Non-indian lurker

[susannaQ]

Hi all,
I'm not Indian but I was wondering if you guys would talk to me anyways. If I ever get a degree in pa, I would maybe want to someday go to India to learn and volunteer. I wanted to know if anybody could tell me:

What language should I learn that most people from India speak? I assume Hindi? Is there are a particular dialect that is best? Most important: are there special schools here that teach the most widely-spoken dialect?

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[IllinoisStudent]

U should be fine w/ Hindi. Most of the Indians speak English anyways (their accent might be a problem). And if you intend to work in underprivileged communities, I doubt they will know any language other than their local language (which won't be Hindi or English). If u have a specific region of India in mind, u might be able to learn the language for that region.

 

[DoctorMalki]

Hi all,
I'm not Indian but I was wondering if you guys would talk to me anyways. If I ever get a degree in pa, I would maybe want to someday go to India to learn and volunteer. I wanted to know if anybody could tell me:

What language should I learn that most people from India speak? I assume Hindi? Is there are a particular dialect that is best? Most important: are there special schools here that teach the most widely-spoken dialect?

Yeah Hindi should get you by in most places. Even though there are several dialects of hindi, most people in rural areas understand the main stream hindi. I am not sure what school you go to but contact the local Indian club on campus or temple and they should be able to tell you a local place to learn hindi

 

[susannaQ]

I am not sure what school you go to but contact the local Indian club on campus or temple and they should be able to tell you a local place to learn hindi

Thanks. I think I'll be looked at like I'm crazy but I'll call the nearby university to see if they have clubs. I doubt they do though because when I was there, all they had was one club and it looked more like a social club, don't think it was involved with any education or religion or anything. My local college doesn't have an indian club.

 

[Premedtomed]

Hi all,
I'm not Indian but I was wondering if you guys would talk to me anyways. If I ever get a degree in pa, I would maybe want to someday go to India to learn and volunteer. I wanted to know if anybody could tell me:

What language should I learn that most people from India speak? I assume Hindi? Is there are a particular dialect that is best? Most important: are there special schools here that teach the most widely-spoken dialect?

Why volunteer in India? Just curious . You could work with an Indian hospital/medical school perhaps to do some volunteer work.

 

[susannaQ]

You could work with an Indian hospital/medical school perhaps to do some volunteer work.

I sure wouldn't mind volunteering in India, but would rather have a somewhat higher-paying position than a Volunteer though since I already have debts.
Its not just Indian where I want to live/visit. I would love to travel to Latin America, Jersusalem, Mecca, and some places in Africa too. These are dreams But India is pretty near top of my hit list so this is one of the ones I am proactively trying to make a reality right now.

Indian is the birthplace of two of the five(six?) major religions of the world: Buddhism and Hinduism. Many people make pilgrimages to bath in the Ganges, so I've heard. I've heard that it is Hell and that it is Heaven. It sounds like its very, very different from the United States and it sounds like some of the things there are very harsh to handle but I want to experience it because I think thats what makes your soul grow deeper and richer, to be put through trials. Just the fact that two religions were born there is enough to make me want to go there without researching any more.

I know it sounds unrealistic and dreamy and downright stupid and impractical to think of traveling and working in so many places but, though I'm not particularly inteligent/fast, I'm more devoted and headstrong than most other people when it comes to putting in the time/energy/frustration of learning another language and culture. And, though we live in the richest economic nation in the world, its not exactly very culturally rich nor very community-based so maybe its not the best place to bring up your kids in, contrary to what others may say. Plus, I have about 3 linguistic classes from college to back me up so its not like I'm a real rookie with languages or anything.

Hey, you guys, I don't think anywhere around my area offers classes in Hindi. This sucks. Have any ideas for me???

 

[Bickle]

I'm indian, born in Canada, parents immigrated here in their 20s.

Anyways, in high school my mom kept bugging me about visiting india. My initial reaction was NO FREAKIN WAY. Why would i want to go to a 3rd world country with hardly any ammenties that i was used to. So eventually she twisted my arm enough times and next thing i knew my ticket was booked for Delhi.

I spent about a month and a half there, and i absolutely LOVED that country. There will be an initial culture shock, but once you get over it, you'll fall in love with that magical place. Visiting the small villages especially was the highlight of my trip, also going to the historic temples were amazing.

HAve fun, you'll love it.

