Today is the 4th of July. Happy Independence Day everyone! It was such an interesting and fun experience to celebrate the holiday outside of America. This is how my day went.
First thing at school this morning we had a school assembly and we presented to the school about the holiday. It was extremely hilarious and hard not to laugh because we were describing the 4th of July as if it were near and dear to our hearts. All of the children in the school would tell us "Happy Independence Day" every hallway passing, because in India, they have a big and beautiful celebration for their independence day. It is a holiday they are very passionate about whereas in the US it seems to be a good excuse to visit family, have large parties and spend ungodly amounts of money on fireworks. Holidays are different here, I learned that quickly.
To celebrate our "American Culture" we went to McDonalds and ate ice cream and french fries. I generally am extremely opposed to eating fast food but an ice cream cone and greasy fries (not to mention chicken and fried-paneer burgers) were just what we all needed after a long week of lessons. Just a group of 15 Americans, dressed in red uniforms, mobbing down the streets of India eating fast food and laughing and dancing. To say the least, we were attention magnets and we didn't really manage to break the American-Stereotype (more like confirmed it).
We filled the rest of our day with yoga, very minimal Hindi classes, volunteering at a local school and making delicious American meals for our host families and siblings.
It's so interesting to celebrate this holiday from afar. Though I like to often joke about the US and our so-called "culture," this trip has really made me appreciate many things our country has to offer. Things that I was taking advantage of without really knowing.
First thing at school this morning we had a school assembly and we presented to the school about the holiday. It was extremely hilarious and hard not to laugh because we were describing the 4th of July as if it were near and dear to our hearts. All of the children in the school would tell us "Happy Independence Day" every hallway passing, because in India, they have a big and beautiful celebration for their independence day. It is a holiday they are very passionate about whereas in the US it seems to be a good excuse to visit family, have large parties and spend ungodly amounts of money on fireworks. Holidays are different here, I learned that quickly.
To celebrate our "American Culture" we went to McDonalds and ate ice cream and french fries. I generally am extremely opposed to eating fast food but an ice cream cone and greasy fries (not to mention chicken and fried-paneer burgers) were just what we all needed after a long week of lessons. Just a group of 15 Americans, dressed in red uniforms, mobbing down the streets of India eating fast food and laughing and dancing. To say the least, we were attention magnets and we didn't really manage to break the American-Stereotype (more like confirmed it).
We filled the rest of our day with yoga, very minimal Hindi classes, volunteering at a local school and making delicious American meals for our host families and siblings.
It's so interesting to celebrate this holiday from afar. Though I like to often joke about the US and our so-called "culture," this trip has really made me appreciate many things our country has to offer. Things that I was taking advantage of without really knowing.
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