Hello all. This entry was intended for last Thursday. I tried to post it, but the internet in the computer lab has been down for about a week. I'm using another source of the internet right now. I'll try to give another update soon, but who knows if I'll have the internet!
As of last Thursday:
Translation of title: A white person wearing a traditional Mizo skirt
with an umbrella eating chicken dumplings?
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| Rengpuii and I on our way into the city. |
Yesterday, I went into the city with Rengpuii (Mom and Dad’s
maid/cook). I was craving some sweets, and I don’t have class on Wednesdays, so
I thought it would be fun to get out. Plus, it was a holiday! Our first stop
was a government office, where Rengpuii was going to get the principal’s family
approved for food rations. I tried to understand how the rations work, but
either I wasn’t paying close enough attention or the English explanation was a
little off. Pretty much, the Indian government intended the rations to be for
the extreme poor, but at least in Mizoram a ton of people use them. I think
that it pretty much means that your family is allowed to buy a certain amount
of food from the government stores, which is significantly cheaper than in
private stores. Unfortunately, after waiting for almost an hour, Rengpui found
out that she needed her I.D. in order to complete the process, which she had
left at AICS.
From there we went to eat (it was after noon, so we were
both very hungry). I had momo at the Millennium Center. That’s the mall-type
place I went to a couple of weeks ago. Then we went to an ATM so that I could
get money out. After a few other errands, we headed back. On the way there, we
rode with Faka, who is one of AICS’ drivers. But he had gone back before we
were done, so Rengpui and I took the city bus. Note to self: the city bus
becomes very busy on weekday afternoons when school lets out.
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| Craziest bus ride ever. haha. It was like taking the Paris metro during rush hour, but on a bumpy, mountainous bus ride in India... |
My sister told me that she’s planning on going to Disneyland
in a few weeks. Well, Lara, I had an Indiana Jones ride like you wouldn’t
believe. Haha. Imagine the Indiana Jones ride, but in the Indian rainforest…
cliffs without railings, surrounded by jungle, rain pouring down, twists and
turns, crazy bumps… Now picture all of that while standing in the back of an
EXTREMELY crowded bus. You’re trying to hold on to the railings for dear life,
because one turn and a misplaced hand could end up with you flying out of the
back door of the bus, the back door that isn’t really a door, but more of an
entryway because it’s wide open. It
was so much fun!!! :D
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| In the bus, taking a fast photo during one of the very short stops. |
The day before the fourth, I started to set out my red,
white, and blue outfit, but I realized that I didn’t really have anything red
to wear. So I made it my goal on Tuesday to get a red puan to wear for the
fourth. I asked some people who were going into the city to buy me one, but
they ended up calling Jenny and Mom and asking them to pick one up for me while
they were out. Mom bought one for me and wouldn’t let me pay her back. (They’re
about $4, but still…). So I had an awesome outfit. Haha. And at the end of
chapel, the principal had me come up and say a few words about the holiday and
America. A handful of people wished me a happy Independence Day, and I plan on
returning the favor on August 15 (Indian Independence Day).
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| I'm so ridiculously patriotic here haha. |
I am preaching this Sunday morning and next Sunday night,
and I’ll be doing another chapel on Thursday morning of next week. Not to
mention a seminar I’m going to tomorrow on the issue of rape in Mizoram and
another trip I’m taking next Saturday to I can’t remember where. In other
words, I’ll be busy for the next week and a half! But I’ll be preaching the
same sermon I preached before, only this time it will be translated into Mizo.
I’m excited to see what working with a translator is like, since I’ve never
really done that before. I think we had one once when I was in France, but it
definitely wasn’t me being translated. This should be quite the adventure!
I’m getting to know the students better and better. Today I
took tea in the cafeteria with the students for the first time. I have no idea
why I never did it sooner. I have decided to do it every day from now on. The
girls I sat with are some of my BD students. They’re very sweet. One of them is
from Nagaland (a state north of here), so she doesn’t speak Mizo. All of the
students are supposed to speak English all the time, but they always speak Mizo
when they’re away from the principal (who fines them for not speaking English).
But since this girl can’t speak Mizo, everyone is forced to speak English with
her. In other words, they’re good people for me to hang out with because they
speak English all the time and not Mizo. J I’m looking forward to
getting to know them better over the next few weeks.
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