Month: January 2022

Part 161- Native Americans and History

Rovija Khapre 0 Comment General Topics, Law and Justice, School Life, Social Responsibilities , ,

So in History we’ve started a new unit. We’ve finished Madison’s Presidency, War of 1812, Industrial Revolution, and Monroe’s Presidency. Now, we’ve started Jackson’s Presidency. We’ve only just started the unit, so I’m still learning. However, we did a brief insight on what the unit covers. One of the things that stood out to me- well two- were the Indian Removal Act and the Trail of Tears.

The Indian Removal Act authorized President Andrew Jackson to negotiate land-exchange treaties with tribes living east of the Mississippi. The treaties enacted under this act’s provisions led to the reluctant-and often forcible- emigration of tens of thousands of American Indians to plots of land west of the Mississippi. This is more commonly known as the Trail of Tears. The Cherokee Indians, and many other tribes, were forced to leave their lands and travel from North Carolina and Georgia through Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, and Arkansas. More than 800 miles ( 1,287 km)- to the Indian Territory. It’s said that President Jackson did so for the good of the Natives, and so they would be able to live away from the colonies and not be affected by them. However, if that was the intention, then why couldn’t the Natives be transported by train or cart? We had just gotten out of the Industrial Revolution at that time, and had developed all these amazing, efficient ways to travel yet we forced the Indians to travel by FOOT on a 116 day journey, and on which more than 4,000 out of 15,000 Cherokees died of cold, disease, and lack of food? We were doing this for their better good, yet we ended up killing a fourth of their population! And for what? The land we promised them, eventually was taken away. Again! By the US! Couldn’t we have provided them with food or clothing or even better transportation in order to help them safely reach their destination? It’s called the Trail of Tears because of the tears shed for the loved ones lost from this journey. However, this is only one event.

 In the past, the Treaty of Hopewell was signed in Georgia, protecting Cherokee Native Americans in the United States, yet we sectioned off their land. Then there’s the Treaty of Houston, in which all of their land outside of the borders previously established is given up. All within 6 years. 

The Battle of Timbers was the last major battle over the Northwest territory following the American Revolution. Then we have the Louisiana Purchase. France pretty much just sold it to us without caring about who lived there or not.

In 1814, US forces and Native American allies attacked Creek Indians who opposed American expansion and encroachment of their territory. The Creeks cede more than 20 million acres of land after their loss.

After President Jackson, President Martin Van Buren did a similar thing. In order to speed up the process of the Cherokees leaving their land, he enlists 7,000 troops to hold them at gunpoint and marches them 1,200 miles. GUNPOINT! Firstly, we strip them of their own land without their consent and force them to walk 800 miles to new land. Then, because there are still some left and we want to speed it up, we ( the US) decide to make them march 1,200 miles at gunpoint. How absurd is that?! 

Not only that, we start passing acts that forbid them from leaving their reservations unless they have permission. We basically trap them in a plot of land smaller than they once had, just because we want to settle further west and expand. What happened to ‘the good of the Indians’?

Daily living on the reservations was difficult. It was almost impossible for tribes to maintain their culture and traditions inside a confined area. Not only that, feuding tribes were carelessly thrown together, and Indians who once were hunters, struggled as farmers. They were forced to get out of their spiritual beliefs by converting to Christianity, learn English, and wear non-Indian clothing.

Although the intention of this was to help the natives improve their quality of life by assimilating into white culture easier and faster, it really didn’t do anything. As the land owned by the Indians grew smaller and smaller, more land was opened to white settlers and railroads. Much of the reservation wasn’t even good farmland, and many Indians couldn’t afford the supplies needed to reap a harvest.

After all this, in 1934 a new act was passed. The Indian Reorganization Act. It was passed with the goals of restoring Native American culture and returning surplus land to tribes. It also encouraged tribes to self-govern and write their own constitutions and provided financial aid for any reservation infrastructure.

Today, modern Indian reservations still exist, and fall under the umbrella of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The BIA is a United States federal agency within the Department of the Interior, and is responsible for implementing federal laws and policies related to American Indians and Alaskan Natives. It works with tribal governments to help administer law enforcement and justice; promote development in agriculture, infrastructure, and the economy; enhance tribal governance; manage natural resources; and generally advance the quality of life in tribal communities.

