Patience, Perseverance, and Perspectives of Privilege
What Does That Mean? In a very short time, it has become
clear to me that I must perpetually be on my guard to recognize how both verbal
and non-verbal language differs from that which I have grown accustomed in the
USA. Hindi and words from other languages pepper the vernacular English
commonly used here in Mumbai. I will have to wait until I have spent some time
in Delhi before I can say which vernacular slang and usage I imagine to be
specifically regional. But here I will address things I think are pretty
universal around India. I have already written about words like Lakh and Crore
which is indicative of Indian’s thinking literally in tens of thousands, and
hundreds of millions.
Four quick examples: Theek hai. Kriti. Revise. Crossword.
One of the first “words” of Hindi, I was encouraged to use
was “theek hai” (I had to look up
how to spell this in a standard Roman Transliteration), and it corresponds with
“okay” or “all is good” whether statement or question in English. If you listen
carefully, it does pop up in almost every conversation and response to questions.
“Kriti” was used
repeatedly in a lecture I went to see at the National Center for Performing
Arts (NCPA) here in Mumbai. An Indian scholar, Mr. Veejay Sai, was speaking
about the renowned Bharatanatyam performer and teacher, Tanjore Balasaraswati.
As best as I could make out, “kriti” seems to mean a song, or performance, or recitation.
He would introduce each of his audio clips of someone singing as them
performing a “kriti”. Often he would say from what the “kriti” had been
excerpted, but I could not always make out if he was saying the name of a song
or poem, or if it was the Hindi word for a particular type of song, poem or
other type of verse form.
Over the decades, I
had heard of (Tanjore) Balasaraswati being commemorated by the naming of teaching
awards after her at the American Dance Festival, and I knew that a biography
about her had been published through Wesleyan University Press. But beyond this
recognition of her name, I knew nothing about her. So the lecture was
fascinating and indicative of the strong ties that familial lineage plays in
Indian forms of culture and art. Most revealing for me was learning that
Balasaraswati’s grandmother was Vina Dhanammal, who was herself a revered
musician on a traditional Indian instrument called a “veena”, and it was due to
her famed accomplishments with this instrument that she was commonly known as
“Vina” Dhanammal. In a number of photographs of both Dhanammal and
Balasaraswati with other Indian gurus, they were the only women, and Mr. Sai
made a comment in passing that Balasaraswati (Bala) changed the way that
dancing was taught to students, but did not elaborate beyond that.
I took the liberty after the talk to thank him for his
lecture and asked if he could possibly provide more insight as to what he meant
by saying Bala changed the approach to teaching from previous guru masters. Mr.
Sai’s response was that Bala believed that each individual dancer could bring a
unique expression and interpretation of the songs and movements of
Bharatanatyam if approached by their teachers, not as members of a class, but
as individuals. I commented on how such a concept is still the mission of so
many contemporary approaches to teaching of respecting long held traditions and
techniques while hoping to support the development of unique voices in future
artistes.
“Revise” is the
word that I grew up with in Jamaica to mean the repetition of exercises, and we
referred to notebooks as revision books. Here in India, I was surprised when
students were asking to “revise” a combination, until I realized that in the
USA, I had grown used to being asked to “review”, and “revise” is more commonly
used to mean “edit” or “change.” It is a simple adjustment of understanding to
local vernacular, and I also started to think about how different my vernacular
movement language in modern and ballet is to the dancers I am teaching here in
India.
I have often revered my teachers and the dancers whose gifts have unlocked my own perceptions of what might be possible in dance. I have also come to realize that I must accept that my own unique approach to teaching and coaching has evolved out of my lifetime of experience. I will not be the perfect teacher for every dancer, however, I do my best to offer students options to unlock both their technique and artistic potential based on the knowledge that comes from my experience and my own desire to learn and reassess such knowledge.
