India is going through the slow transition from a traditional culture into the new “modern” model of society established by the trends of the west. This process of modernization is said to free and liberate women and give them a productive place within society, not that being a mother is no work it all, but we all know how little respect women are shown for the single most difficult and important job in the world.
At school I get the inside view of the modernizing women of India. There are three most popular things that occur in the staff room, the first being sleeping, one elbow on the table as a pillow then a much needed snoozing session occurs. Second is sharing food, their status at school seems somewhat linked to their ability to create the delicious Gujarati delicacies. Lastly, they indulge in buying new saris and jewelry that are being adored and admired around the staff room.
Sleep is the most important activity at school in any free moment. The teachers are mothers that provide direction, love, food, homework help and many other things. They are wives that provide breakfast, lunch, and dinner and keep a clean presentable home and a lovely glowing appearance. They are also care givers for their husband’s parents. Finally they are teachers that provide instruction to rambunctious classes with over seventy students in each.
My co-teacher wakes up at 5:30am to prepare breakfast and lunch for her family. She then receives her students that take private coaching sessions with her, this takes 2 hours and it is over 30 students in total. She then provides and eats breakfast with her family, changes into her sari, and comes to school. At school teachers are responsible for around 6 class periods a day. By the end of the day her voice is tired and cracking from talking over all her students. When she goes home she prepares dinner, eats dinner, cleans up from dinner, and then for enjoyment she cuts vegetables for the next day, while watching TV. She admits that sometimes she falls asleep at 8:30pm. She woks 6 days a week and now on the seventh day she is busy trying to find her middle daughters’ future husband, which means entertaining guests every Sunday, while buying and arranging vegetables from the weekly market.
Women in the US also work and cook, but usually food preparation is easier and takes less labor and time. Many Americans fill restaurants on all nights of the week and there are so many easy fixes that are available for consumption. Also in the US many women receive help from the husband in cooking and cleaning, whereas here I was actually lectured about how Drew, our fellow teacher, should not be doing dishes because it is not nice for a man to do this job. In India cooking a meal means dicing and cutting vegetables and making fresh rothi (bread) for every meal. Although these women are busy preparing food for their large families, they also manage to bring in delicious dishes for all the members of our staff. It is in their nature to make others happy. They don’t just bring their deliciously prepared dishes for their own consumption, but share it with all the staff, men and women included.
Women on my staff are given very few chances to indulge. While many men may sit around at night chatting and playing games, women are inside putting all things are in order for the next day. Women are asked to work without complaint and they should find happiness in the small things.
At first I didn’t understand the obsession with elaborate saris and so much jewelry to decorate oneself, but then I realized that this is their one selfish enjoyment. A husband approves of a nice looking woman and at school they are required to wear saris, so women are given a free pass to indulge in the art of decorating one’s appearance. Teachers bring saris in to sell to one another. Each and every day in the staff room there is a chance for them to shop and indulge in their passion.
As I watched the time and energy and enthuisiasm about one piece of cloth, I was confused by how enamored the women were with the saris. My first word in Gujarati was “bo fine che” or very nice, which is spoken over and over while the women sort through the bright and colorful saris. It appears to me that nearly all the free time that is not spent eating or sleeping is spent making oneself beautiful through buying new saris and large gold jewelry. Women in India ease the difficulty of their life with the jovial colors and the glimmering jewels adorning their face, necks, and hands.
Women everywhere are worked too hard and depended on by so many, but in India it is to the extreme. The traditional part of the society is making their role as the care giver of the family the most important part of their life. In a good Indian household the mom should be preparing all meals and maintaining the house. The modernization of India is also telling women that they need to be making money so that they can raise their status, keep up with the material goods available, and better educate one’s family. All these things require money and many women are leaving the house to earn this extra money. This place in society leaves women in India tired and overworked, but still looking beautiful. While I think women in the western world have outrageous expectations for all we are supposed to achieve, I do believe Indian working women are the most beautiful and amazing goddesses in the whole world because they work extremely hard both in the home and at work and manage to stay in good spirit the whole time. Maybe they recieve their strength from God or maybe from their favorite hobby, sari shopping: )
At school I get the inside view of the modernizing women of India. There are three most popular things that occur in the staff room, the first being sleeping, one elbow on the table as a pillow then a much needed snoozing session occurs. Second is sharing food, their status at school seems somewhat linked to their ability to create the delicious Gujarati delicacies. Lastly, they indulge in buying new saris and jewelry that are being adored and admired around the staff room.
