I'm attracted to foreign textiles. Both the cloth itself and the people who wear it tend to be a little rougher, more colorful, and more homemade. Although this particular girl comes with all the graces of an Indian princess, the fact remains: people who wear foreign textiles always have an interesting story to tell.
On Friday, importanter people were coming than the people who are usually there, so we were asked to dress nice. One girl came dressed in a sari. I had noticed her before, talking on her phone in Punjabi during her lunch break. She seemed interesting before... The way she carried herself, she seemed like she belonged in a sandstone palace, not a call center. The sari tipped the scale. I HAD to meet her.
She's a sikh! (I've been dying to meet one since my World Religions class... I have a lot of respect for her religion). Her name is Mannu. She moved here about a year ago for an arranged marriage, and it's worked out fabulously for her. She's been wonderfully open to me and patient with all my questions. She in turn is bewildered and fascinated by American dating culture. We don't have internet access at work, but the computers are networked together and we have a chat system that allows us to communicate with other call centerees... I now spend most of my day chatting with her between calls.
Self-segregation is really funny to me, because of moments like this... Why would you hanging out with people exactly like you, when you could be learning more from people who are unlike anyone you've ever met before? It's not unusual for me to meet someone from the other side of the world and feel an instant bond. Yet I frequently struggle to say hello to a white native-born American my age at my own church. XD
I had trouble remembering her name so she told me, "It's Mannu, like m'new friend." ^_^ I like this girl. I hope we stay friends for a long time.
Also, the 'podes had a Mosh Pit Party today:
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Chapter 1 - I Work in a Cubicle
