Closing Time

Well dear readers, my time in Mizoram has come to a close. I am now within 24 hours of leaving the place I have called home for the summer. While I felt like a stranger when I first arrived, I now consider many people here dear friends and family.

This past week has been incredibly busy as I've tried to finish up all my paperwork for Princeton and tie up any loose ends. In fact, PTS requires a 25 page report about my summer placement so I spent much of last week in the computer lab typing that up. A large part of my report focused on the negative effects of westernization on Mizos and the unconscious import of ethnocentric messages by the first missionaries. Perhaps one day I'll convert that into a paper and let you read it.

I also had fun this week because Friday night a set up a dance for the seminary. Mizos are a singing people but outside of traditional dances they don't have much. So we got together in the chapel, plugged in my iPod, and I started teaching them some different stuff. Since Mizos have a fascination with Texas and cowboys, I taught them a simple line dance and how to Texas two step. We had such a great time and I loved how energetic everyone was to learn. After about an hour or so most of the students left to get ready for church in the morning, but a couple guys stuck around and I taught them some hip hop moves.

When I got on the bus to go to church this morning, all the students said they had so much fun last night that we had to do it again. They told me when to be at the chapel tonight so that we could have another dance. One student said, "Austin! We should've been doing this all summer!" I loved it. Since I enjoy getting people together to dance everywhere I go, it's only right that India be no exception. We even had a faculty member join last night which was hilarious.

My time in Mizoram has been filled with joy and lots of time spent in quiet reflection. I've really treasured my time here and I consider it a great blessing. I can't believe that two months have gone by so fast. It seems like just yesterday I arrived here. Now I'm 25 days away from being back in the US but a great adventure is in store before then.

Here's the basic itinerary of my trip for the next 3 weeks:
8/10-8/11 Bodhgaya
8/12-8/14 Varanasi
8/15-8/18 Agra
8/19-8/21 Amristar
8/22-27 New Delhi
8/29-9/2 Kolkata

If I get access to the internet during my travels I will be sure to keep you posted. I imagine my updates will come about once a week, as they have here in Mizoram. Well, I hope you've enjoyed reading about my time in Mizoram as I have writing about it. One journey ends and another one begins. Until next time,

Pax et bonum