Archive by Author
When it Gets Hot and Muggy before the Monsoon Showers … Posted by Nitya on May 24, 2017
It’s the end of May and the south-westerly monsoon winds should be headed across the Western coast of India. This is the time when temperatures (taapmaan) and humidity run high, guaranteeing the impending monsoon showers (baarish) a resounding welcome (swagat). It’s also the time when even a short errand outside can drench you in heat and…
Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow Posted by Nitya on May 12, 2017
Yesterday, today, tomorrow, the day after, … are terms used so commonly during daily conversation that they are imperative to communication, especially if you are traveling in a new country and want to convey details about when you arrived, what you plan to do today, or where you will be headed tomorrow. In Hindi, you…
What’s the Opposite of … ? Posted by Nitya on May 4, 2017
Some of my most enjoyable lessons as a student were classroom vocabulary tests of all kinds. And since I had 3 languages in which to practice these drills, it was triple the fun but never quite enough. I clearly remember “Match the Columns” exercises and “Fill in the blanks,” a cloze-like activity where we would…
More on Apparel Posted by Nitya on Apr 20, 2017
In the last post, we learned about different kinds of clothes or outfits worn by men in India. Note that it was only a brief list at best. If you had the time to travel the length and breadth of India, and visit small and large towns in the different states, you would find that there…
Apparel Posted by Nitya on Apr 7, 2017
Kurta-pyjama , salwar kameez , churidar-kurta , saari-blouse (choli), lungi-dhoti , … these are all the same right? Not quite. Western vocabulary has limited terms for the nuanced apparel sported by the broad spectrum of Indian men and women. Most of the above-mentioned outfits would be described in English as tunic, blouse, tights, etc. However…
Things around the Kitchen Posted by Nitya on Mar 29, 2017
It’s spring season (vasant rutu) and I’ve been spending a lot more time in the kitchen (rasoi ghar), trying out recipes with fresh produce from the farmer’s market. This set me thinking about the variety of tools (yuntra) and utensils (bur-tan) that one uses in the kitchen, and brought me to my next blog topic: things around the…
Learning a New Language Posted by Nitya on Mar 22, 2017
When I learn a new language, I am great at mastering grammar. Written and reading proficiency in a language comes easily to me. However I get tongue-tied and start scrambling for vocabulary when it’s time to speak. There is plenty of research out there that will point you to various approaches to learning a new…