short

short. that describes:
- the time i have left in new york city....
- the length of my haircut....
- the extent of my temper (please ask for unrelated story about my socially challenged subletter)
- the length of this post

getting back to the point.... i cut my hair today, short, shorter than ive ever had it in my life... my sister and i donated to locks for love, which is a great cause. i was uneasy about cutting my hair, because again, i was worried about fitting in. (see last post) i somehow thought that by cutting my hair short, i would drawing more attention to myself in india. however, as alan pointed out, my long hair and appropriate cultural garb might have given me the appearance of someone from india, but as soon as i open my mouth, they are going to be aware that i am not from chennai/india/wherever. which was my experience when i went to india in '06.

however, i realized that cutting my hair short is not nearly as challenging as moving to hot and humid chennai for the summer. besides, change is good...right?

see for yourself:


less than 24 hours till...

stares

i have been doing research on traveling/staying in india and i keep coming across the same advice: women should cover themselves if they want to avoid stares. I immediately thought, "mom, did you write this?" Since I was young, my mother's mantra before visiting India has always been "dress conservatively... dress modestly" and so on. So, while I knew this to be true, I didn't realize that it would be in every online travel guide.

I also can't figure out why staring and lack of personal space are so common. especially in a country where modesty is being constantly emphasized as a really important quality. if you are supposed to be modest, then why are people still staring? what are they so intrigued about?

in any case, my suitcase is packed with lots of colorful indian tops that my mom purchased on her last visit. most of them still have tags on them, as i didn't want to get stared at in nyc for wearing such colorful clothing... (isn't it ironic...?) hopefully with these baggy tops and a pottu (dot) on my forehead, i'll at least look indian enough to blend in...

in any case, i just find it intriguing that i am not even in india yet.. and i am already starting to worry about things. it would be different if i was just traveling, because then it wouldn't matter whether i stood out. however, im going to be working in the field - and as a result i don't want people to be more concerned or interested with my appearance/ with my differences than with the exchange between us.

1 week to go...

india preparations

Last night I got bit by a mosquito in my apartment and I got quite upset, because it reminded me that I needed to buy a new net for my window. I then realized that I was going to be in South India for the summer and that mosquito bites were going to be a lot more common. I came to this conclusion after recalling my previous summer trips to India as a child. I think that I traveled three or four times between the ages of six months and 11 years old and each time I came back with mosquito bites that were inconceivably large.

However, it got me thinking. Aside from insect repellent, what does one need to move to another country for a few months? I visited for three weeks last year, but in a travel/work capacity, where I was always at home in someone's residence or at a hotel. This time, I will be there semi-permanently. I won't be able to run to the rescue of a relative or family friend when I need something, I will just need to deal with things. I will need to be prepared with a lot of different things. But this is not so much a discussion about whether or not to pack insect repellent as it is what things I need to be prepared with that I cannot pack in my bag. What websites should I read? What phrases should I know? Will my Indian appearance make it more or less difficult for me to navigate the culture/language etc.? Will people even understand my dialect of Tamil?

Questions, I have so many questions.

In seven days time, I will be embarking on a journey for which I have been waiting almost ten years. This will be slightly more structured than I had initially imagined my three or four month research stint in India, but I think that it is a good way to get acclimated.

I hope that I will be brave enough to take dance lessons, visit schools and villages and take other calculated risks so that I come back with at least one or two answers. I hope that I come back with even more questions.

7 days and counting.