I have been hosting a German student named Udo, who is 58 years old and eager to learn Hindi in Varanasi. Uncle Udo reached out to me about a month ago after finding my email address through my Hospitality Club profile. He used to be a professor of German and has worked at various universities in England, Germany, and Japan. Currently, he owns a language school in Munich but does not teach there. Instead, he assesses unemployed individuals for government assistance.

When I asked Uncle Udo why he wanted to learn Hindi at his age, he shared an interesting story. A few years ago, a friend had given him a Hindi grammar book as a birthday gift, which he had never looked at. While cleaning his cupboard a couple of years back, he rediscovered the book and decided it was time to learn Hindi. He believes that starting something new is a great way to keep the mind active in old age, and I found this idea quite inspiring. Uncle Udo had already been studying Hindi online for three years and was familiar with the sounds and grammar.

When Udo asked me about Hindi classes in Varanasi, I recommended Professor Virendra Singh. At that time, Mr. Singh was not in Varanasi but was expected to return by the first week of October. I advised Udo to continue researching alternative Hindi teachers in case Mr. Singh did not return on time. Udo mentioned Mr. Binit Mishra, whom he found online, and who was reportedly located near my home, though I had never heard of him.

Udo arrived at my home on October 6th. On his first day, we went to meet Virendra Singh, who had indeed returned to Varanasi and resumed teaching. Mr. Singh agreed to teach Udo for one hour each day, which delighted him. Given Udo’s background as a professor, he wanted a qualified instructor, which was why he had not considered other schools in Varanasi.

Since starting his lessons with Mr. Singh, Udo has been very pleased with the instruction he’s received. He regards Mr. Singh as the best Hindi professor he has ever met. Although his Hindi is not perfect, he has made significant progress and his proficiency is far beyond what most people achieve after just two weeks of classes. Udo plans to visit Khajuraho and Gwalior before leaving India in ten days. He hopes to return to Varanasi next year to continue his Hindi studies and to experience festivals like Shivratri and Holi.