Kerala and my adventures

I’m back!! I’m in Bangalore again after my week in Kerala. It feels great to be back and I’m trying to gear up for work on Monday. Yikes, I don’t want to go back just yet… Here are some pics of my journey and they are more or less in chronological order. I had a wonderful time and wouldn’t mind going back some day. The Keralan people are wonderfully kind and welcoming, and their state is amazing. Kerala has the highest literacy rate, the best male/female ratio, the highest standard of living, and overall it is pretty much awesome!! Enjoy the pics!!

Chinese Fishing Nets in Fort Cochin, it can take up to four men to operate them!

Fort Cochin Street way

Sunset in the backwaters of Allepey. It was so beautiful and quite there... This was just moments before I decided to take a swim, which was great fun.

A three month old baby elephant in Kumily. He was so cute!

Me and an elephant. The tusks were so soft and the skin felt like really thick leather. I couldn't believe how gentle this enormous animal was!

Kathakali performer. I saw a performance in Kumily... it sort of creeped me out but was interesting nonetheless. They make use of expression and gestures to convey a story without language aside from song.

Clouds rolling in a valley in MunnarFour little girls in a village near Munnar, all they asked for were pens... I wish I had some to give them, they were so sweet.
Me in Munnar amongst the tea... lots and lots of tea.

God's Own Country

As Kerala is warmly referred to around here, I'm in God's Own Country. It is beautiful that is true, gorgeous perhaps even. I'm having a grand time so far, eating new foods, meeting new people, and learning that the bus system is really a good time. Yesterday I stayed in a hotel that is only reachable by canoe and I was the only guest. As such, the owner and I became "friends." I asked to go on a backwater tour, so we hoped in the canoe and headed out. It was so beautiful and relaxing. It was amazing to see the type of life people live. They are totally dependent upon the land. There are paddies of rice which provide for the bulk of the diet, there are also coconuts, bananas, pineapple, and fish from the river as well as tea leaves and curry leaves for cooking. Some families have a cow or two, others chickens or goats. I tried some coconut alcohol which was quite interesting. It is semi-carbonated which is fun. I had my first ayurvedic massage, which was simply amazing, and mostly just oily. I'm now sitting in an internet cafe of sorts next to Periyar Tiger Preserve... I'm fearing for my life... j/k. Off to my little house for the night with my French roommate Stephanie!

I'll get pics up as soon as I'm back in Bangalore (oh yeah, I'm now 'moved' into Bangalore) Life's a whirlwind!!

Birthday celebrations

Well it happened.... I turned 21. No pomp no circumstance just fact. I did consume some alcohol as seems fitting for the event. But more importantly I spent it with the people I care the most about in India, my wonderful Singaporean counterparts and Siddharth. A cute story to sum up a quite simply and pleasant birthday:
12:01 am April 23rd, my phone rings. It's Sidd asking me to come outside and meet him for a bit. I went outside my hostel where I got a big hug and a flower and a "Happy Birthday Babe." We walked around the campus a bit before he set me down on some bleachers in our sports field. He told me to close my eyes and not peek!! So I did and I saw a faint glow form, he had lit a candle. He told me open my eyes, and in front of my was a chocolate muffin with a single candle. He said if I sang you happy birthday it wouldn't be nice so I wont. I tried to blow out my candle but it was one of those tricky relighting candles. As a result I made about 20 wishes!!

The day went on with little excitement until the Singaporeans and Sidd showed up with a cake and 21 candles (again the tricky relighting ones....) We also had a few drinks (yes Jenny I took a shot for you) and over all had a nice time. I must say that I don't think I could have asked for a better birthday. If I were home, chances are I wouldn't remember it... thank goodness for India!!

Here are some pics, enjoy!Blowing out the candles
Chowing down on some AMAZING cake
Double birthday kisses
Siddharth and I with the tasty cake!

Four Down One to Go

Wow! So glad last week is over!!! I’ve finished four out of five of my finals and let me tell you, I’m thrilled they are finished. Now I’m just crossing my fingers that everything works out and I’m not retaking anything at Purdue. I’ve got four days to study for my last final, so hopefully I’ll do really well on that one.

I’m starting to pack up my room and get ready to leave for Bangalore. I’m heading out early Friday morning to embark on the next stage of my journey. It will be bittersweet to leave IIT. I’ve had a rough time academically, but personally and socially I had a blast. I’ve meet some of the most amazing people and made such wonderful friends. I can only hope that I keep those bonds strong, if I do I’m sure I’ll be back to India. There is still so much to explore and see and so much more to learn about this wonderful place.

Here are some pics of me studying… because yes I do study but not nearly as much as when I was back at Purdue!!!Vikash... realizing how much we have left to cover in three hours!!

