So, this makes for Entry 6 in one night. My shoulders are aching, my throat is dry--but I told you it was going to be a marathon! For once, I am writing an entry about some things that occurred TODAY, not things that happened a month ago. (Rebel I am…)
There’s this concept of “residency” that I find quite interesting, and especially today it’s been on my mind. For example, I can’t call Ithaca home, but I remember when it became my residency, when I realized I had favorite restaurants, coffee shops, places to study…when I would run into people on the streets, on the way to Collegetown, or back from the library. And in those moments it hits you: I live here. How I define myself is kind of wrapped up in this place…huh.
So today, more than a month after coming here, I have fully acknowledged that I am currently a resident in Chandigarh. In India...
Here’s a short description of the day:
8:00 AM Wake up, take the beloved bucket shower, change, pack my bag, eat something, or grab something to eat (mmm…mangoes, papayas, bananas, lychee, pears…you get the idea)
8:30 AM Reply some e-mails and try uploading photos onto the computer, only to be entirely frustrated by how long it takes
9:16 AM Start walking to the bus stop, which takes anywhere from 5-10 minutes depending on how fast I want to walk, etc.
9:28 AM Bus arrives—and the drivers know me! Usually you get on, and tell the ticket guy where you’re going, and he issues you the ticket. Now, every morning, ticket man and I say hi, and he knows exactly which ticket to issue without me even saying a word (Residency Evidence 1). I usually sit directly behind the driver, as its one of the official “For Ladies” seats—it’s only been around for about a year, that buses have the first few rows just for women, to make them feel safer in a place where women in the past have been known to feel threatened and harassed. Today, I read Catcher in the Rye—almost done. Somehow I almost went through my entire academic career without reading it...
There’s this concept of “residency” that I find quite interesting, and especially today it’s been on my mind. For example, I can’t call Ithaca home, but I remember when it became my residency, when I realized I had favorite restaurants, coffee shops, places to study…when I would run into people on the streets, on the way to Collegetown, or back from the library. And in those moments it hits you: I live here. How I define myself is kind of wrapped up in this place…huh.
So today, more than a month after coming here, I have fully acknowledged that I am currently a resident in Chandigarh. In India...
Here’s a short description of the day:
8:00 AM Wake up, take the beloved bucket shower, change, pack my bag, eat something, or grab something to eat (mmm…mangoes, papayas, bananas, lychee, pears…you get the idea)
8:30 AM Reply some e-mails and try uploading photos onto the computer, only to be entirely frustrated by how long it takes
9:16 AM Start walking to the bus stop, which takes anywhere from 5-10 minutes depending on how fast I want to walk, etc.
9:28 AM Bus arrives—and the drivers know me! Usually you get on, and tell the ticket guy where you’re going, and he issues you the ticket. Now, every morning, ticket man and I say hi, and he knows exactly which ticket to issue without me even saying a word (Residency Evidence 1). I usually sit directly behind the driver, as its one of the official “For Ladies” seats—it’s only been around for about a year, that buses have the first few rows just for women, to make them feel safer in a place where women in the past have been known to feel threatened and harassed. Today, I read Catcher in the Rye—almost done. Somehow I almost went through my entire academic career without reading it...
9:55 AM (ish) Bibha, one of the women I work with, usually gets on the bus at this stop, and we sit together and talk about various topics (and she recently taught me how to fold little boats out of the bus tickets)
10:20 AM Arrive in Ramdarbar, either stay there or walk to Hallo Majra (10 minute walk)—today we visited two of SURYA’s creches, or day care centers…so today we interviewed some women, but mostly I played with 1-2 year olds all day…(!!!)
