Category: Hindi

Hindi, Thoughts6 Comments

There’s a First Time For Everything

Todd

A few weeks back I was talking to my friend, Pallavi about my experiences learning Hindi and trips to India. After a while she said to me: “Hey! You should be on my radio show!”  Pallavi has a show on Radio Regent, a community-focused Internet radio station in Toronto. Her show, Stories with Pal, focuses on storytellers and the stories they tell. I admit I was a bit nervous doing anything live. I’d recorded a number of podcasts before, including my own, but never did anything I couldn’t edit afterward so this was new and different. I was nervous but … Continue reading There’s a First Time For Everything

Hindi, Thoughts5 Comments

Why I Give Up and Why I Should Quit it

Todd

It’s February of 2016 and I’m discouraged. I have been taking Hindi lessons for about 18 months, spending the better part of two hours reading, talking, learning some grammar, only to have to re-learn it again a few weeks later when it would completely fall out of my head. I felt like I was getting nowhere and in great part that was true. After all, if I’m truly honest – and I can be with you guys. Other than a Hindi film every few months, I would do all of my studying in the 30 minutes before that week’s class. … Continue reading Why I Give Up and Why I Should Quit it

Hindi, Moments, Thoughts3 Comments

One Last Lesson

Todd

I haven’t had a Hindi lesson for a few weeks now. The last time I showed up, I met the other student I go with as I was walking from the subway station.  She was heading back. His door was locked. He wasn’t home.  A few days later we learned he had had a fall and was in hospital.  After that I had to go on my first November trip to Louisiana. When I came back, he was still in hospital but in reasonably good spirits. I made a few visits – sometimes alone, sometimes with another student. Each time … Continue reading One Last Lesson

Hindi, Thoughts, Travel9 Comments

Sunday in Louisiana

Todd

  It’s never good to sit alone all day in a hotel room on a business trip and so I made a plan yesterday to get out and do something and knock a few errands off as well.  And so it was that I rode up to Baton Rouge. First stop: time to check out Southfin Southern Poke.  For those of you not familiar, Poke bowls are a wonderfully delicious thing that seems to have originated in Hawaii (but looks a lot like hwe dup bap from Korea.  The basic idea is this: take a base of rice, put some … Continue reading Sunday in Louisiana

Hindi, Thoughts6 Comments

Experiences Learning my Second Language

Todd

Hindi was not the first non-English language I tried to learn. Not long after we moved to Canada I really was done with visiting the US (and to be honest, I wouldn’t be heartbroken if I were never sent there again – sorry, fellow Americans) but with a US passport I was a great candidate for my company to send to the states as I don’t need a visa to work there – I just show up. I thought perhaps if I learned to speak French I could be sent to work on projects in our Quebec office.  I started … Continue reading Experiences Learning my Second Language