A few of us started off our morning early; waking up at 6am to watch the sunrise. It was worth it the early morning, as the sunrise was quite a beautiful sight in the misty jungle morning. After this, we were off to a housewarming for one of the houses the money we raised built. The house was built for a mother with two daughters who were previously living in a shack. The house was small, but secure and permanent. There was a nice ceremony with incense, flowers, and traditional Kerala flame-lighting. It was good to see a physical manifestation of the money we raised, and how it affects people on a personal level.
After the housewarming, we shopped in Kottayam. Many of us found some great items; hopefully some good gifts to bring back to you all! We found more American food, too, some of us were very excited about the Nutella and Pringles. We ate lunch at a traditional Kerala restaurant, where there was no silverware and we had to eat with our hands. A few of us were a little hesitant, but the food was delicious and it was definitely a cultural experience.
After a break for homework and resting, we enjoyed a dinner with more french fries, which seem to becoming a staple in our diet. After dinner, we got to view a classical Kerala martial arts performance. It was really incredible; it involved swords, daggers, and other weapons flying everywhere but somehow not hitting anyone. The performance also involved very advanced yoga, and the performance was truly a testament to the incredible capabilities of the human body. Apparently the martial art was used as a defense tactic that defeated an army (or something along those lines) and after seeing the performance, we can definitely see how! Overall, the day was fantastic. We miss you all and are looking forward to seeing you!
-Holly
Sounds like a very interesting day. Some of us are used to eats with our hands here in Oregon, though I doubt it was the French fries that gave people pause.
ReplyDeleteMartial arts demonstration sounded very cool.