Aisa des hai mera

mere desh mein mehmaano ko bhagvan kaha jaataa hai
woh yahi kaha jaata hai woh kahi se bhi aataa hai
(In my country, guests are treated as God, no matter where they come from)
 Aisa des hai mera (this is what my country is like)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkBz2k0b-9k

so many feelings..so many thoughts.. I am trying to think of all that I will keep with me my whole life rather than what I am leaving behind

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkBz2k0b-9k

The precious memories with Manav Sadhna, and all the other NGOs.. The kids at Community center and communities...the preschool kids..the families I met..the volunteers I became close to...the people at MS that inspired me and made me smile :) they are all so giving and sweet- I cannot thank God enough for giving me the priviledge to be in India for this long. I though 4.5 months would be enough initially, but now, even the maximum allowance of 6 months per govt rules seems too little. I know I have gained wisdom, refined the clarity of the lens I look at life through adding many views to the kaleidoscope, knowledge, experience, and everything else in the last few months I have been here.

Each day, each experience, each person, and each moment thought me something new. I learned to bargain, wash clothes by hand, teach and project my voice in front of large crowds of people, find my way around new city, and above all, I learned to cherish the moments that took my breath away- simplest things such as playing with my niece, eating with group of people and talking about our days, eating pani puri with friends, talking to the grandma front door every morning as if she is my own grandmother, etc...things that are rarely seen and felt elsewhere- at least rarely in the USA.. there no time to even decently eat a meal let alone spend quality time with communities and families in the community. I am trying to make a list of all the things I have to look forward to in the USA though-like my parents. I know being away from them for so long might have been rough for them.. I get to see family here on their behalf..I wish my parents could be here enjoying the family time and India with me. That is the one thing I miss the most-people - my family in the USA.. my family here makes me feel so loved and cared for too though that I will miss them too much when I return to USA. You can never forget how someone makes you feel, and the people here have filled me heart with joy and love. Be it my blood relatives or the people who have become like family.

A funny incident- after my formal last day at Manav Sadhna, I went back the next day. I had kept extending my stay with them. If it were not for the Visa issue, I would be there longer still. I said goodbye to everyone in prayer, and then later that day, we went out for a friend's birthday to Law Garden-best Indochinese food in town!! anyway, hung out at Chocolate room-heaven on Earth- afterwards. Then, shoved into a rikshaw back to the Gandhi Ashram. I ended up staying at the ashram since it was too late to go to my aunt's home.. The next morning, I tagged along with my friends to the volunteer meeting since it was Friday. I was technically done volunteering there, but in my heart, I can never separate myself from MS. I sat there in the big circle full of amazing gem like individuals and drank tea and shared my thoughts while learning about everyone's experiences. I realized that people will come and go, and I too had to finally leave. I know if I go back to Gandhi Ashram, it will be harder and harder each time to say bye. I love it there too much. I ended up going to Anganwadi for health class and hanging out with the Earn n learn kids later on in the day for dinner at the ashram. It was great! The kids gave gifts to us, and every time I see it, I will remember how blessed I was to meet them. They are God's angels on Earth. I will miss them, but their memories with always make me smile :)

Smile because it happened :)