नमस्ते! I’m Tyler, a sophomore majoring in creative writing. My eight weeks here in New Delhi, India have been filled with surges of scentful spices, granite goddesses garbed in gold, roads roaring with radiance—this and so much more which has assembled into a collection of the greatest experiences in my life.
At 8:00 AM, my mornings start off simply and, quite frankly, dreadfully; I am as owl-y of a night owl as they come. My initial trepidation is pacified, however, by the soothing calls of a compassionate फलवाला (fruit seller), whose vocal projection could give Whitney Houston a run for her money! I draw comfort from his siren, from his dedication to ensure that the community knows of his supreme reign over fruit selling. This exemplar of commitment spurs me to function. I douse myself in sunscreen, don my trusted straw hat, descend four flights of stairs (that are awfully evocative of my days in Snell-Hitchcock), and prepare for the five-minute walk to the Zabaan School for Languages.
At 9:00 AM, I take my seat in Zabaan’s grandiose library that contains books ranging from The Ramayana to The Game of Thrones to Twilight. I begin one-on-one Hindi instruction with a rotation of tutors, each with their own unique background and breadth of language proficiency. To supplement my learning, we watch classic Bollywood films, read from historical documents, and participate in engaging discussions. Class wraps up at 2:30 PM, after which I return to my apartment and arrange for the latter portion of the day. Typically, I use this time to explore New Delhi’s inconceivable scope of ancient sites, innovative restaurants, and bustling marketplaces. This routine fills up my Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays—the days allocated for my study. I use the free time during the rest of the week to trek to nearby well-known cities such as Jaipur and Agra. At these various locations, I explore places that I’ve spent years researching! Getting to physically examine and experience scenes such as The Taj Mahal and Kashi Vishwanath Temple has been utterly deific.