Happy Anniversary... but I'm not married!

It seems appropriate to make a blog entry on the day that I celebrate my one-year anniversary in India, as it has been a time of reflection on the past coupled with hope for the future.

The past year has absolutely flown by, literally and metaphorically. It has been challenging and frustrating year for a number of reasons, yet it's also been an incredibly wonderful, exciting adventure. As I look back on the relatively short time I've spent in this colorful and diverse place, it feels a little bit like a dream with me waking up every morning asking myself, "Am I really living in India?" More recently, the question has become, "Have I really lived in India for this long?" The answer to both questions, of course, is an emphatic YES!

I spent my first few weeks in India trying to get over the jetlag, oh and also doing paperwork to get a cell phone and bank account set up among other things. My transition to India was greatly helped by the efforts of my predecessor. He really went the extra mile to help me settle in smoothly and has become a good friend through it all. During my first few weeks in country, I was also busy doing schoolwork--that hasn't changed, but Lord willing I will finish my graduate degree this December (the next four months will be painful, but how wonderful it will be to have that degree behind me!). 

A little over a month after my arrival, I left Hyderabad for Chennai to began my training. Despite the grueling 6 weeks of ground training followed by 3 months of flying, I was able to enjoy myself a bit. Studying took up most of my time, but I still found time to develop relationships with my course mates, other expats, and the family of an old roommate. My five months in Chennai could be described as a whirlwind of fun and adventure.

I am so thankful for the many wonderful people whom God brought into my life while I was there. I have many fond memories of them, which bring much joy and hope to my heart. As you might imagine, while traveling around India has been fun, the people whom I've met here have far and away been the highlight. Some have become like family--a father, mother, brother, or sister to me. I continue to be humbled by the hospitality and concern that they have shown for me. God has used so many people to meet my needs for friendship and social interaction.

With the passing of my grandfather last November, I was reminded of the shortness of our lives on this earth. We truly are like a vapor that is here today and gone tomorrow, and after one year in India, there is not much that I take for granted anymore. My family, health, finances, job, and faith are just a few of the things that I continually count as blessings. When you see and meet so many people with nearly innumerable needs (material, emotional, physical, spiritual, and otherwise), you cannot deny that we live in a broken world. The world is crying for justice and renewal. I am thankful that the God, who creates and sustains us, also promises to restore life to the way it ought to be. All the suffering and pain, the disappointments and heartaches, will one day be erased and only then we can know the fullness of life that we were intended to enjoy.

I came to India a year ago to escape the materialism and narcissism that was evident everywhere I looked... especially in the mirror. I thought India would be an escape, but instead it has reinforced a longing and hope for a future spiritual renewal. It's clear to me now more than ever, that the world is a dark place because of the darkness of our hearts and yet the image of God is undeniably imprinted on each one of us. Therefore, I look forward to the time when God will make all things new again and we will finally enjoy true fellowship with Him and with one another. Until that time it is my prayer that as people created in the image of God, we might learn and seek to reflect His glory more fully. It is also my hope that the remainder of my time in India will be richly rewarding (in an eternal sense) not just for me, but also for all of the people whom I've been blessed to share this experience with... May the Lord bless you and keep you!

Colossians 3:17

A family celebration in Bellary, Karnataka

Last week I was invited by my neighbors to their village to attend the half-sari celebration for their eldest daughter. It is a coming of age Hindu ceremony that recognizes that when a girl reaches the age of 11, she is just a step away from becoming a woman. The religious portion of the ceremony is done with a priest and the family at a pre-determined “auspicious time” according to Hindu tradition. It is my understanding that the alignment of the stars and planets at a particular time constitute an auspicious time. However, it may also relate to a person’s birthday though that may be more important with respect to weddings and the associated horoscopes of the people getting married. At any rate, I took an overnight train that arrived in time for the public portion of the half-sari celebration. This was a colorful and beautiful event; much like the Indian weddings I have attended.

It truly was a family affair as both sets of grandparents were able to be there to enjoy the celebration. Most of the men who came wore flowing white, cotton kurtas, but the ladies wore beautifully colorful saris that were incredibly embroidered. All the girls in the family had these amazing saris handmade for the occasion and also had henna covering their arms, hands, and feet.

For the duration of the ceremony, the girl sat on a stage in front of the crowd with a bright light shining on her.  Then with time, the 300-400 guests made their way up to the front to offer their blessings by putting rice in her hair. This didn’t last more than a 90 minutes or so and after it was over, everyone was served a variety of delicious South Indian cuisine. I did my best to soak it all in, but unfortunately, very few of the conversations were in English.

