Horizons Apple Picking

Jane Havis, our self-proclaimed "overprotective nosy mother", a sweet but very voluble lady from the International Students Office at RPI, took us on a "Welcome Picnic", near the end of our Student orientation. This Picnic was at a Church nearby, the church members had all gathered to welcome us, and ensure we had a good time. The people from the church gave us a warm welcome, and chatted with us, and made us feel so at home.

Then we had some fun activities to get to know everyone better, and then... yummy food!!!

Taking into account the needs of vegetarians, many of the church members had made veggie food for the picnic. That was probably the only time when we got to see so many veggie options in America. We had great food, and delectable desserts. I love the emphasis on desserts in America... I would love to be a "Dessert-a-rian" like Calvin... :-)

Anyway, after the food and friendly talk, we were led into the main chapel, where a Group called "Horizons" introduced themselves. They work with international students, and introduce them to American Culture. Ahem... Lots of you are wondering what American culture is about, and lots of you have a notion that America has no culture...except parties, and hi-flying consumerism. This is no place for those debates and cynicism.

Anyway, they organize Hikes, Fruit-Picking, Hay-Rides, Thanksgiving Dinners, Skiing trips and so on. The events always have 50% Americans, and 50% assorted international students, which gives the international students chances to interact with Americans in fun and social settings.

I went apple picking with Horizons a few weeks ago... I can see your raised eyebrows at my increasing "Americanisms", so I will rush to explain. Apple orchards here invite people to walk around in the orchards, pick apples off trees, taste them, and have a fun picnic. Economics works out for them, since you can eat only so many apples before feeling sick, and you have to pay for the apples you want to take home. Their assumption is that people will buy some apples to take home, not just eat them off trees.. A very unsafe assumption that, but it seems to work here, no clue how.

Anyway, to get on with my trip...

The day was clear and sunny, but very chilly winds were blowing. They gave us a map of the orchards, detailing the varieties of apple trees... Golden Delicious, Macoun, Macintosh and so on... I obviously had no clue which apple would taste good, or for that matter whether two apples taste any different from each other... Well, time for some apple education..

Golden Delicious was superb-juicy, crispy and huge. You can eat one apple and your dinner is done, atleast mine is, given my huge appetite. Macintosh was small, red, shiny and crispy. These two were the reigning favorites of all "pickers"... When in doubt, Sajjanon ke peeche peeche chalo...

Apple trees are small, and you can pluck them off while standing... One tall gentleman told me: "The highest apples are the sweetest." This gave me a good excuse to jump and reach for the higher branches. They were sweeter probably, but anyway "Mehnat ka phal to meetha hi hota hai ".

One variety of trees had sturdy branches, so I climbed up a tree and began plucking the highest apples. I was showing off my talents inherited from arboreal ancestors, and asking for pics to be taken of me on the tree, but a old lady put my feat to shame.

She must be 60 yrs old, has had a shoulder surgery, and she climbed a higher tree, with many more apples. She works with kindergarden kids, so she knew lots of apple picking poems, which she sang along while picking apples. Her enthusiasm and zest for life was truly infectious.

Soon, we had bags full of apples, which were getting too heavy to carry around. So we wrapped up our trip, paid for the apples and proceeded for the picnic, which was in a family home. The venus was so beautiful... The backyard opened out into woods, and beyond the woods, there was a huge lake. I had befriended an american teenager at the orchard. She and I walked around in the woods, talked about her school and mine, and soaked in the beauty of the place. The backyard had swings too, which I thouroughly enjoyed....

You see, Growing old is mandatory, but growing up is optional. :-)

The tree climbing lady was also walking in the woods, collecting leaves, for some activities in the school. She educated me on American Flora, and also showed us how to whistle with an empty acorn... She whistled quite well, the american could whistle tunes, even without the acorn shell.... and my trials were a damp squib, as usual...

All in all, it was a fun day, and I look forward to more such events....

Am I homesick yet?

I have been here for 3 months. I like it here, the place, the school, the new life, new ppl, everything...

I have largely been happy, not really missed home or family. I guess I have still not accepted it in my mind that I have come away for ever, my heart still escapes the fact, and pretends as if this is just a holiday away from home, and I can return any time I choose.

What happened today?

Home-made sweets arrived from the aunt in Texas, and a card from my parents, for my birthday. Just the opposite of usual. Mother used to make sweets for me, buy me a new dress, and even get me flowers... but never a card... card was something ppl far away sent....

Now my mom's sent me a card, and written it exactly the way I used to write cards for her, complete with the "open with a smile" and smiley on the flap. I saw it, and my mom's feeble attempt at drawing a smiley, and tears filled in my eyes. I could not do as instructed...

I held the card in my hands, and silent tears kept falling. have never felt so alone in life, as I did when I held that card in my hand...

I just can't picture my mom looking for a card in Archies. I can't, since I have always bought all cards for everyone at home.

I used to buy cards, give them to everyone on their birthdays, have them admire it for sometime, and then leave it on a table, which I quietly picked up and preserved.These small mementos on birthdays were my introduction to our austere South Indian household, where payasam was the only celebration for birthday. Now, my family is BUYING cards, and sending them to me. And they are doing it, because they feel I value cards a lot... but today I wish, I was with them, instead of recieving cards in the mailer....nothing can occupy the void created by absence of dear ones... not phone calls, not emails, not cards...

Life is great, but not so easy sometimes...