Indian Wedding

THIS WAS INCREDIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Indian weddings are full of excitement, energy, cultural and religious traditions, family, and food. Preparing for the wedding was an interesting experience. We had no idea how to put on our Saris, so they neighbor helped us. It was quite a sight. I tripped a ton of times and we were laughing so hard that we couldn't focus on standing still ong enough to get pinned. I guess it is a good thing that everything in India goes by Indian Standard Time, which means....nothing is ever on time. I mean hours late. We were supposed to be picked up at 4p.m. and we weren't picked up until 8p.m., but it was okay because there was no official time for the wedding to start and we were EARLY for the wedding! I am so punctual, so I struggle with this concept of Indian Standard Time. We left at 2a.m. and the wedding wasn't even one sixth of the way completed. Indian weddings go until the wee hours of the morning, such as 6 and 7a.m.

There are over 200 different kinds of Indian weddings. It depends on the religious positions and the geographic location of the families. Some weddings are more traditional and others are not.

This particular wedding was an arranged marriage. Arranged marriages are still popular in India. An arranged marriage is when parents find a suitor for their daughter based on certain criteria (i.e. education, occupation, common interests, genuine family cohesiveness, etc.) and then they begin the process of arranging the. Basically, after a suitor has been decided, the families spend time together asking questions and learning about each others' values. If the families approve, then the possible bride and groom meet a few times and then they get married. The common saying in India is, "We dated after we were married," because usually the bride and groom have only met a few times prior to getting married. This was the situation of this wedding we attended.

TRADITIONS OF INDIAN WEDDINGS ARE VERY INTERESTING. YOU MAY WANT TO RESEARCH A FEW OF THE TRADITIONS AND COMPARE/CONTRAST THESE TRADITIONS WITH THE ONES YOUR FAMILY PRACTICES AND SHARE YOUR FINDINGS IN YOUR NEXT POST.

Here is Miss Reynolds' Notes of Indian Weddings (You can tell we LOVED this experience!!!) Here are some pictures from the first Indian wedding Miss Reynolds attended.
























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No celebration, world-wide, could compare to a true, Indian wedding. These people go ALL OUT! Indian parents pride themselves on finding a good family and a good match for their children. When the big day comes, they couldn't be happier and they invite everyone, and I mean EVERYONE to share in their happiness. There are so many wedding "functions" prior to the actual event... The groom and his family are spoiled by the bride's family and showered with gifts and sweets. The bride is pampered by all of the women in her family with material, jewels, henna and polish. Everyone is running around like crazy, hopping from party to party, and this is BEFORE the formal wedding dinner, party and ceremony!

Unlike Americans, Indians celebrate with a party first then attend the personal ceremony afterward. So walking in to an Indian wedding means walking into fun, feasts, and dancing. When I visited my first Indian wedding bash, I patiently anticipated the groom's arrival, who (on his own good time) finally showed up a few hours later! There is no official start time or end time when it comes to Indian weddings. The best part was, I couldn't even see him coming because a few hundred people (the groom's guests) were paving the way for him on the dark roads. From a distance I could see the precession slowly making their way, I could hear the live drums ripping through the crowd, and I could feel the floor trembling. As the madness approached, I could faintly make out the silhouette of the groom from the torches which were being carried around him. Caught up in the moment were the singing and dancing party of people in front of the groom- the biggest street party I have ever witnessed! And behind the chaos sat the groom... on horseback! Dressed in all white from head to toe, he rode tall and proud behind his family and friends. He wore a stunning, white headpiece which covered his face, and wouldn't reveal himself until greeted by the bride's family.

After the grand entrance and a million traditions later, the groom (headpiece off) sat on stage waiting for the bride to come down the aisle. And suddenly there she was- looking like an Indian GODDESS! Her suit was covered in every kind of embroidery, design, jewel, gem, rhinestone, pattern you could think up. The jewelry... wow. Intense. Next thing you know her mom shoved me next to her and there I was, walking her down the aisle! I was totally self-conscious thinking, "Okay, I met her this morning, I don't know if this constitutes a friendship worthy of maid-of-honor status," but that was just my western mind rambling. My new-found Indian self realized, "Indians want to share their joy with everyone. These people have accepted me into their family." That last thought truly registered when I woke up the next morning in a bed with five of my new family members. The after-math of a wedding can be brutal- around 30 people sleeping under one roof. Personal space? Not in India!!!

