Indians are very proud of their close family ties, and I think they are right to be proud. I was told that, to get the respect of my students and coworkers, I should express my love for my family. As a single woman, I think I already battle a negative image, particularly because I am not traveling with my family. So during my first speech for the school, I stood up and explained that I enjoy reading, taking photographs, and spending time with my family.
Many Hindu holidays tie in beautifully with the intimacy Indians have with their families. For instance, a week ago we celebrated a holiday for brothers and sisters. The girls made beautiful, sometimes ornate, bracelets (rakhi) and tied them to their brother’s wrists. This is a symbolic action, asking for their brothers to protect them. Although I would have been left out of the fun since I didn’t have a brother until recently, I have to admit that it’s a nice tradition honoring the special bond between brothers and sisters.
I finally brought the camera to school and got a shot of the morning prayer. The entire school, classes 1-12 are lined up behind each other. If you zoom in, you can see that some students are a little more intent on their prayers than others. Indian children are not so different from American ones in some respects.
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