Most of the crowd left by 4pm, so I managed to sneak in a trek to the top of the central hillock in Bellary upon which an 18^th century fort is perched.  The 20 minute hike provides a nice panoramic view of the village and surrounding area. Unfortunately, I had to cut the visit short because my overnight train was leaving early that evening.

I learned two things from my trip to Bellary:

First, don’t ever take back-to-back overnight trains if you can avoid it unless you want to be a walking zombie for a day or two.

Second, I was reminded of the many ways God has blessed me through the people He has brought into my life. Loyal, trustworthy, gracious, and loving friends are but a taste of the life to come…

English is funny… 5th edition

Well, at this point I suppose there’s a pretty high probability that I’ll be repeating some words or phrases.  At any rate, please forgive me if that is the case because I’m known to have a short memory. However, to the best of my knowledge, the following are phrases that I have not referenced previously.

For those of you who are new to my “English is funny” blog, please note that this is simply a compilation of terms and/or figures of speech that I find to be amusing. As always, there is no malicious intent.  This is simply an effort to build a greater cultural-linguistic awareness and enjoy a few laughs in the process! Without further adieu, here we go…

“Roaming around” – this term is used extensively in the context of busyness, but could imply sinister/sketchy/questionable activities

“I was all tied up” – similar term in that it describes a person who was busy (however, it lacks the sinister qualifier that could be attached to “roaming around”)

“Get on his backside” or “you need to get on top of him” – something akin to subjecting a person to physical/mental discipline (a little hazing you might say), which may be deemed necessary because someone is out of line or they aren’t meeting their full potential

“The dopes are playing to the gallery” – a rather colorful description of a person or group of people who like to be in the limelight/draw attention to themselves

“He needs (or has) josh” – I think it means energy or it describes an appealing person, but I’m not sure…  can anyone help me on this one?

“Tell yourself again and again, I will not be rigid” – a direct quote that, as you might guess, is good advice for someone who was a little tense or nervous

“It/he/she/they went for a toss” – essentially means things didn’t work out as planned

“He’s met with an accident” – that’s one thing that’s impossible to avoid in India!

“They bounced on me” – a surprise visit (I’m told this often refers to bachelors in search of a good meal!)

“They just went bonkers” – you can guess what that means… just saying “bonkers” makes me laugh!

“He’s a good chap” – or you could just say, “For he’s a jolly good fellow”

“They pressurized him” – I think this is self-explanatory!

carriage = car
boot = trunk

2-wheeler or bike = motorcycle

bungalow = house

fortnight = every two weeks

A royal wedding, a commoner's wedding, and other assorted travel experiences...

Did I really leave India to go to a wedding in Philadelphia?

Once again it seems that I’ve been sadly slacking in my blog duties... After a 3-week trip to the US and UK, can you really blame me?  However, I must admit that I've been back in India for nearly a month now.  It's just that with two graduate courses and conversion training to the Kiran Mk I, blogging hasn’t been a high priority. That means that it’s time for a little catching up now. I still owe an “English is funny” post, but I'll save that for later opting instead to share a little about my trip...
It started with a visit to London to see my sister and her husband and of course to enjoy the absolutely beautiful UK weather. I took full advantage of the sunny, blue skies by making day-trips to Oxford, Bath, and Cambridge. Oh, and I also crashed the royal wedding!

Martyr's monument in Oxford

Highlights in Oxford included the martyr's monument and the "Eagle and Child" pub. The martyr's memorial is dedicated "To the Glory of God, and in grateful commemoration of His servants, Thomas Cranmer, Nicholas Ridley, Hugh Latimer," who were burned at the stake for affirming truths of Scripture in opposition to the Catholic Church. 

If only C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien could have been there...

On a happier note, the "Eagle and Child" pub is where C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien and the rest of the "Inklings" met regularly to discuss, debate, philosophize, and critique each other's work.

The day prior to the Royal Wedding, we managed to fight our way thru the crowds to scope out the wedding route. That evening we enjoyed a beautiful view from the London Eye...

'Twas the night before the royal wedding and all thru London...

