Cooking, Criticisms, and Captivation

Cooking class. It's something that I have been doing the last couple of Sundays. It has been really fun. I have learned to make a whole bunch of Indian dishes. It is taught by Caroline's (another SYA student)host mom. About eight or nine of us show up each Sunday and spend a few hours learning how to cook various Indian dishes and then we get to eat. It usually ends up being highly amusing. The group of people who take cooking is just a really funny bunch of people. The conversations we end up having are hilarious. We talk about our host families, our friends, the gossip about the other SYAers, everything we can think of. Usually I end up being teased mercilessly about something or other, all in good fun of course. And then we make up weird untrue stories about someone in the group and tell another person to see if they will believe. Yes, this isn't Indian and I could be doing the exact same thing in the states. But it will probably be something that stays with me from India, so therefore I found it something that I should mention.
The SYA Trustees and Resident Directors came recently for their annual meeting. India was the location of choice because this is a new location. It was really interesting talking to these SYA power houses about the working of the program and how they got it started. They even asked us for our feed-back on the experience, sending the teachers out of the room for this one. It was surprising how much some people had to say about India, their host families, the amount of activities we were offered. Many people were just unhappy about it. I personally think they just had unrealistically high expectations for a program on its inaugural year. Yes, we have missed out on things that will probably be offered in the next couple years. But we also got to do things that will never happen again, and we get to help shape the program for future years. I just thought people needed to stop whining about discuss what was good about the program, or what we could actually help change, not complain about how little Hindi we have learned or how there is nothing to do in Vizag. Find something to do. I'm able to, shouldn't everyone else be too? I don't know. It just bothered me how ungrateful people were about this amazing opportunity offered to us.
Did you know freckles are considered ugly in India? Like, really ugly. So therefore, I'm considered completely unfortunate here in India. It's kind of funny. And it does no wonders for my self esteem. I asked my host family about it and they brushed it off without giving me an answer. They acted like they hadn't heard the question. And I know they must have because I've asked them more than once getting the same answer. They won't answer me because they don't want to offend me I guess. Because if they said that it's true, they would be calling me ugly. Once someone even suggested that I use some cream or stay out of the sun. I like my freckles! Even though I do have kind of a surplus of them, I have come to accept them as part of me. And if India finds them ugly, then who cares? Right? Haha. It's amusing the definitions of beauty are very different in two different countries. I'm not saying that in the US freckles are considered beautiful but I usually at least get the "I think freckles are cute!" response. And I know I'm not exactly gorgeous in the US either, but nobody has ever avoided the subject about it with me. It's humorous.
Well anyway, I'm going to go put on some make-up and cover up these freckles. (Just kidding!) Sorry for my extremely rapid updating. XD
Much Love,
~ Jenna