CULTURE
As Western thought integrates into the Indian culture, so have blue jeans
Coconut oil effectively smooth’s out the frizzes in ones hair & it smells good, too.
Decorative rugs made of plant leaves are easily hosed down and make excellent flooring
The famous Indian “head bobble” still confuses me. I think it means a noncommittal “OK” (not yes, no or maybe, just recognizing they heard what was said)
You can’t tell the difference between ancient ruins and abandoned construction
Straight, heterosexual men hold hands or put their arms around each other to walk, but it is not culturally acceptable for a husband and wife to hold hands in public
Very few people smoke cigarettes in India
There are fewer people begging on the main streets of the big cities & towns
There is very little ethnic diversity in India. We still get starred at but nor as much as before
It’s an interesting mix of Telegu and English with a British accent
GOTTA LOVE CRAZINESS
The hotel room does not have clocks so we use Jerry’s Kindle. During the night I disabled it so it reverted to Eastern Standard Time, When I woke up later I thought it was 6:30 AM so I stayed up rather than take a chance of oversleeping. Turns out it was 5 in the morning
Time is a fluid concept. There are no clocks in the hotel rooms or in the churches. Most people don’t wear watches. So if the sign says the conference starts at 9 then the singing starts at 10 and the speaking starts at 11. But we always finish on time.
MISCELLANEOUS
Shekina, Moses’ daughter, is joyful, expressive, mature, confident and articulate. She leads the other teens.
Jerry’s magic tricks still make me smile.
Goats eat the cotton in the cotton fields
In January its clear blue sides and a perfect 72 degrees.
The villages are green and the cities are tan
Scenic fields of rice and green pastures with herds of rambling goats fill the scenery
A sea of bright white smiling teeth in a crown of dark faced pastors is wonderful to see
There are fewer mosquitoes and bikes, but more motor scooters and cars (February 4, 2016 Vijayawada, India)
Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
As Americans we tend to think we do everything right, more so than those who do things differently than us. What can we learn from the wisdom of other cultures? What foreign cultures have been exposed to? What can you glean from them to make your life richer?