Sleep is the most important activity at school in any free moment. The teachers are mothers that provide direction, love, food, homework help and many other things. They are wives that provide breakfast, lunch, and dinner and keep a clean presentable home and a lovely glowing appearance. They are also care givers for their husband’s parents. Finally they are teachers that provide instruction to rambunctious classes with over seventy students in each.
My co-teacher wakes up at 5:30am to prepare breakfast and lunch for her family. She then receives her students that take private coaching sessions with her, this takes 2 hours and it is over 30 students in total. She then provides and eats breakfast with her family, changes into her sari, and comes to school. At school teachers are responsible for around 6 class periods a day. By the end of the day her voice is tired and cracking from talking over all her students. When she goes home she prepares dinner, eats dinner, cleans up from dinner, and then for enjoyment she cuts vegetables for the next day, while watching TV. She admits that sometimes she falls asleep at 8:30pm. She woks 6 days a week and now on the seventh day she is busy trying to find her middle daughters’ future husband, which means entertaining guests every Sunday, while buying and arranging vegetables from the weekly market.
Women in the US also work and cook, but usually food preparation is easier and takes less labor and time. Many Americans fill restaurants on all nights of the week and there are so many easy fixes that are available for consumption. Also in the US many women receive help from the husband in cooking and cleaning, whereas here I was actually lectured about how Drew, our fellow teacher, should not be doing dishes because it is not nice for a man to do this job. In India cooking a meal means dicing and cutting vegetables and making fresh rothi (bread) for every meal. Although these women are busy preparing food for their large families, they also manage to bring in delicious dishes for all the members of our staff. It is in their nature to make others happy. They don’t just bring their deliciously prepared dishes for their own consumption, but share it with all the staff, men and women included.
Women on my staff are given very few chances to indulge. While many men may sit around at night chatting and playing games, women are inside putting all things are in order for the next day. Women are asked to work without complaint and they should find happiness in the small things.
At first I didn’t understand the obsession with elaborate saris and so much jewelry to decorate oneself, but then I realized that this is their one selfish enjoyment. A husband approves of a nice looking woman and at school they are required to wear saris, so women are given a free pass to indulge in the art of decorating one’s appearance. Teachers bring saris in to sell to one another. Each and every day in the staff room there is a chance for them to shop and indulge in their passion.
As I watched the time and energy and enthuisiasm about one piece of cloth, I was confused by how enamored the women were with the saris. My first word in Gujarati was “bo fine che” or very nice, which is spoken over and over while the women sort through the bright and colorful saris. It appears to me that nearly all the free time that is not spent eating or sleeping is spent making oneself beautiful through buying new saris and large gold jewelry. Women in India ease the difficulty of their life with the jovial colors and the glimmering jewels adorning their face, necks, and hands.
Women everywhere are worked too hard and depended on by so many, but in India it is to the extreme. The traditional part of the society is making their role as the care giver of the family the most important part of their life. In a good Indian household the mom should be preparing all meals and maintaining the house. The modernization of India is also telling women that they need to be making money so that they can raise their status, keep up with the material goods available, and better educate one’s family. All these things require money and many women are leaving the house to earn this extra money. This place in society leaves women in India tired and overworked, but still looking beautiful. While I think women in the western world have outrageous expectations for all we are supposed to achieve, I do believe Indian working women are the most beautiful and amazing goddesses in the whole world because they work extremely hard both in the home and at work and manage to stay in good spirit the whole time. Maybe they recieve their strength from God or maybe from their favorite hobby, sari shopping: )
Oh my god... This is a very remarkable obsorvation.. I never thought so deeply about this... Nice artical and very well described...
ReplyDeleteTruly the sprit of Indian women is to be admired..
Hiren.