This is the first time I’m hosting a family, and they’re a couple with two children. Nadia is pursuing her master’s degree in Hindi Literature and Sanskrit at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland, while her husband is an engineer. They’ve come to Varanasi for a family vacation. Nadia has chosen Mr. Vimal Mehra as her Hindi teacher. Mr. Mehra taught Hindi at Nadia’s university last year, which is why she selected him. I took Nadia to Mr. Mehra’s place yesterday; it’s just a three-minute walk from my house. Mr. Mehra seems like a very nice person. From what I’ve heard, he also teaches at the Wisconsin University’s Varanasi center alongside Mr. Virendra Singh.
This is the first time any of my guests will be learning Hindi with Mr. Mehra. Although I had heard of him before, I had never met him personally. Many people have spoken highly of him, so I’m confident that Nadia’s classes will be beneficial. Nadia is also pleased with her lessons; she appreciates that Mr. Mehra encourages her to speak, which she had been missing in her previous two years of learning Hindi. I’ve enjoyed hosting their family. They are incredibly organized, reflecting their Swiss background. For example, when Gaitano, Nadia’s older son, dropped a plastic wrapper on the floor, Nadia immediately addressed it and disciplined him, which I found impressive.
Gaitano isn’t fond of Indian food, so we’ve been preparing noodles and pasta specially for him. On the other hand, Elio, the younger child, seems to enjoy our food and eats with his parents. Nadia has brought plenty of instant food and powdered milk for Elio. He’s adorable and always smiling. Everyone in my family and my neighborhood adores him. Whenever he’s on the roof, people from other rooftops often look over to see him. Paolo, Nadia’s husband, speaks a bit of English, which creates a small language barrier between us, but we manage to communicate. I enjoy talking to him because I’m interested in learning about his job.
Gaitano doesn’t speak any English, but Elio speaks an international language—mostly just “Mama,” which I find endearing. Nadia plans to travel to Mumbai on February 20th after completing her Hindi classes here. Following that, she will visit Singapore and then Australia.
