May 29, 2019
Rosemount Hotel, India
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| Everyone with their welcoming host mothers |
Today was our first day of homestay, where we live with local host families and learn about everyday life in India by immersing ourselves in their culture and traditions. Every member of the group has differing first impressions and experiences; each family has different traditions, people, and amounts of spoken English.
My (Kahaan) host family immersed me into their lifestyle, inviting me to all their activities. To get to the house, we first took a car to the main road. After leaving the car, we descended down a grassy hill and climbed down several steep flights of stairs. When I arrived, I was confused by how empty and large the house was, but I later learned that my family was achieving their lifelong dream of building their own hotel, which will be completed in a year. Once I found our house, I was introduced to my three new brothers, mother, and father, who all welcomed me into their home. The children spoke some English, so we managed to get around the language barrier, at which point, they invited me to play volleyball with their friends. Children of all ages were playing when I arrived, and together, they taught me their own rules, and we played together for an hour. Then, we all ate dinner together, where the mother insisted I stuff myself full. During dinner, the son told me he played carrem, an Indian board game similar to pool. After playing carrem for a while, we all fell asleep, satisfied.
My (Evan) experience was similar yet different than Kahaan's stay. When I arrived, my host family immediately tried to help me with my luggage and offer tea and water. I learned that their family has two parents, two brothers, and two sisters. This was the point where the language barrier came into play. Nobody in the homestay speaks any English minus several common phrases from their 7th grade son. Through some basic charades and elaborate hand motions, we discussed their life and activities. Soon the brothers had pulled me away to play cricket and badminton on their porch for most of the afternoon. I loved being able to connect with the kids around my age through sports despite the language barrier. After playing games with the kids, my host mother invited me to eat dinner. They had cooked a delicious meal of chapati, mango chutney, and potatoes. With a full and satisfied belly, I went to sleep.
Stay tuned for our next posts in the next few days!
-Kahaan & Evan
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| Mitsuka's family cow |