 

[Premedtomed]

G luck you people. i want to help out rural and poor India as well. that can be done only after accumulating some wealth
= material resources to be of a bigger help

 

[DoctorMalki]

Thanks. I think I'll be looked at like I'm crazy but I'll call the nearby university to see if they have clubs. I doubt they do though because when I was there, all they had was one club and it looked more like a social club, don't think it was involved with any education or religion or anything. My local college doesn't have an indian club.

yeah most of them are pretty social but they should know of a school or a temple they can direct you to

 

[pinktooth]

Hey pretty good ideas on this thread.I am an Indian doing my DMD from Boston

 

[Ajay]

I think it's great that you seem so culturally oriented, but it's a good idea to know exactly what you want out of this experience. I was born in India, but have lived in Canada most of my life. I went back for a few weeks a couple of years ago and I must confess that it was shock to me just how much more polluted and congested the place has become. Make sure you separate your vision of the idyllic mysticism/spirituality from the harsh reality that is India today: a sea of malnourished and destitute masses among which tower the affluent and wealthy. Don't get me wrong, though; there are also kind and generous folk around.

As long as you you know what you're getting into, the experience will surely be enjoyable.

 

[JattMed]

The idyllic view of India is still a very valid perspective. There are many aspects of Indian culture that one will experience that still envisage a romantic notion of life.
For me, seeing a person of any station in life be it poor or wealthy in India confirmed the idyllic nature of the nation.
For example I had seen many times, a poor person carrying on with his/her vocation come rain or shine as I had seen a wealthy merchant.
No matter what a person's status in India he or she for the most part will accept it and continue forth with hope for a better future-unlike here where people complain over a dime or sue if they spill McDonald's coffee on themselves.
It was amazing to see, no matter how destitute some people appeared they still trudged along and when I spoke to them they displayed no shame in whom they were or what they did for a living.
The most enchanting site I saw was on the outskirts of Delhi, near a land-fill site. Here I saw people industriously 'saving' cardboard, heavy paper and the like and flattening it out, and bundling it up for reuse.
I thought to myself, amazing how in the West we need to be told to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle, however there the people seemed to have a natural insight(perhaps out of necessity).
India is a microcosm of the world, you will see love, hate, poverty, wealth, death and life all within a day's walk.
Remarkable place to visit; if you can only see one place on Earth then it should be India.
A word of caution though, always remembers the two sides of a coin. With the good there is always the bad. No matter how enchanting a place may appear,danger always lurks. Be careful on the railways in India-especially for foreign females-you will be shoved, groped and possibly mugged (don't wear visible jewellry). Don't travel alone (common sense for anywhere in the world). In terms of getting around as a foreigner you should have no problems as people are generally friendly and eager to help. Just watch out for the 'bakhshish'-bribe.If you are firm the menial clerks/security will back down and not ask for money. Once you start to hand out money a cue will surely form.
If you are still entertaining the thought of going, I wish you well.

 

[Ajay]

- I just edited my post. -

I just don't want her to be disillusioned.

But I like your perspective.

And I'll admit that it's definitely a place to see.

 

[JattMed]

To me seeing how India's people continue through there lives is rather idyllic. I felt what I saw reflected peoples carefree attitudes and serenity amidst the hustle and bustle.
I even walked into an office expecting a meeting, yet to my surprise the manager and VP were slumbering away having a siesta.
Then I began to take note how the people of the country no matter where they are manage to get things done in such a non-rushed fashion.
Here a day is gone in a blink of an eye, whereas in India a day seemed to go on forever-in a good way.
I think Indians have in a sense perfected a way to harmonize urban life with a pastoral existence that one very rarely sees-reflecting the idyllic nature of Indian life amidst the chaos of a modern world.

India--a place that allows one to take a step back in time while progressing to a brighter future.

 

[JattMed]

My man, I agree with you.

Let me tell you, some of the best food I have ever eaten was from a road-side stand. This was not your average hotdog cart.
The 'cook' was a 'master chef'-he had served up the most delectable dish of curried lamb.
It was like a fusion of souvlaki and curry, and the tenderness was remarkable.
To date I have never eaten anything like it at an Indian restaurant.
I love telling this story.
I washed the meal down with a warm bottle of KingFisher beer-yes warm beer!
Yet eat at these places with caution-gastroenteritis was my friend for a few days.
The coolest thing was seeing the guy beaming with pride after I had finished eating. Like a true master of his trade.

 

[JattMed]

I wish I was in that country now, it is so remote of an experience from everyday life.
You don't get to see a cow in the middle of the street too often.
I dont mean to make it seem like life in India is all poetic and wonderful but I am just trying to let people know what I saw and felt.
Admittedly there is poverty and suffering yet I saw the glint in peoples' eyes despite this.
That is all I am trying to get across.
I have too many stories to tell, however I think I shall call it a day.

 

[Ajay]

There's a big difference between touring a country and living in it on a day to day basis. Well-off Indians don't have much worry in life, as they hold dominant roles in their society. But the majority of Indians - 70% - are below the poverty line as determined by the GDP of India. This speaks to terrible inequity in power and material goods. Suffice it to say, life in India is, for the most part, harsh.

Corruption, pollution, lack of food and medicine are very real concerns in India. When I was in Delhi, my perception of the masses was quite different. What I saw was a despairing inequity that allows 5 star hotels to tower high amid a sea of impovrished masses. I found it to be an ironic image of a lighthouse.

