Foot tattoo's..not so cool

One of the first things that I saw upon arriving to Nepal was a swastika on a store sign. I was obviously taken aback by it, but then I realized that it is a symbol for I believe prosperity in Hinduism. Hitler took the sign and obviously distorted the meaning a great deal. Its still is an adjustment to see them all over religious temples and statues of gods and goddesses.
While on a mobile clinic I had the opportunity to visit a temple of the high goddess in Hinduism, it is one of the few temples in the valley that still does animal sacrifice. It was a really stunning place. There were no animal sacrifices on the day I was there, so I think that’s why it was a little easier for me. But the ritual of the temple is beautiful. When walking in you ring bells, in order to call upon the gods, then once inside the temple you can either pay for candles or incense, which you offer to the gods. You then take tika, which is red flowers that are crushed down into a powder, and place in on your forehead as a symbol of your devotion and blessing from the gods. You then proceed around the entire temple, touching the statues of each god, and ring bells. It is very cool to be a part of this experience. There are many little shrines to the gods around the city, in which you can place tika or take tika. To say the least Nepal is a spiritual place, which I am learning a lot from.
There are also many cultural things that I am learning here. For one thing there is a difference between village life and town life. Besides the obvious differences, in the villages arranged marriages are still common, and many of the brides are young. While at the clinic I often saw girls who were 17 or 18 with 2 or 3 year old children. It was hard to see girls younger then me married with children, and some of them looked so young. It was hard, not because of the arranged marriage, but because they have to grow up so fast. It doesn’t seem fair that I spent my childhood playing dolls, or running around with my sisters, and they have to assume responsibility for others. I don’t know if I feel arranged marriages are wrong or if I feel how young the marriages can be are wrong? Especially since the husbands are not as young. It’s hard because how do you dispute tradition? And why do I see it as a problem? Because I am American or because I am a woman and I feel I should have a choice about my body? But if I grew up in a place where it was common to have children young would I feel the same way? It definitely is a matter of culture, which makes it all more interesting. I know one thing; I give these women such credit for their strength. In the city, arranged marriages still happen but it is not as common. People here date, which use to be unheard of. However, if you reach thirty and you are still not married, that is when the family steps in and decides it is time to marry.
I have spoken before about the role of women and men here, but I definitely have more of an understanding now. While there are the fierce women, there are still the underlying male patriarch ideas; men tend to dominate in this society. One example of this is the basketball tournament I am going to play in (stop laughing, its to help Katie). It’s a women’s tournament, so Katie really wanted to get a women coach for the GA team, but when she asked one of are friends who coaches, she learned there are no female coaches, its just not heard of. The women are meant to do the work, and that is obvious. However, the men are not horrible people by any means. They are the ones who often take the children to school or get them on the buses, they also work hard, and my experience is that they love the women in their lives, its just how they were raised that women are expected to play a certain role. Again, it’s the whole idea of is this wrong or is it my ethnocentrism that makes it different? We can see this idea in America as well, it’s just not as common, because we have been raised to not stay in the kitchen, and to break through that glass ceiling. Though, one thing I do not agree with whatever the culture is the objectification of women, which I feel when I walk down the street to the Hey Baby, I know a big part of this is that I am a white women, but it still is hard to see the lack of respect, but again this is something found in America, I guess you just hope for difference.
Culture is definitely a funny thing, and one idea that I heard at Orientation is definitely sticking with me right now; Culture is thick. I know that the fact I have a tattoo on my foot, one of the most profane parts of the body, has thrown a few people already. And there is still so much that I need to learn about customs, such as handing things over with both hands, as a sign of respect, and it is not easy, but its good for me.