Four days ago, I landed in Boston and it still hasn't hit me yet....I'm not going back to India. I spent my last day with everyone in Pune MC-ing, dancing, and eating and I won't get that back. I kept trying to tell myself, "take a look around, because in a few days you won't be able to walk the crowded, filthy Pune streets, argue with rickshaw drivers, or be surrounded by coconut trees. You'll miss this when you're home." But for some reason I don't....yet. Maybe it's because my mother has taken it upon herself to jam-pack my time home so far with two parties and overwhelming amounts of people or because I haven't really had time to reflect on everything in its entirety yet, I've come back to a new house, it was the weekend so everyone was home to be around me all the time, it's almost Christmas, my friends are also coming home-the possible reasons are endless, but either way, I know I'll miss India, I'm just trying to figure out WHEN! In recounting my last few days in Pune, India, here are some of the final photos of FA2011...(thanks to everyone I've borrowed pics from!!!)
A very India photo shoot
Last Days...
(reliving and photographing our walk to school!)
(just stopping to pet the strays!)
(sitting through lectures...)
My life as an Apte (cue in the host fam!)
aaaand the final moments....
(Do I look like an Indian Princess yet?)
(let's just say we mastered that closing ceremony!)
As I prepare to embark on my final weekend in India, I can't help but think of all the beautiful places I am soon leaving behind. In-case anyone has missed the memo, one of my favorite weekend escapes has been Goa. For what is usually about rs. 2,000 (that's travel and accommodations), you can hop on an overnight bus, freeze through a 10-12 hour bumpy journey through the night (which is totally worth it for the end destination), and wake up in India's oasis of sand and sun better known as Goa! With a weekend of delicious seafood, GORGEOUS weather, and all the salt water I can handle, I think it's safe to say that given a choice I would gladly never come home. Luckily (for my friends and family back in the US), after two great yet exhausting nights on the beach I am usually put on the overnight freezer (did I say freezer? I meant bus! But really they're the same thing), shipped back to Pune (against my will!), and delivered safely back to reality. It's difficult to find pictures that really do Goa justice, but below are some pictures my friends and I have taken during our weekend trips to North and South Goa including some shots from my grand adventure through the South. Enjoy!
(Feel free to be jealous that I got to be here, where all hours are happy ones, in DECEMBER!)
(The "EGUAD" is always looking out for tourists)
(Beach huts and seaside restaurant shacks are a must!)
Cue in the photos from a grand adventure!!!!....
aaaaaand some friends, of course!
Super special thanks to Amy Hinz and Maya Fe Holzhauer who's pictures I definitely stole for this section (well, some of them at least!)
(All good Goan mornings begin with some quality negotiating with the Taxi Drivers)
(but it's always worth it for the delicious breakfast finds!)
(And the amazing dinners)
(Don't forget the cows on the beach!)
(Other favorite things about Goa? FRESH FRUIT: coconuts and pineapples galore!)
Since coming down with some sort of horrid stomach-sickness the other day due to my curious adventures with street food (THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE STREET CORN, WHICH IS GOOD AND DELICIOUS AND EVERYONE SHOULD LOVE!), the following is no longer allowed in my diet for the next two weeks (That's right! Exactly 2 weeks left until I am home, a very bitter-sweet thought indeed!)
1. Fried Sandwiches (Pakoda)
(The one I had didn't even look this appetizing, don't ask why I did it, I just HAD to try it)
2.Fresh off-the-street Pineapple Juice when you cannot see their water source!
(BUT HOW CAN YOU SAY NO TO THIS?!)
3. Mung bean ANYTHING
(much like the reasons why you will never finding me drinking grape soda [a tragic vomiting incident at a young age] I am afraid mung-beans may be off the list of "foods I will eat" forever after this one. Just searching for and uploading this photo made me queasy ....yuck!)
Looking back at it, I didn't realize my choice of food Monday would expect my stomach Wednesday, but after being here for almost 4 months now, my stomach was bound to have a breakdown some time....however, if anyone asks it was not the street food's fault, it was my stomach's fault for not handling street food like a champ!!!
dream.love.discoveryour stomach can't handle street food,
I have an extremely long list of things I am thankful for this year, but among some of the many things my list includes:
-being given a thanksgiving meal in India
-all of the amazing friends I have made this semester
-every experience I have had since stepping foot on Indian soil (positive, negative, devastating, hilarious, joyous, and everything in-between)
-not experiencing a rainy day since the beginning of October!
-not needing to wear a jacket in November
-STILL WEARING SANDALS
-the amazing support system I have had through every meltdown I have gone through this semester
-The Alliance Staff who always make the efforts to make us feel at home and organize many opportunities for us, even going as far as to find what I believe may be one of the only ovens in Pune so we could bake pies this evening
-the lack of Delhi Belly in my life!!! (yay for no awkward stomach issues!!)