Beyond Busy

I've got four quizzes, three assignment submissions, plus a design project to work on this week. Mind you this week is the week before finals, basically IIT's version of Dead Week. Doesn't feel too dead though... wish me luck please because I'm going to need it to get through the next few days, and all of next week.

Siddharth and I booked tickets to Bangalore and I'm getting pretty excited about going. It is going to be great to have a change of scenery and of course hang out without silly IIT rules and assignments to worry about.

I hope everyone at home is doing well, I'm just trying to keep my head above water.

Goodbye to the seniors

There was a Valfi dinner for my hostel last night. It was a night to celebrate the seniors and say goodbye and congratulate them on being done! It was a very fun time with amazing food and so much of it. It is a formal type affair so everyone dresses up, the Indian way. That means... Saari or fancy Salwar Kameez sets. Everyone looked so wonderful and beautiful. It was a thoroughly fun affair!Yup, that me in a saari with Jeannie also looking beautiful

Oh what fun!

Photos

Not much new is happening at the moment other than studying for exams and getting ready to wrap up the semester and hopefully pack away some nice grades too!! Time will tell. I'm starting to get my things together for Bangalore and that is exciting, very exciting. Siddharth has an internship with GE as well so he and I are going to be chilling all summer. Hopefully we will be able to do some fun site seeing and a handful of weekend trips to explore the south of India. I've changed my start dates to allow me time to travel at the end of my trip when it wont be so hot up north. Turns out may is the hottest month up there pushing 120F in some areas!! I don't want to be trying to travel in that type of heat.... So here are a few more pics from the last few days and other random snaps. Enjoy!!

Fresh Lime Soda = my favorite = YUMM!!Mudricka and I at Lakeside on campus!
Hiranandani (apartments and shopping near campus)
Sunset at Lakeside
Sidd and I before heading out of campus - I'm a bandit so I don't breath so much pollution (plus I look cute :) )

My mom's visit, birthday wishes, and a picture extravaganza

First and foremost - a huge HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my wonderful little sis!! Mary Ellen (little) I love you so much and I'm very bummed I can't be around to celebrate the big 2-0 with you. I miss you and think about you every day!! In honor of you, here is a picture of you, Anne and I when we first became family!! I love you so much! I hope you are super happy! My mom has come and gone and it feels like it was such a tease of a visit. It was wonderful to have her in India. I loved being able to share a bit of my world with her, take her to the places I hang out, introduce her to my friends, have her eat my favorite foods, and just spend time. Too bad the three days she was here was not long enough. She and her friend Sally came for three days before jet setting off to north India for two weeks. Unfortunately I had class in the mornings which cut down on a lot of the time I could spend with her. We had a lot of fun though when together, like I said, just showing her a bit of my world over here. Siddharth and I took mom and Sally to south Mumbai for an afternoon which was a very great time. I exposed her to the Mumbai local train, which turned out to be just fine despite the warnings of all my friends (Sidd included.) I still don't believe that any trip to Bombay is complete without experiencing the train - I love it! Here are some pictures of our outings around IIT and in the city!!Mom and I at Mocha's - my FAVORITE coffee shop, I spend A LOT of time here :)

Mom, Sally, and I at Hira Nandani... yes there is a KFC here - a Pizza Hut too

This is the Gateway of India in the Colaba area of Mumbai
Chowpatty Beach is a 'beach' in south Mumbai which offers a pretty nice view of some of the downtown area.Siddharth and I at lunch out our afternoon in downtown.
This is a monkey on campus about 20 seconds before he nearly attacked me. There was a family of monkeys who all started to squeak and approach me. You can't tell but in this picture I'm about 2 feet from the monkey... just a typical day on campus!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY LOVA!!!

I am halfway around the world on one of the most important days in my best friend's life - her 21st birthday. I cannot express how much I wish I were there to help her finish the huge amounts of drinks she will be consuming, or how much I wish I were there to take photographs of all the crazy stunts she will undoubtly pull. Jenny - take at least one shot for me, make it hard and take it straight. To the Forney Fanatics who I can only hope are going to be there to make it extra special... keep her extra happy!!

Missing you lova, so so so much.

Home

So it only took about three months but it is finally happening. I miss home. I miss everyone at home. I actually thought today about going home... and if that is actually feasible... I don't really want to, but it felt good to think about it. I have an amazing life here filled with wonderful people who do extraordinary things to make me smile and make me happy, and I can't express how much that means to me. I know that I'm having an experience, but sometimes I wish it wasn't so hard.

