Flying to India

I have been in D.C. the last two days attending a mandatory orientation for Critical Langauge Scholars. Everyone who is studying and Indian language is here with me, as the Arabic group left as we came in, and the Farsi group is arriving just as we're leaving. The hotel is beautiful and I have had a comfortable stay here.

Posh beds.

Coffee bar in the cabinet!

The students in the Indic language program are fascinating. There are about fifty of us in total. Only eleven of these student will be studying Punjabi. Everyone I have met so far speaks at least two languages and almost all have traveled abroad. My colleagues include Ph.D. students, college sophomores and everything in between. There is certainly an air of intellect and cultural understanding, and I breathe in this air so happily.

The orientation, itself, was very dry. We were introduced to State Department officials, CLS Alumni coordinators, and program directors. They discussed logistics of the trip and future opportunities for CLS scholars. I was also able to meet an alum from the Punjabi program. We got along like a house on fire, as she told me all the ins and outs of being a foreigner in Chandigarh.

Updates: I leave for Chicago at noon. Once there, I have a direct flight to New Delhi. Yes, my first flight to India is today. I guess I am just a pile of nerves.

First leg of the trip

It’s 6:51 in the morning, and this is my face:

Today is the first day of my journey. I woke up at 5:00 AM to come the Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport. I have and 8 o’clock flight out to D.C. Stopping in Indiana first, woot woot! I’ll arrive in D.C. 1:35PM their time. Not too bad, that’s only four hours of travel.

I always loved coming to the airport as a kid, to the point where I asked my mom if we could take a trip to New York just for the flight. I have been through countless airports, in different cities, in different countries. It’s weird to me how they are all the same, even though they are located in completely different places. I can always expect to see over-dressed business people, kids with skateboards, and blue-hairs that have no idea what’s going on. Today I saw blonde Scandinavian speaking Chinese, and a Chinese man with a German accent. Excellent! . I also saw a Sikh all dolled up an a tailored suit and a beautiful wine-colored turban. It took all my energy not to run up to him and scream “I’m learning your language!”

MSP is no exception to these novelties. It is a weird place. Here is a typical view of the Lindbergh Terminal. Note the giant moose.

I had to go to the far end of Concourse C to catch my flight. There were three Caribous Coffees, one Dunns Bros, a French Meadow Bakery and at least six souvenir shops brimming with worthless Minnesota crap. Note yet another moose as I enter the councourse.

Updates:

I will be in D.C. for a two-day orientation. My actual trip to India begins the morning of June 10. I will be flying into Chicago, where I have a direct flight to freakin frakin New Delhi. There will be another orientation in the capital and after, finally, I will be heading to my final destination of Chandigarh.

It’s 103 degrees in Chandigarh. It was 102 degrees in Minneapolis yesterday. Dang.

Oh, and if you want to know more about my scholarship, here is a link to the press release:

http://www.ncf.edu/news/2011/03/08/new-college-of-florida-student-anamica-bedi-earns-state-department-scholarship-to-study-in-india/

Today’s Mission: Learn to enjoy the shade when you have it.

This time, to India

Here I am telling donors about my scholarship at the New College of Florida National Award Winner Reception in May.

Within one week I will begin my journey to India.

For those of you who do not know, I received a Critical Language Scholarship through the Department of State to study the northern Indian language of Punjabi. I will be in Punjab from approximately June 12 to August 20. The entire journey begins of June 8, when I fly to various orientations.

I'm nervous, as per usual. Excited, scared, sorrowful. That last one stems from the fact that I just graduated from New College, had to say goodbye to my friends, and in the meantime trying to reconnect to my home in Minnesota. Whenever I come back to Minneapolis, I have only a small window before I have to say goodbye again. It's very conflicting as I hate staying in one place for more than a couple of months but, at the same time, hate cutting off ties that I've made in my travels.

What am I most worries about? It's not cultural barriers in India or anything, I have survived those during my trips to Brazil in Florida. No, I'm scared of the future. What happens after India? Adult readers are probably thinking the same thing.

"So what do you plan to do after India? Are you going to get a job?"

It's funny how the older generation sticks to the script. Here's the deal: I don't know. I can make all the plans in the world, but I don't know. I have some ideas, but the truth is that it is hard out there. Jobs are scarce, especially those pertaining to my skill set. I have a college degree and I will be learning my fourth language this summer. Who wants me? Don't delude yourself- there are not many opportunities for a kid like me. I've looked. But I haven't given up.

In the meantime, I'll be enjoying my privilege. So leave me alone, adults.

If worse comes to worse, I'll live a delusional life of travel. I'm young, I've got no kids, no obligations, so why not?

Today's mission: Love yourself just a little more.