Teizeen:
We have been travelling through parts of the state of Gujarat over the last few days - it has been a whirlwind tour of numerous sites and events, including the annual kite festival and exquisitely carved mosques. The kite-festival itself deserves a separate blog posting, so that will have to wait; tonight, we are dog-tired from our 1.5 hour dawn ascent up several hundred stairs to a sea of 16th century hill-top temples. We woke at 5am to make ascent without having the sun beating down on us - joining hundreds of other Jain pilgrims making the ascent.
Gujarat is the homeland of my ancestors, and I have come to appreciate the language skills that I have while travelling through this state: I speak relatively fluent Gujarati. Despite never having set foot in Gujarat, or India, the language of Gujarati has survived for five generations in Kenya, where my ancestors immigrated to, and has been passed down from one generation to the next - down to me. Here, in Gujarat, I get to test my Africanized-Gujarati, and so far, it has been quite a success!
I'm not sure if the locals can tell that my Gujarati is different or awkward, but it has helped us get directions, and allowed me to converse with the people we are meeting along the way. I can buy bananas in Gujarati, and I think that makes a difference of getting two bananas for Rs. 10, or two for Rs. 20 or more: I can't get ripped off as easily if I'm speaking in Gujarati.
With the help of a friend of Ryan's from grad. school, we have hired a car and driver for five days to drive to places around Gujarat that you can't really get to by train. Our driver has a blue Seattle Mariner's jacket, and I don't think he has any idea who the Seattle Mariner's are. Yesterday, I told him that his jacket represented a 'famous' sports team from the city where Ryan and I are from in America. I had to describe the sport, since baseball is foreign here, so I said: "It's like cricket with a bat and a ball, but instead of running in a straight line up and down, you run in a circle."
I never thought I would be using my Gujarati in India to describe baseball...
We have been travelling through parts of the state of Gujarat over the last few days - it has been a whirlwind tour of numerous sites and events, including the annual kite festival and exquisitely carved mosques. The kite-festival itself deserves a separate blog posting, so that will have to wait; tonight, we are dog-tired from our 1.5 hour dawn ascent up several hundred stairs to a sea of 16th century hill-top temples. We woke at 5am to make ascent without having the sun beating down on us - joining hundreds of other Jain pilgrims making the ascent.
Gujarat is the homeland of my ancestors, and I have come to appreciate the language skills that I have while travelling through this state: I speak relatively fluent Gujarati. Despite never having set foot in Gujarat, or India, the language of Gujarati has survived for five generations in Kenya, where my ancestors immigrated to, and has been passed down from one generation to the next - down to me. Here, in Gujarat, I get to test my Africanized-Gujarati, and so far, it has been quite a success!
I'm not sure if the locals can tell that my Gujarati is different or awkward, but it has helped us get directions, and allowed me to converse with the people we are meeting along the way. I can buy bananas in Gujarati, and I think that makes a difference of getting two bananas for Rs. 10, or two for Rs. 20 or more: I can't get ripped off as easily if I'm speaking in Gujarati.
With the help of a friend of Ryan's from grad. school, we have hired a car and driver for five days to drive to places around Gujarat that you can't really get to by train. Our driver has a blue Seattle Mariner's jacket, and I don't think he has any idea who the Seattle Mariner's are. Yesterday, I told him that his jacket represented a 'famous' sports team from the city where Ryan and I are from in America. I had to describe the sport, since baseball is foreign here, so I said: "It's like cricket with a bat and a ball, but instead of running in a straight line up and down, you run in a circle."
I never thought I would be using my Gujarati in India to describe baseball...
How amazing to be using the language skills. Rock on! Eat a banana for me...
ReplyDeleteHey, my darlings! It sounds like both of you are really into India and are having the time of your lives. Bananas are good food so keep at them, Teiz. I've just read the whole of your blog while in Eldoret and I wish you'd also posted photos. Well, I'm leaving for Nairobi, tomorrow morning, Insha'Allah and after staying a few days there, will return home to Msa. Btw, could you please let me know your cell phone numbers, so I can call you if I want? Take care of yourselves and enjoy.... Lotsa luv & salaams, Phuppijee.
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