Holy Cow Posted by Nitya on Dec 16, 2016
Quite literally. Sitting at street corners नुक्कड़ (nukkad), sauntering on sidewalks फुटपाथ (footpath), moving in herds झुंड (jhoond) alongside vehicular traffic गाड़ियाँ (gaadiyaan) … . I never fail to get amused by visitors’ accounts of the omnipresent cow गाय (gaay) in the most unexpected locations जगह (jug-uh) in India. However, to those who have grown up in India…
Two Americans in India Posted by Rachael on Dec 12, 2016
While talking to my mom on the phone the other day, she and I began reminiscing about our hilarious and, at times, perilous adventures in India. She came to visit me for two weeks in the Spring of 2013 while I was living in Jaipur studying Hindi. As an American, traveling to India for the…
Chor! Thief! Posted by Nitya on Dec 9, 2016
I was the victim (shikaar) of a robbery (chori) today, and to say the least, it was a stressful experience (anubhav). Theft (chori) does not always mean loss of valuables (keemati cheezayn). Quite often it involves loss of objects dear (pyaaray) to us for the memories (yaadein) they hold. In my case it was things given to me…
The Strange One Posted by Rachael on Dec 6, 2016
Following on last week’s blog about the famous Hindi writer Mahadevi Varma (महादेवी वर्मा), I’d like to discuss another important Hindi literary figure this week: Nirala (निराला) (1896/99-1961). This writer, whose date of birth is not definitively known, was born Suraj Kumar Tevari (सूरज कुमार तिवारी) (later known as Suryakant Tripathi, सूर्यकान्त त्रिपाठी) into a…
Mmmm … Mangoes Posted by Nitya on Dec 1, 2016
If you have ever been to a local market बाज़ार /मंडी (baazaar/mun-dee) in India between late April/early May and September, you may have noticed baskets टोकरी (toke-ree) of golden yellow mangoes आम (aam) dominating the product displays. The mighty mango is a beloved fruit फ़ल (phal) in India, and also carries the unique distinction of being the country’s…
An Homage to Mahadevi Varma Posted by Rachael on Nov 28, 2016
I had the good fortune to spend this past Thanksgiving week in one of the most beautiful parts (or the most beautiful part, in my opinion) of the United States: Vermont. Although I have visited Vermont several times before, I looked forward to this visit especially as it would be the first time I would…
Many Reasons to Run Posted by Nitya on Nov 25, 2016
In the United States people are celebrating the Thanksgiving festival त्यौहार (tyauhaar) this week. This is a holiday छुट्टी (chuttee) that celebrates मनाना (manaana=to celebrate) and gives gratitude कृतज्ञता (krutagyataa) for all good things in life जीवन (jeevan). Most Americans will gather इकठ्ठा होना (i-kattha hona=to gather) to feast with friends दोस्त (doast) and family परिवार (parivaar). Those less fortunate अभागे (a-bhaagey) depend…