SITG Dispatch from New Delhi

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 To supplement my learning, we watch classic Bollywood films, read from historical documents, and participate in engaging discussions.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.

Beyond being a transformative academic tour, my study abroad is also one of pilgrimage, serving as a vessel for cultural reconnection that bridges a gap spanning over five generations. My ethnic background is a complex one, leaning heavily on displacement brought about by the colonial trends of the British Empire during the 19th and 20th centuries. After the English abolition of slavery, my forebearers were shifted from India to the Caribbean island of Trinidad and South American stretch of Guyana. There, they worked as indentured servants for appallingly low wages on the—often false—promise of land and eventual riches. Coming to Bharat marks, for me, an uncrossing of the काला पानी (black water)—a return to my home, not as a resident, but as a guest. It has been particularly rewarding to explore the culture in northern India and connect the region’s vast cultural landscape to that held by the Indo-Caribbean community. The two are undeniably interwoven, sometimes to a perplexing extent. More than anything, this display of preservation of tradition has inspired me to research the intricacies of diaspora further and encourages me to wield my multipart ethnic identity with increased pride.

I leave India with a newfound understanding of myself, an appreciation of where I come from and a realization of where I am going. Language is essential to the human experience. It is the lens by which we examine and perceive the world. Getting to learn Hindi—and learn it through such comprehensive immersion—has shifted and repackaged my outlook on so many planes. As I prepare to return home, I reflect on incomparable moments that have spiritually, academically, and emotionally revived me in ways I never could have anticipated. I am extremely grateful to the University of Chicago Study Abroad Office for allowing me to embark on this life-altering journey and to my family for their unending, unconditional support.