English Vinglish

Delhi, Thursday 31 January 2013

It's 3.45pm here in Hindustan, and I'm in an internet cafe in an open-air shopping mall called SuperMart, less than ten minutes' walk from the apartment. It's a different mall to the one I mentioned before, the Galleria - a bit less upmarket, but still quite smart and with security guards knocking around.

The sun's finally breaking through the layer of smog that I could see lying heavily over Delhi from my seventh-floor bedroom window this morning.

I spent the morning having Hindi lessons with Rajan, and we covered a fair bit. There's another hour planned for this evening. I'd been trying to learn using the phrasebook, but it makes a big difference having someone explain things. The more I learn, obviously, the more I'll get out of my forthcoming placement and the rest of my time in India. Rajan's maids, Nargis and Mumtaz, don't speak any English, and a bit of Hindi will really help pass some time with them, though I've only two more days to go after today.

Rajan emerged this morning for the lesson looking pretty shattered. He'd hardly slept at all, he said, with the baby. He's been in touch with Manju, the volunteer coordinator in Jaipur, where I'm heading on Sunday. I was offered a choice of two placements and have chosen a project which helps women earn an income, through micro-financing so that they can start up businesses in crafts like jewellery making. That's exactly the kind of thing I'm keen to see working on the ground, so I'm looking forward to that. When I'm in Jaipur, I'll apparently be at the project for about four to six hours - mainly mornings - and then have the afternoons free to sightsee, spend more time at the project or whatever.

Meanwhile, here are a few pics of the environs...

Grover laughed his leg off when he saw there was a Dr Grover with a dental clinic here in the SuperMart mall.

My room in the apartment

My ensuite bathroom

The view from my bedroom window (and below). Here, a big office building.

A school building and its grounds.

The edge of the school again, left, and another apartment block to the right, behind our balcony.