Defining What I Am

Day 2

Work up at 6am to the sound of my roommates alarm clock…actually it may have been earlier..all I know is I set my alarm for 6:35 cause we didn’t have to meet as a group until 7…for whatever reason my roommate was up much earlier…and her alarm went off a number of times…but that’s okay.

So my bed is not the most comfortable bed in the world…but I get to be vertical as I try to sleep so THAT is a big plus! Cause after spending 14 plus hours on a plane just being able to lie down in happy!

So we got up and dressed in black pants and white shirts (that is our uniform for our classes) and we meet together.
We talked as a group for a while –this morning we had a class with Ruben and he taught us about Hinduism. Really interesting to learn about other religions! We are going to be going to a lot of temples while we are here too.

Tea is a tradition that was kept when the British rule was over. So it is served daily here. Only problem for me is Herbal Tea doesn’t exist here in India…but that’s okay I enjoy my little tea biscuits and water.

Music Class – today was our first class of Carnatic singing. The scale is very different from our American Do Re Mi. In Carnatic music you actually sing Sa Ri Ga Ma Pa Da Ni Sa
As Teacher Leeja sings and we repeat I am constantly fighting with my voice to go flat instead of whole note steps.
We also had our cultural context class with David today:
We talked about our experience yesterday at the slums and at the mall.
David told us that over 700 million people in India live on 20 Rupees a day – that is 80% of the population. Just to put things into perspective for you 1 US dollar is 46 rupees. So not even 50 cents that most people have to live off of daily.
David spoke about the children’s education:
“The education that these children receive do NOT enable them to ask the 2 important Questions:
#1- Why?
#2- Why Not?
Their education is to teach them the very little they need to know.”
And instead of asking these important questions of/in life- they just accept it.
Of the Slums and obnoxious malls: Neither are good! Neither have value!
…
Here in India identity is defined by cast. And 60% of the population is of the lowest cast… “the untouchables”. – what’s important for the people is to find where they fit into that group- they are not trying to get out. The cast system is “built upon the logic of Purity and Faith. And it’s largely a futile culture – you do not challenge – you obey!
This was something that a lot of people really struggled with hearing- we automatically think (as Americans) no…I am sure that people would fight against the system and what to rise above what cast life dealt them…etc etc.
But that is not the case at all…we only say these things because we have been given the education to ask the important questions and the freedom of thinking this way.
Daivd said: “This struggle is the only journey we know.”
Many in the class found this struggle to be incredibly frustrating. But I liked what David said to end the class:
“Sometimes being artists and viewing the world as artists separates us. These classes bring us together. The human spirit is an incredible thing.”
And he shared with us his personal philosophy: “Disturb the comfortable and comfort the disturbed.”

Tonight at dinner I was having a nice conversation with Matt and I heard the phrase “The Mormons” come from someone else at the same table. My focus quickly changed from Matt to the other people’s conversation and I commented on what was being said. The reply was, “Oh…are you mormon?...oh I am sorry…I was just saying that etc etc…” The conversation was about Prop 8… it is really interesting how much Mormons are used as a scape goat in a way, we were not the only religion/people supporting Prop8, but receive most of the “blame”… I guess we can call it blame cause as people point their fingers in anger at the passing of Prop8 They are not happy with “The Mormons”

But that is not what I am here to write about- I do have a standing on Prop8 but it is something that I will not go into for now…as these postings are about India.

We had a Theatre Mitu Whole theatre class tonight.
In the middle of class we were asked to find a partner to work with and find out their full name and where they were from, when Alia heard I was from Utah she asked surprisingly…“Are you Mormon?!”
“Yes I am” I answered with a smile.
Her reply as she started at me, “I just never met one before!”
HA! What a response!!! WOW!

Speaking of being Mormon – something that is very different from the Utah culture and people that I am used to being around verses the other Americans which I now spend my time with is the language.

Language here is littered with profanities and curse words…I am around theatre people…this is how they talk it is their daily language. (and when I say “here” I don’t mean in India…I mean the Americans that I am around in India)

With this I have been thinking a lot about my responsibility as a “Mormon” - these are the times that I feel it is REALLY important to watch myself…it is ALWAYS important to be a good example yes…but when I am the impression to someone of what/who a Mormon is- I want to be a positive example.

Really fascinating how going somewhere so totally different from “normal” life circumstances and learning of other cultures and religions and people teaches one SO MUCH about themselves!
Defining what I am….and even what I am not…even making “I am not discoveries” defines what I am!