It's Christmas in Killarney...I mean Dimapur.

Christmas is weird. There are so many different ways around the world people celebrate Christmas. Some people don't celebrate it, some people do. The place where my house is in India is mainly Hindu and therefore, no Christmas anywhere is seen or acknowledged. However, right now I am not at my house, I am in Nagaland, the place my Fiance is from and the place where he grew up. I am meeting his family and friends who grew up with him. I am hearing many stories of his childhood and laughing with his sisters. Here Christmas is a big deal. Everyone celebrates Christmas in Nagaland. They stay up until midnight on the 24th to wish everyone a Merry Christmas when the clock strikes 12:00. They sit around bonfires every night from a few days before Christmas, probably until New Years. They go to church an unnecessary amount of times (I think at least) on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The Christmas song they listen to the most, of all songs, is Feliz Navidad. How strange is that? They don't open presents, they don't play games, they don't have stockings, they eat pork and rice and chicken. It's not snowing and it's not even really that cold. It is everything my Christmases growing up were not.

I miss eggnog and I miss snow. I miss watching Christmas movies on TV. I miss playing the dice game and I miss opening presents on Christmas Eve in a big circle with my family. I miss seeing the nieces and nephews and great-nieces and great-nephews. I miss eating Turkey and Taco Dip. Most of all I miss my family. A lot.

This leads me to remember what Christmas is all about. It's not about traditions and customs and whether or not there's snow (but seriously, without snow I cannot even fathom that Christmas has come and gone). It does not matter if there are presents or cakes galore or eggnog or pork with bamboo shoots. It doesn't matter if I am with my family or my Fiance's family. It doesn't matter if I'm in India or the US. These things are not what makes Christmas what it really is.

As cliche as it sounds, "Jesus is the reason for the season!" and that is pretty much the most true thing. It may have taken me a trip to the other side of the world, and my first Christmas away from home to realize it, but Christmas is not about where you are or what you do. It's about Jesus being born and then remembering why He was born in the first place. Why he became flesh and walked among us just to die and then live again. This is why we celebrate Christmas. Not because of Santa Clause, Kris Kringle, Rudolph, or Buddy the Elf. Because of Jesus, Immanuel, God with us. The Word became flesh and lived among us, as He still does in our hearts and in other people.

Rendezvous, Rickshaws, and Rupees.

Yesterday, The Fiancée and I went to the big city to meet a pastor who, we hoped, would perform our wedding. He is able to take care of all the legal stuff to do with our marriage. As a foreigner marrying an Indian a lot of stuff has to happen and a lot of documents must be found and copied and produced. Who knew, many, many years later, I would need my baptism certificate to get married? I mean, I don't even know if I got one. I think I was baptized 12 years ago.

Needless to say, he is excited to get to know us more and will be doing our marriage/wedding. Yay! He was really easy to get along with and my nerves were calmed after our short meeting because with Indian pastors they are either incredibly awesome or incredibly corny and obnoxious would be the best way to describe them.

I always forget how much cooler Lonavala is than the major cities surrounding it. It is always way hotter in Pune and Mumbai and I realize that when the train starts to get cooler and cooler as we approach Lonavala.

One of my favorite things about India is riding around in the auto rickshaws. They all make the same little growling sound as they drive around and the drivers are unique in their own ways. Some are very boisterous, others seem quite rude, still others are very talkative and want to know everything about you. Some rickshaws are falling a part while others have been pimped out to outrageous proportions with subwoofer and all. 

Today at our staff meeting we discussed financial charges around our campus. Depending on which country you come from, your fees are more or less. For example, I would have to pay $100 per month for my staff fees because I am from the US while Romel, as an Indian, would only pay $40. I really hate talking about money. It always brings frustration, anger, and depression into my life. I hope that changes one day, but for now that's just the way it is. Then, of course, as always happens, a few of the staff members began arguing and discussing. I shrink at arguments and heated discussions. I get this feeling like I need to get out of there and fast. I think I hate it so much because it is a source for disunity and dissension.  I just want everyone to get along! I will take no part in discussions or arguments. Although, today I did ask a few questions because many of the fees were raised for my category but not for the lowest category. 

I could write about money for a long time, but I won't bore you.

Tonight we have a staff Christmas party where we will exchange gifts and whatnot. I'm getting a little tired of Christmas parties here. One last week, one tonight and one on Sunday. Plus, when I go to Nagaland I can only imagine there will be a lot of Christmas happenings going on...not to mention the three weddings I will be attending.

And to end, I will leave you with a very common, misspelt sign at a mall. India: Where they spell things how they sound, not how they're actually spelt. 

Lazy Bones

Last night I went to sleep at 8:30 and woke up this morning at 6:52 not able to fall back asleep. Jet lag does something to me that I would never choose to do otherwise: wake up early. For some reason, the first few days I am in the US or in India I wake up around 7 or 8 each morning. 

Here I am sitting in that familiar classroom I have sat in and taught in many times. I arrived in India early, early Wednesday morning. It is good being back. It's warm and familiar yet different. Three and a half months is not much time, but some things can drastically change in that amount of time. It leads me to wonder if I have changed much during the time I was home in Minnesota. I feel like I have not changed a whole lot, but perhaps my Fiancée could tell me otherwise. 

It is interesting to be in a familiar place but full of not-so-familiar faces. There are new schools running and so new staff and students and some of my favorite staff are not here at the moment and it feels a little barren even though it is quite full. I do enjoy meeting new people though, and I am going to try to be more friendly this time around. I have gotten to a place here where I do not wish to meet or get to know new students unless they're in the school that I am staffing because they will leave and I will never see them again. However, that is no way to sow seeds however few it may be. 

Friday night we had a pre-Christmas party on our campus. I was excited to eat such good food so soon after arriving in India! During the course of the evening certain persons were dancing too hard and a friend fell on his knee and had to go to the hospital. I believe his knee was dislocated and fractured a little. Indians do not take dancing lightly!

A few updates since I last wrote:

I visited Seattle for the first time in my life and had so much fun there. What a lovely city it is. I was able to see a friend whom I have not seen in five years and her beautiful little family. I also had my first celebrity sighting: Danny Bonaduce! Not the most exciting celebrity to see, but fun none-the-less. I would have said hello but I was too afraid he might punch me in the face in a spout of anger.

Oh Eggnog how I miss thee....

Stuffing: The best part of Thanksgiving.

It is so strange for me to suddenly be on the other side of the world. I am not even sure if I still believe it's possible that I am in India just 24 hours after being in Minnesota. I miss my family terribly and although I'll see my mom and brother in March, it could not come soon enough. It's a little scary knowing I'm getting married so soon. I'm excited, but also scared. It is the biggest commitment of my life so far! 

So here I am a little sweaty and tired on this Monday morning saying, "Namaste" from India once again.