2:00 PM Offered orange soda, bread pakora, and samosas at one of the SURYA staff members’ place—discuss arranged marriage, which has become a daily topic of conversation during and after we run interviews for the survey
2:45 PM Finish early due to some mix-ups in finding women for the survey—I take the bus to the bus station to purchase tickets to go to Delhi tomorrow
2:52 PM (ish) As I’m riding on the bus, completely oblivious of where I am, I spot my friend Nithin, another intern, on the street! I scream out his name, and he waves. (Residency Evidence 2)
3:00 PM I get off the bus at the station, and run into one of my co-workers, Ramesh, on the street! We have some small time and chat out my most recent trip to Jaipur (Residency Evidence 3)
3:20 PM Tickets for Delhi are purchased. This in and of itself is somewhat miraculous. I accomplish this feat with minimal complication (Residency Evidence 4)
3:30 PM I call for an auto, and bargain it down to a somewhat reasonable price. A few minutes later, an old woman gets on, and begins to talk to me in rapid Hindi as we drive along, until I make it clear I have very little Hindi speaking ability—but we still manage to share where we live, what I’m doing in India, complain about traffic, and she even offers me a drink from her water bottle, but I show her that I have my own bottle of panee. When she gets off, before me, we wave goodbye like old friends (Residency Evidence 5)
4:00 PM Catch up with other interns who are sitting around, bask in the cool breeze of the momentary rain and enjoy the cut in electricity
5:00 PM Fall asleep after reading—nice one hour nap with the fan on full-blast
6:00 PM Make plans for this weekend’s trip to Agra
6:45 PM Begin making dinner, make dinner, do the dishes, contemplate why some ants are bigger than others...
8:00 PM Begin blogging marathon, followed by chatting with Matan (who is ONLY 2.5 hours behind me--time is incredible)
1:36 AM Feel my bed calling my name…and that’s from 2 floors away…
I reside here…
Wow.
10:20 AM Arrive in Ramdarbar, either stay there or walk to Hallo Majra (10 minute walk)—today we visited two of SURYA’s creches, or day care centers…so today we interviewed some women, but mostly I played with 1-2 year olds all day…(!!!)
2:00 PM Offered orange soda, bread pakora, and samosas at one of the SURYA staff members’ place—discuss arranged marriage, which has become a daily topic of conversation during and after we run interviews for the survey
2:45 PM Finish early due to some mix-ups in finding women for the survey—I take the bus to the bus station to purchase tickets to go to Delhi tomorrow
2:52 PM (ish) As I’m riding on the bus, completely oblivious of where I am, I spot my friend Nithin, another intern, on the street! I scream out his name, and he waves. (Residency Evidence 2)
3:00 PM I get off the bus at the station, and run into one of my co-workers, Ramesh, on the street! We have some small time and chat out my most recent trip to Jaipur (Residency Evidence 3)
3:20 PM Tickets for Delhi are purchased. This in and of itself is somewhat miraculous. I accomplish this feat with minimal complication (Residency Evidence 4)
3:30 PM I call for an auto, and bargain it down to a somewhat reasonable price. A few minutes later, an old woman gets on, and begins to talk to me in rapid Hindi as we drive along, until I make it clear I have very little Hindi speaking ability—but we still manage to share where we live, what I’m doing in India, complain about traffic, and she even offers me a drink from her water bottle, but I show her that I have my own bottle of panee. When she gets off, before me, we wave goodbye like old friends (Residency Evidence 5)
4:00 PM Catch up with other interns who are sitting around, bask in the cool breeze of the momentary rain and enjoy the cut in electricity
5:00 PM Fall asleep after reading—nice one hour nap with the fan on full-blast
6:00 PM Make plans for this weekend’s trip to Agra
6:45 PM Begin making dinner, make dinner, do the dishes, contemplate why some ants are bigger than others...
8:00 PM Begin blogging marathon, followed by chatting with Matan (who is ONLY 2.5 hours behind me--time is incredible)
1:36 AM Feel my bed calling my name…and that’s from 2 floors away…
I reside here…
Wow.
1 comment:
Thank you for the amazing insight on your life :)
Looks like stalking u is just not wroth it.
You sounded like u've really gotten in tune with the pace of life.
Post a Comment