“Crossword” is the name of an Indian
chain of bookstores here in India, and I was not quite sure that I was hearing
correctly when the Hindi tutor I had found said I could find the text book she
uses at a “crossword.” I initially took this to mean that wherever I might find
crossword books (as are commonly found in magazine stands) that I would find
the required book. After a little confusion in communicating with friends for
help, I finally figured out the mix-up. Certainly my friends must have thought
that my English had gone off the rails when started talking about wanting to
buy the book “at the same place where I might find crossword books.”
Commonly used acronyms have also been stumbling blocks for
me when first I was asked about completing a “KYC”, or renting a “1BHK”,
or that the event is part of the business’s “CSR.”
I was supposed to receive a FedEx package from home, and I
had the sender address it to me at the studios where spend most of my time.
Then last Tuesday I found out that FedEx require a KYC (Know Your Customer)
security check be completed through a third party business specializing in
verifying recipients of international packages that have to clear customs. With
layers of communication and paperwork protocols that I am beginning to
associate with any business dealings here, it took me with extensive help from
office staff, three days of back-and-forth and multiple submissions to get
everything together in proper format and approved. And still the originals of
all documents then had to be couriered to FedEx’s main customs office at the
airport in Delhi. To date I am still waiting to receive my package. I have been
assured it is in country and the delivery notice has been updated for delivery
first on Friday, then Saturday, then Monday, Tuesday is a public holiday
honoring Mahatma Ghandi, and now scheduled for delivery tomorrow, Wednesday.
Hmm.
When I was originally asked about what kind of apartment I
wanted to live in while in India, I specified a preference for 1-bedroom with a
separate kitchen, and a preference for a washing machine. I quickly learned
that appliances (refrigerator, stove top, washing machines, air conditioner)
were typically additional expenses that might be rented if I was not intending
to purchase. And it was not until we were discussing going to see apartments
(also referred to as “flats” here, as in the UK) that I was asked if I definitely
wanted to see a 1BHK (Bedroom, Hall,
Kitchen) and not a studio. I am very happy that I did find a 1BHK that already
had a propane tank stove, refrigerator, air conditioner and washing machine.
Whew!
In my first week, I described attending a fundraising event
for Children with Cancer that was co-sponsored by Sumeet Nagdev Dance Arts
(SNDA). Later, when one of SNDA’s managers asked me to offer my feedback on
various management issues, they described to me that the charity event was part
of their CSR (Corporate Social
Responsibility) as required by the Indian government of organizations over a
certain income bracket. A little more research was enlightening to me that
India, in 2013 was the first country to make such a mandate that a percentage
of profits must be donated towards “socially responsible” programs that fall
under various categories of education, skill development, social welfare,
healthcare and environmental conservation.
Such social responsibility is a common topic of discussion
at gatherings as locals decry the pollution caused by the various festivals
that take place at this time of year. At the same time, it is gratifying to see
cultural shifts like, in place of plastic shopping bags, most stores provide
lightweight canvas bags at no charge, and these bags can be recycled back to
the store or used for future purchases. However, most people, myself included,
consistently bring their own bags. Even when buying trash bin liners, in the
store I was shopping only sold liners made of 100% compostable material.
Admittedly, since I did not know for what I was looking at the time, I had to
ask where I could find trash can liner bags.
Bringing enough copies of EVERYTHING one will need to settle
in India under the Fulbright grant, and having the financial resources
available. Obviously, everyone’s experience will differ, depending on the area
to which they are travelling, the local support available through USIEF and the
host institutions, and the personal preferences of the individual.
When it comes to paperwork, there is a long list of copies
and original documents that are outlined in the handbook provided by
Fulbright-Nehru for grantees. But the reality is that digitally scanned copies
of passport photos and documents becomes a necessity when dealing with online
applications and correspondence. At the same time, original signed copies of
most documents will be required for filing with various agencies. Along with
these originals, passport sized photos must be less than three months old and
usually accompany most paperwork. So I am glad that I brought an extra twenty
or so. I suspect that as long as you use a different photo for various
applications it would be hard to tell exactly how long ago a photo was taken.
But when it comes to legality, I am not wont to test my luck.