If I can make it through tomorrow I might be okay. I don't really have a choice, tomorrow will happen if I want it to or not. I've just got to remember to breath. And being okay is really only relative... I've got end sems to think about...

My mom couldn't be coming soon enough. I need a hug...

I know it's been forever

Sorry I've not posted in forever it seems, but my life has gotten a bit crazy with school. I received some really exciting news the other day, I got a position as an RA in Earhart Hall for next year!! I'm very excited expect that I need to maintain a GPA while over here of a 2.5. I'm a bit worried about doing that actually... and I would really hate for the offer to be taken back based upon my inability to perform well while abroad. I've tried to convince myself that even if I don't achieve the 2.5 GPA it isn't because I'm not smart, I know I'm smart. What I've decided now is that if I don't make the 2.5 mark it isn't going to be due to lack of effort either. As such, it is full tilt toward learning and improving my marks and understanding of material. I still have a shot with the end semester exams to pull my grades up and earn marks that will allow me to be an RA. I think I can do it...

With all that on my mind it's leaving little room for much else. There is a three day weekend coming up this weekend (Monday is a Hindu Holiday) but I will be spending it on campus trying to teach myself some Mass Transfer. To my ChemE friends at Purdue... are you struggling as much as I am in Heat and Mass?? Gosh I hope I'm not alone...

Miss you all!!

*countdown: 11days!!!*

My new favorite holiday

When I was little if someone asked me what my favorite holiday was I would respond with Christmas or my birthday depending upon which was closer. Of course Halloween would get added into the mix, because what little kid doesn't love a holiday that results in enormous amounts of chocolate. Halloween would quickly fade into Christmas once my mom started making fudge and the stockings got hung up. After Santa's gone, I started to look forward to my birthday, but now I have a new holiday to add to my bimonthly rotational favorites... Holi. Holi is the Hindu festival of color. It was crazy amounts of fun. I was covered from head to toe in blue, green, red, pink, yellow, purple. It was so much fun. There was Indian music and dancing all mixed with people rushing at you with colored powder rubbing it on your face wishing you a happy holi. It was wonderful. Pau and Jeannie!!!
Now it's Monday so I'm back to the grind!

Countdown : 20days!!!

They are over - FINALLY

Mid Sems are finally over and now there is no need to worry about them ever again! Whether or not I passed is something I no longer have control over, so I'm done dealing with them. Come what may, I tried my best and if that isn't enough I suppose there is always Purdue next semester!!

Now with the exams finished I'm hoping to be able to use my afternoons and weekends for more traveling around Mumbai area, maybe do a few more weekends away and explore a bit. I really would prefer to go with a local person or at least a Hindi speaker. I'm also thinking about and should start planning my few week adventure around India after the end of the semester. Again, I'm trying to find someone who wants to go with me, but so far internships are getting in the way of all my friends!! It's really fun to think about all the things to see and do, but the planning just hasn't happened yet. I'll figure it out - maybe I'll just join a tour group and see India that way!

Oh and the cake has been fully frosted, gobs of icing dripping off the edges. She arrives on March 25th, and I'm counting down the days. It's going to be grand!!!!

I'm going to work on pictures, with exams not many have been taken recently, but I'll get on that.

*Smiling so much - so happy*

Mid Sems

Mid Sem week is upon us! This is muck like finals week back at Purdue where there aren't any classes, just exams. Two hour exams for each class each weighing 30% of the final course. It is a lot of pressure to do well, it is a lot of cramming a lot of seemingly useless material into my head simply to regurgitate it later. I'm trying to impress upon myself the need to not only do well (which is a harder task than I'd like to admit) but more importantly the need to actually learn the material. In the end it doesn't matter if I pass but rather if I learned something. If I learn it after the exam that is simply bad timing on my part, however the ultimate goal is achieved.

As I sit and study, or try to study my mind is caught wondering. Everything in my world has all of a sudden become infinitely more interesting than my kinetics textbook, including the wood grain on my table. Not to mention I've been mildly distracted as of late anyway. When you are in an entirely new place all the emotions feel new too. Understanding those emotions takes time, longer than normal to reflect, decide and act. Time is a luxury, one that I have when it comes to making sense of my feelings, but not when it comes to my exams. If only my heart would speak a little louder, or be a little clearer all lot more would come into focus.

I'm incredibly happy right now. Honestly the thought of exams is daunting but I haven't stopped smiling for the past four days or so. Life is grand. India is beyond words. My friends both here and at home are inconceivably wonderful. I've never felt so lucky to have so many positive people and experiences in my life.

To put countless gobs of icing on this multi-tiered cake... my mom might be coming to visit me!! Seeing her would feel amazing.

