Another Short Blog

Dear friends,

I had two blogs written out in my journal and then I left the journal back in Nolunna. Next weekend, if I get into town again, I will plan on spending time on the Internet and give you a full report.

I am very happy here. Nolunna is a great place for me to study Hindi. It is situated between the Ganges and the road up to the mouth of the Ganges. The Ganges is narrow here but it is dropping rapidly with great force and the sound of the river is constantly in my ears. The principal sound is the rush of water but underneath that, if you listen carefully, in the booming of rocks hitting against each other.

The monsoon has arrived here and the first few days were very damp and gloomy, but ever since we have had at least a little bit of sun everyday, although it has continued to rain from time to time.

I have two hours of instruction a day plus an hour of conversation. All the staff are helpful so I have a lot of chances to try Hindi outside the scheduled times. Nolunna is like a small village of about 10 people. The number varies from time to time. The food is great. It is very simple. We have a grain porridge of some sort for breakfast. For lunch we have rice, flat bread, dal (different kinds each day -- either lentil-like or bean-like), and a vegetable. Supper is the same as lunch except we have no rice and usually have a sweet pudding of either semolina or rice. In addition to the usual vegetables we have had delicious ferns and mushrooms.

My fellow student is now waiting for me, but I might get a chance to write more later today. If not, next weekend if there are no landslides or other blockages of the road.

Luke

Safe in India

I'm here. The last two or three days before I left, I couldn't imagine why I wanted to do this, but now I remember. In spite of the heat and humidity I am happy. I had my haircut today by my favorite barber in the whole world and he remembered me. I had my shoes shined by my favorite shoeshiner in the whole world (my shoes hadn't been shined since he last did it in January 2007) and I'm not sure if he remembered me. He was training his son at the same time he was shining my shoes and he was a little distracted, but he still did a great job.
I flew from Los Angeles to Newark. At Newark, the plane was 15 hours late in departing due to a storm in the Atlantic. They put us up in a hotel but by the time that was arranged I only managed four hours of sleep. Fortunately, the plane was not that full and I had three seats to myself so I could stretch out. I slept intermittently, read Vanity Fair, and studied Hindi.
Why Vanity Fair? Because Jos Sedley, Amelia's brother, and Dobbin, Amelia's second husband, both spend time in India and the Empire spreads its shadow over the book. I first read Vanity Fair in college when I was about 20 and wasn't much interested in India or Empire. Now I am amazed how the Empire colors 19th century English fiction. I've also recently read Wilkie Collins, The Moonstone and Dickens, Edwin Drood.
I've been working on a blog for months about "going native," and this reading is part of that project. Perhaps something I might have something interesting to say about it, but right now I am struggling with sleep deprivation, heat and humidity. I am now going up to my air-conditioned room and perhaps by the next time you hear from me I will be cooler and better rested.
All I really want to say tonight is I'm here, I'm happy, and already it has been worth the trip.