Marching to Buckingham Palace for the first "public kiss"

Look kids, Big Ben... Parliament

The next morning I took on the crowds and watched the Royal Wedding live. It turned out to be a lot of fun (and standing in one place for hours) and I actually had a really nice view of the procession. Seeing a beautiful Royal Wedding in person and celebrating the union with so many people reminded me of an even better, future wedding. Actually, a "wedding" is the symbolism used when speaking of the church being united to Christ. Specifically, the church is the bride of Christ as evidenced by God's promise in Hosea 2:19-20: "And I will betroth you to me forever. I will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy. I will betroth you to me in faithfulness. And you shall know the LORD."  The consummation of God's promises comes in the words of Revelation 21:3-4 "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." It is so wonderful that God uses such colorful descriptions, images, and experiences to describe His steadfast love and faithfulness to His people.

There was a look of regret on Kate's face as saw me and thought of what might have been... trust me.

Hey you! Get your hands off my sister... oh wait, I guess it's okay now ;)

Cambridge... circa 1920

Okay, back to my travel diary...  As I mentioned earlier, my time in the UK was a smattering of day trips, which included excursions to Cambridge and Bath. I also managed to squeeze in a couple days of sightseeing in London to round out the trip.
Then I was off to Philly to reconnect with some old friends and to be part of a more intimate and special wedding as my old roommate got hitched to a lovely young lady. My time in Philly flew by really fast and before I knew it, I was on my way to Colorado to see my family. Unfortunately, most of my time in Colorado was spent writing a 15+ page paper, but it was great to see my family. As if I couldn't get enough traveling, I made a 9-hour drive to Kansas with my parents to see more family! All in all, it was a fantastic trip, which does not take away from the nearly 2 weeks it took for me to recover from the jetlag!!!

E-ast, M-eets, W-est

Papa and Mama Urish

Palm Sunday

Having just celebrated Palm Sunday and with Easter just around the corner, it seems that the time is right for me to resurrect my blog!  I went to church for the first time today, since returning to Hyderabad.  Though the church was a bit difficult to find, it was lovely house of worship.  After the service, I made my way to nearby Charminar, which is the 'Old City' area of Hyderabad with a large Muslim population and sprawling bazaars/markets.  Time was limited and it's getting hot here, so I just saw the nearby Jama Masjid (mosque) and walked around briefly.
An "English is Funny" blog is in the queue, but until then I hope you enjoy the pictures of my great city... Hyderabad!

Charminar

Jama Masjid

More Uninvited Guests

Well, I must start by saying that it would have been nice if somebody had warned me to get some jungle survival training before coming to India.  At least it might have prepared me for the numerous wildlife encounters I’ve experienced over the last 5 months.  Instead, I've had to rely on my cunning wit and of course, my nunchuck skills.

In case you haven’t followed my blog for long, you may not be aware of these stories, so I'd recommend reading my blog titled, “An unwelcome visitor…”  If only that had been the end of the story, then I probably wouldn't be writing this additional blog entry.  Unfortunately, since that incident took place it seems like nearly every creepy-crawling, slithering, hopping, flittering, and/or buzzing creature imaginable has decided to pay a visit to the Gora.  As a result, I decided to start taking pictures of as many of the odd, scary, superhuman, and/or funny creatures as possible.  In fact, some of these things may not have been previously known to man, but now, thanks to me, their identities will be revealed.  My hope is that this blog entry may provide some clues or evidence in the event I happen to die a mysterious, surreptitious, and untimely death.  This blog could be the only way to bring the perpetrator to justice...  Okay, so that was supposed to be a joke, so please laugh :)

With no further delay, here are a few of the freeloading/unwanted guests that have visited my house during the past 5 months:

Pretty harmless moth...  at least so I think!

Big spider... not so harmless?

Frightened little toad...  harmless

Not the typical gecko... harmless?

Krait Snake... (16x more venomous than a Cobra!!)

Don't know about this creeper, but I'm guessing that he could inflict some pain!

How would you like to find this little guy in your sink?

I think I've found a new species of slug

English isn’t funny, it’s freakin’ hilarious!

I simply can’t keep this stuff to myself any longer--it’s time for my fourth edition of “English is Funny”! By now, you should know the rules/guidelines for this blog. The purpose is not to make fun of anyone or what they’ve said--English is a third language (after their native tongue and Hindi) for most of my instructors and the students. That being said, they are so much more gifted when it comes to communicating than the English-only-speaking-Gora who sometimes even has a hard time with English! This is simply a good-natured attempt to share some of the interesting peculiarities in the spoken word between two former British colonies. I thought for sure that some of these words and phrases would have made my “English is Funny” blog by now, but apparently they’ve become so commonplace that they have somehow been overlooked! You will find them split up into three sections: work, flying, and general. At any rate, my hope is that you’ll have a few chuckles and a smile on your face after reading… ENJOY!

