HOLY CRAP!

I CAN'T BELIEVE I FORGOT TO MENTION THAT I CONVINCED A CLERK AT A NATIONAL SITE AND GOT THE CITIZEN'S RATE IN DELHI!!!!! ONLY 5 RUPEES FOR THE TICKET!!!!! AND I GOT ASKED FOR DIRECTIONS ON THE METRO. I PUT THIS ON FACEBOOK AND FORGOT THAT I NEVER SAID IT IN MY BLOG. :) I NEEDED TO SHARE THAT IN ALL CAPS. I FELT CRAZY LEGIT. :)

I will update you all further tomorrow or Sunday. I just got back from a long trip to Pushkar and Tullonia, two very, very different places. It will a good story.

Ok, so it's been way to long, I know. Mauf Kijiye. Forgive me. I have a few good excuses ready for you all, and you can choose your favorite, or just make up a new one, if you'd like. First, two weeks ago, as you saw in my pictures, I went to Delhi for my Midterm break and met with my Hindi teacher from UVA. I stayed with the parents of my teacher's daughter-in-law, a charming and elderly Punjabi couple who fed me far far too much and then when I couldn't eat more fed a little more. I saw the sights of Delhi, and even got taken for an Indian, like 5 times. I even got the citizen's rate a monument or two, and was asked for directions on the metro more times than would seem prudent given my shaky understanding of the Delhi Metro. It was lovely to meet with my teacher and meet two of her sons, their wives and my teacher's two ADORABLE grandchildren, Kabir and Aatish, aged 4 months and 2 years respectively. 

Second, Last week I was sick and then until yesterday I was fighting off some of the unfortunate effects of the medicine I was prescribed.

Class is going well, and we've seen some really interesting movies for our film class. Today we saw the best one we've seen so far - Mirch Masala. totally worth checking it out. It has a really awesome symbolic representation of mirch, or chilis, and nazar, or evil eye. In the film, and evil subedaar, or tax collector, falls for a village woman who refuses his advances. She finds refuge in a mirch masala factory, where she waits out the fallout from the subedaar's anger, until he attacks. Then, she exacts revenge on him by pouring mirch powder into his eyes. The connection her is that mirch is traditionally used to get rid of nazar, which in the movie was brought on by the woman's beauty. So she protects herself by hiding surrounded by mirch, and then physically burns out the mans "nazar capabilities" by chemically destroying his eyes. I was so excited when I saw this while watching the movie, and immediately shared it with the whole class and now all of you. :) They were excited, too, so I hope you will be. Symbol fun. :)

Ok, I'll update more frequently now I'm not ill or traveling, and I hope everyone's doing well!!! I'll see you all in 3.5 weeks!!!!

Pics!!!!!!!

SADARJANG'S TOMB CAN YOU SEE WHY I LOVE IT?!?!

My host family - Laura, the other student, Auntie, then Kalla our host uncle, Nanu and the Tanishka. UNcle Ji wasn't home when I took the picture. We were celebrating Laura's birthday.

Diwaan-e Aam in the Red Fort

An incredibly old Jain Temple in Jaipur.

Drying textiles in Sanganer, which is the traditional industry district in Jaipur.



Diwaan-e Khaas in the Red Fort. Wow. I mean, this is AFTER it was ravaged by the Brits.



Delhi. Aur kya kehun?

I am in Delhi now on my mid-term break for a week, chilling with the world's best Hindi teacher, the wonderful Bimla Ji. I took the morning train here from Jaipur with two other students, and unlike my trip to Udaipur in sleeper class (matlab no AC no nothing very cheap seats), we took advantage of the VERY luxurious Third AC, meaning yes AC, no nothing else. Also, a mirror. It was super exciting, and so cold we went to the door and watched the countryside roll by for a bit. Since the rain has come, everything is so green and beautiful it's hard to describe. It helps that Delhi has been called the greenest capital in the world. It's easy to believe - it has more trees than some forests, and a lot of them are flowering now. I arrived at about 12:30 in Delhi and after a fairly long metro ride to Gurgaon, a technically separate city that is culturally and infrastructurally directly linked to Delhi, I met with my wonderful Hindi teacher, met her family and spent a really wonderful afternoon with two of her sons, their wives and her two grandchildren, who are unbearably cute. Then yesterday I was installed in a guesthouse owned by the parents of Bimla ji's daughter in law, an incredible Punjabi couple who treat me better than could be imagined. After two plates of rice and daal AND bhindi (okra, or as they say her, lady's fingers), Delhi auntie (as I will call her to distinguish her from Jaipur auntie) looked slightly distressed and said "beta, bahut kam khaya hai tumne!", or "My child, you've eaten so little!"We then all spent the afternoon together at the guesthouse, and then I went to bed after an awesome day.

