far away land... I was a little bit shocked.
I later found out that they were a group of 9 college students from McMaster University in Canada. They were herre through some health org. on campus - spending 8 weeks in India, supposedly doing some research.... their first week was here at SIDH. They had flown into Delhi, took a night bus to Dehradun (their first night in India was on the bus), then took a bus to Mussoorie, and then a taxi here to the SIDH center in Kempty village. So, basically, being at SIDH was their first glimpse of India.
I found myself like the local villagers... just staring at these strange foreigners, wearing strange clothing (showing their knees, and butt-cracks, and shoulders, etc.), speaking and laughing QUITE loudly. So, I talked to the group for a while - and for a while, it was strange for me... because I really haven't interacted w/ a group of Americans/Candaians in a long time.
I had forgotten what college students and all talk about... you know... everything has sexual connotations... there's an inside joke every other sentence.... laughing at the smallest things... at first, honestly, it was a little annoying. I was thinking, "they're in a new country, and they're not respecting anything here... they're not respecting the culture, people, lifestyle, etc... they're just in their own little world..".
But, as a couple of days passed by... I started remembering the beauty of it... no worries in the world... just out having a good time w/ buddies. No ill intentions... just being completely laid back. Sitting in our apt. till 3-4 in the morning... talking bout who knows what... playing random games like dandia baseball... and me watching them all play mario kart.... eating frozen burritos and pizzas for dinner.... for 3 straight nights. Going bowling.. going to the beach... going to 3rd street... going to vegas... going snowboarding... allll that good stuff in college. Sitting on Bruin Walk and shooting the shit... missing class not because I was too lazy and was in the apt... but because I would rather kick it on Bruinwalk.
OVerall... I had a good time with the Canadians... played some cards wit them... played frisbee.... initiated some quality interaction btwn the SIDH Bodhshala students and the group.
It was interesting to see just the "free spirit, no worries, we don't care" attitude that they brought out here, though. It's quite different from what I've seen a lot out here.... where EVERY moment isn't about seeking some momentary pleasure.... well, maybe it is.... but it just seems there's a little more awareness about it.
posted by Raj Kanani | 9:58 PM
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