Turkey for Me...
I know it's a little late, but Happy Thanksgiving!
It's been a busy week. Last Wednesday, we had our Thanksgiving dinner. I made mashed potatoes, stirfry string beans, and sweet potatoes. We also had corn on the cob, paneer, and since we couldn't find a turkey, chicken tikka. It was a very Indian Thanksgiving and we all just pigged out.
The reason we had to have Thanksgiving on Wednesday was because we had to go to Delhi the next night for a conference. We were starving when we got to Delhi so we again pigged out. After riding around Delhi and seeing sights, I went to Heeya house again. We went to see the Austrian Chamber Orchestra play. It was simply amazing. I haven't seen an orchestra concert in so long and I really missed it. Made me want to go learn the violin again. After the concert, we went to her aunt's house for yet another Thanksgiving dinner. This time there was a real turkey WITH cranberry sauce! And there was cheese and stuffing! I was in heaven! That first bite of turkey and cranberry sauce was divine. Totally worth the 15 hour train ride. I spent that night at Heeya's and then the next morning went off to the conference.
The conference was all right. No, I lie, it was terrible. I am never going to another conference ever again. There were about 50 trainees there and I was the only American and we had to do "role calls" by country and I had to go up in front of everyone and do something "American." I had no idea what to do, so I sang "Yankee doodle" but I forgot the words to the rest of the song, so my role call was extremely brief. The speakers and food were awful and they kept making us play these stupid games. It was a waste of my life.
But being the only American there was very eye opening. During country presentations and discussions it seemed like everyone had something to say about America, whether it was about how we used the cause of "democracy" to invade Iraq or how American investors restrict the Colombian government. Everyone had something to do with America. One person told me to my face that he thought that the American accent was "stupid and annoying" and that "Americans didn't even know about their own culture, much less anyone else's." I wasn't exactly offended, because he turned out to be a very nice boy, so I know he didn't mean to be offensive, but I didn't like him very much either. I kept feeling that he wouldn't like me because everytime I opened my mouth, I would sound stupid and annoying. And I felt like he would always be judging me based on my nationality and nothing else.
A Kiwi asked me, "You didn't expect that Americans would be hated?" Of course I expected Americans would be hated. What I didn't expect was that all these international kids would be dancing around to Rage Against the Machine songs. That they would watch more "Friends" or "Will and Grace" than I ever did. They consume the US culture and we become a part of theirs, but, at the same time, they unashamedly hate us. They embrace the very things that most stand for America in my opinion. Our music, our movies, our tv shows, the expression and reflection of the people.
Everyone loves to hate the one on top. It's not jealousy, we're just an easy target. When Michael Richards, the guy who plays Kramer on Seinfeld, went on this huge racial tirade I got an e-mail from my Indian friend about it. In it one of her friends said, "But you have to see the kind of 'celebrities' this country is producing." Almost as if celebrities from other countries are never racist. The US is so visible and any action of anyone, whether it's our President or our children, reflects up on the whole country. While the US makes it clear that we are the world's super power, it makes equally clear all our faults and shortcomings. If we're going to lead the world, we need to do a better job.
Happy birthday Kevin!
It's been a busy week. Last Wednesday, we had our Thanksgiving dinner. I made mashed potatoes, stirfry string beans, and sweet potatoes. We also had corn on the cob, paneer, and since we couldn't find a turkey, chicken tikka. It was a very Indian Thanksgiving and we all just pigged out.
The reason we had to have Thanksgiving on Wednesday was because we had to go to Delhi the next night for a conference. We were starving when we got to Delhi so we again pigged out. After riding around Delhi and seeing sights, I went to Heeya house again. We went to see the Austrian Chamber Orchestra play. It was simply amazing. I haven't seen an orchestra concert in so long and I really missed it. Made me want to go learn the violin again. After the concert, we went to her aunt's house for yet another Thanksgiving dinner. This time there was a real turkey WITH cranberry sauce! And there was cheese and stuffing! I was in heaven! That first bite of turkey and cranberry sauce was divine. Totally worth the 15 hour train ride. I spent that night at Heeya's and then the next morning went off to the conference.
The conference was all right. No, I lie, it was terrible. I am never going to another conference ever again. There were about 50 trainees there and I was the only American and we had to do "role calls" by country and I had to go up in front of everyone and do something "American." I had no idea what to do, so I sang "Yankee doodle" but I forgot the words to the rest of the song, so my role call was extremely brief. The speakers and food were awful and they kept making us play these stupid games. It was a waste of my life.
But being the only American there was very eye opening. During country presentations and discussions it seemed like everyone had something to say about America, whether it was about how we used the cause of "democracy" to invade Iraq or how American investors restrict the Colombian government. Everyone had something to do with America. One person told me to my face that he thought that the American accent was "stupid and annoying" and that "Americans didn't even know about their own culture, much less anyone else's." I wasn't exactly offended, because he turned out to be a very nice boy, so I know he didn't mean to be offensive, but I didn't like him very much either. I kept feeling that he wouldn't like me because everytime I opened my mouth, I would sound stupid and annoying. And I felt like he would always be judging me based on my nationality and nothing else.
A Kiwi asked me, "You didn't expect that Americans would be hated?" Of course I expected Americans would be hated. What I didn't expect was that all these international kids would be dancing around to Rage Against the Machine songs. That they would watch more "Friends" or "Will and Grace" than I ever did. They consume the US culture and we become a part of theirs, but, at the same time, they unashamedly hate us. They embrace the very things that most stand for America in my opinion. Our music, our movies, our tv shows, the expression and reflection of the people.
Everyone loves to hate the one on top. It's not jealousy, we're just an easy target. When Michael Richards, the guy who plays Kramer on Seinfeld, went on this huge racial tirade I got an e-mail from my Indian friend about it. In it one of her friends said, "But you have to see the kind of 'celebrities' this country is producing." Almost as if celebrities from other countries are never racist. The US is so visible and any action of anyone, whether it's our President or our children, reflects up on the whole country. While the US makes it clear that we are the world's super power, it makes equally clear all our faults and shortcomings. If we're going to lead the world, we need to do a better job.
Happy birthday Kevin!
posted by Jenna Furley | 2:01 AM
1 Comments:
Lal-ji! You didn't tell me you had a blog! It's fantastic reading. Sounds like a great trip you're on.
Are you having more fun the second time around? Ap-ki hindi kaisi hai?
Much love! Stay safe! Good luck!
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