I am truly starting to understand why people say rotary is the best decision they've ever made--why people say you mature the same amount you would in 4 years, in 1--why people say it is a lifetime in a year. I want to share a little bit about my last month. The last month I have attended one wedding in Patiala, and one in Delhi. Indian weddings are fascinating, beautiful. They contain so many traditions. I think it should be on everybody's bucket list to take part in one. The traditions in Indian weddings include: Sagun, Mehendi, Barat, and Phere. To start, Sagun. Sagun is when both sides of the family give gifts to the opposite side. The parents of the bride give gifts to the grooms side and vice versa. Following Sagun is Mehendi ceremony. Everybody applies henna on their arms and hands, but the bride gets stunning designs all the way up her arms and to her knees on her feet and legs. It is absolutely stunning. Third, Barat. Barat is on the day of the actually wedding. It begins with the groom coming in riding a horse. Then more gifts are distributed between family members. After Barat, the main wedding ceremony is called Phere. I attended both wedding ceremony's in Gurudwara because they were both Punjabi weddings. When entering Gurudwara, everyone must remove their shoes. This rule makes for a lot of fun at weddings. The cousins of the bride take the shoes of the groom, and to get them back, he must give the cousins money. He will only get the shoes back, if the cousins approve of the amount. This can bring a lot of shouting and chaos, but mostly a fun and entertaining time. Before the chaos begins, the wedding ceremony takes place. Different from American weddings, the bride doesn't have a huge entrance. At the beginning of the ceremony, the bride and groom are already at the front of the Gurudwara. First, they bow down before Guru Granth Sahib. Then the father ties a palla (like a long, thin scarf) that connects the bride and groom. The groom then leads the bride around Lavan (similar to an altar). The bride and groom walk around the Lavan 4 times (7 in Hindu weddings). While the couple walks around, Sikh hymns are sung with powerful drumming. It is a very symbolic ceremony. It shows the tie that will be between the two people for a lifetime--how the two individuals will be connected--leading each other for many years to come. Weddings are as emotional as they are beautiful. Getting married means the bride will leave her family. In india, 18 year olds don't leave their family for college. Marriage is when the emotional separation happens. Because of joint families, the bride will be living with the groom and his family, so it is not as emotional for the groom, only for the bride. After the Phere ceremony, the bride must say goodbye. Every family member cries. Mother and father sob, as well as the bride. It is interesting to see. It is a ceremony tied with great happiness and sadness. Indian weddings are only one part of the fascinating culture india has to offer. There is so much to learn and see here. I wish I had more than a year. Currently, I am taking many classes: dance, art, guitar, and yoga. I am also hoping to take a henna class, Indian cooking class, reiki (meditation/learning how to heal with your hands/the energy of the universe), and volunteering at an orphanage. I think india is the perfect place to go for exchange. Ones mind completely opens up to the world, and I truly don't think there is a more fascinating culture(learning all the names of the Gods and their stories alone could take a year). Seniors at NHS, please do rotary. It will teach you things about the world and yourself you REALLY can't learn anywhere else. I am having an extraordinary time. I also look forward to the months to come--the friends I will make, classes I will take, and the trips to north and south india. I want to thank my host family for bring so loving. I feel so loved and at home here. I also want to thank my school: GVN, for giving me the opportunity to learn so much: guitar, yoga, dance, and art. I honestly don't know what I would do without my school. I feel so close to so many students and teachers. Honestly, I don't know how I'll ever be able to leave, but maybe they won't let me :). I feel so grateful for this experience. I can't wait to see what another month will bring. I'll update then, thank you.
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