The Wagner Rotarians were treated to a social night on Wednesday, December 27th at their club residence on Main Street. The evening began with a Social Half-Hour followed by a delicious meal. The theme of the evening was all about the country of India. Michelle and Gerrit Juffer recently returned from a Rotary Exchange Trip to this country. Exchange trips vary from country to country around the globe. Rotarians from each District are eligible and must apply for the travel exchange. They are always escorted by the Rotarians of the district in the country they are visiting. They also stay at the Rotarians homes or in a hotel of Rotary’s choice.

The evening meal was prepared by Rotarian Bryan Slaba who at one time in his previous occupations was a restaurant owner in Mitchell, SD. He is no stranger to cooking therefore and took on the task of preparing food that had an Indian flavor. Slaba went lightly on the ingredients that consisted of a lot of red-hot chili pepper and lots of cumin. Chicken prepared in butter and a sauce was served on a bed or white rice with a small amount of homemade bread that was thin and resembled a wrap more than a slice of bread that we are used to.

After the meal Rotarian Rachel Woods introduced her program which was Michelle and Gerrit. They presented a slide show of their trip from Day one through Day fourteen. They covered many topics of interest about the country of India. The Indian population is over a billion people, the Islam religion is the majority, several languages are spoken, and traffic is extreme. There are no speed limits, most people ride bikes with three to five people on a bike. There is constant honking, and the streets are narrow and congested. There is not the opportunity to walk the streets at all.

The country does not have a lot of air conditioning. It was extremely hot and humid for weather. Sanitation is poor. Bathrooms do not really exist in public places. There are simply holes in the floor for public use and some homes are also furnished that way. They do not have modern conveniences except for the very wealthy. One of the hosts they visited had a hot plate instead of an oven.

Several families can be living together in a small space. Marriages are arranged and people just accept this as a normal way of life. There are no cemeteries in India. People are brought to a location by the ocean and all bodies are incinerated. This is part of their religious beliefs, as strange as it may seem to other countries’ customs. They believe in an afterlife, even in a different body.

Michelle and Gerrit wore typical garments that they purchased and were given as gifts from their host families. Pants (slacks or jeans to us) are lightweight cotton with a drawstring waist, a tunic that goes over the head and extends to mid-thigh, and a shawl which can protect the shoulders or is used to cover their heads. Women are not to allow their shoulders to be bare.

The Juffers talked at length about their various experiences. They did visit various parts of the country and the famous Taj Mahal. Michelle summed it up when they began by saying: “India was all about three “S’s.” Sights, smells, and sounds. She also commented on the fact that there were so many monkeys on the train rides around the country.

This article could go on forever. Their presentation was very interesting.

Theclubowesahuge“Thank You” to Bryan Slaba, Amanda Bechen, and Scott McAdaragh who planned the evening. Rotarians brought their spouses, friends, and relatives as guests for the evening.