Today I got a chance to visit a church in South Delhi. It was an ethnic church called Delhi Ao Naga Church and its composition is mostly people from the state of Nagaland out in the northeast section of India. I got connected with a friend called Meron who knows Panger and Ren, whom I met back in New Jersey before departing. After the service, people would joke around because the darkness of my skin made me look like I was from Nagaland as well. Too bad they could tell exactly where I was from when I started speaking. I'm glad I got a chance to see a different culture right in front of my eyes. People have always talked about how multicultural India is with all of its people groups, religions, and practices but after roaming the streets for a couple of days it hasn't been as easy as I would have thought to break cultural barriers and get into the lives of the people here. Today was a little different, and I'm glad I got a glimpse into the pride and lives of people from Nagaland.
After church, a couple of us took a bus out into a busy south Delhi neighborhood. It was a market, and we walked through for a while, dodging oncoming cars and rickshaws, yielding to cows, and trying to avoid the oncoming rains. I had a chance to try out a sugarcane drink that is made by taking fresh sugarcane and running it through a grinder. I was surprised how the taste wasn't overwhelmingly sweet, it was actually quite refreshing. That, and my stomach seems to be holding it down alright so far. For dinner, one of the sisters at the church rushed home ahead of us and cooked a traditional Naga dinner - we had a pork belly dish, fish curry, salad, and a vegetable called "ladies finger." It was all tasty and slightly different of a flavor from everything that I've been having these past couple of days, but it definitely didn't fall in the spiciness factor!Tomorrow, I'm starting my first full week of work. I'm looking forward to cutting my commute time from a one hour walk to the twenty minute walk that it's supposed to be!
The man operating the sugarcane grinder-machine
On the streets of Delhi at night
The view from the apartment we ate at
2 comments:
just open your stride :)
there's someone awesome that you should meet, since you are in delhi. He is a graduate from Uncle George's seminary college and just one really fun guy. I'll shoot over an email and let you know :D
you haven't had ladies finger slash okra before ?!
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