Engineering Joy

As I've stated before - I'm the only engineering/science major here; I assumed I would be - this wasn't a surprise.  While I love everyone I've met and enjoy my classes (or at least the subject matter), there has always seemed to be something missing.  As the number essays began to increase, taking everyone's stress level with it, I have found myself wondering more and more if I picked the right study abroad program.

For instance - a few moments of my day today...

A fellow student was looking for his phone, so someone called it.  He hears it ringing to his left, so he turns to the left - hears it again, but now to his right, so he turns to his right.  Meanwhile, I'm sitting behind him and I hear a cell phone tone whiz by my face.  Laughing a little, I informed him that it was in his bag - everyone laughed along... so far so good.  He then, laughing at himself compared himself to a dog chasing his own tail, so to build on the humor, I mentioned the Doppler Effect... fail joke.  Everyone kind of just looked at me - not in a mean way, but it was obvious my joke fell short of humorous.

All this to say, I just really really have been homesick for like-minded people.  Again - I love the people I have met here! They are beautiful and wonderful people.  Each has a unique story and is on a great path in life - I've loved getting to know more and more about people from various lifestyles, colleges, towns, states, etc.  I just really miss hanging out with people who understand me and my passion on a deeper level.  I don't want to live my life in a comfort zone with only like minded people, but it would be nice if there were a few people here and there that would truly appreciate and understand my enthusiasm and passion for engineering.

... which brings me to the title - Engineering Joy.  We got our internship placements the other day, and I'm beyond excited.  I'll be working with a company call Thermax to document the current water usage in Urban Pune, the amount of water than can be recycled from current grey, black, and waste water, and the costs involved in doing so.  Also the company has asked me to create a document compiling of all the regulations in place for the recycling of water in Pune.

ENGINEERING!!!  *explodes from excessive happiness and joy*

So, I very excitedly emailed my academic advisor to tell him about it and ask about getting class credit for it.  Turns out, not only can I get class credit for this amazing opportunity, but my professor is teaching  a business class in which the class competes to develop the best business model for the "other 90%" (aka those living on low incomes).  His group is looking to make a business model around providing recycled water to farmers for irrigation through Reverse Osmosis Systems (RO).  Guess where they're looking for RO systems? Thermax! What are the odds?  So, hopefully I'll be able to hook the group up with a contact at the company and explain the project they are developing.

Another awesome opportunity that has potential is that my advisor is hoping that my paper/research will be good enough to present at regional conferences, and maybe even national!  So, I look forward to that opportunity next year and plan to do my best at this paper in order to make such things possible.

I'm so grateful the staff here took such care in placing my internship, and I look forward to meeting the company and traveling around Pune researching this very imminent issue.

The Hard Things...

I’ve been talking a lot in my posts of the things I enjoy here, whether beautiful, silly, or ironic. What I haven’t mentioned yet are the hard things – the things that make me cringe or bring me near tears, wrenching every part of my soul. I’ve been trying to decide whether or not to write about them, not sure if you all would want to know/read about it, but I've decided it’s important to show you both sides of this hurting city.

The main issue I’ve been dealing with on a daily basis is the matter of beggars and the crippled. It’s not like I’ve never experienced walking down the street and being asked for money – it’s not uncommon in the US for similar situations to arise. However, before coming this semester, I had not experienced stopping at a stoplight and having a child grab my arm, unwilling to let go until the car started driving again forcing the release of my clothing/bags/arm. Never have I seen a man, completely deformed from the waist down, army crawling through crowded streets as people step over and around him.

How do these evil cycles happen? How did humanity become so low that we just step over and around these people daily?

When we arrived in India, we were warned about giving money and told not to do so. We were told most of these children and cripples are part of beggar rings (similar to the one shown in Slumdog Millionaire), and do not receive even a small portion of what they are given daily, being forced to surrender all the money they received to a corrupt individual. Therefore giving money to them is just feeding the ring, not helping the situation at all. We were also told us that many beggars wont accept food, and many will throw whatever food you try to give them back at you.

Hence, my dilemma. I have no idea what to do. My heart breaks as I walk by person after person, remembering the verses on poverty and hunger from the Bible. I’m torn day after day, wondering what I should be doing or how I can help. Tomorrow I’m going to ask Uttara (director of the program) if there’s anything I can do, but one of the problems is my schedule – classes all day, often until 6pm, which leaves little time for volunteering.

Hopefully I’ll be able to figure something out soon. Until then, please pray for judgment as I go through my day trying to reason with myself on what I can do and what I need to leave to the Lord.

A Few of My Favorite Things

• Walking down the street and buying a fresh guava (or six) for lunch
  
• Wearing flip flops every day being normal
  
• Modesty everywhere I look
  
• Looking out the window at the program center and seeing a papaya tree just chillin
  
• Doing my hw in the sunlight of the back patio of the program center
  
• Paying $1 for a 20 minute rickshaw (taxi) ride to/from school every day
  
• Noticing the number of stares decrease as people get used to my/our presence in the area
  
• Crossing the street by putting my hand out to make the cars stop
  
• Eating a large lunch (including a drink/milkshake) for 50 rupees (about $1)
  
• Walking to school every morning in late autumn morning temperatures
  
• Knowing the city well enough to be able to tell the rickshaw drivers where to turn (so they can’t rip me off!)
  
• Waking up every morning and realizing how lucky I am to be living half way across the world.