How CHE 320 Saved My Sanity

As I sit in class attempting to learn I find myself confused about material which is not at all uncommon even back at Purdue. Yet I also find myself highly intimidated. The professor is up at the board writing all types of equations, some of which I understand, most of which I don't. All the while the students around me are following (seemingly) along without a hitch. I struggle for hours before tutorial classes with assignments and make zero progress while they walk into class never having looked at the assignment and solve it in 30 minutes. I know I'm not nearly as smart as the students here, I know I'm not nearly as well prepared to take the courses that I'm enrolled in. Before my departure for India I spent countless hours sending countless emails back and forth to IIT and Purdue faculty to get my courses approved. All the while the Purdue professors were coming back to me telling me what material wasn't covered in the IIT courses that I would still be expected to know and how the overlap isn't strong enough so I may have to take an independent study etc. Now after finally getting here I realize it isn't Purdue that should have a problem, rather IIT should have looked at my previous course work and said, here is what she is eligible to take because a lot of the time I don't feel like I have the prerequisites to be sitting in those classrooms. Let me tell you for four hours a day getting hammer with material that doesn't make since, you start to feel a little bit... how do you say... dumb. All of my friends in class tell me time and time again that everyone is in the same situation, that no one understands, but I find it very hard to believe. With one student I got to talking about how I don't feel prepared for the courses and how I really should be in Mass Transfer I not II (honestly I had never heard of a mass transfer coefficient before... Purdue what are you thinking!?!). I mentioned how Purdue is much more application driven and IIT seems more theory and math driven. He agreed and stated that the theory is important so you can design systems and programs and such. I smiled and agreed that theory is important, but at Purdue we learn how to use the programs to solve problems, not necessarily how to make the program. He then asked, well anyone can use the program if you just have the user manual, so what exactly are you learning?? I can't even tell you how deflated I felt after that comment because I couldn't tell him. I all of a sudden felt as though two and a half years at Purdue was almost worthless in comparison. I mulled a lot of this over for a while and got myself back in higher spirits about my knowledge and trudge to class everyday hoping that maybe the symbols will click together this time. They still haven't but I'm still trying. Then another conversation with another classmate brought up the courses we take at Purdue and I mentioned CHE 320, the statistics course ChemE's take. He said they've never taken, nor do they take a statistics course. My face lit up!! I quickly asked, "so you don't know how to do a DOE or perform a t-test on data??" He looked at me confused and said, "no idea." This was followed by a series of questions from me regarding, Chi squared function, normal distributions, and optimization techniques none of which he had ever heard of. I felt like I was walking on clouds!!! I finally knew something an IITian didn't!!! Sounds small but let me tell you how wonderful it was to know that Purdue isn't worthless (it really isn't and I know that) but it was so refreshing to be able to trust my own knowledge again. I am smart... sort of... sometimes... okay maybe just in statistics... and that's only in comparison to IITians because lets face it, I'm not good at statistics either. lol
Study Study Study - Mid Sems start in 4 days (yikes!)_

More Pics!

The four of us ChemE's! We were jamming out at Club 190 which happened to be the most amazing club ever!! The DJ's were awesome, the crowd was stellar, and there was a dance instructor who was phenomenal!!
Our favorite donuts!! It is a lot like Krispy Kremes, served hot off the conveyor belt!
The foreign exchange students! USA, Israel, Singapore, Morocco, and France - REPRESENT!!

Fun times!

This is Jeannie (my roomie) and I before she headed out for a night on the town! She managed to get free passes to a really nice club here in Mumbai which resulted in getting even more free passes for us to use later! Three of us, Jeannie, Mei, and I, went out clubbing last night at a club we'd been to before and met up with some friends. We didn't know it at the time but we were in for quite a night! The club was slow at the beginning which is pretty typical around here. The crowd doesn't show until about 12:30-1:00am. But because we knew people and could get in free we had to be there a bit earlier. So we met our friend who knew the DJ, who then took us to the "VIP" room. It really was just a nice room where all the DJs hang out. It was sorta cool to be in there just because you feel posh and a bit privileged, but really there isn't much to do there. The club had three DJs that night (why you need so many I don't know). But we met them all and then several songs were dedicated to us throughout the night which was fun. When the first club closed we club hoped over to another disc which turned out to be nicer than the first. The DJs we met at the first club go us into the second one free and even scored us some beverages! We were having a grand time dancing and just being silly. At one song (a typical Hindi/Indian song) a group formed around one guy dancing in the middle of the circle. Jeannie and I went to check it out and he danced up to us grabbed my hand and took me into the center of the circle with him! Another man came and got Jeannie and we danced in the center together with a crowd of people just clapping and shouting things. It was an experience!! Lots of fun. On our way out we were given free passes to come back another night. Actually we were given 11 free passes... valid for two couples... so if you are interested in clubbing at Amnesia in Mumbai hollar at me and I'll hook you up!! We got back at around 4:30am and crashed.

