Fascinated by Hindi

Rashmi Atal / TNN / Oct 17, 2005, 13:28 IST

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His Hindi can put even the Indians to shame. Tyler from US, is currently pursuing his MPhil in Hindi from JNU.

I was doing my Bachelor��s in architecture at the University of California, Berkeley, US, when I also started studying Hindi.
I found the language so rich and engrossing that I eventually ended up doing my Bachelor��s in Hindi. Since I wanted to travel to India, I did the final year of my BA at the Faculty of Arts, DU, on a student exchange programme.
I returned as a Fulbright scholar in 2000, this time to study architecture in Lucknow. In 2003, I joined Master��s in Arts (MA) in Hindi at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and presently I am doing my Master��s in Philosophy (MPhil) in Hindi from the same university.
I have always found the Indian culture rich and fascinating. It is so different from where I come from. Hindi is such a rich language, it is an amalgamation of so many dialects and languages. I really enjoy Hindi literature and am particularly fond of poets like Shamsher Bahadur Singh and Kabir, who is the ultimate...

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Living abroad is an enriching experience. It forces you to rethink about so many aspects of life where you come from, about things which I took for granted earlier. I have now got a different perspective.
The famous Indian hospitality and the friends I have made here, have made me rethink about so many things in life. I like the fact that Indians get so excited about small things like off-days and they wear such colourful clothes.

It��s just black and grey in US. However, here one finds lesser personal space and I am yet to get used to people asking too many personal questions.
The education system here is very different from the West. One may have to approach several windows to even get a small job done. Initially, I felt like a guest over here and even after so many years, one remains a foreigner...
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Lot of people in the US love Hindi but here our teachers teach it with more passion and personal involvement.
At JNU, I am actively involved with the Foreign Students �� Association. The association promotes cultural exchanges and organises cultural programmes, exploration tours and conducts language classes.
I teach English to the Indian and foreign students at JNU.
Regarding my future plans, there is one possibility of going to academics, I may even take up journalism or write for causes. After my MPhil, I will probably do my PhD from here as well.

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