The Holidays: A Summary

On Christmas, I didn't feel normal.
I didn't lay under the lit up tree with my cat.
I didn't pretend to help my mom and aunt make ribbons and honeybows.
I didn't go see "the tree" in NYC.
I didn't eat fried pizza dough, linguini and fish at midnight.
I didn't lay around in my pajamas all day with my family and watch old home videos.

Instead, I was in a mountain "city" called Bimtal, with some great friends. Upon arrival, I met the goat that would be served for dinner. Abnormality #1: seeing your dinner run around the yard first. The Indian live-in help for this family was very upset about the goat; she let it stay in her bedroom. Throughout the day some guys came to set up a tent and terrace. All I knew was that we were having some friends over. Then I saw a spot for a campfire being put together, surrounded by chairs. Abnormality #2: Chesnuts roasting on an open [camp]fire. Beautiful. I hope the smell of campfire gets on my clothes and never goes away, I thought. I love it. I thought the party was just getting started when in marches a gang of children from the Bimtal Children's Home all bundled in their winter coats. We kept warm by having a dance party. The DJ played some classical Christmas music like Shakira. Abnormality #3: dancing with Indian children to music that reminded me of a Hoboken Club.



All missing family, old friends, and normalcy aside, my Christmas was prettttyyyy darn awesome.

I'm freezing. We don't have heat. It's freezing in Delhi. Ok, you all have snow, I know, but you also have HEEAAATTTTT.

I'll admit, of 7 days in Bimtal, I only took 3 showers. It was such a dreadful experience.

For New Years, I felt very normal. I got together some other SWF's (single white females). Over the course of both nights, we went to a mall, ate at a TGIF's, cooked a huge American breakfast, went to the movies, banged pots and pans outside, sang the traditional new year's song "Auld Lang Syne," made ice cream sundaes and watched Aladdin. (We all felt we could connect so much more with the movie now.) The movie theater is such a uniform place. Sitting there I imagined that I could simply walk outside and be at the SONY in East Hanover, or walk into the parking garage at Headquarters Plaza, get in my car, and be home. I think a big part of me was longing for that. The internet and phone tower in Bhimtal didn't work on, of all days, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and I seriously almost bugged out for want of communication with my family!

[Insert: shout out to Tim and Liz for giving me a family for Christmas]

[Insert: shout out to Avatar for being awesome]

I've been thinking about what in my "old life" parallels these exact dates. Right about now I would have just gone back to school after a nice lengthy break. I remember how that last Sunday felt. Your good sleeping pattern is gone by then, and your procrastination in grading and lesson planning is now getting its reward. You feel like you've forgotten how to teach, and you look ahead to the longest stretch of school year without a break. This year, on that same Sunday night, I was more eager and excited to get back to work then I ever had been. I was eager to see the children of Delhi's red light district again. To connect with those mothers who are looking to send their daugthers to our home. To team up with my Indian colleagues in getting that home ready.

I have two thoughts about the new year:
1. The event that marks the real meaning of Christmas brought the fulfillment of many prophecies. So, the holiday is a reminder that God fulfills promises. We need to know them and claim them and live like they are true. So Happy New Year.

2. Restoration is addictive. You can never encounter it enough. So let's give a New Year's toast to all that the Lord will be restoring in 2010, here in Delhi, and wherever you are.