Day 17: Auto Rickshaw on Independence Day

Aug 15

Zab and I woke up at 6:00am this morning so that we could join Pappa for his morning exercises. Every morning except for Sundays, Zab’s grandpa goes to a laughing club. They get together and do light stretching, and then the laughing begins. A leader starts them off with a series of “Ha Ha Ha Ho Ho Ho’s” and then they let loose. It is good for the body and mind. We walked with him this morning to their usual location, but there wasn’t anyone there. Today is Independence Day and so people must have other things going on. This was a sad moment. I was really looking forward to experiencing older Indian men in a laughing club. We will have to go tomorrow.

We came home and had showers instead. This was my first traditional shower where you fill a big bucket up with warm water and then take a smaller bucket and pour it over yourself. It was actually really nice. The whole bathroom is tile and it becomes the shower. The toilet and the whole floor get wet and I felt bad, but I knew this was the way it was done.

On August 15, 1947, India declared independence from England. This morning we watched the ceremonies take place in Delhi and then we went down to the courtyard of the apartment to watch the flag raising and the singing of the national anthem by those who live there. I met a lot of the family friends and I have become accustom to being introduced as “Zab’s friend.” Almost all of those I met asked how I liked India, and I had to tell the truth. “I love it,’ was my response, and they responded with a pleasant laugh and a smile of approval. It was neat to be in India during the celebration of its independence.

At noon we headed out to see Zab’s father’s sister (Leela). I had expressed interest in riding in an auto-rickshaw, so this became the time to show me this truly Indian experience. Autos are 3 wheeled carts with a single seat in the front for the driver, and a larger seat in the back for passengers. Zab, his mother, and I filled this seat up quite tightly; it helped to keep us from falling out. It was a very fun ride and a great experience to have a ride in one of India’s defining forms of transportation. We zipped in and out of traffic through the crowded streets. The air pollution was horrible. It was hard to breathe at times, and so we used Zab’s mother’s shawl as a filter. The noise from the traffic and constant honking was very loud and I think I lost some of my hearing on that drive. On the 45 minutes ride, we drove passed many open sewer systems and then through a section of the world largest slum.

We spent a lovely afternoon with friends and family. They fed us an amazing meal. I am not going to want to leave India and all of its amazing food!

After another long auto ride back to our place, Zab and I watched an old classic film called “The Guns of Navarone.” It is one of Zab’s favorite movies and it was playing on television for the holiday.

For prayer time this evening we sang a few songs in Malayalam. Ok, ok, I just sat there and listened! Then Pappa recited a Psalm to us. It reminded me a lot of my grandfather and how he memorizes scripture and recites it to us. I love it. He then prayed in Malayalam. It was really neat to be able to just be with them and reflect on the fact that God is not bound by language. He listens to all of us, in what ever language we speak.

After another amazing meal thanks to Zab’s Mother and Ammy, we relaxed and then went to bed.

new pictures available:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/runlowellrun/