-competent and pleasant Rickshaw drivers, especially in those instances where you have no idea where you are going but hope to God your driver does and isn’t just taking you for a 80 rupee extra ride through scenic Pune
-Being safe, sound, and happy
-MAKING IT OFF OF SLEEPER CLASS DURING TRAVEL WEEK
-waking up every morning knowing that the sun will be shining, my water is clean, tea will more than likely not end up on my back, I will eat delicious food, and have an excellent day
-the fact that laughter is contagious…and highly complimented!
-my host family, who has really become a wonderful part of my experience in India…I will be forever thankful for the surprise pineapple we got last week as well!!
-the many other things I am forgetting to say or that would take up waaaaaaaaaay too much of a blog to post!
-YOU FOR READING THIS!!!!
Dream.love.discover how thanksgiving is done in India,
I have successfully survived my first two weeks as an Intern!!!
As the Alliance is divided into two parts, the end of travel week brings about the beginning of our internship period. Although we had all met with our organizations a few times before beginning full time, I don't think many of us were expecting all of the surprises our lives as interns would hold.
So, just how did we get here, two weeks into our internships? Let's take a crash course in Becoming an Intern in India 101. Upon our decision to apply to the Alliance, we are asked to also submit a resume and submit a document describing the nature of the work we would wish to do. My resumeoutlined some Environmental Research projects, my recent involvement with my school's Wilderness Program, a winter internship with Habitat for Humanity, distinguished scholarships, academic focus, etc. In my letter of intent, I noted that I would like to work with an environmental issues/awareness group that was locally focused in order to see how India is handling the environmental issues it faces as it globalizes and develops. In previous studies I have had some experience in research projects that look at environmental change and as I am interested in globalization and development, as well as the environment, I thought a group such as the one I desired to work for while here for the semester would be a perfect meshing of all of my interests.
When the Alliance receives our applications and makes the decision to accept students, they take a look at these documents and get to work on linking us up with an organization they feel meets our interests. They also work to arrange for the organization to have a set of projects or tasks for us to complete if they agree to take on interns for the last month of our semester.
At the beginning of October, we all meet as a group and are guided through what is expected of us during our internship period. We must keep a daily journal highlighting what we have done, what we have learned, as well as any obstacles we have faced, questions we have, etc. We are also responsible for keeping a time sheetwhich marks hours we are with our organization (in the office or in the field), have worked on our internship journals, and even a few mark-ups for travel time (they've gotta cut us some slack somehow, right?!) At the beginning of our internship period we have to submit aninternship proposalwhich gives background on the organization, the roles of our "co-workers", the project(s) we will be responsible for completing, and how it links up with our current academic and future goals. We must also submit what is referred to as an Academic Paperat the end of our internship period which discusses what we did, what we have learned, how it will help us in the future, etc.
.....and now for the interesting part!!!! WHAT THE HECK AM I DOING?!
For my internship, I have been assigned to Parisar, an NGO in Pune focused on lobbying and advocating for sustainable development with an emphasis on issues in urban areas. Parisar's main focus as of late has been on the issue of sustainable transport (increasing the city's walkability, cyclability, increasing the quality of bus services, etc. in order to encourage people to use more environmentally-friendly modes of transportation).
My particular project is focused on creating a method for assessing the BRT system in Pune. BRT stands for Bus Rapid Transit. In essence, a BRT is supposed to run similar to that of a metro system, instead using buses and above ground BRT-only designated lanes, to increase its efficiency and the quality of service. Parisar has done lots of work assessing the city buses, run by PMPML, developing and conducting surveys, defining service parameters, and quantifying the data in order to create a comprehensive report. It is their hope that I will be able to do the same for the BRT system or at least lay down the foundation for such to occur before my last day in December. I came into the organization knowing nothing about the BRT, but had to quickly become a near-expert on the topic in order to understand the services it should be providing and how to assess whether or not users' needs were being met. I have spent the past few weeks immersing myself in all things BRT-watching videos, reading assessments of other BRT systems in India as well as around the globe, deciphering guidelines, conducting research, asking questions, and getting down to business!
...I guess the even bigger question is,"What have you accomplished so far?!"
Considering I came into my task knowing nothing about my subject matter and am slightly behind the scheduled time-table, I would still say adequate progress is being made. I have been flooded with guidelines, other assessments of BRTs, and videos in order to be familiar enough with BRT to do the work required. So far, I have worked with the organization to: define the parameters of the BRT (how we will assess the BRT based on certain standards for savings on travel time, reliability, comfort, convenience, accessibility, affordability, and the identity of the BRT), create a User Survey (which will provide user feedback on their experience with the BRT and highlight areas of improvement necessary for the BRT to be efficient and provide better service), create Observation Checklists for the Surveyor (which will be used to provide the organization's point of view in regards to necessary aspects of the BRT, and prepare a presentation on the process thus far. Not too shabby, huh?
So....what's next?
