I’m leavin’ on a big train

Well, my train ticket back to Delhi is booked and confirmed. I am leaving at almost exactly Midnight, the night of the 19th/morning of the 20th on one of the Shatabdi trains. I am absolutely excited to get back to the US and get back to my studies in Austin. However, every so often, when I’m riding through the city on a rickshaw or walking down the street, I feel a bit sad. My hope is that I’ll come back soon, maybe in a year or so, but I can never really be sure. Everything depends on my financial situation, whether I continue on through a PhD or move off into the “real world” to get a job.

It’s just going to be strange to be back to a place where there isn’t fruit sold on every street, or momos sold as snacks in movie theaters, and there is no devotional music reverberating on every other corner. There won’t be a tailor who will stitch me an entire outfit for 10 dollars or the beautiful sari and salwar qamiz shops where you sit and drink chai while the shopkeepers continue spreading out options in front of you. No gigantic bulls just hanging out in front of our buildings or goats tied to random posts while their owners sell chaat or some type of trinket. No lizard to watch as he scurries along my wall to catch an unfortunate bug. No train that will take me anywhere from Kanpur to Chennai. No rickshaws. No more opportunities to speak Hindi with any random person I might meet. No more excruciating heat or daal and sabji every single day…oh wait, those are things I will decidedly NOT miss.

But the point is, it’s time to go. At least I’ll have a few days in Delhi, and I’ll get to see my friends there for the second time in a 3 month period, which is really nice. I’m definitely going to miss some of the friends I’ve made here and I’m sure I’ll keep in touch with quite a few. Anyway at this point I’m rambling.

But so here’s a summary of my plans until I leave. Tomorrow is our achievement test/final paper turn in/group picture day. I’m done with the paper, so today I’m going to do a review of grammar and vocab so I do well on the test. I’m also going to wear a sari for the group photo. For the weekend, I dunno, I’ll probably try to make sure I’ve done whatever else feel like I need to do in Lucknow; random siteseeing, picture taking, remaining shopping for gifts etc. Monday and Tuesday are our final days of class and also when we’re supposed to present our papers. Wednesday is the very very last day. After our farewell lunch, that’s it. Then I make sure all my packing is done (if I can actually fit all my things in my suitcases, I’ll probably do some preliminary packing today) and then probably around 10:30 we’ll head off to the train station. We should arrive in Delhi around 8 am, after which I will take a very very long nap in the AIIS guesthouse, where Emily and I are staying. The next day, I think we’re going to Aksherdam, which is kind of like if Hinduism was designed by Walt Disney (there is a boat ride with animatronic holy men). The 22nd, I think we’re meeting up with another classmate of ours who is staying in Delhi who will take us to India Gate and whatever little sight seeing adventures we feel like going on. The 23rd, Emily flies out and I (hopefully) go see my friends in Gurgaon for the day. The 24th, it’s over. I depart, farewell to India for however long I am gone.

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~ by yatrahindustan on August 13, 2009.