This is a question my son Jordan had to ask himself while working on a school project recently. And you know what- he couldn't come up with a single thing. Ok, besides the latest toy (he has a room full of toys) or his own computer (we have several) or maybe his own car (hes 11 and can't drive).
Looking around here, its so obvious how we live back home is so overindulgent. Most people can afford to and will purchase whatever they need/want at anytime. We have no idea how lucky we are. There are so many people here who literally work all day just to feed themselves and their family. There was a lady I saw the other day sitting on the corner selling flowers (the women in this part of India like to wear them in their hair, however, my husband told me that in Northern India where he is from only ladies of the night would do this). Roy told me that it would be common for her to get up early in the morning to go to the big market to purchase these flowers in bulk. She normally borrows money (100 rupees or apx $2) from someone (people do this to make extra money, loaning money everyday to dozens of people for a small percentage of interest) to buy the flowers and the thread to string them. Then she sits on the ground on a busy and hot street corner all day trying to sell them. They don't last long in this weather so if they don't sell, she is out the money. If she does well, she has enough to eat and maybe to buy flowers herself the next day without a loan.
There is a guy outside my window right now yelling- potatoes! I hear these guys a couple of times a day selling vegetables or one day I saw a lady selling those stick broom things or these rolled up matts that people use to sit on the floor (which they prefer here). They would walk around all day pushing carts or carrying these on top of their head. Going up and down the busy and dirty streets trying to sell these. This is a very common way for thousands (probably hundreds of thousands) of people to make money here just to buy the basic essentials.
Indians are interesting when it comes to money. They are master-savers. Unlike Americans who continually have a need to upgrade, Indian people save or invest (in gold or insurance bonds) any extra money they have. They also make due with everything they have. They don't throw things away ever. I see his mom re-purposing every container, bag, and piece of anything in their house. While they most likely have plenty of money to purchase new things or better things (Roy's dad has a good job with the Indian Railways- which is huge here) they just don't. We purchased them gifts when coming here, simple things like a small battery vacuum for his mom. You can tell she likes it, but is hesitant to change (like writing checks at the grocery store- right Tina...LOL). She would never think to buy this vacuum for herself to make her jobs easier. She also has a washing machine we bought her a few years ago, but everyday so far I have seen her handwash the clothes in the bathroom.
It definitely makes you think about what is important. People here seem happy in spite of not having the latest contraption or gadget on the market, a recent model year car (forget that, nobody hardly has a car), thousands of shoes and brand name clothes, or a big house filled with tons of everything.
Makes me think we should definitely try and live a little more simple and forget the rat race of keeping up with the Jones'. I absolutely have everything I need- Health, Family, enough money to be comfortable and save for a rainy day, and Happiness.
Looking around here, its so obvious how we live back home is so overindulgent. Most people can afford to and will purchase whatever they need/want at anytime. We have no idea how lucky we are. There are so many people here who literally work all day just to feed themselves and their family. There was a lady I saw the other day sitting on the corner selling flowers (the women in this part of India like to wear them in their hair, however, my husband told me that in Northern India where he is from only ladies of the night would do this). Roy told me that it would be common for her to get up early in the morning to go to the big market to purchase these flowers in bulk. She normally borrows money (100 rupees or apx $2) from someone (people do this to make extra money, loaning money everyday to dozens of people for a small percentage of interest) to buy the flowers and the thread to string them. Then she sits on the ground on a busy and hot street corner all day trying to sell them. They don't last long in this weather so if they don't sell, she is out the money. If she does well, she has enough to eat and maybe to buy flowers herself the next day without a loan.
There is a guy outside my window right now yelling- potatoes! I hear these guys a couple of times a day selling vegetables or one day I saw a lady selling those stick broom things or these rolled up matts that people use to sit on the floor (which they prefer here). They would walk around all day pushing carts or carrying these on top of their head. Going up and down the busy and dirty streets trying to sell these. This is a very common way for thousands (probably hundreds of thousands) of people to make money here just to buy the basic essentials.
Indians are interesting when it comes to money. They are master-savers. Unlike Americans who continually have a need to upgrade, Indian people save or invest (in gold or insurance bonds) any extra money they have. They also make due with everything they have. They don't throw things away ever. I see his mom re-purposing every container, bag, and piece of anything in their house. While they most likely have plenty of money to purchase new things or better things (Roy's dad has a good job with the Indian Railways- which is huge here) they just don't. We purchased them gifts when coming here, simple things like a small battery vacuum for his mom. You can tell she likes it, but is hesitant to change (like writing checks at the grocery store- right Tina...LOL). She would never think to buy this vacuum for herself to make her jobs easier. She also has a washing machine we bought her a few years ago, but everyday so far I have seen her handwash the clothes in the bathroom.
It definitely makes you think about what is important. People here seem happy in spite of not having the latest contraption or gadget on the market, a recent model year car (forget that, nobody hardly has a car), thousands of shoes and brand name clothes, or a big house filled with tons of everything.
Makes me think we should definitely try and live a little more simple and forget the rat race of keeping up with the Jones'. I absolutely have everything I need- Health, Family, enough money to be comfortable and save for a rainy day, and Happiness.
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