Super Productive. In India.

Today was pretty awesome.  I was super productive.  In India!   The French girls showed me the way to the bus stop and pointed out places to buy produce and other groceries.  Then they explained how to know which bus to get on, how much it costs and how to take it back home by myself at the end of the day.  I was full of trepidation about it because so much was happening at once.  We were crammed on this bus and two girls in adorable French accents are trying to explain things to me at the same time, I was trying to memorize landmarks, and just generally freaking out a little at my terrible sense of direction.  They sweetly walked me to my building before going to theirs, and they pointed out that the Gandhian Thought & Development Studies school is way fancier than their International Relations school.  Being a social worker, I've never gotten the good building for classes!  There's a really nice courtyard in the middle of the building with lots of greenery and pathways.  We said goodbye and I poked my head into the department.  I spent some time meeting the director who seems pretty great (he's the one who has been responding to my frantic emails all these months!).  I found out that classes are from about 10-1 with a lunch break from 1-2 and sometimes, the lecturers will require some afternoon sessions from 2-3, but sometimes not.  He said that, being a social worker, a lot of the material may be too elementary for me as many of the MA students are from non-social work backgrounds so there's a lot of intro info going on.  But he said I could add some classes from other departments if I'd like (International Relations, Philosophy, whatnot) or take up outside interests such as yoga, and spend time on my Rotary duties.  I don't have any flexibility in the courses I take between 10-3 but I like the low-pressure this allows, in general.

After our talk, an administrator was going to take me to exchange some currency so I could pay my tuition for the semester.  I followed him out into the courtyard, as if we were leaving, and a woman came by with a tray of chai.  Of course we each took a teacup and paused everything to drink it.  And then we were off.  We got in an auto rickshaw and went to a place down an alley.  Then upstairs in a building.  And a man took a long time to do something, or wait for something.  Everything feels like waiting here.  But everyone else always appears to be perfectly at ease with the flow.  I guess that makes sense for a multi-tasking American when challenged with a more laid-back relational way of doing things.  We got back to the university and I paid my tuition for the semester.  I then went to a different office to officially sign up for my hostel and paid for that.  I also went to the library to get a borrower application, then the bank to get an account application.  Then I hopped on the bus to head home earlier than I had thought.  So that was a good feeling.  I had earlier been hesitant about the idea of taking the bus home because I was still a bit confused but I must have been feeling pretty good after getting so much done that I was ready to take it on.  It was fine, of course.  I recognized my stop and everything.  Then as I walked from the stop home, I grabbed some fresh vegetables, eggs and other groceries.  I came home and cooked up some delicious vegetables and had a quiet afternoon here by myself.  I then went to work on the many documents I had to complete.  And I'm set for Monday.  Classes begin.  Woo hoo!

Tomorrow I have to go to the police station to register as a foreigner which I hear takes hours and hours (of waiting).  So I'm to bring a book and some music.  Then the girls are going shopping so I'm going to join them.  I need some Indian clothes.  I look a little funny to the Indians, I'm sure.  And my clothes are a bit too hot anyway.  I need bedding and towels also.  Pretty exciting.

Next blog post is a photo tour of my hostel.  You know it!