Feb. 12th

I’m starting to get in the flow of things here.
We had Hindi in the morning (which is getting harder and harder each day) and then a lecture on Islam and Sufism. It was definitely interesting to learn about Sufism because I had no clue what is was about. Apparently they are all about using music to reach God and building a relationship of pure love. Sounds good to me.
We didn’t have any excursions planned today so Ayshea and I went to try to find a Shiva temple since today was Shivarti (Shiva’s birthday). We didn’t end up finding the temple but we stumbled upon (quite literally) the Baha’i Lotus Temple which was absolutely breath taking. It’s shaped as a giant lotus flower and the inside was as if you were a tiny dew drop being engulfed by this enormous flower architecture. It was so meditative inside because everything was bathed in white and there was no speaking inside.
After the temple we wondered around until it was time to go to the Rajasthan Roots concert. We didn’t know how far it was so I asked some guy in an important looking uniform if he knew where it was. The guy was so sweet that not only did he find out where the concert was but he stood out in the pouring rain looking for a rickshaw for us and then continued to argue with the driver until he gave us a fair price. By that time a lightning and thunder storm had rolled in and we rode through the streets of Delhi in the pouring rain. Mind you that the rickshaw has no doors so by the time we arrived to the concert we were drenched. But since it was our first Indian rain storm we didn’t mind.
I didn’t really know what to expect for Rajasthan Roots but it blew my mind! There were all sorts of instruments I have never even seen. The band played traditional Rajasthani folk music fused with blues, jazz, and electronica. For a few songs a Rajasthani woman dancer came out dancing in full on traditional dress with a pot of flames balanced on her head- true talent if I ever saw it. The entire performance was amazing. They were all about creativity and spreading their music so all can enjoy. It’s so cool how no matter what culture you’re from anyone can enjoy and appreciate music. Although the entire concert was in Hindi I was able to fully enjoy myself and dance along with the other spectators.
I definitely fell in love with India today. I just realized that the people of India are the most warm-hearted people I have ever met. They really do care. The man who helped us find a rickshaw, the rickshaw driver himself, the woman working at the concert who found me in the crowd just to give me the coke I left- they all genuinely care. Their hearts are enormous, we could all learn from them.
I can already tell I’m going to miss this city a lot when I leave. Everything is just so exciting here. Just taking a rickshaw to class feels like a huge adventure and accomplishment when it’s over. More and more everyday it feels like home here.