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Gandhi's Teachers : Rajchandra Ravjibhai Mehta
Stay and Studies in England
Upon reaching England, Gandhi lodged in a hotel and was visited by a family friend Dr. P. J. Mehta. Gandhi was in his flannels at that time. Dr. Mehta smiled at Gandhi and tried to give him a friendly advice about proper etiquette in England. He added: "Do not ask questions as we usually do in India upon first acquaintance, do not talk loudly, never address people as "Sir" whilst speaking to them as we do in India - only servants and subordinates address their masters that way," and so forth. This advice made Gandhi nervous and he started worrying about his fit in the British society and learning British manners. Everything around him was new and he was a novice at dealing with unknown people and circumstances.
Gandhi's hotel was expensive and the boiled vegetarian food he got there tasted insipid. He also missed his country, family, and the love of his mother. Gandhi cried often, tears rolling down his cheeks and memories of all sorts clouding his emotions and thinking. Falling asleep under such circumstances was not possible. England Gandhi could not bear and returning home was not an option without completing the law studies. Gandhi made up his mind to withstand the difficulties, finish his studies in about three years, and then go back home immediately.
Gandhi left his hotel and rented a couple of cheaper rooms to reduce the expenditures. He later also lived with an AngloIndian family as a paying guest and kept on changing the living quarters according to the pursuant need to keep expenditures low. To better fit in the British society, he started learning British manners by dressing up like an English gentleman, taking dancing lessons, taking lessons for playing piano and guitar, and learning French and elocution. These infatuations lasted only for a short time. The only thing which stayed with Gandhi up to his early days in South Africa was the English dress code.
Gandhi's elder brother had been sending him money to
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