So Long, Dirty Jersey

New Jersey seemed the most obvious location to initiate my international journey, so I am writing from Princeton on the eve of my departure. The Indian national government, having toyed with my emotions over the course of weeks and to the tune of a few hundred dollars, has finally issued me an employment visa. I have distilled my belongings to 90 pounds of things that I will most likely find no use for in Mumbai. I have spent all of 30 minutes with my "Learn Hindi" book (and accompanying audio recordings) and watched a few dozen Bollywood movies, most of which were abominable but some of which were sinfully awesome. I even indulged in an Indian lunch buffet on Tuesday. I am ready to move to India.

The object of my journey is a two-year fellowship with Teach for India, an organization founded on the model of the increasingly ubiquitous Teach for America. There are many parallels to be drawn between the two countries: they share democratic government, extreme population diversity and, most notably, a significant gap in the educational opportunities available to children of disparate economic backgrounds. In many ways, however, India is not like the United States at all. The income gap in major cities is much wider, the national illiteracy rate is much higher, and public education expenditure is considerably lower than in America. Whereas Teach for America now operates in virtually every major U.S. city, the much-younger Teach for India is still confined to Pune and Mumbai, both in the state of Maharashtra.

Tomorrow I embark on what will surely entail a serious investigation of the relationship between Indian and American national contexts, as well as a series of culture shocks, amusing hijinks and awkward moments. Before moving to Bombay (Mumbai's previous official name, which is still used by those in the know, like myself) I will spend 5 weeks at a training institute in Pune. My very first adventure involves making my way from Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport to a hotel in South Mumbai, and from South Mumbai to Pune via bus the next morning. Stay tuned for hilarious updates.