Oh boy mid sems are in a weeks time... I think I best hang up my dancing shoes and crack open a book!!

The Ups and the Downs

When does one start missing home? Is it when they miss the people, the familiarity, the actual buildings and houses that give structure to the memories? Or is it simply a fear of further adjustment and change? I can't say I miss home, I wouldn't consider myself homesick. I miss people of course, I miss little things about the US such as Target (yup I said it), Den Pops, and tank tops. I think about the people, my family, my friends, my sisters, and classmates all of whom have made little niches for themselves in my heart and mind. It's sad not to share things with them anymore, and all the while I'm carving new niches for new friends who will be equally hard to leave in a few months. And when does a friendship grow to be strong enough to support something of this great magnitude, the distance and the pain because of the distance? Who do you keep in touch with, who do you choose to remain a part of your life. How far can an email go to maintaining a friendship? How deep is deep enough and how long is long enough? When is the trust built strong enough to share these feelings with people around you? When all you really need is a hug and a pat on the back, who do you turn to when your entire world is new and you're simply trying to remember what brought you to this place in life?

It's times like these you look inside to memories to keep you happy, you look to new friends for renewing laughter and you look at yourself for the strength to keep it together when everything may simply fall apart. It takes a different kind of strength, a different kind of trust, a different kind patience, to do what, I'm not sure, but all I can tell you is that it is different. It just feels different.

No one said it would be easy, they just said it would be worth it. They were right, they are right, it is beyond worth it. I wouldn't change it for the world - because right now, I already have the world. And the fact that it isn't easy rarely crosses my mind, I'm too busy making it all worth it.

Pictures

I've had a request (okay several) for more photos. So here are some from Goa and I'll try to do better about posting up snaps! Enjoy!! This is the Seagull Resort in Betul south Goa. Such a quiet and beautiful place.

Mei and I at a fun little beach shack called Sandstorm. It was very nice and quite tasty.

Trying out my bargaining skills in Anjuna, Goa.

Hanging on the beach - looking so stylin' in our shades.

Beaches, Breezes, and Beauty

This is the hotel that May I and I stayed at in South Goa for the first of our three night adventure. It was a very charming little place that was quiet and relaxing. We stayed in a private bungalow that was very nice with an attached bathroom. Not all hotels have private baths so this was a nice little perk. The food was delicious and the ambiance was very enjoyable. The Goan cuisine has a lot of fish in it, so May and I took advantage of this and ate quite a bit of local caught fish such as Kingfish and Pomfret - all very tasty. The beach was also nice a relaxing. To get to the beach you had to take a canoe powered by a man and a stick. It sort of reminded me of gondolas in Venice or at least what I've seen in movies and things. The water was very polluted up by the small village but on the beach where we were it wasn't too bad. The level of pollution in India is staggering I've found. There aren't trashcans anywhere, people just litter left and right, which gets pretty bad in places. After a night in South Goa, we moved to the more touristy North. We again had a quiet little bungalow but this time with a shared bathroom. We got lucky with the hotel because a lot of the places we looked at were very run down and dirty. The place we stayed was run by a French woman who was very nice and kept the place in very good condition, clean, and well kept. In North Goa we did a bit of shopping but I learned that I don't like haggling prices. I'm no good at it and I always convert back to USD and then everything seems like a good deal even if I could have gotten it cheaper. On the plus side I've learned to not be too impulsive because it is amazing how quickly your rupees go when you start buying everything that is a good deal.

Oh and on a side note - I've developed an alter ego to deal with pushy shop owners and overly aggressive men. I am now Emily from Canada (just south of Toronto) and I have friends in Bombay which explains my visiting India, and I'm always leaving tomorrow so I can't meet up later.

Over all we had a wonderful time and enjoyed ourselves completely. The only downside was missing one day of classes and the bus rides down and back (13 hours without a bathroom on board!) But that just made the experience even more exciting.

*miss the States*

Going to Goa

I'll be in Goa for the next four days. I hope everyone has wonderful weekends - I will be back on Tuesday and will respond to email/comments then.

*Happy Republic Day tomorrow*

Classes start to kick it - and LAN Ban

Classes are picking up pace with tutorial assignments and presentations. There really isn't any homework exactly rather in class tutorial assignments. Granted you can't finish the assignments unless you've already worked on them prior to coming to class - so it is sorta like homework. Oddly enough I'm glad for them b/c it means that I have something structured to work on. I was starting to get nervous that I hadn't been doing much for the past three weeks and when mid semester exams come around, I was going to be in trouble. This at least makes me feel like I'm doing something productive. I also have a presentation to give on superconductivity which I'm excited about. I don't know what level of detail I should go but either way its a subject that I enjoy. I hope it goes well.

