diwali means family time

this week was diwali/kali puja. it is celebrated with fireworks (so my brother would have LOVED being here) and lights all over the city. we were originally told it was only one day but so far we have had fireworks going off all night for the last 3 nights. i think that it is interesting that kali, the goddess of destruction, is celebrated by light. this is something that i am still trying to figure out.

on wednesday, sari bari was closed for diwali/kali puja which meant that we got to spend the entire day with our host family. we had planned to make dinner that night because we would have all day to prepare. it was fun because the family made us puri for breakfast and pakora for lunch because they wanted it to be a full day of special meals. it was so much fun to sit and listen to our mom's nuggets of wisdom and pieces of her story. she also let us watch over her shoulder to learn her recipes. i will hopefully be making rice and dal when i get home. one of my roommates had an amazing recipe for no-back cookies which the family LOVED so we ended up making 2 batches. when it came our turn to cook, it was a 3 hour cooking marathon filled with lots of garlic, onions, cheese (which bengalis dont really like) and roti. we made quesadillas, rice, beans, and chips all from scratch. the kitchen looked like a disaster area after we were done but it was all worth it to see the joy on our family's faces. it was so cool to see what a blessing our cooking was to give them a night off. they were so happy even if dinner was an hour and a half later than usual. this is what the Kingdom of God is all about on earth. caring and sharing with one another. as we all sat on the floor enjoying our mexican (with an indian twist) meal, i could feel the joy that filled the room. we are meant to share with one another not hoard things. i also see this at sari bari. on monday i gave away my last 4 red vines and yesterday i was able to share gummy bears. all that i have is not mine so why hold on to it when it is so much fun to share a piece of my home with the ladies. this is one of the ways i am able to be a part of God's Kingdom here in Kolkata.