Slowly Learning Hindi - Update #2

On the way to the office this morning, I received one of the more thoughtful gifts in some time that didn't involve multiple flavors of Crystal Light from a very surprising source. My trusty driver Kailesh, whose English courses the wife decided we'd help subsidize (she's far more charitable than myself), slowed the car and reached to the passenger seat, producing a small Hindi-English phrasebook. Initially, I thought he was just showing me a book he had purchased as part of his course, but it quickly became obvious that the book was a "thank you" for the support and intended to aid the painfully flat learning curve associated with my Hindi skills.

More important than the gift (though it was much needed and even more appreciated), was the absolute joy Kailesh expressed when offering it. He stopped the car and quickly opened the book, picked a page, and read: "English word, 'My name is Robert, I have a  reservation here'; Hindi word, 'mera nam Robert hai, yaham mere nam se kamra araksit hai.' Now your turn!" After I struggled through the translation a time or two (and yes, I absolutely had to go back to the book to get the Hindi translation), he seemed content with my progress and drove the final way to work.

As an expat, there are ups and there are downs. Admittedly, it's much more fun to write about the good and, in India, the quirky and frustrating. It's also more difficult and admittedly rare to express what can sometimes be considered the outright bad,. But it's moments like the drive to work this morning that help on those difficult days and help make this entire experience worthwhile.

Kailesh, ap gari accha chala chelo.

(Hopefully, that's a real sentence.)

Slowly Learning Hindi - Update #1

I'm halfway through the first week of my recommitment to learn at least some Hindi. It's safe to assume that the "informal tier" described in this recent post will be the most effective tier (and yes, it's also the only tier that's been put in motion). For those unwilling to read the prior post, it's my agreement with Kailesh, my trusty driver, to teach me Hindi as he's honing his English, which is actually quite good for someone I can only assume has learned what he knows completely on his own. However, it seems in preparation for the English class in which he enrolled he's taken it upon himself to start my Hindi lessons early.

After three or four days I'm making a little progress but no part of my control or understanding of any part of the language could qualify as even sub-rudimentary. He's focusing on teaching me how to tell him where I need to go. In fact, I can now tell him to take me someplace fairly politely, "Kailesh, Palms Club jana eh" ("Kailesh, I'm going to the Palms Club") or as more of a command, "Kailesh, Palms Club chalo" ("Kailesh, take me to the Palms Club!"). He does seem to appreciate when I get back in the car from the Palms Club and say, "Kailesh, gur jana eh" ("Kailesh, I'm going home"). As you can tell, my command of the word "jana eh" is exemplary and will become my most overused verb.

I actually appreciate him focusing on this part of the language. Not only will I have a chance to communicate with (or surprise) any unruly taxi drivers, but I can also show off in front of unsuspecting visitors when picking them up from the airport.

My primary concern is that my capacity for learning might not meet Kailesh's high expectations. As he dropped me off at the office this morning, he was obviously quite excited with my progress (in the spirit of full disclosure, he mentioned that I seem to be a slightly better pupil than the wife) and started saying something to the effect of, "You must now practice your new words. Today at work, there will be people that speak Hindi. You must practice with them!" I didn't realize I had signed up for homework assignments courtesy of the driver.

Tomorrow I may need to start taking notes....