So, the organization in which I was planning to spend July has now cancelled on me, and my backup is no longer available. Soo.....new plans!
The first month and a half of my trip will continue as planned, as I spend time at an orphanage and visiting friends/other organizations around India. Then, for July:
I have found an "academy" of sorts, which primarily teaches English. However, they have a few Hindi programs, too. I've actually already taken a written test so that they can see what "level" my language skills are currently. Except for time and directions (unfortunately, two very important concepts), I think I did pretty well.
Assuming everything else works out, I'll arrive in New Delhi two weeks before Hindi classes start, so I will be kicking my butt as I study a few hours each day with a private tutor. (And study alone, torturing shopkeepers and waiters many more hours afterwards). Then, I should be able to enter the intermediate Hindi class when it starts, and spend my remaining two weeks in Delhi with a constant look of confusion on my face! Yay....
They also have a homestay program, which means home-cooked Indian meals (!) and plenty of time to adjust to living with an "aunty" and becoming part of an Indian family. I view this as "future-cultural-taboo-prevention 101."
Also, very independent me needs to learn how to live with a motherly smothering again before I do it full time. (Some background: From what I've read, it's difficult for any white woman to get an apartment unless she has a husband, as the landlords assume that she is a. a prostitute, b. will be a bad influence on whatever other girls live there, or c. some other stereotype of Americans. Consequently, I'm assuming I'll be renting a room from some family when I move there later on, and this will be good preparation for it!)
Another cool thing about this new plan is that many students will be at the academy to improve their English, and, well, I speak (and tutor) English! I'm guessing I'll make many friends--be they roommates, my host family, or other students--and I'm excited to see where those friendships go!
All in all, it's exciting... and simultaneously disappointing.
The first month and a half of my trip will continue as planned, as I spend time at an orphanage and visiting friends/other organizations around India. Then, for July:
I have found an "academy" of sorts, which primarily teaches English. However, they have a few Hindi programs, too. I've actually already taken a written test so that they can see what "level" my language skills are currently. Except for time and directions (unfortunately, two very important concepts), I think I did pretty well.
Assuming everything else works out, I'll arrive in New Delhi two weeks before Hindi classes start, so I will be kicking my butt as I study a few hours each day with a private tutor. (And study alone, torturing shopkeepers and waiters many more hours afterwards). Then, I should be able to enter the intermediate Hindi class when it starts, and spend my remaining two weeks in Delhi with a constant look of confusion on my face! Yay....
They also have a homestay program, which means home-cooked Indian meals (!) and plenty of time to adjust to living with an "aunty" and becoming part of an Indian family. I view this as "future-cultural-taboo-prevention 101."
Also, very independent me needs to learn how to live with a motherly smothering again before I do it full time. (Some background: From what I've read, it's difficult for any white woman to get an apartment unless she has a husband, as the landlords assume that she is a. a prostitute, b. will be a bad influence on whatever other girls live there, or c. some other stereotype of Americans. Consequently, I'm assuming I'll be renting a room from some family when I move there later on, and this will be good preparation for it!)
Another cool thing about this new plan is that many students will be at the academy to improve their English, and, well, I speak (and tutor) English! I'm guessing I'll make many friends--be they roommates, my host family, or other students--and I'm excited to see where those friendships go!
All in all, it's exciting... and simultaneously disappointing.
Disappointing because I wanted to work in the leper colony or with more orphans and be of help to someone. And exciting because it means I am on my way to being able to actually use the language, so that I can then learn the regional dialects and languages, so that I can be a good OT in whatever area of India that He puts me. Thankfully, even though it's disappointing not to be able to help NOW, I know that the latter is probably better in the long run.
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