Despite that this is meant to help the Natives, I can’t help but feel it’s ironic. I mean, before they literally pushed the Natives as far as they could to help the US develop and expand, and this led to the reason they suffered and could barely survive. They did this without caring about the conditions there or how it could affect their lifestyle, and now they have an entire agency that helps advance the quality of their life. It’s basically like, okay we’re gonna take all your land despite the kindness you’ve shown, expand our own country and develop it first, and then we’ll create this agency to help you have a better life and help take care of your tribe. If only we had never pushed the natives, we wouldn’t be like this.

Even though we have an agency that helps the tribes, living conditions on the reservations aren’t ideal and are often compared to that of a third-world or try. Housing is overcrowded and often below standards, and many people on the reservations are stuck in a cycle of poverty. Health care is provided on reservations, but it’s underfunded and, in some cases, practically non-existent. I get that the BIA may be doing as much as it can to help the natives, but this is really ridiculous.

We’ve pretty much forced them to adapt and live in a home smaller than what was theirs, and get used to our modern society while they’re still struggling to survive and improve their living conditions. While it’s a good thing that we’re trying to fix our mistakes by helping them, it really just seems a bit ironic to me.

Another thing I want to add is the Worcester v. Georgia case. In this case, the Supreme Court ruled that the Cherokee nation was a “domestic dependent nation” with no rights binding on a state. That being said, they should be able to do what they want, right? Well, no. Even though they lost in court because they were ruled as a distinct nation, they were never treated like one. They were practically treated like animals as they were forced to move and give up their land. The land that was rightfully theirs first.

But why would this have happened? Why is it that now we started caring instead of back then? Well, the same reason why slavery existed. Because of the race and color. The Europeans fought with each other for territory. They didn’t just take it and say, oh this is mine now. Why? Well because they were mostly of the same color. They looked similar. They were white. But when they come to the New World and see the natives of a different color ( darker than them) they think it’s okay for them to ignore the natives. The color isn’t the same, so why should they care? It’s because they’re different that settlers pushed them back. If the natives weren’t, most likely there wouldn’t have been the same problems as there were in history.

But, even after all the problems and challenges they’ve had to go through in the past and even now, the natives continue to hold onto their heritage and thrive as a community. I admire that. Although they’ve experienced pain, and suffering, and gone through so many hardships, they continue to persist and pass down their traditions and beliefs. They continue to, and forever will. They’ve never given up, and that’s truly remarkable. 

I feel guilty knowing how the settlers pretty much kicked the natives out of their own homes. It’s upsetting how this part of history is skimmed over and not thoroughly understood. I know slavery and the actions with the natives are two different things, but they are similar in some ways. Recently, people have been taking out evidence of the Confederate to erase that part in history. If they’re taking that out, then shouldn’t they remove everything we did to the natives as well? Or at least bring it to light, as that’s what we’ve been doing with the BLM movement.  I find it hypocritical.The United States is always trying to defend human rights and speak out against genocide. However, what people don’t realize is that what we’ve done to natives in the past is similar. For example, Uyghur genocide in China, or the  Holocaust. I know that these topic are far more brutal and much much more worse than the history with Native Americans. It does not come onto the same level as them. The Holocaust was a genocide of European Jews, of which over 6 million were killed. Extermination through labor in concentration camps, mass shootings, gas chambers, extermination camps, and so many other ways to implement the persecution. In China, the Uyghur genocide is being done through state-sponsored internment camps, forced labor, suppression of Uyghur religious practices, forced sterilization, etc. I don’t even know how to describe them. It’s horrible. Although I cannot compare it to the situations with the Native Americans in the past, it is only slightly similar. It’s hypocritical of us to speak out and do so much to change all the racial persecution and discrimination in the world when it’s what we’ve done in the past. We need to change this. The United States is the land of the free. It’s shown in a good light. We’re always trying to make a change and show ourselves as a protector. But how do we do that if we never protected the people who welcomed us on their land. Who helped us survive and actually helped us grow? This brings up another thing. Thanksgiving. The whole idea behind this holiday is ironic. We celebrate Thanksgiving as a reminder of how the Native Americans helped us and treated us kindly when we arrived on their land. To be thankful. In reality though, we’ve never returned their kindness. We took it for granted and drive them out of their homes. While there are thousands out there suffering, and living in poverty, we sit at a table with the original Thanksgiving meal, thanking them for their kindness. How ironic is that. I don’t mind Thanksgiving. At least we’re acknowledging their kindness. But ho ware we going to repay it? That’s what we should  be doing instead. On Thanksgiving, instead of sitting and having a grand meal as a tradition, isn’t there something else we can do? A way to show we’re actually thankful? Maybe help get them out of poverty? Or even give back a proper compensation for all the land we’ve taken from them? Maybe not just in money, but if possible, in the land that is left?I only mention this because I think this is also an important part of history we should understand. We need to understand how 13 colonies grew to a country. Not just by the presidents and wars, but also by how we took the land from others. We need to know our mistakes and be able to fix them, or at least compensate for them in order to move on and progress. That’s how we understand history. 

