kul me aht mahine india mein hoon

kul me aht mahine india mein hoon- Tomorrow my eighth month India in it is.
The 20th of March. Almost unbelievable!

How long is eight months? I suppose it is long enough to complete teaching one semester at the high school, to be told I am 'seeing like an Indian' by my neighbor, Rashme. Long enough to understand certain Indian-englishisms such as 'removing a photo' from a camera, giving someone a 'tinkle', and looking as if I've 'reduced', nai?

Here it is more than enough time to know nearly every family in my building, and have tasted each households version of puran poli and other hindu snacks. Eight months is being comfortable on a 4 rupee, crowded cross-town bus, and to run into an Indian Jewish teacher on the same route; to see students at the phoenix mills shopping compound on a Saturday night; to not be shocked when doused with water and colors for Hindu festivals; to be used to men getting haircuts and hawking mangoes on the corner, and accustomed to seeing immensely colorful, loud, dancing, and exploding celebrations of life in the streets.