After school yesterday I went to see Terminator Salvation in Hindi at the Mall theater. totally different experience from my host family’s theater. It was basically like being in the US. there was no shouting. no whistling. the seats were really nice (actually much better than in the US) and altogether not nearly as much fun because of it. From now on I am going to try and see movies at my host’s family’s theater instead.... The weirdest thing about the Mall theater was that before the movie, we were asked to stand for the National Anthem. Maybe it’s just me but nationalism anywhere in the world rubs me the wrong way. I don’t like it in the US and I don’t really like it here either. I am not sure why. Maybe because I feel like it just leads to violence. Anyhow, while we listened to the national anthem, we saw images of the Indian military holding Indian flags in Kashmir. Atop majestic glaciers claiming contested land for India, they were sure to pan across a multi-ethnic force of Indian soldiers demonstrating India’s Unity (implicitly against Pakistan given the location of the shots). It was kind of intense… Which reminds me, when I was at dinner last night (some students organized a trip to a pizza joint – perhaps they were homesick already, I don’t know). I met a guy who was describing how when he was in 3rd or 4th grade, India was at war with Pakistan, and his school arranged to have penpals with Pakistani school children in an effort to engender peaceful feelings in the next generation. I thought that was such a sweet gesture. ….
It's really kind of surreal going to malls here. It’s like walking out of India and into suburbia… only little things are different. Personal space, etc. the only real draw is that the malls are always air conditioned, so they provide a good place to hide….. which brings me to the issue of Power.
Never in my life have I felt so dependent on power. If there is no electricity, then I don’t sleep. Period. Last night the power went out for awhile and I must have lost a gallon of water in sweat. I kept switching pillows and flipping them over because they were so wet it was too gross to put my head on them…. The power eventually came on again and I found myself lying on the bed with my head about 6 inches from the A/C. That’s about the only way I can lie still without losing water. It makes me feel weak in a certain respect. But then I remember January in Banaras when I was quite comfortable walking around in jeans and a t shirt and I saw so many people wearing 4 or sometimes 5 layers of clothes, with their heads completely wrapped in scarves. They say that the rain will come soon. And when it does it should break the heat. It is also supposed to last until September…. I’m not really sure what that means yet. I can’t imagine itwill be quite as intense as it was in Costa Rica – India is not a rainforest – but it should probably be some serious water…..
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