Highs and Lows (Week Three)

 I felt I'd adjusted to Kolkata when the auto-rickshaw driver told me my ride cost 50 rupees, and I knew to only give a ten and hang on until I got my change back. (If you hadn't tried that with me, I'd have let you keep the change.)

A unique part of the CLS Program is the language policy, which forbids the students from using English (except during an emergency).  The language policy has been in effect since Monday. Only on a few occasions, I have spoken a full, grammatically sound Bangla sentence without help. I've been speaking Banglish, really, an odd mixture of mostly Bangla nouns and English verbs, or Bangla adjectives with English nouns and no verbs. (Verbs are still most difficult for me to conjugate.) Still, I was amazed to see Bangla flowing out of my pen at roughly 10-12 WPM (up from 2 WPM in week one).

Being in this program feels a lot like being a toddler. My sweet host grandma even called me a baby, because I am constantly drinking from a blue water bottle. I'm learning to express my thoughts and ask for what I need. Bacha indeed.

The lows can get pretty low. I've experienced food poisoning, compounded by dehydration and a fever that lasted two days. Almost worse than my physical discomfort was my homesickness.

Similarly, the highs bring me so high. (Highs include: drinking mango lassi, buying comfy Kurtas, and learning Bangla cuss words with new friends). I can order food, make small talk and find my way home from almost anywhere in the neighborhood on foot. Learning to cross the street in India is perhaps my proudest achievement.

There are less than six weeks until this experience ends. I will try to keep up with documenting what it's like being a bideshini in Kolkata.

Week One

Tuesday, June 14th, 2016:
- We surprised our teachers on Sunday when they discovered that almost no one in our cohort had a good grip on the Bengali alphabet. I am hopeful, though. I don't think it'll be long before I can read. The conjunct or "stacked" letters still give me some trouble. I've decided to call my stuffed animal, Dukter, the best Bengali equivalent I've found: "Hashi Hash". (It means "Laugh Duck".)
- Indian Tinder has been a hysterical, favorite pastime for a few of the American students, whenever they can find the Wifi. I think our American resident director (RD) was amused by how quickly they discovered and started using it. They "set up" our classmate, Jackson, on the first day in Kolkata. I have a running joke with one of my teachers here that I need to find my very tall, American boyfriend a perfect lunghi, (a comfortable, men's skirt).
- We've been given much safety instruction at the American Institute for Indian Studies (AIIS). We had a security briefing with the Regional Security Officer from the Embassy. Even the Kolkata Fire Marshall delivered an interactive fire extinguisher training with real fire in a bucket. My productive fear of malaria and dengue are now joined by a fear of false taxis, disobeyed crosswalks, large festivals and unplanned protests. Female students were given special attention and instruction during the safety trainings, even though Kolkata has a largely curious and respectful populous. Gratefully, I have a program-allocated cell phone and dozens of numbers to call with any troubles.
- My greatest triumph since I've come to the city was when I got myself home from the Institute last night. I walked to the bus stop, crossed the main road with a teacher, then relied on my paltry Bangla to ask for directions and hail an auto. My instinct was to do as the local women did. I was confused at the stop and the driver just let me off without paying. Nice man. Silly foreigner. I'll count out the double fare if I find him tomorrow. It was much simpler than I feared it would be getting home, although I don't want to test my sense of direction in the dark.
- I currently stay with a family of artists. My host Father studied literature in Heidelberg, Germany and my Host Ma has travelled the world to speak about Bengali culture. She teaches Bharat Natyam, classical Indian dance. Their children (my age) are also performing artists. My room is situated next to a dance studio. The Hindu goddess of learning and art keeps watch over my door at night. I look forward to taking a class on Bharat Natyam at the Institute for 3 hours every week.
- My room has a nice, yellow bathroom and big, hard bed. The windows have a view of the rooftops and there's a wonderful breeze that comes through them. I mosquito-proofed my room with tissues, citronella oil, bug spray, a chrysanthemum wall plugin, and a little elbow grease on the first night. No "mosha" for me.
- One unfortunate, ongoing aspect of this trip is that my antimalarial meds make me feel nauseous and sick, no matter how I take them. Hilarious. I've also developed an aversion to cardamom, a staple of the cooking in this region. I have avoided "mishti", or sweets, like the plague, because I know it won't end well. Even sadder is the fact that Bengalis are known for their sweets. However, my Host Ma has been very understanding. She doesn't force me to eat and even let me skip dinner once (when I had a huge, late lunch). If you've been a guest in a Bengali home, you'll know what a rare phenomenon that is.  Luckily, I still really enjoy the fish and vegetable curry dishes. My hosts make a mean "Luche", a type of flatbread eaten with potato and pumpkin curry.
- Yesterday, our teachers took us for a tour of the neighborhood and local market. I was amazed to find, under the wall of tarps that has overtaken the sidewalk, a myriad of clothing, jewelry, convenience, grocery and street food shops, some tended by sleeping vendors and Hindu shrines. The streets demand constant situational awareness, and my eyes are still getting acclimated to the environment. However, I realize that I am completely empowered and properly equipped to explore Kolkata with my new friends. 

