No, it really IS 109 degrees F. Sigh. There are ice cream men that roam the neighborhoods, calling “Ice CREAM” and slamming their frigerated cart tops for emphasis. I myself go for the Big T (short for Big Treat) cone, with chocolate and crunchy toffee on top. It’s one of the few things that can cool off one’s insides… What’s a Minnesotan doing here?! I wonder often “How can peoples LIVE here?”
But on the upswing, it’s mango season! 30 Rupees gets you a kilo of ripe mangoes, green and orange… This country has introduced me to guava (not my fave) and mangoes (fresh ones, at least. I had dried mangoes a lot from the Co-op in St. Peter!).
Yesterday evening was my kathak performance! Meg and Cole and I danced for nearly 2 hours, doing expressional dance and footwork. It was HOT HOT HOT, even though it was late at night when we finished (9:30) and we danced by the light of the moon for a while (when the electricity went away, as it often does). I felt pretty good about my performance. Having never studied dance before, remembering everything was a challenge but I did ok. I enjoyed performing for all my fellow students and some friends, and also my landlord and landlady, Dr. K. K. and Reenaji.
Hindi finals for second and third year are on Monday-Tuesday. I have many study dates for vocabulary (important new vocab words include: attractive, for person to be drenched in sweat, and to compare x to y. I leave for Delhi on Thursday, and am in the process of packing already.
My fellow students think I’m the one “most likely never to return to India”, but I don’t think that’s accurate. Of course, you’d have to pay me quite a lot to live in Benares again, but coming back to India is in the cards, sure! I’d like to study Hindi more and look around more at Rajasthan, return to Darjeeling, and explore the South.
Hope you’re doing well in your cooler part of the world. I’ll just try to stay hydrated and get home in one piece. See you soon!