In my last few weeks here, I will be going out into the field to conduct my surveys (once they have gotten final input and have been revised for what I can only hope will be the last time!), which will hopefully allow me to gather enough feedback to write a report on the current state of the BRT. Because of the shift in my time-table, however, it is looking like the more realistic goal for me personally will be to get in the field, conduct some surveys, and put together a report on what information I have gathered so far and where the project will continue from there. It is a total bummer that I won't get to see the whole project through, but I will have gained some great skills and can eagerly wait for the final report to come out a few months after I leave!
**The first part of this video talks about designated bus lanes, a crucial component of all successful BRTs, the second half is also very interesting, discussing a PRT (personal rapid transit system) being developed for a city under construction (Masdar City) in Abu Dhabi
As I embark on researching to write my final paper for Environmental Perspectives (Virtual Water in India anyone???) I have of course decided to take a moment to further procrastinate and post some photos from our final Environmental field trip. Although I was very sleepy (as we had all just gotten back from very exhausting travel week adventures), the field trip ended as all environmental field trips this semester have.....wonderfully.
We spent part of the day on the bus: touring the outskirts of Pune, visiting damns, learning how to cut rice plants with a sickle!, standing outside of a sacred grove (because I'm a female and only men were allowed in this particular grove) to look at bats ("ya, bats" <----note the Environmental Inside Joke here), checking out implemented wells in rural villages,& begging the professor to make an ice cream stop (we're still children clearly), and the last part of the day on an organic farm run by the professor's son learning about organic farming techniques and helping to plant some of the young plants! After our hard work (and I say this in all seriousness since it involved my hands being covered in dirt and organic matter as I'm assuming there was some wonderful fertilizer mixture involved) we were treated to an excellent dinner-the perfect ending to a class that has spent a semester being full of equally as excellent surprises! The only thing we were missing that day was some great professor-led meditation...
(No big deal, Sai's just using her sickle skills to harvest rice...)
(In India even when doing field work you must look beautiful!)
(Bats, ya, bats)
(I couldn't help but notice the contrast in the blue hat/yellow glassescombo....but also note the "hut" in the background. Previous to coming to India that is what I would have pictured inhabitants of a tribal village living in)
(We all know how much I love cows. These little guys are pure, native, Indian mooers!)
(Making fantastic use of space as any efficient farm should-growing some sort of hanging spinach, if I recall correctly, while using the ground space to grow one of my favorite herbs...MINT!)
(The planting Dream-Team combo of Maya Fe and Brenna: poke holes, fill with water, clear space for plant, place sproutling, REPEAT! )
(This is exactly how my hands became all kinds of filthy before dinner!)
Almost a month ago we were given a two day week, sent on our first train ride, and made our way to Mumbai. I cannot believe how quickly time has flown by! Although it had already been the second time we had been in the city, as we had all landed in Mumbai but had been sheltered from the city in our one over-night before heading to Durshet, I was excited to spend a few days out of Pune exploring the Commercial Capital of India. We were given lectures on Mumbai's transition from textile mills to malls, Dharavi (known as "Asia's Largest Slum"...until recently), got a tour of a Potters' village (where they made pots galore!), Dharavi's recycle center, a lesson on being visually impaired, and a Q&A on all things India....with some great lunches in between!
Here are some things I learned:
Indians aren't as crazy about Gandhi as you would think. Many of them feel that because he was of an upper caste he was sheltered from many of the realities lower castes such as Dalits faced. He was given a lot of credit for the same work many others, like Ambedkar, who we learned about in my Social Justice class, did. I have seen many houses decorated with a photo of Dr. Ambedkar as well as many necklaces in which he serves as the pendant.....but that didn't stop us from going to the Gandhi museum! There were some cool photos of artifacts such as his personal possessions as well as a letter he wrote to Hitler.
Throughout the years Mumbai has undergone a HUGE transition from a mill town to a thriving metropolis which has become a symbol of India's development to countries around the world
Potters can make a loooooooooot of pots
People can live with visual impairments and complete many of the same tasks we can...we just need to give them time. The onset of the technological era has brought about some great improvements to helping them adapt to the world around them and ease the difficulties they may face.
Sometimes, tea and cookies during a lecture saves you from falling asleep in a perfect nap-temperature room!
Of course, the most important part of any adventure I speak of are the pictures....here are a few!
When I first saw Mumbai in August:
(This is still one of my favorite India photos)
The Gandhi Museum (inside a home he worked from during the Partition):
(These are ALL of Gandhi's possessions...still missing some essentials if you ask me)
(Gandhi's preserved work-room)
Dharavi-"Asia's Largest Slum":
Potter's Village (and an adorable child!):
Spotted being PRECIOUS: this lil' guy!
Now for the pottery...
Last but not least...Dharavi's Recycling Center:
And this post wouldn't be complete without a beach full of litter!!!! (thankfully the beaches in Goa do NOT look like this!) <3
