More Shopping!

Mike and I went to the dress fabric shop again. He is having an Indian style man dress made. There is a proper name for them, but I forget. Anyway, not be outdone, I bought fabric to have another outfit made- and a bunch of other stuff.

Blogger lets you post video- so I thought I would take advantage of that. I shot a video on our drive back to the hostel so you can experience an auto-rickshaw ride for yourselves (almost). Only- I can't seem to get the video uploader to actually work for me - which means you will have to follow this link instead:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=704464881164783574

Enjoy!

Feeling Oddly Cuban...

I have been craving citrus lately - probably because of the cold I had earlier this week. They have started giving us bananas at breakfast- which has been very nice. Since they have a thick skin- they are safe for us to eat. Most fresh fruits and vegetables we can't have. Well, I went to a vegetable shop yesterday and they had some key limes so I bought five (They were a penny apiece!) so I could make some lime-aid. Well, I was listening to Buena Vista Social Club and so as I was shaking up my water bottle with lime wedges and sugar in it- I started dancing around my room to the music. It all seemed a bit of a surreal thing to be doing in India.

Crazy White Lady

In a previous blog I mentioned that episode where I had been complaining that my phone didn't ring when I received incoming calls - only to have it ring just fine when they came to check it out. I think at that point- they started to suspect that I was a little loopy.

Well, I recently bought a vase from a potter on the side of the road. He charged me the equivalent of 75 cents- which was probably a horrible rip off - but I generally feel bad to argue prices on that scale. Anyway- when I came back to the hostel, I asked the men at the front desk where I could buy some flowers. They looked at me with a puzzled expression and said- there are flowers outside. I said yes, but where could I buy some and motioned putting flowers into my vase. They said - there is not a shop for flowers, but there are flowers on the lawn. I asked, surprised - I can pick them? They then decided that I was quite dense and the security guard came over and motioned for me to follow him outside.

We went out into the yard and he starts showing me how to pick flowers from the bushes. Once we had a nice bunch we came back inside and he tried to explain to me (this is all through hand motions) that I needed to put water in the vase. I nodded, but I think he was worried that I didn't get it because he set off to get a some water. While he was gone, I took the flowers out of the vase so that I could better arrange them. He came back and poured water into my vase and then tried to explain to me that I needed to put the flowers in the vase. I can only imagine how dense he thinks I am! Earlier today, I went out and picked more flowers to freshen up my arrangement and when I walked back in with them he smiled and nodded at them with a look that I think might have been pride. She's finally got it!

There are tons of stray dogs here. People rarely own dogs as pets and the strays are not treated kindly so they are usually rather afraid if you try to pet them. Actually- most people just ignore them. It is like they exist on a different plane - which seems rather odd to me. Anyway- I have started carrying cookies around in my purse to feed strays in an attempt to make friends. I was talking down the hall of one of the faculty/classroom buildings today and happened upon a cute little black dog. I should probably explain here that everything is very open so dogs wander in and out of buildings, birds fly around and nest in the corners of hallways, etc. So anyway, I'm down on the floor in this hallway holding out a cookie to this dog when along comes one of the faculty members I've been working with. She recognized me (I do stand out a bit here I guess) and said, Vicki? What are you doing? - with this tone in her voice like this is the craziest thing she has ever seen.

So, all in all- I think I'm earning quite the reputation for myself here!

Taj Mahal

Yesterday we dropped Melissa off in Delhi so she could fly home and took a trip to the Taj Mahal on the way. On the way meaning- it only added 7 hours to the trip. So we got up and left Pilani at 5 am, drove to the Taj Mahal, arriving at noon, stayed for 2 hours, drove to Delhi which took 6 hours with the lunch break, dropped Melissa off at 8 for her 11pm flight, drove back to Pilani, arriving at midnight. If you think that sentence was long, image our day! We did at least have a hired driver for the trip so we could sleep some in the car. That can be a bit hard with all the swerving, honking and sudden breaking but I got a good nap in on the return never-the-less.

