Learning Hindi and loving it!

JéAnn Murray, Contributor

The Hindi language originates thousands of miles away from my home country, Jamaica, but it is now important to my life. It came to me by chance - my mother showed me the advertisement in the newspaper because she knew that I wanted to learn new languages. The rest is history, as they say.

Since I started my journey to learn the Hindi language, I have already gained much more than I bargained for. One of the most important merits is the friends that I have gained. These friends share the same goal with me, to learn this new and foreign language. If they were not here, the task would have been much more difficult. We laugh together as well as help and encourage each other.

Of course, we still struggle, but we work together to learn Hindi and, little by little, improve our knowledge of the Hindi that came from across the ocean to reside close to our hearts.

Indian culture

Through the Hindi Club, besides learning conversational Hindi, we have also learned about Indian dishes, dresses, and festivals. We meet every month and past students also come and enjoy good fellowship. We go on picnics twice a year. Our friends, family, the Indian High Commission's staff and their families go together like one family. We share jokes, playing, bathing under the falls, eating together, and so on. I have never seen such camaraderie in the mingling of the two cultures (Indian and Jamaican) through Hindi language. Hindi is in my heart. I wish Hindi could expand all over Jamaica. Other people should experience what I have.

The Hindi Club of Jamaica is currently conducting Hindi language classes every Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. to noon at Club India, 38 Lady Musgrave Road, in New Kingston. For more information, please call Dr. Poddar at 977-4964.

JéAnn Murray is a Biochemistry MPhil student of the University of the West Indies and Vice President of the Hindi Club of Jamaica.