To make a long story short, It was awesome. Check out the pics (even though it doesn't do the real event justice) :)

Quality Time with the Neighbors

After we were done primping at the salon, we spent some quality time with the neighbors and talked about Indian weddings. Then we began our transformation into appropriate Indian formal wedding attire. We had to have help pinning on our Saris, but it was all worth it in the end.

A Few More Glimpses at Architecture in India

Primping for the Indian Wedding

After our seminar with the K.V. teachers from all over India, we had to get ready for the Indian wedding we were attending that evening. We went to a salon and had facials, a neck and hand massages, threading, manicures, pedicures, our hair washed, face and scalp massages, and got our hair styled. We also ordered food and they walked to the place to pick it up for us. I'm not going to lie...we were starving and McDonald's was the closest place, so that it where we had them pick up food. We both ate fries and chicken sandwiches. As a side note: It was really interesting how small the portions are here. I would say the sandwich was a little more than half the size of it at home (just to give you an idea). At any given time we would have at least two people working on us or up to five or six people. We were treated like queens and after a day of teaching a seminar, we were happy to have a few moments to relax. I could not believe how inexpensive it was. For all of those services, it only cost us seventy America dollars. In the US all of that would have cost around 600-900 dollars at a salon in the States (and not a hotel salon, just a regular one). That is less than one sixth to one ninth as expensive as home! Geez!

I did get my eyebrows threaded (see what Miss Reynolds wrote about threading in the first post if you don't know what threading it)!! I have to say that while it is interesting how they do they whole process with the floss looking stuff and it pulls the hairs out, I think I prefer regular waxing because it is faster. The quicker is gets done, the quicker the pain goes away, but I had to try it while I was here. :)

Wildlife Roaming the Streets

K.V. Section 2 Hosts a Seminar for K.V. Teachers from All over India

Today’s seminar featured three main focuses: technology integration into the classroom, interactive games, and strategies for increasing oral and written language through interactive, interpersonal activities. We had a very large group today, but they were enthusiastic, reflective, and motivated to learn new ideas. It was a pleasure to work with this group of people.

As we have been presenting at schools in India, we have learned a great deal about the Indian school system. These insights have made us examine the education system in the United States with emphasis on Arizona’s school system. There are glaring differences, but also similarities. Here are a few of the differences I have learned in my short time working with these amazing individuals: the students have a syllabus that outlines what will be on the state Board exams and it is their responsibility to learn this material. If the teacher is unable to come to school that day, then the students continue working in their syllabi as if the teacher was there. They do not skip a beat and they take their Boards very seriously. There is a severe lack of technology in schools in India. I was shocked by this. I thought I would be walking into a big city with highly powered technology access. I was wrong and it goes to show that I judged a situation too early and this time it did not affect what I was doing, but it has made me aware that next time I could ruin something potentially special if I come in with preconceived notions. (I have given you the short version, but I will elaborate on future posts with Miss Reynolds). Here are some of the similarities: all teaches want to do what is best for their students, we all have to take standardized tests, we all have financial and time issues, we are life long learners and we are dedicated to our profession.

These seminars have not only given Miss Reynolds and myself a chance to analyze our school systems, but also an opportunity to examine our teaching styles, learn new methods, and reflect on our own teaching practices based on the feedback from each other and our guests at the seminars. This has been an eye opening experience because having others help you modify your style is so beneficial to becoming better.

I think the most valuable thing I have gained from these experiences is: kids are kids everywhere and every child deserves a “great” teacher. I am always impressed by the teamwork and genuine appreciation these teachers exhibit at these seminars. I can only hope that these seminars are the jumping off point to a strong overseas friendship that can enhance the learning of all of our students. I am so honored to be a part of such an amazing experience.

QUESTION: IF YOU COULD GIVE A SEMINAR TO THE STUDENTS OR TEACHERS IN INDIA, WHAT WOULD YOU WANT TO SPEAK ABOUT? HOW IS IT RELEVANT TO INDIAN CULTURE (I.E. WHY DO THEY WANT TO LEARN THIS?), AND WHAT QUALITIES DO YOU POSSESS THAT WOULD MAKE PEOPLE “WANT” TO LISTEN TO YOUR IDEAS?