First Visit to the Village

Mom's late sister's village

Our first visit of the day began, after numerous stops to ask for directions, at my mother-in-law's (aka Mom)late sister's village. I sat in the sun with the family, silently, trying to get used to the numerous flies and busy activity of the crows. I chatted with an old classmate of Mom's who was visiting on vacation. He could talk to me because he had two things; a reasonable command of English, and liquor for breakfast. He told me everyone else was happy because I could talk to someone here. He lives in Atlantic City, and was visiting for a vacation. He voted for Obama in the election, and felt a skeptical optimism for these coming years.
After a lunch of flavorful, spicy food, We looked at Ginny's (a newlywed relative) wedding albums. They came in their own little pink totes, their thick covers decorated with shiny, silvery lines and simple borders. Each album was 4 inches thick, and my eyes got watery, and my mind lethargic as we clumsily turned the pages half way through the second album. I was so relieved to reach the end. It was just overkill for me. I preferred the album my sister-n-law,Michelle, made for Navjot and I: short and sweet, with just the right pictures and messages to convey the spirit of the events.

The views from the rooftop of this village gave my eyes beautiful scenes of Indian countryside. Flat, green fields of wheat and mustard, dotted with large trees, each of which had its own unique shape. This place may look like a cross between a Michigan farmland and an Illinois farmland....I am remembering my one visit to my great-uncles' farm in Illinois, where there were very few trees, leaving the horizon open for the sun to command the full stage at sunset: enormous, red-orange, melting under the curve of the earth. India countryside houses more trees than the farmland I know of in Illinois, but fewer than Michigan countryside.

The family kindly got together for a photo. I'd really love to post the photo, but blogger doesn't really feel like uploading it, and my yelling at it doesn't have any effect. DARN!