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Namaste नमस्ते !
It’s been a very busy and fun few weeks in Indore! Sorry, it’s been a long time since I put anything up on this blog since my 1st week, so I’m going to try to cover everything I’ve experienced in the about last 3 weeks in 2 or 3 posts.
On Wednesday, July 13, we got to see the school kitchen and how everything was prepared at the school. It was so cool to see all of the Didis’ making fresh chapatis (wheat tortillas), subzi, dal, and rice. And when I mean fresh, it is veryyy fresh. While the vegetables were being cut right in front of us, some people were making chapati dough on one side, and some were cooking them on the other side on burning charcoal. We even got to try to roll some chapatis, too! For the number of people at Shishukunj, they make around 3,000 chapatis every day!
Day by day we are picking up lots on Hindi. We have six wonderful teachers who teach us mostly Hindi conversational skills, with the exception of one teacher who solely focuses on Hindi writing and reading. At this point, all of us can do general self-introductions, say what we like, and small vocabulary like colors and nature. We are working on identifying and writing swar (vowels) and vyanjan (consonants).
We also went on a cultural excursion to a place called Rajwada on Friday, which is located right in Indore. On the way there we saw this big herd of sheep just crossing. The first place we went to was the Rajwada palace, but unfortunately, it was closed due to some construction. We took some pictures from the outside and left. In Indore, everyone loves taking pictures (especially selfies) and they typically say click a picture. We also had some snacks and a little ice cream popsicle called kulfi, too. We walked around and saw a few local shops. They are all so different and colorful, as they have all sorts of things from jewelry, traditional clothing, western clothing, and bags. Our last stop was a beautiful temple which remained quiet even in the hustle and bustle of the city around it. Its architecture was so unique and interesting.
That weekend, I also got a little sick from the streetside pani puri our teacher gave us to try, but my host family took such great care of me! They were very caring and had some home remedies that made my fever go away.
Usually, after I come home from school, Divya and I change into our “casual clothes” and have some more food to eat. Then, my host sister and I will finish up our homework until she has to go to tuition (pronounced like two – shun) from 6-8. Tuition is very common in India, and it is a place where kids will do more studying to get ahead of the what the teachers teach in school. At that time, I’ll usually go downstairs and upstairs to my host sisters (cousins, but are considered sisters and brothers) and we talk, have fun, and they help me out with Hindi. I also play with my little host nephew who does the most notorious, cute things. On July 9, Divya, Ashidi, Shweta di, and I had a sleepover which is called a night stay. We’ve also made brownies and eclairs together because we all like to bake. On July 19, Divya, Olivia, Pritika (her host sister), some other friends and I threw a surprise party for a friend’s birthday. We hid in her room until she came, and she was overwhelmed with joy. We spend half of the time taking pictures (as I said, they love pics) and we cut two cakes and ate some really good puris (fried chapatis). Also, all of my host siblings and I went out for dinner to a place called Vrindavan. It was really cool as we got to eat on the rooftop floor while enjoying the cool, nighttime breeze, and the view. Then we went to a place called Tinkus for some ice cream! I had the best butterscotch ice cream. Next time, I’ll cover some more of my journey in Indore.
Phir Milenge! फिर मिलेंगे
~Roshni~