Work

“overalls” = flightsuits: I still get confused by these terms because it seems like only auto mechanics and farmers wear overalls--both those professions require much more physical labor than any pilot would ever be willing to do!

“uniform” = blues: The term uniform is particularly confounding because my counterparts have about 12 different types of uniforms, so it seems a bit discriminatory and disrespectful to all the other poor uniforms to only refer to one of them “uniform”…

“Tea club” – I’ve heard of Tea Parties (i.e. like that one in Boston a while back) before, but never been a part of one. Instead, I’ll have to settle for being a card-carrying member of the Tea club—bet you can’t guess what we’re all about :)


Flying

“Switch off on the runway”: for the longest time I thought it meant taxy (or taxi for my American friends) clear of the runway, but go figure, it actually refers to engine shutdown… fortunately that it’s been clarified, I won’t have any doubts if someone tells me to ‘switch off’!

“Then the aircraft started misbehaving”… okay, I know how to handle a misbehaving child, but what to do about an airplane misbehaving??! Send it to timeout, ground it, take away its’ allowance, or maybe give it a good spanking? As far as I’m concerned, an attitude adjustment of some sort is in order because I simply will not tolerate an aircraft acting up!

“Undercarriage” = gear: for some reason this term makes me think of cobblestone streets and the days of the horse-drawn buggy… clip-clop, clip-clop… once again, we can thank the Brits for this one!

“The intensity is kept down to avoid dazzling the pilots” – this was mentioned in the context of night lights and is completely accurate, but something about the phrase “avoid dazzling the pilots” is funny to me. Maybe it’s because I think of the term dazzle meaning to “impress deeply or astonish with delight”--now if only I could find a way to dazzle my instructor!

“Patter” – a painful method of cramming words into your skull so that you will become a good instructor (so we are told)

Deer menace, deer guards deployment, and deer chasing party; if you thought deer were nothing more than cute, harmless animals, you’ve never flown a plane into a herd of them or landed on them. Now you know why they’re a menace and guards must be deployed to keep them away! As for the deer chasing party, that just sounds like a fun game kids play and maybe some immature adults who are easily amused… like myself.


General

“We were foxed” means to be tricked or confused (and will soon be incorporated into my vocabulary)

“Mugging up” = rote storage of information in your short-term memory that is difficult to access after more than a day or so (at least for me!)

“Special teach points” – essentially the same thing as instructional points, but of course it implies that there are not-so-special teach points as well (maybe like patter?)

“Co-pupils” = other students: I don’t know why I feel like this term is slightly derogatory, when it really just means “a student under the direct supervision of a teacher or professor.”

“Torch” = flashlight: I would never have been allowed to have a torch in the cockpit before coming here! That’s because I’m more familiar with definition “a” rather than “b” (thank you thefreedictionary.com):
a. A portable light produced by the flame of a stick of resinous wood or of a flammable material wound about the end of a stick of wood; a flambeau.

b. Chiefly British A flashlight.

“Flick it” – means to intentionally or purposely turn/switch on/off, which is slightly different than the following thefreedictionary.com definitions:
1. (tr) to touch with or as if with the finger or hand in a quick jerky movement
2. (tr) to propel or remove by a quick jerky movement, usually of the fingers or hand to flick a booger at someone
3. to move or cause to move quickly or jerkily

“You’re looking smart” – yeah baby! I like this term, especially when it’s directed at me because it means you’re looking sharp, handsome, or beautiful.

“Hillock” = small hill according to Wikipedia… why don’t we just call it a hill for short?

“Jungle jim” = a tractor cutting grass or tilling soil, which really isn’t very close to what’s on my mind when I hear it mentioned – See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jungle_gym

“Stop screwing my happiness” – a fairly clear and direct phrase describing injustice, if you ask me!

“This thing” – said when one is at a loss to find the right English word describing something and doesn’t feel like wasting the time to try to think of it… kinda like the phrase “you know what I mean right?”

"The purpose of this is not for the guy in front of the class to take his pants off" - in other words the intent is not for you to embarrass yourself in front of everyone, but there's a possibility that it could happen...  pretty colorful way of putting it if you ask me! HAHAHA!

2010 Year in Review

The sun sets on another year!!

