Last few days of freedom!

Well these are my last few days without class. My last few moments before submitting once again to the grips of the library, engineering textbooks, hours of homework, and seemingly endless amounts of lab reports, group projects, not to mention job searching! I've finished RA training, I've got my textbooks, I've been to the Neon Cactus bar and I'm ready to go I think!

The RAs had a banquet to attend the other night which was a nice awkward event. We all dressed up in dresses and suits and mingled with the apparent 'high rollers' of Purdue, the 'who's who' of the residence halls and the newest member of the Purdue staff our new president!! Isn't she a wonderful addition to the staff!!! She had her degree in astrophysics and worked as lead scientist for NASA as well as president for University of California Santa Barbra!! And she does all this in a five foot nothing frame! Such a mighty woman in such a small person, it's a bit hard to believe.

Here is a picture of my friend Katie and I before heading to this marvelous event where the only thing more impressive than our newest presidents credentials was the tiramisu dessert = DIVINE!!

Back to Purdue!

So I've started training at Purdue for my new position as RA! It's been a blast so far seeing as my fellow RA's are all a lot of fun. There are 16 of us, plus two lead RA's known as Staff Residents. Everyone is pretty outgoing and willing to chat and laugh at just about anything. Training is mostly about policy and expectations of the residence hall so it isn't always interesting, but the leaders do the best they can with it. Right now I'm a bit overwhelmed because it sounds like so much to do! I hope I can manage to balance this with ChemE and the sorority, but we shall see...

Oh and to a few who have noticed that I'm not on facebook it is a temporary hiatus. Because of sorority recruitment all sorority members are not allowed on facebook. It is supposed to level the playing field for recruitment and not allow communication amongst members and those who are going through recruitment. I think it is silly, but rules are rules. So give me a month and I'll be back, and we will still be friends!!

On a side note, it has been a blast to share my India experience with so many people. I get to relive my favorite parts of my experience every time I talk about it. That is so cool!!!

Pulsing My readers

My very artistic boyfriend took this photograph of the sunset reflecting in the window of a yacht in Sag Harbor - gorgeous!

To all those out there who read this blog I have a question to ask you... do you wish me to continue the blog??? When I created this blog at the beginning of my journey to India I did so with the intent of keeping everyone at home updated with the convenience of them checking in when they liked. It allowed me to share my experience with my friends and family without having to mass email them or the sort. So now that I'm home, back in the USA, about to head out to Purdue, my question is this: Is there still an interest or reason for continuing with the blog? I'm sort of on the fence about continuing. There is a lot to be said for being so open in sharing with your life especially with friends and family. But there is also something to be said for being so open with anyone interested in random blog reading. It's hard to say if I'm still interested, posting about West Lafayette life is much less exciting than posting about my adventures in India.

A brief aside about India...
I miss India a lot. I really miss my friends back at IIT who are all starting their term already. I miss the laughter in the hostel and the many attempts to make it back in time for pani puri tiffin. I miss being in a place where there is something new at ever turn. This seems ironical as I was longing for familiarity when I was there. I'm not sure when I'll make it back to India, but I know that someday I'll have to. Be it to check in on some crazy IIT friends and maybe attend a Hindu wedding or so, or perhaps on another wayward journey through such a culturally rich place. I'm confident I'll return, when I do I can only hope that my friends are still there to welcome me into their world as unquestioningly as they did the first day I arrived. I feel more blessed now looking back on the experience than I ever did while I was living it. So to all my friends back in India thank you for your hospitality, your friendship and your experiences, you made my trip fantastic.

Back to the entry at hand, please leave a comment if you think I should continue blogging. Perhaps knowing people will read it will inspire me to keep posting.

Being home and traveling around

I'm home as I stated in my most recent blog. After an amazing week back in Colorado I jet-setted off to the Twin Cities to attend my sorority sisters wedding. (yes I am an engineer and yes I am in a sorority so all you women out there thinking it's too much, give Greek Life a Shot!) It has been so wonderful to spend time with my sisters again and laugh like no time has passed. Though the weird thing about being home is now I have stories to tell that start like this " This one afternoon I was in Calcutta and was getting my sandals repaired by a guy on the street... " or "While I was in an over night bus from Ooty..." or "When was on the road side eating pani puri and chatting with my boyfriend...." Those are moments that really drive home the fact that I was abroad. When I got home everyone asked me what it feels like to be home, and honestly it feels the same as when I left. It is as if I went to sleep for a weekend and woke up with a lot more stuff.

