Day 3
Today was full of ups and downs.
We toured the Meenakshi hospital. We were greeted again with a rose and a yellow dot for our foreheads. Meenakshi Mission Hospital is a non-profit hospital that is hosting us. It was so cool. We got to see pretty much everything including oncology, surgery, radiation, ICU, ER and even the Smile Train section for clef pallet surgery. The kids were so cute.
In the afternoon we went to the huge and famous Meenakshi temple. Again there were women walking around the temple presenting us with flowers and red-teardrop dots for our foreheads. Really, I don't know the significance of the dots and no one I ask seems to know. They come off easily though. Which is nice.
The architecture was amazing, the colors spectacular and the stonework was beautiful. But, as I watched people crying out and kneeling before stone figures, waving incense, and dedicating babies I could only feel sick. All of the hundreds of thousands of people I see in the streets here putting their faith in idols and sculptures is just sickening. With all the grandeur they have created in that temple and many others they still have nothing.
On a lighter note there were a few funny things that happened today. Everyone has to take off their shoes before they can enter the temple. So, they are left in piles in designated areas. As I walked down the street I saw a little bow leaving one of these shoe areas caring a pair of huge men’s dress shoes. He took off down the street and was soon lost in the crowd. :) hehe.
While riding in the bus or walking down the street people stare at us, especially the men. It’s not creepy but it is odd. People here in Madurai drive extremely close to each other and this particular time we were probably only two feet from the other vehicle. A boy, maybe about 16 years old, looked over at us and his face lit up. American girls! He and all the other guys in the car began waving and smiling at us. It made me feel special. At least someone appreciates me. ;)
Street sellers were sort of a new thing for me and today we saw a lot today. They wouldn’t stop bugging us today. Even if you would say no and look away, they would try to explain why you need it.
The saddest thing to see are the beggars; Women missing arms, men who can’t walk, and starving children. We were told not to give to beggars. Saying no is so hard.
Tonight was our New Year’s party. The Meenakshi Mission Sunshine Hotel put on a concert/party for us. It was extremely cool but awkward all the same. We ate a traditional Indian dinner and watched a traditional Indian dance on the rooftop of the hotel. The hotel workers showed of their awesome and hilarious Indian dance moves as well all laughed and clapped along. At midnight they set off fireworks and shouted across the road to other Indian partying on their rooftops.
I don’t drink and I don’t dance. I realized that this is my first time ever spending a long period of time, alone in a group as a Christian. And it hit me hard tonight. Never did I want to join them but it is hard to have a really truly good time when you are alone but you can’t get away.
Today has been a long day and I finally have some time to myself. I left them all on the roof top and I’m enjoying the quietness of my hotel room.
In Christ
~Michelle
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