Five Days of Beauty: Day Five- Create Things Full of Beauty

Today is the final day of our five days of beauty. In our last several posts, we have covered the definition of beauty, how our cultural influencers have helped to shape our understanding of beauty, the fact that each of us possesses beauty, and what I personally find beautiful. 

Now is the time for my charge to you to make beautiful things. We want to know where you find beauty. It could be in a dance, in music, in sculpting, in poetry, in a well laid out spreadsheet, in clothing design, in capturing a photo of a person or landscape, in a clean home, in a simple or complex food dish, in something small or big, in something new or old.

Whatever it is, do it. Bring more beauty into your life and the lives of those around you by doing something that celebrates beauty and might broaden someone’s understanding of beauty. 

And please don’t let your fear of imperfection or lack of motivation stop you. Find something that motivates you and do it. Do you think Picasso, Nat King Cole, Coco Chanel or Steve Jobs were perfect at their craft when they started? Probably not, but look at where their determination, hard work, and understanding of beauty took them. Get out there, do something, and bring your understanding of beauty to the world. 

Going forward, you will find this blog full of people who are doing just that. We will be featuring people from around the world who share parts of their understanding of beauty in what they do, big or small. We are excited to bring you along, so be sure to subscribe to American Jija (you can find this on the right side of they page) and follow us on Instagram to receive the latest and greatest of what we find.  

AJ

Five Days of Beauty: Day 4-Where I Find Beauty

As someone who was raised in small-town U.S.A., moved to Chicago for college, and now lives overseas, the things that have influenced my understanding of beauty are numerous and vast in kind. If I never lived in Chicago or was never exposed to India, my understanding of things found in those places or cultures would have been meaningless to me, and I would not have appreciated the fullness of beauty that is found in them. I still have much to learn, and I know there are more beautiful things to discover in many more places and cultures, but I am here now, and soaking in all I can.

Below I have listed things in which I find beauty for various reasons- some purely out of physical reasons, some for sentimental reasons, and some because of how I grew from them.

I find beauty in a sunset over the hills and fields of my homeland, the concrete jungle of downtown Chicago, and the Mugal handprint in the design of Rajasthan's great palaces.

I find beauty in the orderly lines of the corn in the fields of the Mid-west, the planned, gridline of the streets of Chicago, and the line of hills that surround my current city.

I find beauty in the sound of the horses' hooves clip-cloping down the street as it carries it's riders in a buggy behind it, the sound of the "L" train on its track carrying Chicagoans, and the music of the band in a marriage procession, with the groom atop an elephant, going to meet his bride.

I find beauty in my genetically deformed toes, my small, little apartment above my dear landlord's family, and the laughter I hear come from downstairs.

I find beauty in the flavors of good cheese, chocolate, and coffee.

I find beauty in smells that remind me of the past, people, and pumpkin.

I find beauty in well fitting clothing, shoes (remember, deformed toes... ya, those make it hard to find good shoes), and glasses.

I find beauty in the company of friends and family, and in being alone.

I find beauty in the sound of the ukulele, spoken word, and the sitar.

I find beauty in the comfort of jeans and a t-shirt, the simplicity of a little black dress, and the specificity in the draping of a sari.

What informs your understanding of beauty and where do you find it? Seriously, I want to know. Tell me in the comments below.
AJ

Five Days of Beauty: Day 3-You are Full of Beauty

In yesterday’s post we talked about the definition of beauty and how each person’s understanding of beauty is somewhat subjective, because it has been informed by various influencers. 

However, today I want to talk about the one thing that we can objectively describe as beautiful, and that is the human being. 

Each person has been made in the image of the Creator God, the One who made the moon and stars, the sun and rain; the One who possesses all beauty and from which all beauty comes, the One who made all living things- He made man and women in his own image. This is true of nothing else. Because of this, our worth is connected to our Creator. If God is of great worth and beauty, then the human beings made in his image must have immense value and beauty as well. 

“There are no ordinary people. You have never met a mere mortal.” C.S. Lewis

Even the most obscure person is not ordinary in God’s eyes. The people you see everyday, even the ones whom you give little regard based on outward beauty (by your own understanding), have worth, for they have been made in the image of God, and possess an immense, incalculable amount of beauty.

As you go about your day today, take time to process the fact that each person you interact with has been made in the image of God. Don’t allow your cultural understanding of beauty to get in the way. Think about how your understanding of God’s beauty and therefore man’s beauty should inform your interaction with each individual person, whether your boss, spouse, co-worker, child, friend, homeless individual, or store employee. Each one has immense worth and should be treated accordingly. 

In the same vein, if you have forgotten your worth, or have beaten yourself up over not meeting society’s beauty standards, listen to this truth- you have been made in the image of God. You have worth and beauty as a human being that nothing else on earth can claim. Treat yourself accordingly.

AJ

*There is much more to be said about the Image of God. This is not an exhaustive explanation. 

Five Days of Beauty: Day 2-What is Beauty?

