Setting: The school cafeteria for snack time.
Characters: Judith - A spunky school nurse in her early 70s with graying crimped hair and a wide smile; Hannah - Student teacher who tries to lavish in the chai deliciousness in her cup while irritatedly scraping the sesame seeds from the steamed rice dish [Note: this character is highly allergic to sesame seeds, which is generously poured into practically ALL Indian meals]
Scene 1:
Judith: It was really warm today. Too hot for you, huh? [Every conversation revolves around the weather and the ability or inability for Hannah to adapt]
Hannah: No, it's not too bad. I actually like the sun.
Judith: In the morning the sun is on my house and in the evening it falls on your place.
Hannah: Yes, I have really been enjoying the gorgeous sunsets from my balcony. The light pink horizon is so beautiful over the green farmland.
Judith: Ah! You must really enjoy it now because you don't have sunsets back home, right?
Hannah: Takes a moment to process Judith's last remark. Um . . . No, we have sunsets in America.
Judith: Oh! Exclaimed with great surprise. But sunsets are rare.
Hannah: No, the sun sets every day.
Judith: Really?
Hannah: Smiles with bewilderment.
Judith is my adopted grandma while I am living in India and I absolutely cherish moments like this when perceptions of foreign places are drastically skewed: either the sun never sets and is shining all the time in America, or we are cloaked in utter darkness because the sun never rises. Given Judith's sunny disposition, I'd say that she assumed the first option.
Characters: Judith - A spunky school nurse in her early 70s with graying crimped hair and a wide smile; Hannah - Student teacher who tries to lavish in the chai deliciousness in her cup while irritatedly scraping the sesame seeds from the steamed rice dish [Note: this character is highly allergic to sesame seeds, which is generously poured into practically ALL Indian meals]
Scene 1:
Judith: It was really warm today. Too hot for you, huh? [Every conversation revolves around the weather and the ability or inability for Hannah to adapt]
Hannah: No, it's not too bad. I actually like the sun.
Judith: In the morning the sun is on my house and in the evening it falls on your place.
Hannah: Yes, I have really been enjoying the gorgeous sunsets from my balcony. The light pink horizon is so beautiful over the green farmland.
Judith: Ah! You must really enjoy it now because you don't have sunsets back home, right?
Hannah: Takes a moment to process Judith's last remark. Um . . . No, we have sunsets in America.
Judith: Oh! Exclaimed with great surprise. But sunsets are rare.
Hannah: No, the sun sets every day.
Judith: Really?
Hannah: Smiles with bewilderment.
Judith is my adopted grandma while I am living in India and I absolutely cherish moments like this when perceptions of foreign places are drastically skewed: either the sun never sets and is shining all the time in America, or we are cloaked in utter darkness because the sun never rises. Given Judith's sunny disposition, I'd say that she assumed the first option.
No comments:
Post a Comment