INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Oxford University Press publishes the gold standard of dictionaries, the Oxford Hindi-English Dictionary. While smaller pocket dictionaries are fine if you just need to look up a word or two, invest in a more substantial academic dictionary if you are serious about more formal study. There are also Hindi dictionaries online. The University of Chicago's "Digital Dictionaries of South Asia" project includes a dictionary of Urdu and Classical Hindi. Start with basic words that will help you become familiar with how Hindi vowels and consonants work together to create a word or phrase. Focus on recognizing the Hindi words and the Devanagari script. The days of the week are: Sunday, Hindi word: RaveevaaR, Devanagari script: Monday, Hindi word: SomvaaR, Devanagari script: Tuesday, Hindi word: MangalvaaR, Devanagari script: Wednesday, Hindi word: BudhvaaR, Devanagari script: Thursday, Hindi word: GuRoovaaR, Devanagari script: Friday, Hindi word: ShukRavaaR, Devanagari script: Saturday, Hindi word: ShaneevaaR, Devanagari script: Once you become familiar with the days of the week, move on to other basic Hindi words, keeping in mind the Devanagari script. Yesterday, Hindi word: kal, script: Today, Hindi word: aaj, script: Tomorrow, Hindi word: kal, script: Day, Hindi word: din, script: Night, Hindi word: raat, script: Week, Hindi word: haftaa, script: Month, Hindi word: maheenaa, script: Years, Hindi word: aal, script: Second, Hindi word: doosRaa Minute, Hindi word: mint, script: Hour, Hindi word: ghantaa, script: Morning, Hindi word: saveRey, script: Evening, Hindi word: shaam, script: Noon, Hindi word: dopeheR, script: Midnight, Hindi word: aadheeRaat, script: Now, Hindi word: ab, script: Later, Hindi word: baad mey, script: Learning conversational Hindi is a great way to practice your alphabet skills and prepare you for lessons on basic Hindi grammar. Actually having a conversation in Hindi is the most important way to learn the language. Find a friend in your language class or look online in language forums for individuals looking to practice their conversational Hindi. There are also recordings of basic phrases online that you can refer to. Focus on phrases like: Hi!, Hindi: Namastey!, script: Good morning!, Hindi: Suprabhaat, script: Good evening!, Hindi: Shubh sundhyaa, script: Welcome! (to greet someone), Hindi: Aapka swaagat hai!, script: How are you?, Hindi: Aap kaisey hain?, script: ? I'm fine, thanks!, Hindi: Mein theek hoon, shukriya!, script: And you?, Hindi: Aur aap?, script: ? Good/ So-So, Hindi: Accha/ Theek-thaak, script: / - Thank you (very much)!, Hindi: Shukriyaa (Bahut dhanyavaad), script: ( ) Refer to this link for recordings of these phrases as well as more detail about their pronunciation: http://www.learning-hindi.com/convo. Don't be afraid to start speaking the language even if you only know basic vocabulary and grammar. The sooner you start, the faster you will pick up the basics of the language---learning Hindi is really a matter of practice and determination.

SUMMARY: Purchase a good Hindi dictionary. Learn the days of the week. Learn basic words for time and place. Practice common phrases with a partner or with a recording.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Bathing your bird regularly is just as important to its overall health as cleaning the cage. Choose a birdbath that is appropriately sized for your bird so that it will not have trouble getting in and out of the basin. Some birdbaths are meant for use inside the cage, while some are meant for use outside the cage. Larger birds may benefit from external baths, but bath setup largely comes down to owner preference. If you have a bird that can swim, such as a duck, make sure the bath contains enough space and water for the bird to be able to dunk their head safely. Allow the bird to use the bath only with your supervision. Fill the bath with warm water, and allow the bird to splash around, getting itself wet and preening for several minutes before removing it from the bath. Once your bird has finished bathing, scratch against the feathers to imitate mutual preening. Be sure not to press the feathers down against the bird's body, as birds do not enjoy this sensation. Your bird will need time enough to dry before the evening. Allowing a bird to bathe too close to bedtime could lead them to getting dangerously cold during the night. Make sure your bird has at least a few hours to dry fully, especially for large birds. If you live in a colder environment, make sure the room is well-heated while your bird is bathing as well as when it is drying off.

SUMMARY:
Choose a birdbath. Use warm water. Allow the bird to dry.