As long as the day was, it was nice to see some countryside. When I came to BITS it was night and so I didn't get to take in the landscape. We drove through rugged desert hills dotted with scrubby trees, green agricultural valleys, and at one point we even drove through an old fort. The fort rather surprised me because in American it would have been made into a park and there would be historical markers up, but here there was a road running through it. The fort was on a hill and I could see remnants of the old towers and walls as we drove through. At one point we came around a curve and there was this beautiful vista, looking down over a great valley, framed on either side by crumbing towers. It would have made a great picture, but we drove on. They aren't big on scenic overlooks here.

They drive pretty crazy here. For example, they think nothing of driving on the wrong side of the road - even on a divided highway. For the first part of the drive I was gasping every time we almost hit something, but that reflex got worn out pretty quickly and I was able to settle into a quiet, albeit tense, vigil. So, when we drove through the herd of cows, I didn't even flinch.

Along the way we stopped at a roadside cafe and there was a street performer with trained dancing monkeys. I found it a little disturbing that they had been captured and were being made to dance, but that didn't stop me from holding one's hand. It was an amazing feeling. You have to love that opposable thumb! We saw lots of other monkeys in tree and such along the way, which was pretty cool too. We also drove past an oil refinery that had huge flames shooting out of the top of a tower. So, all in all, a pretty interesting drive.

I'm working on uploading pictures of the Taj Mahal, which of course don't do it justice. One of the coolest parts you can't take pictures off - inside. The inner chamber around the tombs is made of a single piece of marble that has been carved and inlaid with semiprecious stones. The detail is unbelievable. I think I will let the pictures speak for themselves. By the time anyone wakes up and reads this- they should be loaded.

http://picasaweb.google.com/vickirwilliams/TajMahalTrip

Unreliabilities and their solutions

Sorry for the long delay in writing. My computer has recently decided to freeze whenever I log into blogger. I'm very excited that it worked this time. Michael ordered a cheap new (to us) computer off of ebay that he is going to send me. The shipping will probably be more than the computer is worth, but we figured out that if we can use it to talk it will save money over phone calls. He will be sending that to me soon. It will be nice to have a computer that's a little more reliable.

So that was unreliability number 1. The other unreliable was my phone. I mentioned in a previous blog that my phone didn't actually ring when receiving incoming calls. Well they came to look at the phone and the guy called the front desk and had them call in. Of course, the phone rang normally. So the guy looks at me like I'm crazy and explains that I have to hang up the phone to receive incoming calls. So I thanked him and he left. I hoped that the phone miraculously had fixed itself. It hadn't. So before my friend Melissa left, I switched phones with her. Now I have a phone that actually rings. Yea!

Pictures!

The long awaited pictures from my Delhi tour are posted at http://picasaweb.google.com/vickirwilliams/DelhiTrip

I also have some other pictures at http://picasaweb.google.com/vickirwilliams/AroundBITS

I went to see a tailor today about having some clothes made with the fabric I bought over the weekend. It was very amusing watching the men try to take my measurements without actually touching me. The men generally seem a bit nervous around women. The guys that clean our rooms don't like it if we stay in the room while they are cleaning- even though the door is wide open. So they have started sending three guys to clean my room (they do the same with Melissa) so that they aren't alone with us.

I'm still having massive jet lag. I generally only sleep at night for as long as the benadryl lasts so I'm only getting about 4-5 hours at night. Then, in the afternoon I succumb to the heat and exhaustion and collapse. I'm trying to break out of this cycle so I'm on my fourth cup of coffee today and I'm thinking of going to the kitchen to beg for more.

If anyone is using yahoo instant messenger- I'm generally on in the morning your time (mnvwilliams).

Later- Vicki

Pilani

Mike, Melissa and I went into town today. The town of Pilani is considered very rural here, but they have 35000 people. So, not so rural by our standards. Pilani is a relatively nice town. There was a big pretty park that we drove by. They use camels here as pack animals. It is fun to see a cart being hauled around by something as exotic as a camel.

