It's July 15, 2021. I'm spending the last of my work-free weeks in the home stretch of my latest project: applying for a Fulbright Grant to India. The organization I’m hoping to partner with is in New Delhi, the capital of India. Because of this, I’ve taken it upon myself to learn some Hindi before I spend nine months in the heart of India. Interestingly enough, the name “Delhi” comes from the Hindi word for heart, “Dil” (दिल).


To help me, I’m digging out my incredibly old and under-used copy of Fluent in 3 Months by Benny Lewis, re-activating my Duolingo account, creating Anki flashcards, and using various online resources that I’ll share on this blog as I continue to self-study. I'm beginning by learning basic conversational phrases verbally and learning how to write the alphabet. My pronunciation isn’t too bad, just from my experience with Bollywood films and music. I have a lot to learn, and once I have a few conversation-starters under my belt, I’ll start looking for some partners to practice with.


Yayoi Kusama's Infinity Mirror in Los Angeles, CA