Anyway after leaving St. Paul I head to NYC and DC to spend some time sight seeing here in the USA. Then it is off to Long Island to visit the grandparents. Oh yeah then there is the getting back to Purdue two weeks early to go through RA training!!! Yup I might be one of your RAs! Pretty exciting!!!

Traveling Pics

So I'm on my adventures... this is a thrilling life!! I hope you like the pics, there are in backwards chronological order... Visakhpatnam came first :o)The view from our hotel - it was gorgeous!

Meditating inside Agra Fort

The TAJ MAHAL!!

Mother Theresa Tomb

Sidd and I on a beach in Visakhapatnam

Shiv and Parvarti Statues in Visakhapatnam

Me on my first train ride!!

It's official

Sidd got his Visa! Needless to say, I'm happy. Can't wait to share my world with him!!

I arrive in CO on July 5th late in the night and my travels don't stop there...

Here's the plan:
CO - July 5th-July12th
Minniapolis for Anne's Wedding - July 13th-July 16th
NYC and Long Island - July 16th-July 24th
CO - July 25th-August 1st-ish
Purdue - August 3rd - Christmas!!

I'm off to Agra and the Taj Mahal tomorrow!! I love traveling so much!

Nerve Racking two days!

Sidd is applying for his Visa and we know in two days if he gets it... I think I'm going to have a coronary while he is in his interview. I don't even want to think about what will happen if he doesn't get it. He will though, he will.

Off to Delhi via Calcutta this afternoon, meet up with Sidd day after tomorrow to see the largest monument built for love, ever - the Taj. I'm so happy I get to share it with Sidd.

Miss home, just a few weeks more until I'm kissing ground in CO and hugging the stuffing out of all my friends. Just be warned.

Indian Adventure

Well... I'm done with work, I'm out of Bangalore, I've got a backpack, some money, a Lonely Planet Guide Book, and two weeks... I'm Off!!! I'm currently in Calcutta en route to Darjeeling, where I will be staying for two days before departing for Delhi and a great Rajasthan tour!! I'm home after that!!! Hopefully bringing with me a live souvenir.

I'll update when I know more or have details to give.

Lova - I'm terrible and haven't gotten back to you and I know this... I'm working on that, same to you Mark.

It's a love hate relationship

What I love about India and what I despise about India… They both exist and they both seem to peak out from random corners at random times. The vibrancy of life here is something I fell in love with long back; the people are magnificent. Everyone smiles at you when you walk by (as long as they aren’t gawking at the six foot white girl) and the woman are all beautiful from the small girls in school uniforms to the 60 year old toothless woman in a ragged sari. It is a stunning culture here one that is simultaneously trying to advance to a developed nation as well as cling to it’s cultural heritage. The food is wonderful, most of the time… a few nights spent racing to the bathroom have not been some of my favorites. The sweets take some getting used to, they aren’t rich chocolaty and baked like the cookies and cakes we have at home. Most sweets are made from some form of milk or cheese and it swims in some variation of sugar syrup. The history is deep, the buildings old and crumbling but still beautiful. And you can't beat the prices on almost anything (a new shirt for $4... tailor sewn for $5). There is a lot to discover here, and so much to love.
What drives me up the wall about India… well if I get started I may not stop and you’ll think I hate it here, I don’t, I love it. That being said… the lack of organization and efficiency really sums up most of my disgruntled moments. I wanted to send a packed to the States so as to have more space in my suitcase to bring home all my purchases. I made the long journey to the post office by bus which is the cheapest way to travel in India, albeit the most crowded, hottest, dirtiest and all around uncomfortable. Finally I reach the post office which I confirmed was open until 5:30, I arrived at 5. What greets me?? Well lets leave the details out and just say, the office is open until 5:30, but you can’t actually send anything after 2pm. It makes me wonder why they are open after 2 at all. You can’t do anything simple like send a package, buy train tickets, or catch an auto rickshaw without fighting for it., fighting poor timings, fighting poor booking procedures, fighting for a fair fare. Always fighting... Sometimes I’m just tired of fighting. It makes me scold this nation for being so seemingly backward…*sigh* I love India – really

A little recognition!