Yes, there are moments of beauty in the day to day struggle of the downtrodden, but by any objective measure life in India is hard! Here is an interesting thought experiment. Would you swap places with one of those homeless folk permanently? If we ask one of them the same question, imagine what their answer would be.

I think these people have come to terms with the fact that their ability to improve their lot in life is limited within the constraints imposed by their society. They're trying to survive as best they can. If we can find some beauty in their lives, all the better.

 

[Ajay]

My man, I agree with you.

Let me tell you, some of the best food I have ever eaten was from a road-side stand. This was not your average hotdog cart.
The 'cook' was a 'master chef'-he had served up the most delectable dish of curried lamb.
It was like a fusion of souvlaki and curry, and the tenderness was remarkable.
To date I have never eaten anything like it at an Indian restaurant.
I love telling this story.
I washed the meal down with a warm bottle of KingFisher beer-yes warm beer!
Yet eat at these places with caution-gastroenteritis was my friend for a few days.
The coolest thing was seeing the guy beaming with pride after I had finished eating. Like a true master of his trade.

I agree. When I lived in India, some of the best food could be found from a street vendor. These days, though, I'd be really cautious. I've seen vendors touch all sorts of things without washing their hands, so I can imagine far worse.

Come to think of it, that's not too terribly different from restaurants here!

Poppy's a little sloppy...

 

[JattMed]

I wouldnt swap my life for any other life whether I am rich or poor.
However it is very naive to not assume that a person wouldn't choose riches over poverty-so the question of switching places with them I assume is rhetorical-as I am sure you know the answer would be no.

I have seen a Ferrari drive by me as I crossed Connaught circus in New Delhi. I saw numerous BMWs and Mercedes jockeying for roadspace with the rickshaw pullers.
Yes there is an enormous chasm polarizing the wealthy and poor however there is a burgeoning middle class that is helping to 'normalize' wealth distribution.
Do the poor not stand up and complain about their condition due to oppression or is it just acceptance of their station in life as per their belief systems?-I truly cannot answer that.
I have no political agenda and I am not one to pontificate on morality or beliefs.
I am just a person that was and is delighted to have experienced what I did. I gained an understanding of hope and for me to think that it is mere acceptance of one's condition would only cheapen their lives.
So for me what I saw in the eyes of those people was hope and in turn it enriched my life and gave me hope.

 

[Ajay]

Hope requires a context, and in this case their hope is one of a better life, be it hoping to have a full belly by the end of the day or to make sure your children get the medicine they need to survive. I was merely validating their struggle, not cheapening it.

 

[JattMed]

Hope requires a context...

I disagree, I don't think hope requires a context. Hope is a universal concept that can be applied regardless of context. But I understand what you are trying to express.

In the end however, regarding whether to visit India or not;I think it is an experience unlike any other therefore a worthwile visit.

 

[Ajay]

I disagree, I don't think hope requires a context. Hope is a universal concept that can be applied regardless of context. But I understand what you are trying to express.

In the end however, regarding whether to visit India or not;I think it is an experience unlike any other therefore a worthwile visit.

I think everyone can feel hope, thus making it a universal experience. I do think one needs something to be hopeful for, making it situation dependent.

Let's agree to disagree.

I agree with the worthwhile part!

 

[Tooth_wize]

Hi Susanna,

Glad that you'd like to visit India.. My heart beats for India.
Jattmed has done a good job painting a fair-enough picture with his words.
I'm sure the collective wisdom of this thread will see you through nicely.. but don't forget to invest in a Lonely Planet guide and read through some basic facts before you leave home...
There's a great difference between how the west and east work. Infact, it would be unfair to draw a comparison - what's here is normal for here, what's there is normal for there. So you have to be prepared beforehand (just go with an open mind!) (Anyways..)
A western women would be better off dressing a little more conservatively.. (You might wanna try their Salwaar-kameez a.k.a Punjabi suit .. )
Public display of affection isn't normally accepted in the society...
Indians are generally friendly people.. You can pick up a conversation anywhere, anytime easily... nobody minds.
Except for the fast paced life in big cities.., most of the places have an easy-going attitude.

As far your desire to learn some local language (Hindi), here's my two cents .... 1) Just try to get to know some Indian people where you live.. (They're virtually everywhere) .. Most likely they'll be happy to help out.... How much you can learn depends on how much time you've got.
2) Watch Hindi (Bollywood!) movies... [caution: you may fall in love with them... ] ... It will make learning hindi a bit easier..... but as a huge side-benefit.. if you could even hum a few contemporary popular tunes.. you yourself would be popular soon... Nothing pleases a native more than a foreigner trying to speak their language.

Alrighty, Good Luck

[PS... I don't visit this thread often..... so if you need, contact me through PM ]