Hello, Ashoka students!

1. "What do you think of India?"

My first response is the richness of color. The clothing, the spices, the flora and fauna, the environment, even the skin tones... so much color. Perhaps that's a stereotype, but it's my first response to the cultural idea of India. Colors are contextual, expressive, and activate the other senses.

2. "What does it feel like to be an American?"

I do feel proud to be an American, but not necessarily in an "us vs them" manner. I served for 23 years in the military, so I encountered Americans from widely differing backgrounds and viewpoints. Perhaps I sound simplistic when I say that America, for me, is sitting with my coworkers at 3:00am discussing politics, philosophy, books, world events, TV shows, or whatever comes to mind. It's a binding that crosses barriers because we were all in the same situation together. However, it exists outside the military; I found circles of friends when I was in my bachelor's program. I guess "American" is reaching out to find common ground wherever you are, though I'm saddened that some prefer to keep America within strict boundaries - physical or metaphysical.

3. Is the idea of home related to my identity?

That's a tough one. Now, I'm a native Texan, and we are generally known for our great pride in our state. Do I identify as a Texan? Yes. Does it mean that "home" is wherever I find other Texans? Sometimes, but the same can be said for others who are seeking a community of similar interests when they are in foreign places. That being said, I actually identify home with my personal nickname - given to me when I was three weeks old. (Don't ask, I'm not telling!) I know I'm "home" when I hear this nickname because it's mine alone, and those who use it are family and friends very close to me.

4. (Paraphrase) Is home the place where we can be engulfed by chaos and not have it affect us?

I hope I caught this question correctly. I think chaos, at home, is a double-edged sword. We are surrounded by things and people we know, which should help us deal with craziness all around us. We can let down our guards and be ourselves because home is (should be?) the place that accepts the good and the bad about us. (This reminds of the song "In The Garage" by Weezer.) However, it never stays within the walls, does it? Or, if we try to keep it there by bottling it up when we walk outside, it eventually escapes. And perhaps it should - are we really true to ourselves if we mask that chaotic side of our lives from others?

5. What would I define as homelessness?

Homelessness is a sense that you have no base, no foundation, nowhere that you can start from and move. Perhaps it sounds trite to use this - almost like a stock answer. But there are those who are homeless, physically, who are happy to be this way, or find solace in knowing they are among those who understand them (see question 4). But true homelessness isn't about whether or not you have walls and a bed; it's about whether or not you have any connections at all.

6. What is language within the idea of home?

Aside from actual language spoken (dialect, ethnicity, etc.) language informs your view of the world. I can only answer this through a personal anecdote. In my home, I never heard racial slurs, or I couldn't do something because I was a girl, or any sort of labeling due to someone's background. (If I did, it was so infrequent that I can't recall any of it.) So, I grew up without thinking "because he or she is (fill in the blank)." There are times when I had to educate myself on a topic because I never knew it was a topic, or my knowledge was severely limited. This education helped me explain things to my children so I can give the most unbiased answer to the questions they're bound to ask. So, language has its place in the home, but sometimes the lack of language is just as formative. Does that make sense?

7. Five things home means to me...

1. A center from which everything else is based.
2. The kitchen table, where my family congregates to talk. And this is commonplace throughout all the branches of my family tree.
3. Smells, sights, sounds of familiarity, even if it's only a temporary place (as I moved from assignment to assignment) or the place where I intend to plant my roots for as long as I can.
4. Where my books are - no matter where I go, I need books. Sometimes home started at the nearest bookstore.
5. Family - my actual family, or my military family, my "school" family, or my roller derby family...