BEAUTY: "the quality present in a thing or person that gives intense pleasure or deep satisfaction to the mind, 
whether arising from sensory manifestations (as shape, color, sound, taste, etc.), a meaningful design or 
pattern, or something else (as a personality in which high spiritual qualities are manifest)."

Beauty is universal. Naturally, we all have our likes and dislikes. We have been given the ability to enjoy things and not enjoy others. However, our minds and hearts have been cultivated by that which surrounds us, that which we have been exposed to, that which we value, and our understanding of what beauty is can be traced to those influences. Each culture has its own understanding of beauty, yet the definition is the same. Traditions, social norms, spiritual practices, and readily available materials (among many other things) all play a role in how our understanding of beauty is cultivated and formed. 

Coming from the west, I had a limited scope of what I found beautiful based on the limited exposure I had to the world. In the past two years as I have extended my circle of influencers and allowed myself to be exposed to things that are different from my "norm", I have seen my understanding of beauty broaden, particularly in music, visual art, food, and textiles/clothing design.

What is informing your understanding of beauty? Is it the traditions of your family or culture? Is it the thousands of photos you scroll through on Pinterest that you want to imitate? Are you choosing what you find beautiful, or are you being told what you should think is beautiful? What does your understanding of beauty tell you about what you value?

Honestly, a lot of what I find beauty in now my friends in the States will not have the same feelings about, and that is okay, but it doesn't make it any less beautiful to me. My encouragement to you is to step out of your normal influences and educate yourself on something new. Talk to people who are passionate about it. Ask questions. Open your eyes to see the beauty that is there. 

AJ 

Five Days of Beauty: Day 1-Operation Find Beauty

I've gone back and forth so many times about what I want this blog to really be about. It started off as a travelogue of an American living abroad, because that is what made sense. I was, in fact, an American living abroad, but I didn't really know how much people actually cared or needed such a thing, and honestly, I didn't know how much I did either.

Then I thought about using it as a portfolio to share my creative work. I like to dabble in a lot of different kinds of creative mediums, and thought it might be fun to share my work with whomever found it interesting. But honestly, I kind of get board with myself, and my creative juices haven't really been flowing lately. 

But I liked the creative/arts idea, and got inspired by the beauty around me.

You see, I live in a culture where you have to be intentional to see beauty. The desert dust and climate of North India doesn't automatically fit one's typical idea of beauty (at least not to me...) and I have found myself battling to find beautiful things. About a year ago, I started using the hashtag "operationfindbeauty" to remind myself that there are beautiful things all around me if I just open my eyes and look past the dirt and trash. It helped and soon my instagram was full of beautiful things that I could revisit whenever I needed. 

"OperationFindBeauty" also helped me to broaden my scope of beauty. Before this project, my definition of beauty was many times synonymous with perfection and lined up with what I liked personally. There is nothing wrong with having a liking toward one thing over the next, but I learned that there is beauty in everything, and I needed to open my senses in order to be educated and embrace the beauty I don't yet know. 

For example, because of where I was raised, my ears are tuned to enjoy a western style of music. When I came to India, I had a hard time listening to eastern music, because to me, it sounded pitchy, screechy, and out of tune. Once I opened my mind and educated myself on the history and traditions of music in eastern cultures, I could see the beauty in it. Is it my favorite thing to listen to? No, but I can appreciate the beauty that is there. 

So what does that mean for the blog? Well, I want this corner of the internet to be a place where we can explore and celebrate beautiful things. Beauty, and our ability to experience it, is a gift, and I want to use it! I'll be posting all kinds of things to help us broaden our understanding of true beauty. I encourage you to email me or tag me on instagram in something that you find beautiful. You can find my social media links to the right.

Come back for more on our definition of beauty tomorrow. This is just day one, friends. 

AJ

Evening Lights

Amer Fort sits on the hillside over looking the city of Amer, the former capitol of Rajasthan before Jaipur was established in 1727. Amer Fort was built in 1592 by Raja Man Singh and later finished by Raja Jai Singh I. Built with red sandstone and white marble, Man Singh used both Hindu (specifically Rajput) and Mughal architecture in the fort's design. This amazing fort has stood against the test of time, invasions, and many tourists.

Recently, lights were added to the 423 year old building, and officials have opened the historic attraction in the evening hours, giving guests a new, peaceful perspective on the structure. This place has many stories to tell, I'm sure, and I have only caught but a small glimpse of its evening tales.

Red Knuckles and First Tears

I was so excited the day I bought a washing machine. Walking down Junti Bazaar, the infamous road with dozens of appliance and electronic shops, I knew the exact the machine I was looking for, the Whirlpool Stainwash. My knuckles had begun to hurt and had the beginning signs of becoming raw and red, and I knew I would go crazy doing one more load of laundry in a bucket. I had saved money from February, added it to the money budgeted in March, and took it down to buy my machine. I checked a few stores, had a friend bargain for the best price, and made my big girl purchase.

