host family

i am now living with a host family in chennai and it is very interesting.  my mother is a talkative and overcaring individual and she is quite sweet because of that fact.  she wants to do nothing but make sure i'm healthy and comfortable.  my father is head of finance for a car sales group.  he informs me that his group sells over 1000 cars a month.  as well he loves to talk about commerce, trade, history, politics, and economics.  this provides for many hour long engaging conversations.  i'm living in a cozy flat on the third story of an apartment building.  i really feel that i'm getting the experience of typical middle income india.

it is also really funny to see my family's conception of the u.s., especially my mother.  she's convinced that my family is very posh after she saw a picture of my big house.  in india, having a house or a property of any decent size really implies wealth, much more so than in the u.s.  as well, since she found out about the fact that my mom was a pastor, she has been asking me many questions about the bible and christianity.  we have a lot of fun trading stories; i tell her stories from the bible and she tells me stories from the hindu tradition.  i think a lot is being learned on both ends.  as for my father, ravi, he is very interested in american politics and government.  so we exchange much information about our respective governments and political systems.  as well, since i'm taking indian politics, it is easier for me to figure out what he is saying concerning indian politics.  all in all, my first two days with my parents has been engaging and delightful.  it is nice that the let me roam around the city for much of the day and go hang out with friends.  it also helps to get a handle on the bus system.

see yall later.

radhika and ravi (can't remember their daughters name thats bad)