Today the conversion rate is 50 Rupees: 1 Dollar. As soon as we landed in the International airport we did our conversion. I took Anju's advice and got some small rupee bills to ensure I could bargain. Great advice, btw.
I started talking to Mamiji about life in India vs. America. It's no surprise that things are just different. It costs money to send their kids to school, $15/month/kid. Doesn't sound like too much here, but for them it is a lot. It got me thinking about how lucky we are to have a public school system, and how great it is that our parents heavily focused on education. Like my Mom told my Mamiji, "You can lose everything, but you can't lose your education." Very true.
And her kids are so smart! Her 2.5 year old already knows his complete Hindi & US alphabet! Her eldest daughter (11) knows how to play the sitar, the harmonium, can write and speak in both Hindi and English, can draw. She looks forward to school and appreciates and respects her teacher, calls her Madam. These kids might not have much material wise, but boy do they have respect.
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