Namaste!

Namaste India! Namaste, which means hello in Hindi, has become something of a personal mantra. Vasuji, our group leader explained to us this morning the multiple, subtle meanings of namaste. Namaste is a greating that acknowledges the inner God in another person. It is a hierarchical gesture of respect. Like a handshake, it shows that you are willing to meet someone halfway. Finally, it is a meeting of fact and value, meaning that it combines expectations with truth and opinion. It is a deep concept and I hope that through my time in India I will come to understand it well.
I've decided to write a blog while in India because I think it may be easier than writing a million e-mails. I will still write group and personal e-mails, but I will also write on the blog almost daily. So, here is to the beginning of the incredible adventure of a semester in Hyderabad India!