Ravan on Fire

Ravan on Fire

I'm getting more and more settled in. Every other evening, there’s football with others from the society. It’s a lot of fun. The Oval Park is also very beautiful. (see photo) My stomach has surprisingly few issues with the Indian food, which is really delicious. The festival of Navratri (Festival of 9 Colors) is over, and my host parents are no longer fasting. 

On Thursday, October 10, we celebrated my host father's birthday. Of course, with cake and singing Happy Birthday. My gift was a Kölsch beer and glass. 

On Saturday, it was Dussehra. First, we decorated the house with orange and yellow flowers. I made garlands out of the flowers, which were then hung on the bicycles. The Dussehra festival honors the victory of the good Ram over the evil Ravan. In the Ramayana saga, Ram, sent by the Hindu gods, defeats the evil Ravan in an epic battle in Sri Lanka. To celebrate the victory of good over evil, the ten-headed Ravan is set on fire. My host family and I then went to the society’s clubhouse to watch the burning Ravan. My outfit was the classic Kulta. This time patterned (see photo). Ravan was then ignited with fireworks and burned fiercely. Fire safety is definitely not a priority here. No one was even standing by with a fire extinguisher during the fire. 

While Ravan was burning, sparklers were lit, and fireworks were set off. A box of sweets and snacks was also distributed. The sweets are like dough for Christmas cookies. The sweets are so rich that I've had enough after 3 days. Ravan burned out, and the festival was over.

Technology

India is technically superior to Germany in some aspects. You can pay with your mobile phone everywhere. You scan a QR code. Enter the amount on Google Pay and pay. Paying with your mobile phone works everywhere, whether it’s a street stall or an auto rickshaw.

You can also get your groceries delivered in 10 minutes through Zepto. My host mom forgot the cheese for the breakfast sandwiches and just ordered it. Ten minutes later, the cheese arrived, and then the sandwiches were ready too.

PS: Here in Pune, there are so many speed breakers that make traffic really slow. You have to stop at each one to avoid flying forward in the car.

PPS: I finally saw cows on the street 😃