Part 161- India Trip: Part 3 ( 2021-2022)

Rovija Khapre 0 Comment Vacations , , ,

Mumbai is where my mom’s side of the family lives. The three of us left for Mumbai the morning after we returned to Pune from Delhi. The first thing that happened when we arrived at Mumbai was to get ready for a family reunion. Technically it was a pooja, but by the number of family members that were there, I’m going to call it a family reunion.

A lot happened there. I met the family I know. My close cousins and family members. ( I don’t even know if that’s a term.) I also met distant cousins and members. That means, the many, many branches of the family tree. People who are related to me but are the daughter of the father whose brother is related to my dad. Or something like that. The most surprising thing about meeting all of them was that they ALL knew me. I’ve never met most of them a single time in my life, yet they’re all coming up to me and asking how I’ve been and saying hi to me. “Nice to meet you too. Who are you?”

All my cousins! ( And a nephew or two in there)

After the last family member and longtime friend was gone, it was time to get down to business. Pictures. We were all dressed up in our best outfits, not looking as radiant as we did at the beginning, but still looking good, and not taking pictures would be wrong.

The Grandparents and Grandkids
Entire family portrait

The next day was a more relaxed day. With no need to get up early in the morning for some pooja or aarti, I could take it easy. So my day started out with me attempting to solve the most difficult Sudoku puzzle I have ever attempted in my life. Not only that, it was in Devanagari numbers. Despite that, I was able to teach my grandfather how to solve Sudoku.

The day was mainly me and my three cousins hanging out and cracking jokes. This is a continuous thing over the next few days. This is literally all I did there. But, it was admittedly the best time I’ve ever had in my entire life. I think that’s mainly because they’re somewhat around my age. I have two older cousins, and a younger cousin. My younger cousin is 3 years younger while my two older cousins are about 8-9 years older than me. I think because we’re in a closer age range with each other we got along really well.

Hi!
Desperate to find out our Harry Potter Houses
Us feeding the youngest
Ice cream! Sadly we were banned to get chocolate.

My younger cousin is 10, but has one of the most interesting minds I’ve ever seen. Interesting in a way, I don’t even know what goes on in that kid’s head 78% of the time. He’s a witty, chubby, cute kid who loves history, and for some reason is obsessed with the Soviets. But he’s grown so much honestly. The last time I saw him was this small kid who had his eyes glued to his tablet the whole day, and now he’s off spitting facts about Apollo the card god of Uno ( an inside joke, it’s not really true) and Harry Potter. Fun fact: he got married to a plant recently. I think they may be going through a divorce soon though.

