Saving Some Room

So they recommend bringing gifts to the host-family. Ok that’s cool, but how do I even know what to give them when all I know is the names of the husband and wife? Well…not knowing what else to bring, I settled on two University Of Minnesota t-shirts, a deck of cards (have they ever even heard of cards? Or is that a common thing?), and Frisbee, since that is like a big part of college-life, and a tin water bottle (recommended by one of the year-students). The program told us to wait a day or two to give them their gifts so we did.  So anticipating their ‘excitedness,’ Amanda and I got our entire shindig together and combined them into the bag. Her gifts included some grits, craisins, a t-shirt, a notebook and some lotion, very thoughtful. Well, I was pretty excited to give them the presents, especially the water bottle since that was the recommended gift, so at least someone would like it right? So it was the third night, hoping to brown-nose it up a bit more with our gifts, we went out to the living room and waited for everyone to gather, Krishnaji, Ji Singhji, Bulbul and Noni. It was a bit underwhelming I guess, they’ve had host students before, but our gifts were appreciated. “O nice color,” referring to my golden University Of Minnesota t-shirt. “Cards, very nice.”

And they opened the gifts one by one and then it came to the water bottle. The tin water bottle.

Let’s take it back a little. Back to packing. Where I squished 4 months of my life into one black suitcase. I packed things everywhere to save room. You know like the extreme packers who put the socks inside the tennis shoes? Yeah, I was one of those. I even bought those stupid space-saving bags, which actually aren’t stupid because they ended up saving room.

Ji Signhji unrolled the purple tissue paper…

“O what ees theees?”

And then I remembered.

“O wait wait wait!” I hovered over the bag and reached out desperately for the faintly gold bottle, with “Golden Gophers,” written around the edge (in a very classy way might I add). It was all in slow motion like a car accident.

He turned the lid…nooooooo!!!!

“O what ees these?”

And out he pulled…my green sports bra. I was mortified. Three days. Three days I have known these people. I know I know at least it wasn’t that sexy red lacey thong from Vicky Secrets. At least it wasn’t tampons. But come on! Why couldn’t have it been socks? A t-shirt? A headband? Nope Ji Signhji pulled out my green sports bra in front of the whole family. And of course it was my 52-year-old host dad. Sweet life.

He handed back the bra to my humiliated-self.

“O you take!”

My face began getting hot. My stomach felt like it was going to fall out. I began to explain my packing situation to the family. “I just had so much stuff to pack, I was trying to save room. I’m so sorry. O my gosh...”

“Is OK. You try to save room. Don’t worry.”

When in India...

I want to add a picture to each blog. This has NOTHING to do with today's story...I mean do you really think I'd take a pic with Ji Signhji and my sports bra?