Today after having class with the pastors of the Vanyimbadi district, we dedicated a new church building and baptized about 30 souls. It was the first time I had ever taken part directly in a baptism. Although I am not so sure it is the best to have the baptism being done by a person who speaks a different language than those who are being baptized. D. Paul was translating everything I was saying, but still. I also wonder what t at their view of our frailty. After about 20 baptisms D. Paul told me that I should sit down and he did the last ten himself. When I asked him about it later, he said that I looked tired. I certainly didn’t feel tired. I pointed out to him that I was slightly over half his age. I don’t know if it did any good. It is however generally not a good idea to argue with them since they will usually comply but you never know when you offend their customs through their compliance. The Indians are like the British in their deep and intricate social etiquette. It is only all the more difficult to learn because a keystone factor of their social customs is how far out of their way they go for the sake of guests, which of course we are at all times. If you ask them if such and such a thing would be okay, they will insist that it is, and that no one will be offended, even though at times I greatly suspect that is not strictly speaking the case. I remember once visiting a village for church the ladies had gone to great length to prepare a special meal just for me. These women knew that westerners don’t usually like things as spicy as Indians do and had prepared accordingly. However, since I was deeply sick at the time, and had just vomited earlier that day, there was very little I could do, except say no. I tried to explain, but I really don’t think they understand. In any case they looked very disappointed. It is true that we have some of that social etiquette, and whereas I am only just barely beginning to understand Indian culture, I am fairly certain that what we have in the US is barely comparable to the Indian’s culture. This thought was recently confirmed in my mind by a rather intriguing book I am reading on Indian history. According to author Alex Von Tunzelmann at the beginning of the relationship between India and Great Britain there was much that the two shared including, a love of literature, a rigid social structure based primarily on birth, and a deep and complicated social etiquette. Concerning British etiquette while I was flying on a plane from Africa to London, a British gal in the seat next to mecommented on the fact that I ate my food out of order. I can’t remember for sure but I think it was the fact that I was eating my salad with my meal and not before it that occasioned this particular comment. Now whereas I understand that to some degree similar orders are observed in America, the real difference I believe lies in the fact that it surprised her enough to comment on it, whereas I doubt most Americans would even notice, especially on a plane. On the other hand I can think of a couple of Americans who would agree and consider it rather ghastly of me to do anything so foolish as to ate my salad at the same time as my entree. Personally looking back on the whole incident I consider it ghastly enough that I ate that particular salad at all, airplane food is seldom five star cuisine and any type of vegetable is on the lower end of quality even for airplane food.
Speaking of Alex, I would certainly recommend her book to anyone interested in India history. The book deals mainly with the events and characters surrounding the independence of India, but considering what an important event that was it gives a lot of insight into the current state of India and world history immediately following WW2. In any case Alex is a superb writer. I think personally almost as good as David McCullough at making history come alive. And she has done seemingly excellent research which is all the more incredible considering I doubt she is past her mid twenties.
– Matthew Ude