We took a rickshaw because the heat index today is supposed to be 132. We drove around in circles quite a lot because the driver didn't seem to know the shop we were trying to find. At one point he had to get out and dig out part of the road so we could go through. They were digging some hole on one side for some reason and had put the dirt beside the hole rather than in front or behind the hole - so the whole road was blocked. They are also very fanatical about avoiding speed bumps here. There are speed bumps in all the roads, but they never go over them. They swerve off the road to go around them. But since everyone does this- there are huge ruts beside the road where the speed bumps are and there is more of a bump getting off and on the road than there would be to go over the speed bump.

We finally found the shop- it was a dress shop called Maheswari and I got tons of stuff for about $50: sari, dress fabric, bed sheets, blanket, wall hanging, several purses and a little girls outfit. Don't ask me why I got the kid's outfit. Melissa had them out to get something for her daughter. It was just soooo cute and I figure I'll have a daughter or niece someday.

I hope you are all well. I'm hoping to be able to load pictures soon.

- Vicki

Settling in

I'm pretty much settled in now. I've decided to stay at the visitor's hostel - which is more western so it feels more "normal." I also FINALLY got an internet connection in my room. I feel less isolated now that I have an easier time talking to my family. Michael called this morning and I discovered that my phone doesn't actually ring. We were chatting on yahoo at the time so he was able to tell me to pick up - but I'm going to have to do something about that.

There are two other American students (Melissa and Mike) staying at the visitors hostel. They will leave long before me - but having them here is helping with the adjustment. The food in the hostel is all vegetarian - so we have been feeling the protein deficit. Last night we went out to a restaurant that serves chicken which was very exciting. Then, this morning they served eggs for breakfast - which only happens about once a week. So we are happy and full now. Last night we watched a movie (Grosse Point Blank) on Melissa's computer. So between the internet, meat, and movie - it felt almost like home.

Well, I better go. The professor I'm working with gave me a big thick book to read on rainwater harvesting prospects in India. Should be helpful.

- Vicki

Contact Info

For those who want to know...

My current address is VFAST Hostel, Rm 309
BITS, Pilani (Rajasthan)
333031-01596
India

Phone: 01596242183

Where I am and why I'm here

I'm staying at BITS university, one of the best private universities in India. I probably won't upload a lot of pictures of the university because they have a nice photo gallery on their website (and because I brought an old slow computer): http://www.bits-pilani.ac.in
So I know some of you haven't heard the story on why I'm here, so I thought I would give a brief overview.
Western Rajasthan is an arid region with very little surface water and a quickly dwindling supply of groundwater. One possible source of water is their yearly monsoon season. I'm here to analyze the feasibility of implementing a widespread rainwater harvesting system. I'll be working with BITS university and an organization called Aakash Ganga. For more information about Aakash Ganga - you can visit their website at: http://www.raincentre.org/

Finally here!

I've finally made my way to BITS and I'm working on getting settled. I'm staying settled in a visitor's hostel now until I can get the dorm arrangements worked out. The hostel has air conditioning which I am trying to not get too accustomed too.

Once I get settled I should be able to get online more regularly and keep everyone up to date.

I get into Delhi Sunday night. Monday Nathan Swami has a man drive us around the city and I saw things that I don't remember the names of. I took pictures of the information plaques so when I get the pictures off my camera I'll load them up and tell you all about it.

After touring the city - we caught a ride to BITS with a professor who happened to be in Delhi for a conference and was returning that evening. So we got in abou 11:30 last night. Today I've been meeting with the professor I'll be working with and people in the dorms to figure out what I need to do to get my room set up.

Please write me. It is so good to hear from people back home.

- Vicki

Counting Down

I had my thesis proposal this morning and all went well. So, now it is just down to packing.

I was about to say that this time tomorrow I'll be in the air- but actually I'll be in the Newark airport. Woo-Hoo!

So much to do- so little time...