In high school, we knew the drill. If the university sent you a response in a normal-size envelope, you had been rejected. If your mailbox contained something stuffed with documents, you were on your way to a college education.
Of course, summer language programs don’t necessarily have the same pomp and circumstance. But when I found my acceptance letter in the form of an email in my inbox, I knew that things had come a long way. I had been accepted into an intensive 3rd Year Hindi program. And I had the American Institute for Indian Studies (AIIS) to thank for their generosity.
All I know is that Jaipur is going to be hot. Delhi is already up to 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Jaipur is supposed to be “even hotter.” I shudder to think what that means. My understanding is that Delhi is expected to rise to somewhere between 110 and 120 degrees by the summer’s peak. “Even hotter?”
But the good news is that I’ll be safely tucked away with an air-conditioning unit in a Hindi school. And I’ll be joined by other AIIS students as well. The program is one of a series of language courses administered by the American organization across India. Its goal is to provide a support network and resources to those pursuing academic research and PhDs related to Indian studies.
I have fond memories of my first two years of Hindi studies. I was an undergraduate at UC Berkeley, and one of Professor Usha Jain’s many many students. The graduate students in my classes were an eclectic bunch. While I plotted my rise up the student government hierarchy, they attended class diligently — and did their homework.
So now I have my chance to redeem myself. And get to know a new batch of interesting, eclectic people. And experience Jaipur heat. And improve that language that has always bounced around in the back of my head — Hindi.
