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Jan. 3, 2005 Happy New Year! I hope the coming year will be fantastic to every one of you. As you may or may not know, I have spent the last two weeks in India with family. I’d forgotten what an amazing place it was—it is—and finally I think I’ve stored it in my mind so much, I will never forget: this place is beautiful. The people are amazing, and not just because most of the people I’m around are related to me. It seems that the Indian people have been brought up to love each other, and themselves. Men walk in the streets holding hands, completely unaware of what outsiders would think. An old woman with nothing except the clothes on her back would offer a cup of water to a frustrated businesswoman. I love my family. It is they who have taught me something truly unforgettable. My mother has three sisters, two of which live in Thane, the other in Pune. Her parents, my grandparents live her in Pune as well. My dad’s father’s two brothers and sister live here, and my dad’s mother’s cousin. My parents make it a point to visit everybody, and while driving around to make sure everyone has been seen at least once, I keep getting shocked and shocked again by how much our time means to them. My grandparents and grand aunts and grand uncles remember what food I like from when I last visited two years ago. My old cousins take time off from work and school to spend an hour or two with me. My mom’s sisters have taken the liberty of taking me on a tour of our culture. Mom’s youngest sister took me to the farms and let me gallivant around inhaling every little detail, mom’s older sister took me to a wedding and a Marathi movie, and all three took no time in letting me sample traditional foods of the area. You don’t see love like this anymore. That deep down love for everything about a place, about a house. At my grandmother’s house I can’t wait to take a bath. Two buckets of warm water contribute to my “shower.” After I’m squeaky clean, I grab the sides of the last bucket with relish and dump the rest of the warm water over my head. It doesn’t matter that its winter, it doesn’t matter that I’m used to the luxuries of unlimited hot water and showers. It’s the smallest things in life that can give you the most pleasure, like watching Lord of the Rings with four cousins jammed on one bed. Like riding on the back of a scooter. Like seeing your grandmother smile when you hug her for no reason. Some people say India is backward, say it has potential but doesn’t live up to its fullest. But India has something right that I can see nowhere else: a deep, unquestionable love for family. ------------ About the author: Ambreen is a somewhat cynical high school student who thinks teenagers are pretty much crazy (herself included). Any comments? Don't hesitate to email Ambreen at: inzanitist4r@hotmail.com Tell a friend about this site! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com and are not allowed to be posted on other websites. ARTICLE THIEVES WILL BE PROSECUTED! |
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