So this past week has not been fun in India. The reason being, in most of the Middle Eastern and Southern Asian countries, there have been protests against that anti-Muslim made film that some idiot in the US made. So they have had protests occurring in Chennai and Delhi over the movie and over other things like the passing of FDI, which basically means that India is trying to allow global retailers into the Indian market but the different states in India are not cooperating with that ruling. Many here feel like FDI was American encouraged hence why they are further upset at the USA. In Chennai they burned cars and motorcycles, threw stones at the US Embassy, and burned an effigy of Obama. All in all, not so fun to be an American here this past few days and it is easy to get yourself all worked up about it too.
I stayed locked up in my house for a good part of last week trying to avoid downtown Delhi near the Consulate in case the protesters turn violent here as they have in many other places. I really am not paranoid...it is just that I normally go shopping or traveling around during the day by myself so it is better to be safe than sorry! And I kind of stick out as a foreigner here with my blond hair and pale skin.
No fun being caged up like an animal in my own home though. On the positive side of things though I have been painting, reading, and exercising a lot more.
I just finished the third painting in my fruits and veggies series. Here are two of them that I have painted thus far.
The one I finished this past week was an orange and a cherry. Just put the top coat on it about an hour ago so it is drying as I type this blog. And I have just finished reading Lord of the Rings and yes I read all three of the stories (Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and Return of the King). And I have lost about 5 lbs by walking for 40 minutes or doing an hours worth of yoga every day. Yippeee for me! So maybe being holed up isn't such a bad thing after all. It lets you do some things you have maybe been wanting to get done for a while.
But during all of this (the protests and the locked up in my house stuff) I have had a song stuck in my head. Alanis Morissette's "Thank U." It keeps ringing in my ear. Here are a few lines...
'Thank you India.
Thank you terror.
Thank you disillusionment.
Thank you frailty.
Thank you consequence.
Thank you thank you silence.'
So, thank you India. You teach me so much every day. Sometimes I don't listen. And sometimes I feel like I don't care to hear the lesson. But there you are every day trying to make me grow. I might not like what is happening in the world or like being blamed for things I didn't do (like the fact that my government didn't make that film) but India you are trying to teach me to slow down. To stress less. Do more of what I love. Tolerate differences better. Thank you India. Thank you. I hear you and I AM trying.
I stayed locked up in my house for a good part of last week trying to avoid downtown Delhi near the Consulate in case the protesters turn violent here as they have in many other places. I really am not paranoid...it is just that I normally go shopping or traveling around during the day by myself so it is better to be safe than sorry! And I kind of stick out as a foreigner here with my blond hair and pale skin.
No fun being caged up like an animal in my own home though. On the positive side of things though I have been painting, reading, and exercising a lot more.
I just finished the third painting in my fruits and veggies series. Here are two of them that I have painted thus far.
The one I finished this past week was an orange and a cherry. Just put the top coat on it about an hour ago so it is drying as I type this blog. And I have just finished reading Lord of the Rings and yes I read all three of the stories (Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and Return of the King). And I have lost about 5 lbs by walking for 40 minutes or doing an hours worth of yoga every day. Yippeee for me! So maybe being holed up isn't such a bad thing after all. It lets you do some things you have maybe been wanting to get done for a while.
But during all of this (the protests and the locked up in my house stuff) I have had a song stuck in my head. Alanis Morissette's "Thank U." It keeps ringing in my ear. Here are a few lines...
'Thank you India.
Thank you terror.
Thank you disillusionment.
Thank you frailty.
Thank you consequence.
Thank you thank you silence.'
So, thank you India. You teach me so much every day. Sometimes I don't listen. And sometimes I feel like I don't care to hear the lesson. But there you are every day trying to make me grow. I might not like what is happening in the world or like being blamed for things I didn't do (like the fact that my government didn't make that film) but India you are trying to teach me to slow down. To stress less. Do more of what I love. Tolerate differences better. Thank you India. Thank you. I hear you and I AM trying.
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