Interesting development on campus though... they are shutting our internet off between the hours of 11pm until I believe 11am - or there abouts. The administration has decided this LAN ban will help with student depression, isolation of students, and a problem of students sleeping in class. The internet (specifically gaming) has been blamed for adding to much of a distraction to students and thus will not be permitted during those hours. Seems like total rubbish to me... How can I not be depressed now that I can't talk to home for half of the day, not to mention I'm already 12.5 hours in time difference. There is also a download restriction being put in place - I forget the exact amount to limit the obscene piracy that goes on. I understand that one, but restricting web access sounds a lot like censorship to me in many aspects. I'm not sure what exactly one does about something like this but the students are 'protesting' and signing petitions and such things. The other exchange students are upset as well and we are all trying to utilize whatever weight we have (which is basically zero) to convince the administration to change their mind. So in light of these new events I may be even slower to get back to emails and things.
Ban starts Friday...

At sunset

This is Powai Lake which our campus borders. The people in the picture are myself, Jeannie, and Yi Zsa. Note the beautiful looking sunset... it is mostly air pollution but it does look good!

Update to date

So first things first, my laptop is still not working much to my dismay. I've got to really do something about it because I'm starting to think it is serious and I don't want to spend tons of money - but then again I'll do what I have to do.

Classes have been okay so far, there really isn't much homework unlike Purdue. This means I don't feel as though I have a lot going on so I have a lot of free time. It really isn't that way because I need to be doing some self-teaching, getting myself up to speed and such on topics I haven't covered yet. I'll manage though, the professors seem like good people and willing to help if needed.

I went out again last weekend with some of the same people I met the prior weekend. I had a good time and met even more people which is always fun. I'm trying to make friends of course and now I have non-IITian friends!! Things are fun for sure. May and I hang out a lot and have fun. We talk boys and home and class and over all just enjoy our time. We are thinking about doing a weekend trip away from Mumbai over a long holiday that we have coming up. No news yet, still in the planning stages.

We attended a dramatics performance on campus a few days ago. That proved to be entertaining. All the plays were in Hindi with only a few lines in English. Based upon those few lines plus the expressions of the actors I could follow the story lines, but I never understood the jokes. All of a sudden the audience would erupt in laughter at something a character said but I didn't know what it was because it was in Hindi. It was still fun to go and watch. Two of the exchange students we extras in one of the plays, so May and I also went to be supportive of them.

Not much else is new, just shopping, class, friends, and planning excursions out and about. Learning random Hindi words too of course - mind you I never remember the words after hearing them but it is still fun to try.

*hope all is well back in the States*

New Friends!

These are two of my classmates (Jeet and Sudhanshu) who took myself, Jeannie, May, and Yi Zsa out for an afternoon in Mumbai. I had such a great time taking the train (again) having lunch, walking around and just chatting. We had lunch at this fun restraunt in an upscale mall. Sudhanshu ordered for everyone because we still don't know what anything is. It was delicious but SOO much food. I couldn't hardly move after such a feast. We had fun trying new dishes and they laughed at us and our attempts to pronounce Hindi words. Jeet and I had a lot of conversations about Indian culture and the differences between them and US culture. We sure did a lot of laughing and had a good time overall. We then left the mall and headed to downtown Mumbai which was nice at night. A few more of our classmates joined us and walked around a bit and chatted. We then went our separate ways after they made sure we got on the train back okay. It's great to have friends to do things with who know the area better than we do.

Week two of classes is okay so far, a little difficult to catch up to speed and find out what material I haven't covered yet but I think it will be okay.

*still smiling*

Weekend out

Wow... what a weekend! Crazy, fun, scary, thrilling, all rolled into one activity packed two days. My Singaporean friends and I experienced some of Mumbai's night life which was a lot of fun. The clubs don't get busy until around 1 - 2am so the nights are pretty late around here. We registered at the Foreign Regional Registration Office on Saturday so the government knows that we are here for an extended period. In doing so I had my first Mumbai train experience which was crazy. The journey to downtown Mumbai was no problem at all, but on the way back... oh my goodness. I've never had so many people pressed up against me so close for so long. You couldn't move and you were being shoved this way and that and you're hanging out the doors trying to climb onto the train. This mind you was just the women's compartment. The men's cabin was worse with people smashed up against the walls, hanging even farther out the doors. The sheer number of people is staggering.

