Before I embark on my journey to Pune, I must submit one more post, to take stock of my progress thus far. The bulk of my time has been spent on quests for a series of valuable items, which need to be procured in a certain order, like the legendary "Link". For example, rupees. I now have my ID card, my Visa has been registered, clothes have been washed, and I believe I am ready for my trip today. I'm starting to learn my way around Colaba, the region of Mumbai surrounding the campus. My sleep schedule, which had been in two fragments, has coalesced into a normal one, about 11pm-7am. I was a bit overzealous with the food for the first ५ days, and now I'm eating a lot of junk food (cakes, pudding, cookies...) to assuage the spiciness overload. Of course, eating sweets all the time has its longterm effects as well, so I hope my body will be able to handle the masala soon. Although it has been "Monsoon season" since I arrived, I haven't been caught in more than a drizzle, even though I've been sporting some new special waterproof sneakers...
The weirdness of being a minority has passed, and I'm feeling like my old self walking around campus. I've figured out that mosquitos can't reach my ६th floor room, so I've kept the windows open at night to cool off. On the other hand, I still don't have a cellphone, or a good idea about how to get more supplies like tissues or an alarm clock for my apartment. The television in my room is just filling up space. I have yet to make an excursion to downtown Colaba by myself. I've been jotting down little notes now and then for DAI; here are two vignettes I've prepared:
Yoga, First Attempt:
In the foyer of the recreation center of the TIFR, there is a bulletin board with a sign for "Gents Yoga Class 7:30-8:30 M-F", evidently separate from the "Ladies Yoga Class", held in the "Ladies Gym". On Tuesday I showed up, wearing my yoga pants beneath my khakis. I showed up a little early, and there was a man in the room on a computer. He told me that to participate in rec center activities, I would need to fill out a two page form, give someone २ photos of myself, and pay २० Rupees a month. However he went ahead and gave me a freebie for that morning.
So I was in. I took a mat and rug from a pile; he said I could put it anywhere I wanted, and practice any way I wanted. Then he left the room. I did my yoga thing. Alone. I meditated on whether it was better than doing it at my apartment where I have privacy and a better view and don't need to fill out forms. Was I paying to stop him from computer surfing? Anyway starting at 8:15 two older women (!) came in and did some yoga too. Probably, I should look for alternatives off-campus. In any case it's a shame that ladies and gents can't do yoga together, because I'm pretty sure the ladies' section has some attendance.
Party:
There is another foreign representation theorist in town named Volker. He's from Germany although he lives with his French wife in France. For a while Volker assumed that I was Loren Spice, a friend of mine from grad school in the same field. Volker brought with him his son Marc who is about १०. Marc only speaks French and German, so he doesn't fit in very well in India. He mostly plays his Nintendo DS all day in his dad's office. I haven't seen him eat much Indian food either. They'll be here for ३ weeks. Anyway, with two rep theorists around, our host Dipendra threw an informal little party at his apartment on Monday. Volker, Marc, and I enjoyed a homemade spice-free Indian dinner with custard apple for dessert. Do you know what custard apple is? It's a fruit that I've never had before, and it's um, neither custard nor an apple...it was pretty tasty!
During the party I asked Dipendra if there is a Hindi class on campus. He got particularly excited about this notion, because it turns out that he is the chair of TIFR's Hindi language committee, which is trying to standardize Hindi as a language in the area. He was concerned that I might not feel comfortable being in a class with "bus drivers and such", because I might get too much attention...I told him it was worth a try for a couple weeks. Perhaps next week I'll know where it is and start going. (Surely it wouldn't hurt to know a few locals.)
So yeah poor Marc refused most of the dinner. I exercised my rusty German with Marc and Volker, which seemed to cheer them up a little. Dipendra's school-aged daughter was also there doing her homework, not super excited in our conversation. In hindsight, I really should have done a little show for the kids. At the next party I'll bring my juggling balls, as it were.
Next: ट्रेन.
The weirdness of being a minority has passed, and I'm feeling like my old self walking around campus. I've figured out that mosquitos can't reach my ६th floor room, so I've kept the windows open at night to cool off. On the other hand, I still don't have a cellphone, or a good idea about how to get more supplies like tissues or an alarm clock for my apartment. The television in my room is just filling up space. I have yet to make an excursion to downtown Colaba by myself. I've been jotting down little notes now and then for DAI; here are two vignettes I've prepared:
Yoga, First Attempt:
In the foyer of the recreation center of the TIFR, there is a bulletin board with a sign for "Gents Yoga Class 7:30-8:30 M-F", evidently separate from the "Ladies Yoga Class", held in the "Ladies Gym". On Tuesday I showed up, wearing my yoga pants beneath my khakis. I showed up a little early, and there was a man in the room on a computer. He told me that to participate in rec center activities, I would need to fill out a two page form, give someone २ photos of myself, and pay २० Rupees a month. However he went ahead and gave me a freebie for that morning.
So I was in. I took a mat and rug from a pile; he said I could put it anywhere I wanted, and practice any way I wanted. Then he left the room. I did my yoga thing. Alone. I meditated on whether it was better than doing it at my apartment where I have privacy and a better view and don't need to fill out forms. Was I paying to stop him from computer surfing? Anyway starting at 8:15 two older women (!) came in and did some yoga too. Probably, I should look for alternatives off-campus. In any case it's a shame that ladies and gents can't do yoga together, because I'm pretty sure the ladies' section has some attendance.
Party:
There is another foreign representation theorist in town named Volker. He's from Germany although he lives with his French wife in France. For a while Volker assumed that I was Loren Spice, a friend of mine from grad school in the same field. Volker brought with him his son Marc who is about १०. Marc only speaks French and German, so he doesn't fit in very well in India. He mostly plays his Nintendo DS all day in his dad's office. I haven't seen him eat much Indian food either. They'll be here for ३ weeks. Anyway, with two rep theorists around, our host Dipendra threw an informal little party at his apartment on Monday. Volker, Marc, and I enjoyed a homemade spice-free Indian dinner with custard apple for dessert. Do you know what custard apple is? It's a fruit that I've never had before, and it's um, neither custard nor an apple...it was pretty tasty!
During the party I asked Dipendra if there is a Hindi class on campus. He got particularly excited about this notion, because it turns out that he is the chair of TIFR's Hindi language committee, which is trying to standardize Hindi as a language in the area. He was concerned that I might not feel comfortable being in a class with "bus drivers and such", because I might get too much attention...I told him it was worth a try for a couple weeks. Perhaps next week I'll know where it is and start going. (Surely it wouldn't hurt to know a few locals.)
So yeah poor Marc refused most of the dinner. I exercised my rusty German with Marc and Volker, which seemed to cheer them up a little. Dipendra's school-aged daughter was also there doing her homework, not super excited in our conversation. In hindsight, I really should have done a little show for the kids. At the next party I'll bring my juggling balls, as it were.
Next: ट्रेन.
You're not Loren?!
ReplyDeleteGood luck in Pune!