This is a bit overdue, but here’s a brief synopsis of a few highlights from 2010:

The year actually began for me much the way 2011 has-- in training. Last year at this time I was in San Antonio, TX completing my stateside flight instructor training. It was a 5-month course that was quite challenging, although the flying was fun. In addition to the training I was taking grad classes, which meant that I didn’t have much free time. However, I was fortunate enough to have some good friends in TX who were a real blessing to me. What little free time I had was spent playing golf, enjoying delicious steaks (and other food), and engaging in lively conversation with good company. After finishing up in TX, I went back to Philly to pack my bags for India with a stop in Indianapolis to watch the NCAA National Championship basketball game – Duke v. Butler. Apart from the outcome (Duke won), it was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience!

I also managed to take in a Cardinals-Reds Opening Day baseball game in Cincinnati, which was pretty cool too!

Cards v. Reds Opening Day - April 5, 2010

Since my training in TX finished at the end of March and my training in India was scheduled to begin in May, I didn’t expect to have much time to say my goodbye to friends and get ready for the move overseas. However, as a result of some lengthy delays, I didn’t end up leaving for India until August. That allowed me to take a couple extra grad classes and prepare for this exciting new chapter of life. Oh, and those extensive delays meant that I got to have about 10 “going-away” parties. Of course being the party animal that I took full advantage! The best party was the “Cowboys and Indians” party, which my family was able to attend. It ended up being quite a clash of cultures with Native American/Cowboy (western) attire mixed with South Asian kurtas and sarees! Another fun one was my last karaoke night at Yakitori Boy, which was a total blast.

My last few months in Philly were a real blessing as I had the opportunity to spend time cultivating deeper relationships with my friends. Of course this made leaving much more difficult, but I thank God for His provision in bringing so many wonderful people into my life. However, my last week in Philly may have been the most exciting and most memorable of the entire 7 years I spent there! I was living temporarily with some friends in South Philly since most of my material possessions had already packed up. I was basically living out of a suitcase, but amazingly enough that did not prevent someone from breaking into the house and stealing what few personal effects I still had! I was actually the only person home at the time the brigand broke into the third floor bedroom utilizing the nearby construction. Unfortunately, that was where I happened to be keeping my stuff. Without describing it in too much detail, the story ended with me chasing him down with a golf club in my hand! In retrospect, it probably wasn’t the brightest idea, but it certainly makes for a good story! That experience made it a bit easier to say goodbye to the city I had grown to love!

My first stop leaving Philly was DC, where I was able to spend some time with my sister and a dear friend before trekking out west. I was fortunate enough to have friends and family spread across the country which made the drive to Colorado quite pleasant. After DC, I stopped in Cincinnati to visit a good friend from college before visiting relatives in northern Illinois. Then I spent a week in St Louis with extended family and managed to take in a Cards game at their new ballpark (it wasn’t heaven, but it was close!). 

Baseball's Promised Land

The last stop was in Kansas to see more family before I eventually made my way to Colorado. The time in CO was spent with my parents, my other sister, and her (now) husband. After a few failed attempts to get my golf game in shape, I was on the airplane to India via Hawaii. Hawaii was a nice little mini-vacation before boarding the plane for Delhi (with short layovers in Tokyo and Singapore).

Touching down in Delhi, the Gora (white guy) began the South Asia adventure and a foray into the blogosphere. If you’ve read any of my blogs, you know that India has been quite an exciting experience thsu far. As I look back on 2010, it was a year of many firsts for me:

First solo flight (in 9+ years!),
First trip to India (Delhi, Hyderabad, Chennai, Hampi, and Goa)
First Christmas and New Year’s Eve celebration in India,
First bicycle and auto (car) rickshaw rides,
First training flight in India,
First Indian wedding crashed by the Gora,
First car accident in India,
First snake encounter (possibly poisonous),

First stomach/intestinal virus in India (and hopefully my last!)

The list could go on and on, but I’ve limited the list to the Gora’s most memorable experiences of 2010 in India. For those of you wondering what topped the list overall, it was definitely my sister’s wedding, although getting to spend some quality time with my grandfather before the Lord called him home is also up there. 2010 was a year that I will not soon forget as there were so many unique experiences shared with so many dear friends. I thank God for His grace and provision which was so abundantly poured out in 2010. May this New Year bring an even better taste of His goodness!

Scottish Presbyterians in India

Here are a few pictures of a lovely church in Chennai called St Andrews (the Kirk).  The church building is absolutely beautiful and the high arching dome provides such majestic sounds that it feels as though you are singing with the hosts of heaven.  What a delight it has been for me to worship God with the congregation at St Andrews.