To end our first full day in India (Actually, we hadn't even been there 24 hours at this point...amazing.), we were invited to have dinner at Tuna and Jeepu's house. What a treat! It was wonderful to be in a home rather than in a plane, an airport, or a hotel. We had an instant connection with them, and the whole evening was fabulous--the food, the friendship, and the conversation. Over dinner, we asked them about things like the caste system and growing up in a Hindu nation and the persecution of Christians in Orissa. We jumped right in! We appreciated their kind hospitality, and the way that Tuna had chosen to take time to help us was such a gift. We had no idea at the time how much the gift of his time, effort, and support would later be worth.
At the end of the night, we had one of the most amazing cultural experiences we had during our whole time there...riding in an "automobile" (or tuk-tuk or auto rickshaw or just auto) at night, right alongside all the locals. We got up close and personal...and we have video to prove it. The videos will never probably display the drama, but it's the best we can do. I remember thinking that I was so glad that I was confident that my life was in the Lord's hands...I wasn't scared. But if I were a prone-to-be-scared kind of person, I would have been. Cars so close you can touch them. Busses full of people. Horns honking everywhere. Large trucks. Motorbikes weaving in and out. And all the while, we were holding on tightly. To our possessions (lest they get tossed out in all the bumping up and down) and to our son. And to the auto itself....clearly, there are no seat belts. Tuna escorted us home on his motorbike, making sure that we got back to our hotel safely. It was good to know that he was looking out for us, I'm not gonna lie. But in a million years, I wouldn't take back this experience...it is life in Orissa, after all. And we wanted to take in all of it that we possibly could.
The spices which are used to make delicious Indian cuisine...
...in their kitchen.
Yummy homecooked Indian meal! It was a lot too spicy for Rex, a little bit too spicy for me, and perfect for Hoffbeast. And they said that it wasn't even that spicy! :) It was sooo good! I think that the Hub decided while we were there that he could pretty easily live in India because he loved the food so much!
They even have Super Mario Bros. in India! You can only imagine how excited Rex was to be able to brush up on his video gaming while there. He had so much fun with his new friends, C and C (and their computer, of course!).
We were--and are--so thankful for our new friends and their generous hospitality!
Tuna and Jeepu's "helper", G...what a sweet girl!
Our gracious hosts for our time in BBSR.
Our automobile and driver...here we go!!! These tuk-tuks are everywhere throughout the country...a ubiquitous sight on the urban roads. I suppose the name "tuk-tuk" comes from the sound that they make...be sure and listen on the videos.
Halfway to the hotel, Tuna had us stop, get out, and take this picture. I know that it's an important statue depicting an important part of their history, but unfortunately, I can't possibly tell you what that important part is. I'll have to ask Tuna for his help again...enjoy the virtual ride-along! (It's not super thrilling video, and it's a bit repetitive, but it gives you the idea...)
When we got back to the Ginger (our hotel), we were all exhausted, to say the least. Our lives had changed forever in just one day, and the mental and physical need for rest was obvious. We all fell asleep quickly, but of course, I stayed up later than Rex and the Daddy. This is me, the night owl, remember? Before I could rest, I had to find a way to let everyone at home know that we had arrived and that our first meeting with Tom had gone well. The Ginger staff was wonderful, and they showed me the "tech center" where I could use the internet. I wrote this post then. Then one last thing before bed--recording just a bit about our day, something I would do each night while in Bhubaneswar. A few Cramazing May posts up has the beginning of this entry, but here is how it concluded. A tired and happy mama...
"We sat…..we sat some more…the women came in and sat with us…ho hum….and then, my eyes barely leaving the door, saw Soudeman and then him. He was clutching a bouquet of flowers for me with one hand and clinging to Soudeman’s hand with the other.
Eventually, after inching toward him for awhile, I took him, and Soudeman and the others left, leaving us with just the 4 of us and Satyajit. The most precious of moments? Watching brothers react to each other and having him fall asleep in my arms.
We will go back tomorrow, and I can’t wait. Too tired now…must rest.
Thank you, God, for your very good gifts….praising you for our son!"
3 comments:
I love all of the updates! I'd gotten behind a few days, but I'm all caught up now. I watched all the tuk-tuk videos...you're right, pretty repetitive. ;) Glad ya'll hung on for that exciting ride!
Repetitive for you, maybe, but not for me. I remember that drive so well! :) The first 2 or 3 are on the big, divided "highway". The last few are of the smaller, more residential streets closer to the hotel.
What an adventure, so fun to get a glimpse of it all!!
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