Diwali Time

I have mixed feelings about leaving Jaipur. Today was our last day of class, and next Tuesday morning I am leaving to go to Chittorgargh, or Chittor, in Southern Rajasthan to work with a health organization. I am excited, but dread the change. In all of my past travels, this would be about the time I would be going home, so I am really tired. Now, I have to pack all my stuff up and shift hometowns again (although this will be the last move for awhile. This is the internship I will have all of spring). It is especially hard to think about leaving because my host mom, Mrs. Singh, doesn't seem to want me to go. She always has students, usually girls, and gets very attached to them. The other night she came into my room teary-eyed because I was leaving. She is such a sweet woman, and I am sure that I will be making additional trips to Jaipur to visit her.

There have been some interesting changes in the house. For a while it has been just the two of us, and the house has been relatively quiet. But last week a new girl, Rithu, moved into the room adjacent to mine, and then Mrs. Singh's sister in law came to visit from Delhi, and a new American moved in. First, Rithu. She is a undergrad student studying to take her entrance exams into medical school. She is very quiet, and until Conor, the new American showed up, stayed largely in her room studying. Conor showed up over the weekend. He is from Chicago but goes to school in upstate New York. It has been so weird having another American student at the house. For so long I had been used to being the center of attention in the house, and now he is, and not just because he is new. A few family members of Mrs. Singh came to visit the other night, and while we all sat in a room, only the men spoke. They asked Conor all about his family and what he studies, how he likes India, etc. but didn't ask me one question at all. Then when one of the men invited Conor over to his house for Diwali, after which he nodded to me and said, "When I invite him, I invite you too." Maybe I am reading too much into this, but it was the first time I really felt pushed aside and completely ignored because I was a woman.

Diwali is on Friday, and preparations are in full swing. Diwali season can be compared to the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas in the U.S. The markets have swelled with people buying gifts for Diwali, and it made my last minute souvenir shopping very interesting and much more complicated than it usually is. Also, the marketplaces have lit up, with tinsel canopies and colored lights everywhere. This morning Rithu was decorating the sidewalk with colored powder (kind of like the dust from chalk). I just love the bright colors, and I am so happy I will be with Mrs. Singh to celebrate the holiday.

On the home front, I was informed through an email and the phone that my house has a new kitten.

Hope you all have a good day and week! Till next time.