Around the world, larger business transactions like rent and
deposit payments are conducted in a cashless manner. However a credit/debit
card is not always accepted or appropriate, so knowing the requirements and
protocols of your personal banking institutions for international transactions
is critical. Given that my lease was not for a complete year, I was required to
provide a very sizeable, refundable security deposit that I really did not
anticipate in my budgeting. Fortunately, at this point the SNAFUs of
communicating internationally across a 9.5 hour time difference with my bank in
the USA is in the past. But the stresses of getting international wire
transfers completed before I found myself “homeless” in Mumbai, was not a fun few
days as I settled in.
I am glad that I dared to bring double the recommended hard
US currency amounts suggested by Fulbright-Nehru to bring for exchange to
Indian Rupees and cover initial expenses in country. I am not used to
travelling with large amounts of hard currency, but I do remember when this was
common practice in touring days before international ATM (Automated Teller
Machines) services were available. The irony was not lost on me when my
personal banker in the USA, who appears to be of Indian origin, assured me that
Mumbai would present little difficulty for me to access my accounts through
ATMs. The reality is that the digital infrastructure in India is indeed good,
but as with all gigantic infrastructures, consistency is not always reliable. I
have gone days of attempting to draw money from as many as five different ATM’s
and had no success, whether because of some glitch in the Indian digital
banking system, or because my own bank randomly decided that after a month of
transactions in India, that I was somehow fraudulently accessing my account
from India. Sigh…
One more anecdote of challenges to my patience and need for perseverance
was when I accidentally left my portable WiFi unit from Jio in the back of an
Uber car I had taken. I realized my mistake not five minutes after the car had
left, and I immediately called upon the help of a staff person, Karan, to help
me communicate with the driver to try and retrieve this critical cog of my
daily life. Everyone assured me that since I had left it in an Uber car that I
would get the Jio back. There was not much else to do than to teach class and
leave the fate of the next steps in lost goods retrieval to my friends. To my
amazement, I did eventually get the Jio back, but not without further “adventure”.
In the ensuing days my Jio was a little like lost luggage
that got transferred to an exotic excursion to where I don’t know, and I was
left reliant on my local cell phone for all communication and connectivity. Most
people here communicate on WhatsApp (mine is not to question why), and my
ability to get around is reliant on GPS mapping and online booking for car
services, thus cellular or WiFi connectivity is essential. Last Friday I was
aware that my Indian SIM account was about to expire and I needed help to
reload the account, as it had been purchased and activated with local resources.
Unfortunately the account was not reloaded that day, and on Saturday morning when
I was going to pick up my Jio, I lost all communication connectivity on my
Indian cell account. Fortunately, my US cell service does work internationally
at a premium cost when used, and it was my fall back to contact someone that
could help me get my Indian service back up and running. I ended up missing my
scheduled activities that morning as well as connecting with my Jio until later
in the day. So five days later, I was back to my “status quo”, and appreciative
of how reliant I am on my digital connectivity while here.
My birthday was this
week, and I learned a little more about “social” traditions from around the
world. On the whole, Indians seem to have a pretty big “sweet tooth” and they
have great varieties of sweet treats of their own and from world cuisines.
Birthdays are zealously celebrated with their love of cakes, and I did not
entirely escape their tradition of everyone feeding the birthday honoree a
piece of cake followed by a “cake & icing” facial. I will spare you the
after pictures, but these are two separate cakes that were made for me. The first
was from SNDA and the second was from Danceworx, where I shared my birthday
with Sonakshi.
There is no doubt that I sit here in Mumbai with many kinds of advantages. I have the privilege of a very different life in the USA to which I will return. And the perspective of all that was both good fortune and serendipity, as well as the costs and hardships, leading to whom and where I am today. To bookend this experience, the world of my childhood in Jamaica was not far different from my environment and events in the last five weeks, while also vastly different based on the perspective that more than half a century of life has provided. I realize that I am not of a mind to “change the world”, but I have little doubt that my presence here is changing both my life and making a difference for the moment in the lives of people I would never have met without my privilege.
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