Day 55: To Hyderabad

We spent all day on the train. And it was actually quite lovely. We slept A LOT. We ate some great samosas. We looked at the beautiful scenery flying past us and we slept some more. At one point they even brought by popcorn and I was a very happy camper. For the last hour I’ve been listening to the people in our bunk talk as I try to understand their Hindi. Throughout this trip I’ve realized just how little I know about Hindi. I can make sentences and I can read but I really can’t understand what anyone is saying. It might be the difference in grammar or the speed at which they talk or how little my vocabulary is but its been a little rough in that department.

It’s strange to think that this trip is almost over. It has been just us three for so long! It would be nice to keep going. But I’m also really excited to get back to my research. I was thinking about it a lot today while I was lying on my top bunk listening to music… I feel like my research has been the most valuable part of my experience in India so far. It is really the only way that I have gotten a substantial look into the lives of some Telugu people. Though traveling around is wonderfully fun I know that two days in one city doesn’t give me the chance to really see into the lives of the people that live there. I feel like it is in my interviews that I understand people more and get the pieces of wisdom that will stay with me for the rest of my life.

Tonight we got to Hyderabad. We had to find a hostel really late but it ended up being alright because we got a reduced rate since they knew they wouldn’t get anyone else in their rooms that night besides us. Carly, Israel and I stayed up chatting and listening to music. It was really nice to just be together for the last little bit of our trip. We have really grown together and I am so grateful that Heavenly Father put us on each other’s paths. What a blessing it has been J

Stéf