Kakra – life in a village

This is a side of India that visitors often don’t see – the villages. I was fortunate to have my friend show me – many in his mom’s side of the family spent a significant part of their lives in the village of Kakra. Upon meeting his aunt and his cousin, he bowed down and touched her foot – a practice performed in India to show respect for one’s elders.

The buildings look old and rundown compared to what people in the west are used to, but I’m told they all have Internet connections. Seeing people selling things in the street is a common sight.

My friend’s mom spoke of how she used to get taken to school on these buggies.

My friend reminisced about the times he and his cousins used to play around this well as children. He spoke about it with a light smile on his face, so one could tell how he missed those simpler times.

I got a lot of strange looks from people in the village – it was obvious to them I wasn’t from around there. How often do they ever see a foreigner around town? Probably never. On one occasion, the workers on my friend’s family’s farm asked his cousin what I was doing there. For the entire time I was on the farm, I constantly felt their gaze. They even made a comment saying how they had never seen a guy with a man-bun before.

Their family is quite hospitable and prepared a meal for us – according to my friend, his aunt is quite known within the family for being a fantastic cook. The dishes themselves were the typical ones like paneer, chickpeas, and lentils, but she really knew how to control the spices. She was so happy that we all enjoyed her cooking and for my friend, it was a taste of nostalgia.

Check out this link for more photos of this village