Journal 23

Tuesday, July 11 2006
Wednesday, July 12, 2006

Dear Journal,

To make up for missing visits to my field site last week, I decided to go as much as I could this week before leaving for Goa for the weekend. So after I had a successful day at my site yesterday, Abbie and I decided to have an early breakfast and then head to our site again before we had to be back for class at noon.

At about 9 a.m., right after breakfast, we took our bikes and drove to the small gate to catch a bus. The thing with the busses here is that there is no “real” schedule and my guess is that that might have to do with everything running on what we call “India time.” J
This was actually the first time we had taken the bus by ourselves and as I usually do, right before we left I was a little worried, but I now regret not having taken the bus earlier…I actually really like riding the bus…I love just sitting there and watching the people and my surroundings. My dad once told me that I have always been a very curious person, even as a child. He told me that when we used to go on trips through Europe I would ALWAYS be sitting by the window looking out throughout the whole trip. Even when I am in airplanes I always get a window seat, because I just like to watch the world around me. I also love being in airports and just observing all the people walking by; I always wonder where they are going, and where they come from and why they are going where they are going. I would definitely say that I am a curious person, but to get back to the subject and to get to my point: I loved riding the bus.

We got to St. Ann’s College and while Abbie went to sit in in a class, I decided to find some students to interview. We stayed for a few hours and after I had gathered lots of helpful information for my project, we headed back to campus for our class. After lunch we had another class and then headed back to the guesthouse to work on our final papers. I stayed up until 1 a.m. working on my paper and when I closed the document (AFTER saving it!!!) I realized that the computer did not save any of the work I had done. Right away, all I could do was start laughing but after I still couldn’t recover it or find it anywhere on the computer after about 15 minutes, I started to become very frustrated…I realized I had just been working on the paper for about 2 or 3 hours for NOTHING…. Needless to say I went to bed very frustrated.

Today was a very busy day. After only about 5 hours of sleep (Like the past 3 or 4 nights) I got up for breakfast and after a very quick breakfast I had to leave for class at 9 a.m. We had two classes from 9 a.m. until about 12 noon. Right after class I had to hurry back to the guesthouse, quickly eat my lunch and then leave to catch a bus in order to make it to St. Ann’s on time. Luckily, we caught a bus just a few minutes after arriving at the bus station and made it to campus on time. Right away we hurried to Dr. Smita Asthana’s office to get some more information about the school. But since we are in India, things don’t go as planned, so as soon as we arrive at her office, she tells us that she doesn’t have time today (even though she was the one that suggested the day and time J). SO she says something o the lady standing in her office and tells us to follow her, and that she will take us to somebody else who will help us.

So the lady, who I don’t think speaks any English, leads us all the way up to the third floor of the building to a big auditorium room. We see that there are open windows and there are students gathered around the windows, trying to see what is going on inside…I hear loud yells and laughs and feel very confused. The lady points inside and as I look through the window I see one of the teachers who had shown us around the previous week. There are probably a hundred students in the auditorium and as I look to the left I see a big stage and some girls dancing to some modern-techno-Indian music. I think to myself: “Hm…this is a strange way to get information and statistics about the school and its history, but owell…” The lady keeps pointing inside and mumbling something I don’t understand until she walks over to the door and tries to open it. One of the students that was standing at the window must have sensed our confusion and explains: “Just go inside.” The door is locked and after a couple seconds we hear someone from the inside unlock the door. The lady opens the door and motions to us to go inside. I feel very uncomfortable; as I don’t know what is going on and I feel rude interrupting whatever is going on. But by the time I am done thinking my thought we have already been “pushed” inside and as soon as we enter, some of the girls in the back scream: “Lena…HEY!!!” and I recognize them from the day before. Some of the girls in the front instantly jump out of their chairs and move to the back, offering us their seats. We sit down and as I look ahead I see that at the back wall behind the stage it says in big, glittery letters “WELCOME FRESHERS” and I remember the girls yesterday telling me about the welcoming event this weekend for the new freshmen. They had invited me to come, and I was really disappointed that I wouldn’t be able to go since we will be out of town all weekend. I realize that this must be something like their rehearsal or practice for the performance on Saturday.

I am having a great time sitting there, watching the girls dance and perform while the audience screams and claps and laughs hysterically. At that moment I realize how much I want to stay here, I don’t want to go back home, at least not yet…I love it here, I am fascinated by the things I see and the people I meet. I remember thinking many times before that 6 weeks just isn’t enough time, but now I am simply sad that I can’t stay. I remember thinking, while sitting in the bus, that it is so ironic that we are about to leave, when we have just now started to get used to the weather, the food, the smells…when we have just started to know where things are and when we have just started to become more comfortable and also more willing to do things we were too afraid of at the beginning…when we have grown so close with the people we have met, whether it is people in our group, people on campus or new friends we have made here in India.
While I watch 7 girls on stage dance to the modern Indian music, laughing and having a great time, I get very sad and realize that we will all be leaving Hyderabad in a little bit over a week.

After the performance Abbie and I make sure to get at least some information about the school from the professor and then head back to the schoolyard where I conduct some more interviews. By that time it is 3 p.m. and the campus has emptied, since classes end at 2:30 p.m. After saying good-bye to everybody, we leave campus in hopes of catching a bus soon. When we walk onto the main road we see our bus driving up, but realize that we are still a few feet away from the actual stop (well, if there really is such a thing J). I look back and see a bunch of people including small children running up to the moving bus and jumping on while it is still in full motion…. so I think to myself “What the heck if these 8 year-olds can get on a moving bus, then I can do it too.” So with no time for hesitation Abbie and I start a slow sprint and jump on the bus.

Now, I know that to most Indians that is probably a daily occurrence, but for us it was quiet an achievement. So after another fun bus ride, with NO “personal space” or what I would call “normal Indian personal space” we made it back to campus.
Since we are leaving for Goa tomorrow, I will try to work on my final paper…again…. and hopefully it will save this time.