More tidbits:
* I had my first motorcycle ride which was lots of fun
* I got bullied by three or for beggar kids who felt it funny to shove me around
* I saw and ALMOST purchased chocolate opium cake

Computer is still struggling but hopefully I get it fixed soon.

A little hickup

My computer is having some troubles so I may be slow to post or respond to email/comments. Sorry in advance and trust me, I really want to read your email/comments so continue to send them.

Miss everyone so much!

Fun things and First Day

Yes, there are cows in India, and yes they simply roam around. This picture is on the main road that goes through campus. Yes, we have cows roaming through campus.
As my days progress I think of funny little thing that have happened to me so here is a brief list of silly things I'd like to share:
* My towel turns my hands blue and doesn't actually dry me off
* A dog sat through my Kinetics and Mass Transfer II classes today
* I encountered two monkeys, one of which I scared simply by looking at it
* When I purchased my cell phone, I was informed that I was in India as if I had forgotten
* We eat four meals a day here my favorite being tiffin
* I can buy a cup of coffee for Rs 9 ~= 25 cents


As I think of more random tidbits I will post them. I'm having a great time so far - and class will be interesting. Day 1 it's a bit hard to judge style or material, but I think I'll manage.

*smiling*

Out and About

Day two of shopping in and around Mumbai took us to Linking Road where there were stalls upon stalls of shoes and sandals. A few places selling shirts and skirts much like yesterday but the specialty here were shoes. It was also very crowded perhaps due to the holiday and everyone being off work, or perhaps this is always how it is. I bought a shirt but the merchant gave me the wrong size without my noticing. So I now have a wonderfully small shirt that no one seems to be able to fit into! LOL good thing I only paid $2.

We took a bus today to get to Linking Road which was an experience. It was quite crowded, as in standing room only and even then it was two sometimes three people in the aisle between seats. I've come to realize how nice most Indians are. We didn't exactly know what stop was ours but the first person we asked said "no problem, in about 20 minutes or so will be your stop - I'll tell you when we're close" and sure enough a stop before she told us to move to the front so we can hop off. Turns out she was getting off there too so she showed us where to get the return bus. Such a nice lady.

Today also brought the first real encounter with beggars. They weren't too numerous but they were sad to see. The little children come up to you and put their fingers to their mouths in a feeding gesture and say something in Hindi. It is sad and you want to help, but I found it is much easier to just not look at them, they quickly go on their way. There was one boy who had what I assume to be his little brother with him. His brother had no clothes whatsoever and they were so dirty. It was sad, but really what can you do because you can't give them money and you really can't give them food. *sigh* all part of the culture shock I suppose.

*Happy New Year!*

Exploring a Bit

This is me with the three Singapore students (Jeannie, May, and Yi Sze) we are on the balcony of the boys' hostel 13. We were being shown around by the student representative and turns out the boys' hostels are much nicer than ours. It was huge and much newer. I asked about the exact male female ratio, at it is about 1:10. So the two female hostels are also a lot smaller than the boys. We had a fun time today exploring outside the campus gates. The student rep (Abhi) took us to a shopping area and to a grocery store. We needed to buy some basic things like shampoo and toilet paper. Before we were allowed into the grocery store we had to check our bags which I thought was a bit odd. It was so crowded as well and quite small. The grocery store has some brands that I recognized such as Dove (Thank goodness), Herbal Essences, etc but then there is a lot of local, non-English brands too. The selection is also much less, like they will have Dove, but only two types of bar soap and face cream, not the rest of the product line. I'm not sure if I was more surprised to see brands I recognized or to realize that they didn't carry all of the line... Oh well, the essentials are there so it works out. The four of us also went out to the streets close to campus to explore a bit which was fun. We went into a few fabric places to ask about custom clothing. I was disappointed to find out that they can make me any custom fit traditional dress I want but Western US style clothes is a no-go. So I may just have to start wearing Saris. Hey, they are pretty amazing in color and texture - I just don't think I could wear it back in the States.

I realized today that I've got to keep making more Indian friends because now that there are four of us international students, all chemE it will be very easy to not branch out and meet more Indians but I want friends! I also realized that I get stared at - a lot. I turn a corner and all the shop people just look at me, if I smile they will smile back but they just stare. I sort of was expecting it but it is a bit odd. My height doesn't really help either. (In the picture, I'm standing on a lower step than the other girls - for an idea of the height difference)

Miss you all!!

