Goodbyes

Yesterday was my last day in the office here, which made me very sad. Everyone "surprised" me with cake (they had been acting suspiciously all day, and I've picked up on their tendency to buy cakes for events like birthdays and goodbyes, so I wasn't shocked...but it was still nice!) I told them all that one of the things I will miss most will be eating with my hand, which I don't think will translate well back in Chicago. Here's a picture of one of the cakes -- it is signed from DC, which is my department (Diagnostic Consulting), and Sujoy decided to personalize it by carving my initials into the frosting.


They also gave me a round metal wall hanging (about 10" in diameter) with Ganesha on it. It's fantastic, and I said that I'd hang it in my entranceway at home. Nitesh then informed me that this is the best place for it, as Ganesha is the first god that they pray to when they are saying their prayers, and the info sheet that they gave me on him also says he is the god of beginnings.

I managed not to tear up until I had basically gotten to the front door of the office, so only Sujoy and Abu actually saw me red-eyed. I hate my tendency to cry at goodbyes and other dramatic moments...it can be pretty out of control at times. I'm hoping that they will all continue to keep in touch and email.

Finally, here's a picture of the group:

In the front row are Sujoy, Abu, me, Hari, Indranil, and Biswarooop; in the back are Pranita, Nitesh, Mayuri, Brijesh, Pallavi, and Uma. Pranita and Pallavi kindly added some decorative touches to Sujoy and Hari's heads. :)

Today Mark and I are going to take another tour, this time of some markets, where hopefully we won't be too overwhelmed and will manage to get some more souvenirs. I'll report back on how it goes!

Gods and Babies

Today was pretty fantastic foodwise -- full of Indian Italian, so I got to have pizza for lunch and fettucine alfredo for dinner (which I don't typically choose in the US, but it sounded nice and creamy and innocuous). Both the pizza and the pasta were spicy-ish, because in India they are not going to stand for things being bland. I don't really blame them, but I also find the infusion of spice into even the plainest of Western dishes amusing (but enjoyable). I'm kind of ashamed of myself for not fully embracing an Indian diet while I'm here, but I don't think I can do it, so I'll allow myself some indulgences. I did have an Indian sweet today called gulabjamun, which is a ball of spongy pastry soaked in some kind of sweet, sticky sauce. It was tasty, especially since it was homemade by my coworker Pranita's family. We also had birthday cake since it was her birthday, and to my surprise, they actually use the same birthday song that we do.

Interesting bits of conversation:

• Today Hari told me a little bit about Ganesha, the favorite god of Hindus in Bombay. He is loved for being the most easy-to-please of the gods, and people adapt his likeness to suit special occasions (like the World Cup, when he was depicted as kicking a soccer ball) and regional tastes. Offerings made to him with sincerity are generally accepted, even if they are small, such as blades of grass. Hari seems to have a very practical, rational understanding of Hinduism -- he explained to me that the proliferation of deities was in order to suit the varied tastes of the many people who were prospective followers. If there was at least one god that people would put their stock in, then the principles of the faith could be instilled through that god. He also said that the rituals that have a religious basis have an underlying practical purpose as well, and that the faith is more compelling to make people follow beneficial practices than reason is. I don't think this is unique to Hinduism. :)
  
• Yesterday, I asked Purnima if people in India find out the sex of their children before they are born. She said that generally, no, they do not, and actually it is illegal for doctors to disclose this information lest people choose to abort their female fetuses. She also said that in her community, it is considered an invitation for trouble to plan too much for a child before it is born. This makes sense in the context of historically high infant mortality -- and it's in stark contrast to the US, where it seems that more often than not, people now find out the sex of their babies as soon as possible and create themed nurseries and registries for months preceding the birth. I personally like the idea of not knowing in advance, but I think that having the option is nice. And I'm also excited that our American norm means that I know that I'm going to have two brand new nieces this fall. :)
  

Since I've been depriving my readers of imagery (I actually haven't taken any pics for the past couple of days), here are a couple of viewable bits for you:

• First, a picture of the burly crosswalker sign I mentioned yesterday (Mark thinks it looks like a rugby player with a purse):
• And a video clip from my commute home today, so you see a few of the sights I pass. For those in my small group, watch for a special cameo appearance at the end: