It's truly remarkable when you find someone born and brought up in a totally foreign culture who perceives the world so similarly. Friendships forged straight through differing backgrounds and retained despite geography based on true connections from great conversations mean quite a lot to me. I have one such friend from Japan, one from Mainland China, and one from Taiwan. Now I have one from India. [Note: anyone who's lived in the US for more than 2 years doesn't count in this point I'm trying to make]
That said, I have many other friends from each of these places (Taiwan excluded) whom I care about dearly. But only these amaze me at our similarities and our ease of getting along.
We spoke about how terrible the ASCI administration is and about how much we enjoy certain specific and types of people. She talks about her past pain, and I joke about both hers and mine. In a book I recently read and love, the author explains that one's own pain is the most precious thing he or she can share with another. Well, we've shared some.
On my last day, she produces two Kultas (traditional Indian shirts) that she'd bought for me. Luckily, I'd already given her two CDs that I put a lot of thought and time into crafting. She tells me to wear it and come join in the Puja for Ganesh, 2 hours before I have to leave for the airport. We walk down, and I immediately hope to disappear, trying in vain not to become the center of attention for what should be a religious ceremony. I screw up the part where you dot your own forehead, getting the paint all over my hands. Everyone around me laughs, not least the aforementioned friend. When the plate of fire comes by, its bearer hastily allows me only one pull of air from it. Only the aforementioned notices this subtlety. I get the joke too, but it annoys me instead of making me laugh. After this, though, everything goes pretty smoothly. I can lean over and quietly whisper requests for translation and explanation. And later, the fire's second bearer is nicer to me than the first.
It's staggering how little I understand of the ceremony, of Hinduism, and of India. But I do know that my friend is kind, perceptive, and strong, which I can appreciate anywhere.
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3 comments:
u need to step up ur blogging game. andrew is stomping u.
i think some of andrew's success comes from having pictures and features such as tribute thursdays
hmm...nic and austin i think you two completely missed the point of this post. First off again i say this is not a competition!
Anyway...alex, dude yes. Friends are so important and the amazing thing is no matter what the culture, what the religion, no matter what even the moral status of the individual is, all can agree that friends are important. Without friends we would all hate everyone and go crazy. So yes i agree that having close friends is important. We need them to feed off their experiences and give back from the experiences we have gained. Umm i dont want to rant too much, but yeah i didnt read this like an essay i liked this a lot and its important to spread that message: friends are important and are necessary to survive this ridiculous world we live in.
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