as meant to post this a few days ago!
For some reason yesterday, (26/04/2011), felt like a good day! It started the same as usual, two alarms having to wake up me up and still not moving until you get that little panic that you’ve over slept only to realise a whole 2 minutes have passed. Did the usual morning thing and went on my way to start my journey to work, which now involves a 20 minute motorbike ride followed by an hour bus ride and then a 5 minute rickshaw ride. Reaching the office already quite moist from perspiration (couldn’t find a nice way of saying sweating sorry!) wait for the air con to cool me down and get to work.
Now it’s getting to my last few days at work so lots to get through and so many things to experience! Such as lunch times! I ventured to a subway! Yes very desi…! Tried a paneer tikha sub, not bad at all! Followed by ice cream- it’s just so yum here- and then a cold cocoa drink, basically thick milk and chocolate, like a chocolate milkshake but very refreshing. On my way home I found myself possessing this new found confidence, if you’ve ever ventured into India’s city’s you know to get by you have to be fearless and quite ballsy to say cross a road. And I have to say I have now mastered the art of crossing not a four way junction but let me think an 8-way junction! It’s simply walk straight look around but be fearless! Managed to get 2 bike men annoyed and a rickshaw driver to brake suddenly but I made it quite happily and easily to my bus stop, which is the side of the highway! Turns out the bus there was one I could get, having to run and climb on board as the bus was pulling out felt a little exhilarating. It is exactly how you see it in the movies! Hands flying around, grabbing the rail and having to get one foot on the step before the bus picks up speed! So I’ve now done that! This time on the journey home I decided to just look out the window, here I was thinking I’d reached tanning saturation but this looking out the window with the sun beaming on my face and increased the intensity of brown on my face. Joys.
Anyway! I couldn’t describe the things that I was seeing perfectly if I tried; it was more of a feeling, a calm serene feeling that had made me feel quite vulnerable actually. To go from thick smelly smoke of the city to the outskirts where the roads are lined with slum living, to the open roads of fields of rice and wheat, all around you are surrounded by such a diversity of people. I don’t think we truly realise how fortunate we are to be living the way we do in the conditions and the amenities that we have. We take it all for granted, the simple things like order and regulations that are in place for our safety, I mean would you ever encounter a taxi with more than its allowed number of passengers? Here it’s fit in as many as you can, with some even sharing the rickshaw drivers seat! Everything goes here. Just spending that hour looking out the window of the very hot and not so clean India bus, I saw so much, I know when I go home I shall try the same thing and just look out the window of the things I pass, the contrast will be immense.
For dinner again I went a little away from desi! Pizza, with garlic bread and wedges! Don’t judge we also don’t appreciate how tiresome it can get to have shaak rotli everyday! I mean who does that for more than 2 weeks in the UK! Still ended the night riding around Navsari had a close call with another bike, stupid man, bike brakes are awesome though!
I went to a famous ice cream parlour called Killah! Had three types of icecream! Yum! And then rode home, the village roads are quite awesome at night, and I have a suspicion that Deepakbhai, whom takes me on the bike everyday, was riding exceptionally fast today through the winding dirt roads, and it felt quite exhilarating! I’m going to miss riding on the bike so much when I go home! Little things I’m appreciating now, I feel like I’ve been here forever, 7 weeks is actually a long time! I don’t think I’ve been away from family for that long before, even when a uni a month was probably the longest that I didn’t go home! So 7 long weeks and still another 3 to go!
Am I starting to get fed up? No I wouldn’t say fed up, but I also wouldn’t mind going home now! Back to comforts and luxuries, but I’m determined not to put anything I’ve experienced here out of my mind. This placement has spurred me on to really focus my career in public health in developing countries. These people require help and assistance and we have the power to provide it.
Finished the long day with some fresh water melon, juicey! =)
For some reason yesterday, (26/04/2011), felt like a good day! It started the same as usual, two alarms having to wake up me up and still not moving until you get that little panic that you’ve over slept only to realise a whole 2 minutes have passed. Did the usual morning thing and went on my way to start my journey to work, which now involves a 20 minute motorbike ride followed by an hour bus ride and then a 5 minute rickshaw ride. Reaching the office already quite moist from perspiration (couldn’t find a nice way of saying sweating sorry!) wait for the air con to cool me down and get to work.
Now it’s getting to my last few days at work so lots to get through and so many things to experience! Such as lunch times! I ventured to a subway! Yes very desi…! Tried a paneer tikha sub, not bad at all! Followed by ice cream- it’s just so yum here- and then a cold cocoa drink, basically thick milk and chocolate, like a chocolate milkshake but very refreshing. On my way home I found myself possessing this new found confidence, if you’ve ever ventured into India’s city’s you know to get by you have to be fearless and quite ballsy to say cross a road. And I have to say I have now mastered the art of crossing not a four way junction but let me think an 8-way junction! It’s simply walk straight look around but be fearless! Managed to get 2 bike men annoyed and a rickshaw driver to brake suddenly but I made it quite happily and easily to my bus stop, which is the side of the highway! Turns out the bus there was one I could get, having to run and climb on board as the bus was pulling out felt a little exhilarating. It is exactly how you see it in the movies! Hands flying around, grabbing the rail and having to get one foot on the step before the bus picks up speed! So I’ve now done that! This time on the journey home I decided to just look out the window, here I was thinking I’d reached tanning saturation but this looking out the window with the sun beaming on my face and increased the intensity of brown on my face. Joys.
Anyway! I couldn’t describe the things that I was seeing perfectly if I tried; it was more of a feeling, a calm serene feeling that had made me feel quite vulnerable actually. To go from thick smelly smoke of the city to the outskirts where the roads are lined with slum living, to the open roads of fields of rice and wheat, all around you are surrounded by such a diversity of people. I don’t think we truly realise how fortunate we are to be living the way we do in the conditions and the amenities that we have. We take it all for granted, the simple things like order and regulations that are in place for our safety, I mean would you ever encounter a taxi with more than its allowed number of passengers? Here it’s fit in as many as you can, with some even sharing the rickshaw drivers seat! Everything goes here. Just spending that hour looking out the window of the very hot and not so clean India bus, I saw so much, I know when I go home I shall try the same thing and just look out the window of the things I pass, the contrast will be immense.
For dinner again I went a little away from desi! Pizza, with garlic bread and wedges! Don’t judge we also don’t appreciate how tiresome it can get to have shaak rotli everyday! I mean who does that for more than 2 weeks in the UK! Still ended the night riding around Navsari had a close call with another bike, stupid man, bike brakes are awesome though!
I went to a famous ice cream parlour called Killah! Had three types of icecream! Yum! And then rode home, the village roads are quite awesome at night, and I have a suspicion that Deepakbhai, whom takes me on the bike everyday, was riding exceptionally fast today through the winding dirt roads, and it felt quite exhilarating! I’m going to miss riding on the bike so much when I go home! Little things I’m appreciating now, I feel like I’ve been here forever, 7 weeks is actually a long time! I don’t think I’ve been away from family for that long before, even when a uni a month was probably the longest that I didn’t go home! So 7 long weeks and still another 3 to go!
Am I starting to get fed up? No I wouldn’t say fed up, but I also wouldn’t mind going home now! Back to comforts and luxuries, but I’m determined not to put anything I’ve experienced here out of my mind. This placement has spurred me on to really focus my career in public health in developing countries. These people require help and assistance and we have the power to provide it.
Finished the long day with some fresh water melon, juicey! =)
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