Hindi 101

I was looking up the word "later" in the phrasebook Jessie gave me so that I could say "Maybe later," a concept that could be difficult to grasp in India, as I've noticed time and tense seems to get a little confusing for me. Not to mention the folks I try to converse with.

For example, I was speaking with Rakesh and he said "Yes, now can-" so I got up to get my camera for him and he said "Where are you going? No, not now-"

Eufemia: When you say now, you mean -

Rakesh: Not now. No, not now.

Eufemia: Okay, because now means-

Rakesh: Yes, I know, now means now but not now, okay? Later.

Later...

Rakesh: Okay, yes, give me now, I take it.

Eufemia: Like, really now, or fake now?

Rakesh: Now, now!

Eufemia: Okay! Now, now! You say it like I'm confusing you but trust me, it's the other way around.

There I go again. I was looking up the word later, taking my sweet time and dawdling through the vocabulary when I came across movie = film, (that's a toughie, I'm gotta write that down somewhere) and menstruation = mahavari. Why I wanted you all to know that I don't know. Perhaps everyone needs to know one word in every language (Italian, Spanish, Farsi, keep going) and I think why not one of these two? Take your pick and head for the Berlitz Language Books in Chapters and you'll be on your way. For more than half of the world's population, this is very important information. You can all thank me later. I still haven't found that word.

Perhaps I'll ask my Nepalese Hindi teacher tomorrow. Yes, once again, I found a Hindi teacher who is not Indian. How did that happen? This time it was really simple, he had a sign up at the Freedom Cafe advertising that he's teaching Hindi . And what do you know, I'm studying with a fellow Canadian (Go team You-know-who!!) In fact, our teacher's study sheets, the ones filled with common expressions for us to practice has the phrase "Where are you from?" answered by "I am from Canada." Yesterday I asked "You teach lots of Canadians?" and he said "Yes."

With a glowing heart I see thee rise, the True North strong and free!
God keep the land glorious and free!

You'll pardon my adjustments, I hope.

So, yes, today, Day 2 of Hindi lessons I made a sentence: I run. Main daudhti hun. You think it looks so easy but I had to match my gender, for crikey's sake! I tell myself you have to walk before you can run, especially in India.

My internal monologue: Why am I learning the verb "to run"? Nobody runs here. Swamiji's daughter-in-law just had a physical exam for a job application, where she had to run for the first time in her life and she's 38. Nobody runs in India.

Still, this class will hopefully be easier than learning from a book. Especially since the phrasebook has a section called Dowry Problem. Example sentence: Pascam mem ham sunte haim ki bharat mem dahej ke lie nav vadhu ko jala diya jata hai. Translation: In the West we hear that in India, for dowry, brides are burnt to death. Uhm, say what? I'm thinking of that golden rule of conversation where one doesn't discuss sex, religion or politics over dinner. How would it really go over if I was introduced to someone and said that? Not. Also, this seems a bit ambitious as a sentence for me. What could I say to the bantering reply? I eat. I sleep. I am from Canada.

Not to mention the part, when flipping through the phrasebook, and I found the verb to kill = marna, but I misread the word as mama.

Whoa, huh?