Of the gladdest moments, methinks in human life, is the departing upon a distant journey into unknown lands…
-- Richard F. Burton

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26 November 2010

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving 2009
Uttaara, our program director
Happy Thanksgiving. Deprivation of education: a study of slum children in Delhi, India; Background paper for the Education for all global monitoring report 2010: Reaching the marginalized; 2009
This was my first Thanksgiving not around a huge table surrounded by family in cozy, chilly CT. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday since I get to see my entire extended family, eat the most decadent food at the BEST time ever of 4pm (perfect for dessert seconds at 8pm), and run a great race in the morning. Thanksgiving dinner discussion quickly turns into a liberal/conservative battle of the uncles; so I always need to read the Economist and be up on my current events, or at least Washington culture to be adequately prepared against those firebrands. But before we start throwing turkey legs over Obama’s policies, we give thanks. Deprivation of education: a study of slum children in Delhi, India; Background paper for the Education for all global monitoring report 2010: Reaching the marginalized; 2009

We go around the table and reflect on the meal we’re able to indulge in, the wealth we’re blessed with in health and happiness, and how lucky we are to be together.

Knowing I was studying abroad over Thanksgiving wasn’t really something I considered. I pretty much only decided because I wanted to do the government honors program (which starts in the spring—prepared to get my academic butt whipped) and not miss the cherry blossoms in D.C., or my 21st birthday in March.



some of the spread: cheese toast(note the Maggie ketchup), mashed potatoes, green beans!
  Deprivation of education: a study of slum children in Delhi, India; Background paper for the Education for all global monitoring report 2010: Reaching the marginalized; 2009
But as this day approached, I wondered how I would re-create or if it was even possible to recreate the spirit of Thanksgiving in India.
It was.
Our program, the Alliance for Global Education, sent out an interest email last week—and asked for cooking volunteers. Living in the women’s hostel, I benefit from great communal dinners and laughs with the other girls, but I have REALLY missed baking and cooking. An uptight Deven in the kitchen is happier than an uptight Deven in other rooms. When I bake, it is a halfhazard process that usually leaves me a sweaty mess, but satisfied. And there is no better feeling to watch someone enjoy something I’ve prepared.

there are the apples!! MMM cinnamon
  Deprivation of education: a study of slum children in Delhi, India; Background paper for the Education for all global monitoring report 2010: Reaching the marginalized; 2009
So I signed up and decided to make a simple dish—some cinnamon stewed apples to counter balance our mac n’ cheese, sweet potato casserole, butter (oh I mean, mashed) potatoes, and (butter) green beans. From the therapeutic peeling to the creative chopping (knives aren’t exactly easy to come by in India), I huddled over a tiny stove as my friends checked the creatively baked sweet potato pie and coconut cream pie. Cooking for 30 is a little hairy, but we grooved to Motown and brought a little Americana to our Indian diets—even bringing in an imported turkey (which my veg self did not eat, but it looked marvelous!)
Dressed in a sari, I marveled at the intermixing of cultures. Eating American food on giant Indian plates, sipping guava juice, American students and our Indian friends of the program chatted, laughed, and ate.
I asked Uttarraa Mam if I could share a tradition.


sweet potato and coconut cream pie! mac n' cheese! apples!
Deprivation of education: a study of slum children in Delhi, India; Background paper for the Education for all global monitoring report 2010: Reaching the marginalized; 2009
And I said what I was thankful for: this new Indian family and the way in which we celebrated my favorite holiday.
Things I’m thankful for in India…
-my bicycle helmet
-sugarcane juice
-witnessing strength and hope against all odds (sounds cheesy and general, but so evident)
-being able to buy fruit anytime from a street vendor—from 5am to 11pm, I can have a pomegranate, coconut, pineapple, guava…(just have to wash it first!)
-my incredibly engaging professors who encourage questions and curiosity
-chai (need an I.V. It’s that good.)
-$2 movies
-smoked lime corn
-great newspapers with personality, human interest stories, and spiritual guidance
-the beautiful greenery of Maharashtra (and trekking in general)           
-visiting schools and meeting students
-my brown hair(I can’t imagine how much attention I would get if I were blond.)
-the kids (under 10 are the best---all smiles and laughs when they see me)
-eating with my hands
-the way Indians force-feed me, comment on my “expansion”, and then serve me more
-the peace of an early morning and watching the vendors set up their produce
-being treated like a queen when shopping
-getting chai when getting a paper photocopied or money exchanged at the bank
-understanding Hindi, especially when it’s about me
-ancient stuff and glorious architecture
-wearing sari
-feeling like family even when I’m not

Happy Thanksgiving!


2 comments:

  1. Great post Dev- I'm thankful for having such wonderful friends... especially those adventurous ones who go to India for a whole semester.

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  2. Happy Thanksgiving Deven-not the same without you here. Love the traditions you are sharing...I am thankful for you!
    xoxox Momma

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