Dr. Wolfe would love it here.

I learned recently that my dear cousin is reading some of my blog entries for her fellow 6th graders. I would like to say thank you, and I love you Megan! And I will be sure to post more often!

Classes are going very well so far. The scheduling system is so strange! First of all, classes officially began December 18, but many didn’t actually begin until the new year to allow for traveling. Secondly, departments will allow a one- to two-hour time slot for the class, but then the schedule can change depending on the student’s schedules. This made registering for classes incredibly difficult, because 1) classes may have started early and could have already been changed, 2) what does not conflict in your schedule on the day could change after going to class, and 3) UoHyd is not like a liberal arts college where the student takes classes in all departments; it is more like a conservatory where you stay in your own department, so cross-departmental classes often conflict. So for a double degree in English AND Theatre Arts like myself, I struggled a bit. Had to drop dance class, but I’m surrounded by it anyway (there are so many performances by the dance department here), so I’m still absorbing the atmosphere of the art at least. But my theatre classes don’t start until January 27th! I’m itching with anticipation!

On the flipside, I’ve picked up Sociology of Health, Sickness, and Healing, which examines the current health care system of India, and compares Western and Eastern medicine. It’s more than just pills versus herbs. We’ve talked a lot about public versus private affairs, and how medicine is becoming increasingly impersonal. It’s one of the best classes I’ve taken so far. I can’t wait to get to the Indian studies section to study the shamanic medicinal traditions.

The English class I’m taking is amazing. Professor Ramanan is easily one of the best I’ve ever had. He’s brilliant. Fortunately, he’s also very easy to understand. Most professors and students have very good English here, but the dialect is so unique that I have to listen very closely. One day in class he lectured on the education system, how English has affected it, and the response to it. I didn’t realize that during the British occupation, children were not taught Indian history—they were taught British history. Also, they were reprimanded for speaking in their mother tongue. We talked about Indian Classicists, Vernacularists, and Anglicists; this means people who favor education in Sanskrit or Persian, those who favor local languages, and those who favor English. I suppose it’s sort of like our schools that teach Latin, which obviously isn’t spoken anymore, and the push for Ebonics in 1975 and 1996, or even the push to modernize Shakespeare. But the moment that really caught my attention was when Professor Ramanan mentioned that his entire education has been in English. His English is better than his Hindi. He was very grateful for the extensive and quality education he’s received, but I could tell he was very passionate about maintaining local languages, even if education was in another.

It really made me think about what India has lost, and may never regain. I’m currently reading Forster’s “Passage to India,” in which he states that the occupation was not only a terrible idea economically or politically, but that it brought out the worst of both cultures. I wonder how true this is, considering Forster’s piece is creative non-fiction. What did India lose? What have we missed?