My Life Right Now
Here is a typical school day for me:
I wake up at around 7:15, unless I have unluckily already been awoken by either: a) squawking birds, b) my host mother asking me what time I need to get up, c) the “guard” that walks around my neighborhood all night long but whose only job seems to be blowing a loud, screechy whistle, or d) discomfort from the insane amount of bug bites on my legs or sweat ALL OVER me.
I get ready and then my roommate, Alissa, and I have breakfast made by our host mother of chai and toast. There are two variations of toast: very buttery or no butter, which is fine since I also have the jam I brought as a host gift, although I seem to be the only who eats it. The chai is always delicious.
At 7:45 we venture out into the pleasant morning, which is not yet hot and full of traffic and people. We usually have to barter with 2 or 3 rickshaw drivers before we get one who will take us to school for 70 rupees, which is already 20 more than what it should be, but since 90% of rickshaw meters are “broken,” 70 is the going-rate.
We arrive at school with time to spare and usually after a pleasant ride. Rickshaws are kind of cozy, although the novelty has certainly worn-off.
In the morning we have 3 hours of Hindi class, which is usually fine and funny and only sometimes frustrating. Today we spent a good 5 minutes talking about the verb, “to play,” as in an instrument, which you say “ba-jai-na,” which provided some entertainment. During Hindi we get 2 short chai breaks, which are always greatly needed.
After Hindi we have a lecture about some aspect of Indian art or culture, which range from “Buddhist Art and Architecture” to “A History of India Pre-Independence” (these are 1.5 hour lectures). Sometimes we discuss the massive readings we did for the day.
At 1:00 we have lunch on the rooftop terrace of the program center building. It is always delicious and sometimes includes: rice, sauces with meat or vegetables in them, salad, fruit, stuffed naan, yogurt. We always have dessert which has been, in the past: lassi, ice cream with mangoes, odd sweet things. Sometimes during lunch firecrackers go off in an effort to scare monkeys away.
After lunch we hang around the program center to do some work but mostly to utilize the internet and air-conditioning.
I arrive home in the afternoon after an unpleasant rickshaw ride that was probably full of: traffic, near-accidents, homeless children doing tricks and then asking me for money while touching my feet, people trying to sell me magazines or head-massagers, dust. Once home, however, I am greeted by my family. Aunty-Ji (my homestay mom, or H-Mom as my friend Ellie says) gives us chai and cookies and we hang out with fam. Sometimes after school I go to the market with friends to shop or get coffee at Cafe Coffee Day, although we are in the midst of getting a new hangout as everything at CCD takes 20 minutes to get and is very sweet.
I do homework all evening—reading, making hindi sentences, writing papers, studying hindi. At 8:30 Aunty-Ji serves us dinner, which is always great and usually consists of: potatoes and veggies in delicious sauce, dahl (lentils) and chapati (flat bread) and sometimes is other amazing dishes like butter paneer. Alissa and I eat first, since apparently 8:30 is insanely early for dinner and no one else is hungry. Then the fam eats, usually in-front of the TV. For special occasions our family buys samosas and jalabi, which is basically fried sugar and is amazing.
After dinner I do more work, while my sister Nandini looks at the Elle magazine I got in the airport and asks, for every ad, if we have that brand in the US and if it is expensive, and my brother, Surej, asks me basketball trivia that I do not know. Sometimes I have time to join the family in watching “fear factor” (which, in India, includes stunts like chugging milk and then spinning around on a giant contraption) or Bollywood music videos. Other times I will go visit the family upstairs where other friends are staying, or they will come down and hang out.
Before bed I take a cool shower with a bucket and scoop. Then I bundle-up in pants and socks and wrap my sheet around my feet in an effort to avoid mosquito bites. I drift-off to sleep with shrieking whistles in my ears and many, many thought in my head.