They told me it would arrive the next day, however it did not, it arrived the same day much to my surprise!

It arrived by bicycle cart, and the delivery man hauled it upstairs on his back. He took it out of the box, asked for the delivery charge, and proceeded to leave. Through my nervous smile, I asked if he was going to instal the machine. Not able to form a sentence in English, the delivery man said only the word "Whirlpool" and left.

I looked at the directions, and thought, "Ok, I can do this!"

Soon after, my phone rang, and it was Whirlpool! But in Hindi. What?! I can't speak Hindi yet! I waited for the recording to go through it's spiel, but when a person came on the line, they too were speaking Hindi.

"I'm sorry, mujhe Hindi nahi aati hai." (I'm sorry, I don't speak Hindi.)

I hear from the other side, "Oh!"

I'm sure this is quite confusing to them. I mean, someone says they can't speak in the exact language they are speaking. But trust me people, I can't speak anything other than 5 basic phrases and vocabulary words for the living room.

Soon, another person comes on and again is speaking Hindi.

"I'm sorry, mujhe Hindi nahi aati hai."

"Oh!"

Finally, the third person comes on speaking English, "Hello, how may I help you, Madam?"

"Um, you called me. Is this Whirlpool?"

After the confusion settled, they asked if a Whirlpool representative could come and demonstrate how my new machine worked. A few hours later a man in a suit and tie, still wearing his motorcycle helmet rang my door bell. When he realized that the machine wasn't connected, he gave a little huff, because machine installation wasn't part of his job. I gave a little shrug, and he "installed" it.

Yes, that is masking tape and clear packing tape holding wires together from the washing machine plug that is too big for the electrical outlet. I told him this wasn't safe or acceptable. 

"Oh no, madam, very safe." 

He proceeded to turn on the machine, and told me that all I had to do was push start, and not worry about the other 10 buttons/options on the machine. They didn't matter.

Thank you, Whirlpool. 

At first I was a little upset, and even a little offended that he didn't think I knew how to turn on the machine. But then I realized that fully automatic washing machines are a fairly new thing here. Most of India is doing their washing by hand, and if they do have a machine, it is most likely only semi-automatic, requiring that you must shift the load in the middle of the wash. By telling me that all I have to do is push start, he was saying that the machine does all the work. But that still left the problem of the plug, which I knew he couldn't/wouldn't fix. For the rest of the month my budget was very tight, and I wasn't able to hire an electrician to come and install a new outlet. So I continued to hand wash my clothing.

But red knuckles! It didn't matter. I had to endure.

Finally pay day came and I could hire an electrician! I went down to the neighborhood electrical shop, told them what I needed, and they said they would send someone the next day! Yes! I stayed home the entire day waiting for him to come. Hours went by and the sun set, no electrician. I was so frustrated! I had wasted an entire day! The next day was Sunday, and I knew he wouldn't come then. Monday is my day off, and I try keep that day to myself, but I went back out to the electrical shop and asked why he hadn't come. 

"Sorry, madam, he will come tomorrow."

"But he can't come tomorrow. I won't be home. Can he come today?"

"No, he will come tomorrow."

"But I won't be home! Can he come another day? Maybe Thursday?"

"No, tomorrow."

At this point I am yelling, "I WON'T BE HOME TOMORROW! HE CAN'T COME!" and everyone is looking! All I want to do is wash my huge pile of clothes collecting in the corner of my room without getting red knuckles! The culture stress had become too much, and I started crying. I ran back to my auto rickshaw and ask to be taken home. This is why we need a day off.

Fast forward three days to Thursday. I'm walking to a coffee shop to study my Hindi, when a man on a motorcycle stops beside me on the side of the road. Normally, not much good comes from these situations, so I politely brush him off, and keep walking. Again, he yells to me something in Hindi, and I ignore him. And then I hear it "Kandewal", the name of the electrical shop. I turn around and ask him if he is from Kandewal, and with a smile he nods his head. WHAT?! I had given up on them, and I thought they had given up on me, the crazy American. 

I meet him at my house, and an hour later, I have a new electrical outlet and a safe, working washing machine. 

I realize now how confusing my response was to the electrical shop guy. No one leaves their house unattended. Whether it is the wife, child, or maid, someone is always home during the day. He had no point of reference when I said that I wouldn't be home, because he assumed someone else would be. My guess is that the electrician came on Tuesday, and when I didn't answer the door, he tried again on Thursday. How he found me on the road is still fully unknown, but I'm sure he asked around my community and enough people had seen me walking, they pointed him in the right direction.

I'm still learning what it means to live here. Things are run so differently in this culture. Time is not a highly placed value and does not dictate their schedules. Women are not normally the ones to line up work that needs to be done, so it confuses people when I try. And the quality of work is much different than I am used to. I praise God for grace through this transition and time of culture stress, and I know, unfortunately, this won't be the last occurrence. But for now, I'm thankful for a washing machine and no more red knuckles!