Improve Your Hindi Vocabulary: Prefixes, Part 1 Posted by Rachael on Sep 30, 2018
If you’d like to improve your Hindi vocabulary, one of the best ways to do so is to study prefixes. Like many languages, English included, Hindi contains a wide variety of prefixes, even more so because it is a highly mixed language (or, खिचड़ी भाषा/khichdi baashaa) with a lexicon that derives from numerous other languages…
Call Me By My Tune Posted by Nitya on Sep 22, 2018
Meghalaya मेघालय (Meghalaya) is a beautiful state in the northeastern region पूर्वोत्तर क्षेत्र (purvottar kshetra) of India. This state is also home to the indigenous Khasi people known as one of the largest groups who follow a matrilineal मातृवंशीय (matruvansheeya) tradition परंपरा (parampara). A recent news item shed light on another unique tradition अनोखी प्रथा (anokhee pratha) practiced by the Khasi people living in and around…
India Aims to be Plastic Free by 2022 Posted by Nitya on Sep 7, 2018
On June 5, 2018, the occasion of World Environment Day विश्व पर्यावरण दिवस के अवसर पर (vishwa paryavaran divas ke avasar par) the Government of India भारत सरकार (Bharat Sarkar) became one of a few countries कुछ देशों में से एक (kuch deshon mein se ek) in the world to announce घोषित करना (ghoshit karna) a strict सख़्त (sakht) ban प्रतिबंध /पाबन्दी (pratibundh/paabundi) on one-time use plastic. This move has been…
Athletes from India Shine at the 2018 Asian Games Posted by Nitya on Aug 30, 2018
At the time of writing this blog इस ब्लॉग को लिखने के समय (is blog ko likhne ke samay), the 12th day १२वां दिन (baarahvan din) of the 18th Asian Games १८वें एशियाई खेलों का (athaarven Aeshiyaa-i khelon ka) is underway in Jakarta and Palembang, Indonesia. The Asian Games are held once every four years In a superb उत्तम (uttam) display प्रदर्शन (pradarshan) of effort प्रयास (prayaas) and athleticism…
Birthday Traditions | जन्मदिन की परंपराएँ Posted by Rachael on Aug 26, 2018
जन्मदिन मुबारक हो! Around the world, people celebrate birthdays with gusto, and India is no exception. Although the idea of celebrating an individual’s birthday with a party and cake is, more or less, a Western concept, as India has become more Westernized, it has also become de rigueur for children and adults alike to expect…
Book Recommendation Posted by Nitya on Aug 24, 2018
It is difficult कठिन (kathin) to gauge अनुमान लगाना (anumaan lagaana) traffic flow in India. With that in mind, on a recent हाल ही के (haal hi ke) trip सफ़र (safar) out of Hyderabad, I arrived at the airport with a fairly large amount of time before my onward flight. As I looked through the bookstore किताबों की दुकान (kitabon ki dukaan) at the airport, “Everybody Loves a Good Drought” by P…
Crisis in Kerala, केरल में संकट Posted by Rachael on Aug 20, 2018
During the past week, as billions of people in India and across the globe celebrated India’s Independence Day on August 15th, an unsettling reality has descended on the country. The extreme flooding in the southwestern state of Kerala has gripped the nation with terror. Even those who live far from this state feel compelled to…