Learning Hindi in Candolim

Sunyogini

Hello all -

My boyfriend and I (from the US) have found ourselves in Candolim, and really enjoying it. We just found a 2 bedroom apartment to rent, and had a blast buying veggies and rice and such from the market yesterday.

We are planning to be here for a bit, and I would love to practice and improve my conversational hindi. Can anyone recommend a tutor or a place to find one in this area?

Also, are there any other ex-pats living in this area that would be open to meeting up?

Cheers!

johnny five

I will be back from UK on 1st July and live just past Anjuna.
Good for you wanting to improve your hindi, for now the best bet is to ask around and try to find maybe an English teacher.....it works just as well in reverse, or some other well educated person who speaks hindi. Remember, the local language is konkani and the "bigger" local languages are marathi or kannada.
Having said all that, in my opinion hindi will be more use to you in the future.
You might find this thread useful if not read already;
Learning Hindi
Calangute/Candolim markets are crap, try Mapusa and explore the town for all your needs, its much better. But be careful, as during the monsoon period when there are very few foreigners around, the local tendency to rip off whites goes into overdrive.
Regards
J5

tinschen

Hi Sunyogini,

welcome to Goa!

I know someone who may be interested in helping you with conversational Hindi. I have been practicing with that person in the past. Have to ask if he would be willing to do so and maybe we can form a conversation group? I will let you know then.

As for meeting, anytime... I am always around.

Regards,
Tina

goangoangone

What happened to Konkani?

__________________
GoanGoan......here

johnny five

Konkani is fine. I mentioned it above as the local lingo. I also speak it reasonably well. But is not a lot of good apart from Goa and the Karnataka coast. My friends from Mangalore speak it but its very different. Also, half the Indians in Goa nowadays do not speak it.

If I could go back 15 years I would not bother with it as English works fine and most of the locals in the North speak a mix of both - Konklish.

Hindi, on the other hand, will get you understood in most of India, and anything that lets you speak with one and a half billion people, has got to be worth learning?

Sunyogini

Thanks all for the responses!

Tina, I would be happy to meet up and join a conversation group. I am of Indian origin, born in Delhi, then raised in California. I do have a decent grasp of Hindi, thus would prefer to improve on that rather than jump into a new language.

I have been asking around for tutors, and no luck so far.

J5 and Tina - how long have you lived in Goa? I haven't experienced a monsoon yet, am looking forward to it.

SB

johnny five

If you approach it with the right frame of mind, it is fantastic.

Probably best viewed from a rural village location than the concrete jungle though?

goangoangone

Before monsoon everyone is begging for rain. After a week, they've had enough!

tinschen

Sunyogini,

I am meeting my friend today, so I will ask him.
He told me yesterday he may be going to Europe sometime in late June and therefore he wants to brush up on his German and that's where I can help
I will let you know later today or tomorrow.

My husband and I moved to Goa last year in late September. This is my first monsoon too, I have experienced it before though while we traveled mainly in the southern part of India in July 2006. But traveling and living is a big difference...

Before coming to India we lived in Southwest Florida (Naples) for four years and so we are used to a "rainy season". Extremely wet, hot, humind and quite stormy at times!

Regards,
Tina

Sunyogini

Great I look forward to hearing from you!

tinschen

I met with my friend and he said he will be happy to help!
He is a very good teacher.

Next question is how are we gonna meet?

Shall we go for a coffee some day?
The Barista on the main road in Calangute/Candolim is only open from 9-5 now and some days they don't open at all. There is also a Coffee Day... Or any other place that comes to your mind?

Our schedules are quite flexible, so just let me know when and were.

Tina

Sunyogini

Hello!

Great!

Coffee sounds good. I am not fond of Coffee Day, lets give Barista a shot?

Lets arrange for some time for Wednesday morning. This internet place is closed tomorrow so I won't be able to check for Monday and Tuesday I need to head to Panjim.

What type of payment would your friend like? I also teach yoga and can arrange a trade if there is interest in that.
SB

tinschen

So Wednesday it is. How about 11am?

I hope the Barista will be open, if not we can move to the Coffee Day which is close by, same side, less than half a mile further down the road towards Candolim.

Sunyogini

Wednesday 11AM at Barista sounds good. See you then!