Diwali and Friends

We went to the Sharmas house for Diwali. We had a wonderful time getting to know them, learning about their culture, and laughing/enjoying the firecracker craze in Gurgaon! Our evening began at 8pm and included lots of before dinner snacks: assortment of nuts, cold drinks, pasta, tomato soup, and namkeens (Indian snack foods). Then we watched them perform a puja (worship) to their gods lakshmi and ganesh to ask for prosperity for their family for the rest of the year. They all knelt down beside the statues of these gods, burned incense, offered food, gifts, and money to them, and then prayed and sang. Afterwards, their son finally got his wish. We all went outside to shoot off firecrackers. Sounds heard during Diwali has often been described as what it might be like in a war zone. Although you may not see much in the video, the sounds will explain it all. But don't worry, they are ONLY firecrackers. We were completely safe!

Following the firecrackers, we were served a large dinner and answered lots of questions about America, the upcoming elections, and the economy. Our friends also share the same feelings in everything being made in China. They said the hardest part lately has been that they are having to buy their gods that are now made in China. It was definitely an interesting conversation. The evening ended with us eating dessert, drinking Indian chai, and receiving gifts from them. We were so thankful for the evening and arrived home well after midnight with full stomachs!