My older cousin is 21, and has the personality of a 15 year old. It’s not bad, and honestly it’s the best. I’d say him and my younger cousin get along the best. brother-buddy-compadre-duo friendship that is really fun. Although my older cousin has the authority of an “elder” to us, he doesn’t use it. Instead, he prefers to tease us more and make jokes to make us laugh. I’d say the best part of hanging out with him is his “professional-ism”. Is that a word? I don’t think so…Pretty sure “professional” isn’t the word I’m looking for as well. Anyway, I admire his ability to become your teasing older brother and then switch into a 21-year-old adult who can help around or has a job interview.
My oldest cousin is also pretty amazing. I think I really liked talking to her the most out of everything. I’ve always wanted an older sister. Always. Even though we are like sisters, we didn’t really develop that relationship further until now. So I think I bonded the most with her. I don’t really know what else to write about her. I can only say, she’s a perfect sister. I don’t know how else I should describe her. She’s just the best.My Mavshi ( mom’s sister- specific term for aunt) is the person to call for fashion advice. She has great taste in clothing and accessories, and is absolutely amazing. She has a bit of a mischievous side, and has a really fun personality. She also doesn’t take no for an answer. If I go visit, she’ll have made or ordered something to eat. And even if I or my mom say a word she’ll look at us to just sit and eat. In a caring way of course.My Kaka ( mom’s sister’s husband) is a quieter person. He usually keeps to himself, but he is very musical. He loves to sing. Sing and dance. He’s also always trying to get to know me. My Marathi is still not perfect, so often my grammar and sentences will be off. He knows that, and tries to have a conversation with me in English so I would understand and feel comfortable.My Mama ( mom’s brother) is a pretty enthusiastic person. He’s always trying to spend time with us and cheat at Uno. He has a very fun personality. It’s always very light, and upbeat. Each greeting is different. A new style. New kind of enthusiasm. He’s also pretty witty, and doesn’t hesitate to tease me at every moment.My Mami ( mom’s brother’s wife) is a very jovial person. Like I mentioned in my first post, she reminds me of my Kaku. However, they both give out different energies. My Kaku is quieter, while my Mami is much more enthusiastic. She’s loud, and laughs a lot. She’s a very compassionate person as well, and has a very caring personality.My grandmother is also enthusiastic. ( Wow. I’ve never used enthusiastic so many times.) She’s a strong woman, not letting anything knock her down. She has a very firm personality, but it’s also very loving. She won’t hesitate to show it at all.My grandfather is a military man. He’s now retired, but he still has those characteristics of one. A bit strict, serious, and observant. He likes telling stories. Mainly about when he was in the army. Or when he was working at a company. Other than that he’s kind of quiet. Except when he sneezes. Boy are those loud.The majority of my time was spent playing Uno with my cousins in a room or watching movies and talking about random stuff. COVID restrictions in Mumbai are stricter, so I wasn’t able to go out much. But, when we did, we went shopping at the nearby markets, or visited Mavshi’s house and my grandparents’ house. But, we also got to do a tour of Mumbai’s prime locations: Mumbai Police Headquarters, Mumbai Library, Gateway of India, and a scenic view of Marine Drive. We also got a bonus tour of Bandra, which is where the majority of Bollywood actors and actresses live. Courtesy of Mami herself.

Travel Van

Mumbai Library
Gateway of India. It was SO crowded.
Mumbai Police Headquarters
Mumbai Police Headquarters 2

Marine Drive! ( And me)

A proper photo of Marine Drive

So yeah, that’s how the first day of the new year was spent. The last few hours of 2021 were spent through a treasure hunt, a forbidden video of me dancing to Permission to Dance, everyone having a blast while listening to some Bollywood music, and most importantly…CRAB.

Ladies
Gentlemen

I feel like I’m going backwards instead of forwards now. I-
So that morning my mom, Mavshi, Kaka, Mama, and I had all gone to Sassoon Dock to go buy some fish. I have never been in a place with so much fish. I’ve been on a port before, but never on a fishing dock. The smell was…fishy. And overwhelming. *Ahem* Not talking about what happened next. Anyway, I got to see a variety of fish I don’t usually get to see, I also got to see a live process of fish being cut in half and gutted, as well as Mavshi unleashing her bargaining skills on the sellers.

After we got home, top priority was cleaning and preparing the fish, crab, and shrimp. I helped with cleaning the shrimp, and watched Mavshi snap the shells off of the crabs she had just finished cleaning with a toothbrush.

For the past 7 years I had watched from the other side of the world as they sent pictures of mutton, chicken, crab, shrimp, fish, cakes, and so many other homemade foods. I had waited 7 years to finally taste their cooking. This was a big deal for me. At last the moment had come. And it was perfect. I’m not the most skilled crab eater or even when eating with my hands, so it was a bit of an awkward, clumsy mess. However, it was definitely worth waiting 7 years for.

That concludes the final part for this  trip. 

Part 161- India Trip: Part 2 ( 2021-2022)

Rovija Khapre 0 Comment Vacations , , ,

This part is about the traveling we did on our trip in between. Well… that’s kind of obvious. Anyways, I got to visit different parts of India for the first time. Usually I’ve always stayed in one place in either Mumbai or Pune and never went anywhere else. This was my first time visiting a different state- with the exception of Karnataka- and seeing a different version of India. Multiple versions actually. 

