A Dirty, Beautiful Place

End of Week 2 – time is already flying by!

We’ve spent our time in India so far just adjusting to the new sights and sounds around us.  While part of me has wanted to start jetting around the country, I’m thankful for the time I’ve had here to get used to the area.  I’m quickly getting acclimated to crossing the streets and knowing where I am.

Other people in the program are starting to look to me for two things – technological help and directions.   While I feel like I’ve always had a good sense of direction, it’s funny to me that I’m now the top person to help with technology.  At home (as the boys will surely tell you) I’m the technologically illiterate one in my group of friends – it’s weird to hear my name called when the Internet goes down or someone’s computer is messing up! 

I guess it goes along with me being the only engineering/math major here. There are a couple of economics majors here, but that’s the closest thing to a math sided brain that I’ve come in contact with for the past two weeks!  While I love the friends I’ve made here dearly, there’s definitely a something missing in my life – nerd jokes.   So, if someone wants to let me know some good ones they’ve heard lately, I’d probably love you forever!

Anyway, for those of you that don’t know, I’m living in an apartment with 3 other Americans and 2 Indian students.  Everyone is really nice and I’m really excited for the semester to come.  Classes started a week ago for the most part, and all seem interesting.  The courses I’m taking are “Contemporary India”, “Beginners Hindi”, “Nation, Caste, and Gender through Film” and “Issues in Political Economy and Development”.  I love learning Hindi and had my first test this morning on the alphabet (fairly sure I aced it!).  IPED started today and I love that class as well.  Contemporary India is also awesome – it’s pretty much discussion based, talking about the current events and issues happening in India as we speak.  Awesome so far and should bare more fruit as the semester continues.

Aside from my academic classes, the program provides us with “expressive culture” classes.  It took me a long time to decide what I wanted to do, but I think I’ve decided on violin.  On top of one they pay for, they also let us take both Marathi (the local language) and Bhangra (a popular dance form) lessons, free of cost.  Basically, soon I’ll be starting Indian violin, Bhangra, and Mararthi lessons =D Did I mention all for free? Awesome? YES!  Violin lessons are with my “host mom” who we call Tai (Hindi and/or Marathi for sister).  She helps her parents run the apartments where we’re staying and lives in the apartment above us.  She’s the cutest, nicest little lady ever – I love her so much! She always is inviting us to meals and helping in any way she can.  I can’t wait to take violin lessons from her!

All things considered, I’m completely loving my time here.  Of course sometimes I think I’d do better without some of the pollution, hard sights, and noise, but I can’t imagine being here without all of those things.  Everything together makes this city what it is –beautiful in a dysfunctional yet way more functional than any other city kind of way.  Hard to describe the way it feels, but in short, it’s nice to feel at home so far away from the other homes I’ve created.  While I miss the home I made in Ireland last semester, in CT before that and in NY for the rest of my life, I really do love it here and am grasping every moment possible.

Should be getting Internet today, which will help in updating more often.  I have so much I want to write and tell you all about, but I feel like this post is getting long.

I hope all is well, wherever you’re reading this.  Know you each have a special place in my heart that is irreplaceable, no matter how far I go, or how long we go without talking. 

Miss you and love you – look forward to catching up soon.

Love always <3