Dressing the Part!

 One of the things that make India unique is that there are so many aspects of the  at are so jarringly out of place with one another, that they seemly cannot co-exist.  A Ferrari and an elephant used as transportation on the same street, for example.  One point of contradiction we have discovered is the disjunct between the culture being very conservative Hindu, Muslim, Sikh (and other religions) on the surface, but with sometimes blatant sexual undertone that is demeaning, even dangerous to women.

In Indian culture, for example, it is unacceptable for a couple to kiss, hold hands, or basically touch in any way in public.  On the other hand, it is quite common for women to be pinched or grouped by perfect strangers when moving through a crowd.

Because of the cultural norms,  the charity where we will be working in India requires all of the women and girls who work there to wear the traditional Indian salwar chameez.  The salwar is a loose, comfortable pant.  The chameez is a long tunic worn over the top.  Many times, this outfit is worn with the addition of a long scarf wrapped around the shoulders and sometimes draped over the head.  The charity provides a selection of salwar chameez for us to chose from.  Makenzie is very excited about wearing them.  Because we want to conform to the culture while we are there, I am also going to make us a few outfits to take along for our travels in India before and after we are at Rising Star.  I've just started Makenzie's first one--it is going to be blue satin with gold trim and a gold scarf.  She's planning to wear it for Halloween, so I've got to hurry.  

Mine are going to be more simple, and warmer--it may be India, but it will be cool up in the Delhi area.  I'll post some pictures after I have them made, hopefully in the next few weeks.  In any case, none of them will be as pretty as the one pictured here!  But, we do hope to buy some for a good price in India.

Besides respecting the culture, by dressing in a very conservative way, we hope to avoid encountering a problem with inappropriate contact from Indian males.  This problem is called "Eve teasing" in India, a term which puts the blame on the woman, the victim, as if it is her fault for just standing there.  It is, apparently, common in India, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh.  As it is more common for women traveling alone, I hope that having Dave, Keaton, and our India driver and guide along, we will not encounter anything of that type.

So, that is a worry, but not the only one.  Because of the extreme poverty of millions of people living together alongside some very wealthy people, there is a lot of crime.  Certainly more than I am used to here in Alpine.  Dave, in fact, has ordered some special pants with numerous, hidden, kevlar pockets.  These pants were developed specifically for travelers to India by a couple who realized the need for such a thing after having the bottoms of their pockets, purses, etc, sliced open by pick-pockets.  

On the other hand, from what I've read, many people are also so kind and generous, they would give their guest their last bite of food, and feel bad they couldn't do more.  While it may be hard to sift through which is which, I'm hoping we see some of that side of India, too.

Stay tuned for pictures of the salwar chameez coming in (hopefully) the next few weeks!