Our first destination was Prayagraj, which is in Uttar Pradesh. As Uttar Pradesh is further up north, it was FREEZING there. Not only that, we had to get up really early once again, and go on a boat ride on the Yamuna river to perform an aarthi. So, even COLDER. However, for this aarthi we got to go to this spot known as Theen Veni Singham. I think it translates to three sister rivers. If not, I’m sorry. However, it is where three rivers- Ganges, Yamuna, and Saraswati- rivers meet. It’s said that if you bathe where the three rivers meet, all your wrongdoings will be cleared. ( I think.) However, the rivers in India are extremely filthy due to the immense amount of pollution and carelessness by people. So we only got the water sprinkled on us. 

The aarthi that was performed is done by the oldest generation ( in this case my grandparents) and it is to kind of clear away all the wrongdoings done in their lifetime and the future generations’ lifetime. ( Once again, this is based on what I remember. I’m truly sorry if I may mix up a few facts. I honestly was too cold to process what I was told correctly.) 

I’d say Prayagraj is a very….different place. It’s unbelievably poor, and extremely dirty. India in general does not have the best hygiene. It is quite dirty in many places and not exactly the best place sometimes. However, Prayagraj is honestly, quite worse. It’s still developing as PM Modi is spending time and money on it, as it was stripped of resources by the Moghuls, but in the midst of all that it’s unbelievable how people live there. There are destroyed buildings, and rubble everywhere with so much trash and waste on the roads. People live here. In these half demolished buildings and cold weathers without much. It’s just unbelievable. And the number of people suffering. We went to visit a temple there and the number of people just around us as we walked, with cut off and crippled limbs, with absolutely nothing, begging us for money. And the guilt you feel when you can’t do anything about it and try to ignore it by walking away. It’s overwhelming. It’s terrifying even. It makes you wonder how do these people live like this? 

Varanasi was no different. It was extremely crowded, and unsanitary. We had gone to Varanassi to visit the Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple there. I have to say, the temple is beautifully rebuilt. Before, it was completely destroyed by the Moghuls  and a mosque was built there instead. But it’s been renovated, and now there is such a beautiful result. It’s really nicely done. According to my parents, the entrance used to be through gullies/alleys. I got to go through one, and let me tell you, those are filthy. They are extremely narrow, and reek with sewage water and just literal wastage there. I couldn’t help but wonder how such a thing could be an entrance for a temple. It feels so disrespectful, and upsetting. Now, thanks to PM Modi, there is this huge, wide space that is a proper entrance. I don’t know what it’s called, but it’s this huge, open area that leads to these humongous wooden doors, which hide the temple. It is truly spectacular. 

 

Later that evening we attended the Ganges Aarthi. This daily event is huge. You will not believe the amount of people coming to see this. We went by boat so that we could see all the different ghats along the river as well, but the river was also crowded. People surrounded those doing the aarthi, and lined up one after the other behind them all the way up the ghat. 

 

 

 

After those two, my parents and I traveled to Delhi and Agra by ourselves while the rest of my family went back to Pune. I have to say, New Delhi is the complete opposite. Honestly, for some reason I felt like I was in Dubai. I don’t know why or how since I’ve only ever been at the airport in Dubai. Nothing else. New Delhi is actually cleaner than any other part of India I’ve ever SEEN. I know that in certain parts of India they are really good and clean as well. But, New Delhi is the first that I’ve seen. 

Apart from that, I got to see New Delhi. India’s capital. I got to see all the government buildings and houses of ministers and the Prime Minister as well. For me, it feels kind of open. I really don’t know what it should be like though. I’ve been to Washington D.C. before, but that was a REALLY long time ago. But the main part of New Delhi with all the government offices feels really close. It’s not really in it’s own little section. It’s just like there are roads and it comes up on the side of them.  So I guess I was a bit disappointed by that. But perhaps it was only like that because we only observed them from a distance due to COVID restrictions. 

We visited Raj Ghat as well. Raj Ghat is a memorial dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi. The main part of Raj Ghat is a black marble platform which marks the spot of where Mahatma Gandhi was cremated. On that is a torch where an eternal flame burns. 

Our final destination that day was old Delhi. Old Delhi is the opposite of New Delhi. It has origins dating back to the Mughals, hence the reason the majority of the population are Muslims. It’s a very crowded place. The roads should be kept an eye on at all times as you never know when a vehicle will come near you or not. People don’t look at your feet, so it’s easy to get caught in the middle of the road. There are numerous meat shops lined up one after the another. Smells of chicken or mutton roasting on grills waft through the air, mixed with the smoke of the fire and the normal haze. At least that;s what one part looks like.