*cow sightings - more than I have fingers and toes*

Mood Indigo

So my mission to make friends proved to be very succefull. I have a friend who lives across the hall from me and I got to hang out with her and her friends for most of the past two days. She is very nice and willing to help me with all my problems, and trust me they are many! We attended a lot of the cultural festival (Mood Indigo) events these past two days, I got to see street dance performances, a fashion show, a concert by two famous Indian musicians, I learned a Gujarati traditional folk dance, and I helped to fly about 5 kites!! It has been quite fun.

My roommate has arrived along with two other Singapore students who are all very friendly. We've gotten along great so far. It's strange that they are coming to me with questions because to them I know a lot more than they do.

We are planning to buy some essentials today and tomorrow, things like towels. Trust me showering here without a towel is tricky. Actually showering here in general is tricky.

Day 1

Oh my, how glad I am to have my laptop up and running! It took two communication secretary people to figure it out but I've now got internet! This should be easier to keep in touch with everyone. On the downside, my messanger systems don't seem to be working with my new proxy settings, whatever that means! I may have to come up with something else or get my hands on one of those two secretaries again.

So after my arrival to campus I was given a room on the first floor and signed a bunch of papers and that was about all. No tour, no explanation of anything, just a key and goodbye. I've been trying to make friends which has proven difficult because there is a huge cultural festival going on right now on campus. This means I've met loads of people, just not from IIT. They are from all over India which has been interesting. Needless to say I've been getting a lot of strange stares from people and a few have commented on my height. I met with the head of ChemE to work some things out and I hope my classes turn out all right. There is so much paperwork to do it frustrates me greatly. Oh well, I'll figure it out.

I'm going to try to make friends today. It's weird to think that I have that as a mission of mine. At Purdue your friends just sort of happen, but here, I've got to reach out and say hello because most people seem to be content to just smile at me.

Having internet is actually making me feel a lot better about things. I've sort of been in this state of mild nausua for the past two days and it seems to be better now. Of course this could also be due to the pepto-bismal that I took. So much to do still, so much to say, I'll try to keep posting so everyone can stay up to date. And I love the comments people! I miss home a lot already but knowing that you all are still in touch makes me feel a lot better.

Miss everyone!

I made it!

I'm here!!! I'll post more when time permits and I've got a better computer, this school one leaves something to be desired... Such an adventure! (I ran into a huddle of monkeys while on campus today - that was crazy)

Psychotic episodes

My mom asked me if I wished I wasn't going to India today. She asked me this after having a bit of a heart to heart about leaving. I adamantly said no, that I do want to go and this is something in my life that I would regret forever not doing if I changed my mind. It does bring up the ideas of all I'm missing again. I'm so close to departure now that my nervousness is overcoming my excitement. My fear of little hick-ups or missing information or sickness, is starting to become more of a reality. I started my malaria medication yesterday so if I start having psychotic episodes, you'll know why.

*5 days*

Visa

It's here. My mom called me to tell me my passport and visa have been safely sent to my house in CO. I'm really going now... no more turning back, nothing left to take care of, just me and a plane and 27 hours until my adventure begins.

It's going to be so hard to say goodbye.
*13 days*

Comfort Zone

I received some pretty cool maps and paperwork from a returning student the other day about IIT. I found IIT on a map of Bombay which was fun, sorta cool to see where I'll be in relation to the world. I also got a welcome booklet that they give to freshman with a lot of info about campus life. I'm starting to realize how elite a place I'm going and it's starting to really scare me. I've heard multiple times that the level of student is really amazing over there. Their math skills are apparently unparalleled. My fluid mechanics TA is Indian and he was telling me about the entrance exam. Basically he broke it down into numbers for me, there are ~1billion of people in India, if just 0.1% apply to go to IIT that's 100,000 people. There are about 4700 undergraduates on campus. Imagine how smart these people are!

I'm definitely outside my comfort zone on this one. That's a good thing though. I reread a quote of mine that says "Feel the fear and do it anyway." That's what I'm doing, right now I'm feeling the fear, and I'm doing it anyway. Makes me feel like I'm living my life though and that feels great!

*14 days*

Waiting

It's finally off. All of my paperwork to get my student visa for India. It is now 100% out of my hands and all I get to do is sit and wait, sit and wonder if I remembered everything, filled everything out properly, paid the correct amount. I'm confident that I did, but you never know. There is really nothing left for me to do for India aside from a few logistical things here at Purdue and of course pack and get home! Not such an easy task I suppose. I'm getting nervous. No point in denying it. I'm nervous because this is quite possibly the biggest change in my life and I'm nervous. Halfway across the world makes the 1000 miles I've been away from home seem like a day trip. I'm going to India... what am I doing with my life... what am I doing...

Deep breath, it's worth it, I know it is. Thank you to everyone who has supplied me with such constant positive reinforcement and support. I'm going to miss you all so much!

*20 days*