It's Diwali in India. That means fireworks. lots of them (there is a strong spiritual component to this holiday too...but i'm not gonna get into that...).
it also means lights are up and there's a festive spark in the air (it's really beautiful to see everyone's lights up)
it means families and tradiations and celebrations and excitement.
it means our landlord at SB bringing by 2 boxes of sweets for us cause it's a holiday.
it means yesterday SB was closed and Sarah and I had a great meeting over coffee at her new flat.
and that i got some admin work done yesterday that had been hanging over my head since i got back (the end is in sight...so close...yet so far away!)
it means i invited the Servant Team over to my house for the day and to stay the night (cause brooke is out of town traveling with her mom...and as the community extrovert it was just a bit to sad to consider being home all evening alone on a holiday...i mean, last year over Diwali Beth, Kyle, Sheila and I hung out in the living room...and lit fireworks on the roof, and we played games...and were together...the thought of being alone this year was just too sad in comparison to the memory of that sweet time).
and we made hummus (cause that's what we do here on holidays)
and i made marinara sauce (and i think it was my best yet)
it means i got to spend lots of time getting to know 3 of the servant team girls (i haven't had much time with them).
it means i got to give the team a Bangla lesson (i love teaching...i really do...when i can explain something in a way that someone "gets"...oh man...i love it).
it means i lit fireworks with pinki and her 3 sons (they live downstairs)...it was so fun...so fun. Pinki...man, nothing scares her. i'm a bit of a flake around loud bangs, but pinki, she just picks up lit fireworks and throws them out of the way.
and i burned my hand on one of the fireworks :(
and it means that around 10:30 PM while i was about to drink a cup of tea (to wind down...which was really a pointless endevor since the fireworks were still going strong at 12:30 when i finally went to bed), there was a ring of the doorbell...and the family that lives on the second floor, who i've had very little interactions with (except a few funny interactions with the son, and the daughter interviewing me about cheese for a school project...they're high school) joyfully wished me "Happy Diwali" and invited me up to the roof for their fireworks (which were awesome!) i mean...they were huge...like the big huge ones that you see when you go see fireworks in the states...and i lit some...and i got surprised when i lit one and jumped back and yelled...and made everyone laugh (it's like a weird adrenaline rush...i hate the loud bangs...but they're also so awesome...the fireworks i mean...) - and i ended up having the least relaxing cup of chamomile tea ever consumed by anyone!
it means music was playing outside of SB today on loud speakers...and i danced around the office and laughed with the ladies.
yup, it's Diwali...and while there are parts of this holiday that i really, really, REALLY don't like...there has been joy and beauty found in the midst of it.
uh...coffee cake doesn't count as dinner, does it? i better go eat that leftover marinara sauce :)
it also means lights are up and there's a festive spark in the air (it's really beautiful to see everyone's lights up)
it means families and tradiations and celebrations and excitement.
it means our landlord at SB bringing by 2 boxes of sweets for us cause it's a holiday.
it means yesterday SB was closed and Sarah and I had a great meeting over coffee at her new flat.
and that i got some admin work done yesterday that had been hanging over my head since i got back (the end is in sight...so close...yet so far away!)
it means i invited the Servant Team over to my house for the day and to stay the night (cause brooke is out of town traveling with her mom...and as the community extrovert it was just a bit to sad to consider being home all evening alone on a holiday...i mean, last year over Diwali Beth, Kyle, Sheila and I hung out in the living room...and lit fireworks on the roof, and we played games...and were together...the thought of being alone this year was just too sad in comparison to the memory of that sweet time).
and we made hummus (cause that's what we do here on holidays)
and i made marinara sauce (and i think it was my best yet)
it means i got to spend lots of time getting to know 3 of the servant team girls (i haven't had much time with them).
it means i got to give the team a Bangla lesson (i love teaching...i really do...when i can explain something in a way that someone "gets"...oh man...i love it).
it means i lit fireworks with pinki and her 3 sons (they live downstairs)...it was so fun...so fun. Pinki...man, nothing scares her. i'm a bit of a flake around loud bangs, but pinki, she just picks up lit fireworks and throws them out of the way.
and i burned my hand on one of the fireworks :(
and it means that around 10:30 PM while i was about to drink a cup of tea (to wind down...which was really a pointless endevor since the fireworks were still going strong at 12:30 when i finally went to bed), there was a ring of the doorbell...and the family that lives on the second floor, who i've had very little interactions with (except a few funny interactions with the son, and the daughter interviewing me about cheese for a school project...they're high school) joyfully wished me "Happy Diwali" and invited me up to the roof for their fireworks (which were awesome!) i mean...they were huge...like the big huge ones that you see when you go see fireworks in the states...and i lit some...and i got surprised when i lit one and jumped back and yelled...and made everyone laugh (it's like a weird adrenaline rush...i hate the loud bangs...but they're also so awesome...the fireworks i mean...) - and i ended up having the least relaxing cup of chamomile tea ever consumed by anyone!
it means music was playing outside of SB today on loud speakers...and i danced around the office and laughed with the ladies.
yup, it's Diwali...and while there are parts of this holiday that i really, really, REALLY don't like...there has been joy and beauty found in the midst of it.
uh...coffee cake doesn't count as dinner, does it? i better go eat that leftover marinara sauce :)
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