Similar to Prayagraj, the houses are small. Built in between alleys or stacked on other houses. Goats and sheep tied up near the houses. Kids playing along the road and running around joyously. Heaps of trash in corners. This is life for them. This is the home they know. This…is just…different. It’s different from what I’ve seen or known. I don’t even know what to say about it. It’s just unbelievable that these can be where people live. It’s heartbreaking.

Agra was similar. Despite being home to one of the 7 wonders of the world, Agra is a crowded and dirty place. The roads are so disorganized and cluttered, and there are so many people just crowded there. Not only that, the Taj Mahal is packed. In pictures it looks so empty, but it;s really not. There’s people packed on the walkways, and at the entrance of it. But when you get closer, there’s people so close together up there. At this point in time, it’s not the best idea to be roaming in heavily populated areas without masks ( in my opinion) yet here they are. Even at Varanasi and Prayagraj. Nobody listens to the guidelines and restrictions put out by the government. It seems like no one wears a mask. 

Leaving all that aside, the Taj Mahal is absolutely stunning. It is perfectly symmetrical, and has so many perfect details that you can’t see in a photo. For example, there’s writing above the entrance. However, it’s carved out of black onyx and put into the marble. All the designs of the Taj Mahal are made with precious stones. There isn’t a single fleck of paint anywhere. It’s all done perfectly symmetrical to each other, and so precisely as well. The amount of work and craft gone into building it is incredible. The small details with the stones as well. The way it’s made and the stones are carved is amazing. It is truly a wonder, and is a must to see.

 

Christmas was spent at the Taj Mahal!
Soup as the special dinner!

Before we left to head back to Pune, we made one last stop at Agra Fort. Agra Fort is tremendous. It houses the Indian military, and before it was housed by the army of whichever empire  ruled at that time. It was the place where Maratha emperor Shivaji Maharaj was made to stand behind troops and men he had already defeated in battle. He and his nine-year-old son Sambhaji had been summoned by Aurangzeb, leader of the Mughal Empire to Agra. However, when Shivaji Maharaj came to present a gift to him, Aurangzeb ignored him, and made Shivaji stand in the back of the court , behind men he had already defeated in battle. Shivaji would not stand to be humiliated, and took offence, storming out of the court. The tables were turned. Now Aurangzeb was embarrassed. Because of this, Shivaji was placed on house arrest.  Shivaji later came up with a plan to free himself, and was successful. Outside of the fort was a statue of Shivaji Maharaj heading towards the fort. A man with so much might and courage to do so.

 

 

 

That concludes the second part of our trip.

Part 161- India Trip: Part 1 (2021-2022)

Rovija Khapre 0 Comment Vacations , ,

Here’s the thing. I’m back! Where was I for the past month? I dunno. Somewhere over the Atlantic waters for a few days and then on the other side of the world for the rest. Any guesses yet? Let me clarify. I was in India for about 3 weeks for the winter holidays, and it was the best thing ever. Mainly for two reasons. One, I would get to see my family after 7 years, and two, I needed a break. Desperately. School is stressful by itself, and three weeks away from anything that has to do with Triangle Similarity Theorems or on the Nervous System was exactly what I needed. And what better way to do so than to visit your family?

So let me quickly explain how this trip will be documented. It’s split into three parts, Pune, Travel, and Mumbai, and there will be a separate one per part. I’ll then post an overall blog with all three in it, plus additional thoughts and experiences.

Pune is the city where my dad’s side of the family lives. Well, apart from my Atya ( dad’s sister- a specific term for aunt) who lives in Australia with my Mama ( dad’s sister’s husband- specific term for uncle) and two older cousins. Other than that everyone else lives there. 

I’d say the highlight of my trip there was being able to spend time with my two younger cousins. I feel a bit guilty for choosing that over every other wonderful and exciting moment, but I really looked forward to meeting them.