But today was even awesomer. I finally verntured into the city, and really only saw two things, but it took up most of my day anyway - Safdarjang's tomb and Connaught Place. Safdarjang's Tomb is an incredible Mughal tomb, and has been referred to as the "last flicker in the rapidly extinguishing lamp of Mughal architecture in Delhi." It slightly predates the Taj Mahal, and looks almost exactly like it, but in red sandstone (I think? It's definitely red) and minus the minarets. Pics are forthcoming. It was incredibly beautiful and peaceful - almost no one else was there, despite the fact that it is one of the only monuments open on Mondays. Then, on the complete opposite side of the spectrum, Connaught Place is the hotspot in New Delhi for upscale shopping and I mostly walked around and drank a ton of cold coffee, and book-shopped. I am starting to amass a tiny Hindi library - I now have a collection of short stories by Premchand, and one by Narendr Kohli, as well as the first Harry Potter. Bimla ji and a few of the teachers at AIIS have told me that my best bet for a really solid Hindi grad program might be in India, where Hindi Literature is a very well-developed program, and universities such as JNU in Delhi put out some of the most proficient and well-trained graduates in Hind-related fields (education, literature, linguistics, etc) in the world. So obviously, I have to start reading. :)

After a full day in the city, I met up with Bimla Ji and another of her students at the Rajasthan Tourism Development corporation in Bikaner House, where her brother works. The company puts together luxury train tours of Rajasthan, and so ironically in Delhi I was still surrounded with pictures of Jaipur. :) We had samose, chaach lassi and sandwiches, after which we returned to Gurgaon, had tea with Bimla ji's sister, and went out to dinner and we all four ate until we were about to explode. After a few tiny fiascos - (The metro pedestrian gate was locked and my new totally badass India persona jumped the gate, only to become much less badass when my pants ripped (only a little...) and then when I got to my stop, I got lost walking home. A couple I asked directions from were surprised when I spoke to them in Hindi, and replied "Your Hindi is very good. You're not from around here." That made it a little bit less stressful. ) - i did finally reach home, with much help from Delhi auntie and uncle. And now, I need to sleep. It is 12:00 here, and I'm catching the metro at 8:3- to hit up Jama Masjid and the Red Fort! SO EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!

More updates!

Hey everyone! Not time for much but just another quick update on my life. :)  Things are going crazy well, and class is tough, as always, but still interesting. This weekend we went to Sanganer, where hand block prints and traditional blue pottery is made, which is pretty awesome! And next week I'm headed to Dehli to spend some time with Bimlaji, and then who knows where. :) I have a week break and I'm still trying to decide where to go, but I'm thinking north. Like really north. If you have a suggestion, e-mail me. Maybe Kashmir (Yes, that was for you, Mo). Other than this, class is going pretty normally and life is starting to get into a routine, which is nice.

This weekend, I took a weekend trip to Udaipur, Jaipur's cleaner and vastly more beautiful cousin in the south. It is the seat of the world's longest continuous dynasty, the house of  Mewar, and is situated on mountains surrounding a series of gorgeous man-made lakes. There are ghats everywhere and little bridges the cross the channels connecting the lakes. The City Palace is breathtaking, and is at the highest point in the city, a great example of Rajput architecture. There is still a living Maharana, who no longer lives in the palace. Also, the was a procession of the murtis from the beautiful and historic Jagdish Mundir. The mundirs, or icons, were removed from the temple are carried around the city, stopping to do puja every few yards.  I have to run now for my tutoring, but I'll give more updates later!

Pics! Finally!!!

Ok, so I'm only putting up three pics right now, because it's taking for ever, but here's something to tide you all over. :) Also, I can't figure out how to rotate the last picture. Sorry. :/ Sabeen, maybe you can help?

Tomb at Qutb Minar

Moti Dungri!!! (From our roof)



Me in my blue kurta and some churidar-style pajama!!!!



Oof

Ok, so when they said intensive program, they really weren't kidding, at all. We have had so much to learn and do and study its been ridiculous. I had a whole short story, a two page film reaction (We watched Maasum), and class prep just for today! And the film reaction isn't just "I liked the movie because..." But more like "This film presents interesting conflicts and a difficult social message for a number of reasons..." Yeah, be impressed. :)

But classes are awesome, and I love the teachers. You can tell that they are all vastly overqualified to be teaching us Hindi, but they are awesome at it, continuously positive and helpful, and just all-around nice people.

Tomorrow is my first test, so wish me luck. :)

Last night, my incredibly talented host-sisters, Nainu and Tanishka gave an impromptu song/dance performance, and let me tell you, these girls are TALENTED. Nainu may be one of the best natural singers I have ever heard (Her versions of both Beyonce and Sufi songs put the originals to shame, and the girl's only 11!) and Tanishka dances like Shakira, but better. They are serious performers. :) But not too serious. Having sung and danced their hearts out, they started a game of "Let's steal Matt's stuff and run around the house. For like an hour." Obviously my favorite game. :)

OK, so I need to study, and other than drinking about 16 mango shakes, I haven't done much else in the last few days to write about. This weekend will give me something to right about, for sure, since my housemate and friend/tour-guide Laura is heading to visiting friends in Udaipur. I haven't nearly exhausted all there is to do in Jaipur, so I'm hanging back, and I'm going to do my best to get out and really see the city.

I'll write again soon!!!!!