Obviously, the Indian store came to mind as soon as my teacher finished speaking. The next time I went there, I had a camera, a pencil, and a notebook. It was just another onerous chore, and I had not imagined I would learn anything new.

I walked in like usual, and I immediately started to take pictures of everything that would not be found in a Publix. About 10 minutes into my photo montage, I previewed all the pictures I had taken. The meaning of this project struck me quite suddenly. As I flipped through the photos, a strange realization came upon me. I saw the bright colors of everything, from the spices, like turmeric and chili powder, to the assorted glass and metal bangles. I noticed the different drinks, like lychee soda and Thums Up. I turned my camera off and started walking slowly through the aisles. Where there would have been a mashed potato mix in Publix, there was a mix for palak paneer. Where one would see cakes or candy, there was kaju katri and peda. I took a moment to notice all the different smells, which I had gotten so accustomed to. I listened to the music coming from the speakers in the corners of the store, and it felt strange that instead of hearing old country music, I heard songs from the latest Hindi movies. It was like I was seeing everything for the first time. My senses seemed to be extra sensitive, and I tried to take in as much as I could in every moment. Even the movies and music were special to me now. My camera was out and I was again taking pictures of everything unique. There were pictures of movie posters, sweets, cooking pots, statues of gods, even packets of incense sticks. I rushed over to the part of the store where the cooking utensils were, and observed all the different types of rolling pins and rice-cake makers. It almost surprised me that I knew exactly what everything was. I then went over to the section dedicated to incense. I took a whiff of vanilla, sandalwood, rose, and jasmine. I wished that there was somehow a way that I could take the smells back to my classmates. I spent a whole hour in the Indian store that day taking pictures and appreciating how lucky I was to have a culture that many people do not have.

When I got to class the next day to present my project, I told everyone exactly what I found out. It was surprising how many people did not have a culture as unique and colorful as my own. After I left class, I thought about the next time I would go to the Indian store. Later that day, my mom told me that we would be going there to get diyas, which would not have been a big deal at all. Strangely, though, I felt a kind of anticipation. Ever since the day I realized how lucky I was and how much a colorful culture was part of my life, I have looked at everything differently.