The last time I met my first youngest cousin (Viraj), he was only 2-3 years old. He was still a small kid. And also at that time, he wasn’t able to communicate yet. The was, however, able to pinch very well. I was around 6 years old at that time, and I didn’t fully understand what it meant to be an older sister. I found it annoying and didn’t understand why he did it, and instead scolded him. Looking back, I think that was his way of communicating. I can’t remember if he was able to communicate with sounds, but if not, I think pinching was the most effective way he could communicate or get someone’s attention. But now, he’s grown up, 8 now, and is one of the most adorable, and best kids I’ve ever met. Not just because he’s my cousin. But because he’s such a good kid. He’s a very obedient kid who will help out or do whatever is told of him no matter what. Not only that, it’s amazing how much he looks to me, even if we haven’t been able to see each other very often in the past years. Not in a bragging way. I mean it as in, he always wants to do something with me.

I’m an only child, and that means I’m kind of by myself. I’ve never been able to have that older sister or younger sister sibling relationship, so I really got to experience that more this trip. Especially with being an older sister. Viraj is always wanting me to come play or do something with him. Once there was a stray kitten looking for it’s mother and he so desperately wanted me to come help him. I eventually gave in, but it was really warming to see him so determined to convince me. 

My youngest cousin, Viaan, is 2 years old, and is also a late speaker. Instead of pinching, he uses sounds and gestures more often. Despite having the biggest, most innocent eyes and curious mind, he is a bit of a troublemaker. It is incredibly hard to get mad and scold this kid. Viaan once did something wrong, and so my kaka ( dad’s brother- term for uncle) was telling me to scold him. But no matter how hard I tried, I could not hold in my smile or laughter for more than 3 seconds. (I think he knows he’s cute, and uses that very well to his advantage. ) Once he gets to talking, the real fun will begin. This is my first time meeting him, so I was really excited when I got to see him and make my first set of memories with him. 

A picture of my Kaka, two younger cousins, and I! This was taken at Saundatti Yellamma temple in Karnataka. It’s kind of a tradition in my family to go visit it a few times a year, and we usually always go whenever  we visit India. 

Now let me tell you a bit more about my other family members. 

My Kaka is the best expert at food. I do remember some memories when I was younger where he would take me out somewhere for the day to have fun, but we never went for food. I do remember one time he talked about the Domino’s Pizza in India and the most cheesy pizza I would ever find. Sadly we never got to try it that time, but we did this time. I don’t think he remembers that time, but I do. And I got to try it. He’s a fun person to be around, but sometimes he feels serious. Like way too serious. At times I can feel a bit intimidated by him, but otherwise he’s comforting.

My Kaku ( dad’s brother’s wife- specific term for aunt) is the sweetest person I’ve ever met. She’s a quiet person, but she cares deeply for others. She actually reminds me of my Mami ( mother’s brother’s wife- specific term for aunt) in Mumbai. They’re both caring souls, and have extremely pure hearts. She’s an amazing person who is extremely talented, and is literally the best. 

My grandfather is a man in a hurry. Even if there’s nothing to be in a hurry about, he’s always rushing. He likes to be a part of what I do, and try to know me better. He’s a bit strict, so it’d be a lie if I didn’t say I’m scared around him sometimes. But the best part about him is that he always wants to talk to me. He always wants to tell me something. Whether it’s about his continuous stamp collection or some story, he always wants to talk to me. 

My grandmother is a bit of the opposite. She’s the person to watch everyone in the background and smile lovingly. She always puts others before herself, and that frankly worries me sometimes. She’s also a very religious person and would end up telling me some stories about baby Krishna ( a god) or even just children’s stories. At times I don’t mind, but sometimes it makes me feel upset that she doesn’t know I’m older now. Same with my grandfather. They’re getting old, and it shows. 

 

Above is a picture of my entire Pune family at Saundatti. 

It probably doesn’t show, but I was exhausted when we took that picture. I was still jet lagged, and we had immediately left for Saundatti the second we ( my parents and I ) arrived in Pune. It takes almost a day to drive there as Pune is in Maharashtra, and Saundatti is in Karnataka. (These are both states in India.) So for the majority of the trip I had one thing on my mind. SLEEP. I slept on-stop that entire time, and yet,was still tired. Waking up at like 4 in the morning to go visit the temple really doesn;t help the jet lag either. Ahem. Anyways, we spent about 2-3 days at Saundatti before traveling back. 

Here’s a second photo of us on the way back. We had stopped at another place for a quick aarthi. My Kaka isn’t here because he had to go deal with an issue with one of our cars. 