So Purdue asked me for some of my views on India and my experiences a long time back. Now I've come to realize that my imputes have made their way into the Chemical Engineering Impact Magazine!! Feel free to read it!! The little bit regarding me is down at the bottom!

The article


Mei and Jeannie... thanks for being good sports... you're photographed in our magazine - I hope you don't mind! Oh and I miss you three all so very much!

Enjoy :o)

Ooty - Tamil Nadu's Hill Station

My weekend travels continue! Sidd and I spent a weekend together in a hill station in Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu is the southeastern coastal state of India which has mountains running down the western spine. Ooty is located in these mountains and was quite chilly. In fact, Sidd was smart and brought two long sleeve shirts (one I wore the whole time!) It rained both days we were there which partially flooded the town making walking an interesting experience. We took a three hour horseback riding trip through the hills which was so much fun. Sidd hadn't really ridden a horse before so he was a great sport and a pretty good rider at that! It was just the two of us and a guide riding around. Very fun, but our butts are still hurting two days later. We also bought ample amounts of Ooty's famous homemade chocolate, but we both are wondering why it is famous, as it really wasn't that great. The town was really cute but busy with tourists as it was a weekend. We had an interesting bus ride back to B'lore which was partly great fun, and partly really unfortunate. Lets just say we were sitting in the "cool part of the bus" but the bus was totally NOT COOL - Sidd's 25 mysterious bug bites are testimony to that. We made some fun friends on the bus and I had the pleasure of using an Indian toilet in the middle of the night without a light... I probably didn't want to see the bathroom anyway... :o)

Sidd and his horse Raja (it's a boy - but you wouldn't know by the flowers on it's bridle)

Ooty lake reflections - my attempt at artistic photography

In other news - I'm flying home earlier than originally thought. I arrive in the States July 5th! Please let me know if you are in CO - I will want to see you :o)

Mysore

So it’s been quite sometime since my last post. Sorry bout that! I’ve been getting myself settled in B’lore (note the updated address) and trying not to lose my mind out of boredom at work. Last weekend Sidd and I went to Mysore which is a town about three hours by bus from B’lore. It took us four hours because we had to cross the length of B’lore to catch the bus. We had a very nice time exploring the city. On the first day we slept in a bit which was a nice break from getting up early for work. We met this very cute kid who took it upon himself to show us a bit of the town. Granted we ended up at his house were his parents sold incense and oils, but he was still a fun kid. He took us to the English Market which sold a lot of produce and such things. Sort of interesting to see what a small town market was like. From there we went to see the famed Mysore palace. It was huge and very ornate. Lots of murals on the walls and of course a lot of Hindu gods and goddesses depicted all over the place. We also visited a garden famed for its illuminated fountains. It was there I met the tallest person I’ve ever seen in my life. I have photographic proof, see for yourself.

Market area

The Mysore Palace

In front of a temple outside the Mysore Palace

This is me in silhouette at a beautiful garden fountain.

Me and the tallest person I've ever seen!!

Beginning Work - Back to GE!!

I started work on Monday at the JFWTC (John F Welch Technology Center) in Whitefield, Bangalore (B'lore). The first few days were spend doing typical HR stuff, filling out forms and listening to a bunch of people welcome us new employees. I started along with about 32 other interns and roughly 8 new full time hires. I knew two of the interns from IIT which was nice to have familiar faces. One of them and I are working in the same department for a few weeks and I'm sure we will have a good time together. My project hasn't been completely scoped just yet so I'm still in a holding pattern for information. I'm trying my best to be patient. I've asked for a chemical engineering project as opposed to chemistry to get a bit more practical experience. From the information I do have, it sounds like I'm going to be doing some designing. That will be great experience for next year when I take my design classes.

Oh and on other news, I passed all my classes at IIT!!! Granted I didn't do a stellar job (basically straight C's with a B thrown in...) but never the less I passed!!! I'm very relieved to know that I don't have to retake anything at Purdue, but I am a few credits shy of a full time student, so I may just be able to pick up a 'fun' elective course. I'm open to suggestions though I think Flower Arraigning would be a good pick. I was saving those credits in case I had to retake.

I have a place to live in B'lore now, so no sweat there thank goodness. I'll put up my new address once I figure it out exactly :o)

*missing home... please send love*

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 :) )