On Sabbath we got up and got dressed a bit nicer than normal. Dr. Perumal was taking us to his home church in Kuching, where we were going to get to meet his community and take part in the service. Ashley, Tori, Jordan, and I sang for special music, and Tori, Jordan, and I gave sermonettes based on Hebrews 11:1-6.
Everyone was so welcoming! It was fun to meet lots of new people, and worship with such an enthusiastic community. We stayed for the potluck after church, which was quite possibly the best potluck I've ever been to. They lined up tables so that they formed a giant solid rectangle about ten feet by fifteen feet. The entire table surface was covered with food. It was a feast with foods ranging from pumpkin curry to fresh rambutan. We got to meet a lot of students our age, which was really fun! Sidenote: no one over here says "you guys" unless they are talking specifically to guys. In California, we say "Hey, you guys!" to girls all the time without thinking much about the literal translation. Here, the response is nervous laughter, with girls looking at each other like, "They know we're not men, right?"
We went back to the hotel after church for a short nap. It was so nice. It's the most down time we have had on the trip so far, and it was much needed.
That evening, Dr. Perumal told us we were going have dinner with a traditional Hindu family at their home. He told us that he was good friends with the famliy and that the wife could make our sari tops for us.
They welcomed us in with such hospitality. They were so gracious to talk with us at length about Hinduism, answering any of our questions about their traditions. Then, about an hour into our visit, Dr. Perumal revealed that the man we had been talking with about Hinduism was, in fact, his brother! We were all so surprised! After he told us that, we realized how unbelievably comfortable he had seemed upon entering their home and talking with the members of the family. It all started to make sense...
They seated us around an L-shaped table for dinner and placed banana leaves in front of each of us for a plate. For the traditional meal, we ate with our hands. We had the most delicious Indian food I've ever had in my life. Before I came on this trip, I could have counted on both hands how many times I've had Indian food. I just didn't really grow up eating it very much. Since coming on this trip I have a newfound appreciation for Indian food. And as I said, the food Dr. Perumal's family made is the best I've had yet. We had battered and fried cauliflower, dahl, yummy rice, crispy bread, green beans, and a saffron onion and carrot mixture. Then we had a tapioca and coconut milk dessert.
Their hospitality was overwhelming. They came back and forth through the kitchen door, bringing out more and more food. They didn't sit to eat with us, but instead treated us as highly honored guests. They taught us that when we are finished with our meal we should fold our banana leaf over on itself. It is proper to fold the banana leaf along the seam so that the opening faces you if you had a good time that you want to repeat. If you did not have an experience you want to repeat (maybe you had lunch after a funeral or something) then you fold the banana leaf so that the opening is facing away from you.
After dinner, Dr. Perumal's sister-in-law, Suzy, and her daughter tied the saris around us, and we had a sari fashion show. They even brought out extra saris for the women who hadn't bought any. As it turns out, Suzy is a professional tailor and seamstress. She took our measurements for the tops, and explained which section of the fabric she would be making them from. We are all so excited about the fact that we are getting custom saris.
As we said our goodbyes and walked out the front door, we passed a traditional Hindu decoration made of dyed shredded coconut and rice flour. It sat on the tile to welcome visitors and was surrounded with tea lights. Some of the traditions that we have encountered here are so simple, yet so beautiful.
If one word could be used to describe today, it would be "hospitality."The people of Kuching are experts at this fine art, making everyone in their path feel right at home here.
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