 

Once we got back, the REAL adventure began. The first day, we pretty much just went shopping. Shopping for clothes, jewelry, and pretty much anything we liked. I think I probably should have taken that opportunity of being able to shop instead of whining about being tired. India has some serious lockdown restrictions in certain parts, including Mumbai, and at those places you can only go so far to do something. So, I think I should have grasped that opportunity in Pune better. However, I do not regret it! Every moment is precious, and if it was meant to be spent with me whining, then so be it. 

Later that evening, we went out for dinner. And for dinner I mean a full mutton course. As I’ve mentioned before, my Kaka is practically a connoisseur in food. So we were able to get a full course on how to eat and what to eat. I have to say, this was the best mutton experience I have ever had in my entire life. It was truly, one of a kind. Sadly, I cannot describe the taste anymore, but it is definitely one of my most favorite spots during that trip.

The NEXT DAY. My Kaka, Kaku, and I went out together for sometime before meeting my parents to eat Misal. The three of us went over to a Ram Chandra Maddie ( temple) and they were showing me around a market, Tulsi Bhag, until my parents came. I’d say this was also one of my most favorite moments. I don’t think I’ve ever gotten a chance to spend time with both my aunt and uncle alone, so I really got to interact with just the two of them during this time. It was a short experience, but I really had a great time visiting the different parts of the temple with both of them explaining the significance and best moments of it. It was a really special moment for me. 

 

After that, we ate Misal. I don’t know how many times I’ve eaten Misal before, but this felt like my first time. Misal is basically rasa, bread, and a mix of masala potatoes, onions, and toppings. I’m not sure the exact translation of rasa in English, but it’s like a soup, except it’s just the broth. Except this is thicker and with masala.

 

I don’t want to spend my writing explaining every detail and day of this trip, but this next day is also very important to me. 

So, the next day, my uncle took me and Viraj out for a day of fun. We went on a full food tour that day, and finished with the new Spider-Man movie. The reason this was special to me was because this is kind of a tradition Kaka does with me. The last time, we had gone to see Inside Out and we had gone exploring on his moped. I don’t remember anything we ate, but I do remember we got to see the Indian Eiffel Tower, and my uncle talked about Domino’s Pizza, as I had mentioned previously. 

Honestly, I really enjoyed the first two dishes’ the most. Later in the day I didn’t really feel that same excitement for trying other things. I loved everything I ate that day, don’t get me wrong. But I wasn’t as excited to try them. I think I was already worn out by two dishes even though we were less than 2 hours into our day. I think I also kind of felt awkward as well. I’m extremely thankful to my uncle for taking me out, but I think that because he was waiting for what I thought of each new item that I couldn’t really savor it that well. I guess I might have been the slightest bit pressured to express more enjoyable thoughts in order to not make him feel bad. It was all honesty though! I did enjoy every item, except two, and I was honest the whole time! 

We later went to the movies and saw the new film. I mention this because Indian theaters and US theaters are different in “protocol”. In the US there are trailers and ads before the movie starts. It’s the same in India, BUT, before the movie starts the national anthem is played. I had no idea of this at all, and so I immediately panicked and stood up with everyone else when the announcement came on. I stood there so awkward while everyone began to sing the national anthem and I did not know the first two lines of it. Good thing I had my mask on, or else it would have been even more awkward. AFter that it was all good. I personally like Indian theaters better. One, there’s a half time as Indian movies are ridiculously long. It’s great because you don’t have to get up and use the restroom in the middle of the movie and miss something. Two, because they have subtitles. I am a person who needs subtitles. Even if it’s in English, I need to read what they’re saying in order to understand it better. Okay, need is an exaggeration. I prefer to watch it with subtitles. 

I feel like my time in Pune was also kind of tense. Tense in a way, I feel cautious. Like I’ve said, my grandfather is a strict person, so that kind of aura usually remains in the household. I can’t help but sometimes  I feel a bit cautious with what I do or say because of that. I feel awkward sometimes.

But I also think that may be because I’m the only one of my age range there. My cousins are still much younger than me, and everyone else is at least 20 years older. So I’m kind of alone. They’re there with me, and I get to spend time with them, but it’s not really on the same generation level. It’s not that. We all think differently, and like different things. It’s not the same. 

Besides that, I’m satisfied with my visit to Pune. I was able to complete the top things on my list there, and I think I spent my time well. At certain parts I wish I could’ve gotten more time to spend time with a particular family member, but otherwise, I’m happy.

That concludes the first part of our trip.