Frankfurt ---> Delhi

Saturday, June 11, 4am in Delhi

The Indic language crew made it through customs and immigration at Delhi, and will shortly split off and head to various cities. The Hindi, Urdu and Punjabi language students are heading to Jaipur, Lucknow and Chandigarh, respectively. We spent over 6 hours together in the Frankfurt airport during a layover. I had my zodiac, rising and moon signs interpreted while we waited at the gate. I love the sheer amount of religious studies students on this trip.   I've earned the nickname "Canada" among my cohort. Here are some of the amazing snacks I splurged on during my short stint in Germany:

Time to rest up before flying to Kolkata, at last!

Hallo from Frankfurt!

Our Last American Food

 ...Might even find this fare in India, but it's still good.

Washington, DC

Wednesday, June 8th, 2016: 

The Pre-Departure Orientation (PDO) took place from 9am-5pm. The keynote speaker, Mark Taplin, served multiple tours in the Soviet Union and several other countries and is the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs at the State Department. The lineup also included Zunera Mazhar and several members of American Councils and CLS. Almost as impressive are the people on my cohort, ranging from 18 years old to mid-50s, undergrads to PhDs. My own cohort has 13 people, whom I look forward to getting to know better in the coming months. 

Think I can say I pulled off my OOTD. (See below).

Tomorrow we embark on our journey, going from DC to Frankfurt, then on to the Delhi airport, where we'll rest for a couple hours before flying into Kolkata. After a thorough In-Country Orientation, we'll finally get to meet our host families. I can't wait to give them some "traditional" American gifts: Limited Edition Sriracha-Flavored Trisciuts, S'mores and Lemonade 2-in-1 gum packets, Minnesotan wild rice, and some Arizona tchotchkes, presented in a Buffalo Exchange reusable bag. :)

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Tuesday, June 7th, 2016:

Just thought of a snazzy little title for the travel blog: "Bideshi" is the Bangla word for "foreigner", which seems appropriate, since I'll be a stranger in a strange place very soon. Plus, "Bideshi" is just an awesome word, and people who care enough to follow my story get to hear it in their heads every time they check it. 

As I write this, a plane is carrying me from Phoenix to Washington DC. I'm listening to the playlist a la Gabe, one of my bhondus from Barrett. It starts off with some fantastic Nigerian jams and seamlessly leads into SBTRKT and We Are Twin. He's one of those debate kids that pushes envelopes and gets into ferocious, verbal sparring matches. This summer, he's traveling to Seattle as a Doris Duke scholar to learn about water systems and conservation, which makes me so proud I can't stand it. 

From my plane seat, I'm following along with someone else's screen, unbeknownst to them. I think Gabe will be happy to hear that DC Legends looks even cooler when set to "Musicawa Silt". 

I presently CANNOT wait to channel my mom while wearing her powerhouse, Michael Kors black dress, a staple of her wardrobe, at tomorrow's State Department Keynote presentaiton and Pre-Departure Orientation. In the meantime, I'll be scrounging around our nation's capital in a Beatles tee.