Okay, well, here we are. I made it. The trip was fairly uneventful. It doesn't even phase me anymore. I was so shocked when I realized there was only two hours left to Delhi. It felt like not much time had passed.
Anyhow. I am at a hotel thing. It is way more than I really wanted to pay, but considering the circumstances, I will accept it. Plus it has free wi-fi, so until I get situated, that will be great.
I still need to find housing. There is a cheaper more hostelish place somewhere nearby here, so I am going to go out to look for that and I am going to send out some requests on couch surfing and this other website a friend of mine showed me. I may go wander around Delhi University campus as well to see if I can find any leads on student contracted housing or something like that.
Bah. Okay, I don't know quite what else to say at this point. I have a lot to work out. Well, mostly just the housing. So far I have already been talking to a few people about my project. Nothing I can use per se because I need to go print out the participation things. I can already tell though, those dang things are really going to make this project awkward. I really wish I did not have to use them. I hope they don't mess this up for me.
I feel like I am not going to be very productive until I can relax about where I am leaving my stuff and costs and stuff. it is too bad this place is so dang expensive, haha. It would be so convenient. But it will work out. There was a semi-longterm kind of thing left out there on couch surfing. I am going to contact them and see if we can meet up or something. Dang this is so sketch, haha. I love it.
I had a minor panic attack this morning when I realized that I am in freaking India and I haven't arranged housing yet. So...everything should be fine. I don't really feel culture shock yet. It just feels normal. Getting from the airport to the metro and then finding an auto and being directed all over the place and ending up taking way to many stops and then being lead down this super sketch street where the hotel was and just taking it because it was the first thing I found so far and the other things weren't turning up...it was an adventure, but if felt super normal. Like this is India. I don't know. I will report more on culture shock. We will see how I do once I really start facing the heat.
Okay, I am off to find food, water, a map, and then maybe to go out to see Delhi University. Who knows.
Anyhow. I am at a hotel thing. It is way more than I really wanted to pay, but considering the circumstances, I will accept it. Plus it has free wi-fi, so until I get situated, that will be great.
I still need to find housing. There is a cheaper more hostelish place somewhere nearby here, so I am going to go out to look for that and I am going to send out some requests on couch surfing and this other website a friend of mine showed me. I may go wander around Delhi University campus as well to see if I can find any leads on student contracted housing or something like that.
Bah. Okay, I don't know quite what else to say at this point. I have a lot to work out. Well, mostly just the housing. So far I have already been talking to a few people about my project. Nothing I can use per se because I need to go print out the participation things. I can already tell though, those dang things are really going to make this project awkward. I really wish I did not have to use them. I hope they don't mess this up for me.
I feel like I am not going to be very productive until I can relax about where I am leaving my stuff and costs and stuff. it is too bad this place is so dang expensive, haha. It would be so convenient. But it will work out. There was a semi-longterm kind of thing left out there on couch surfing. I am going to contact them and see if we can meet up or something. Dang this is so sketch, haha. I love it.
I had a minor panic attack this morning when I realized that I am in freaking India and I haven't arranged housing yet. So...everything should be fine. I don't really feel culture shock yet. It just feels normal. Getting from the airport to the metro and then finding an auto and being directed all over the place and ending up taking way to many stops and then being lead down this super sketch street where the hotel was and just taking it because it was the first thing I found so far and the other things weren't turning up...it was an adventure, but if felt super normal. Like this is India. I don't know. I will report more on culture shock. We will see how I do once I really start facing the heat.
Okay, I am off to find food, water, a map, and then maybe to go out to see Delhi University. Who knows.
That sounds so familiar. I am still wavering with my current housing arrangement because it's more than I wanted to pay but so nice at the same time... And I don't know if any of the obstacles i've faced so far count as culture shock but they have arisen over time...
ReplyDeleteRem! Any luck with housing so far?
ReplyDeleteRem, I hope housing has worked out. In my opinion, finding housing as an individual is the worst part of the field study experience, but you learn a lot while doing it. Wandering around to talk to people about housing not only taught me more about the layout of the city and how to get around, but also how to talk to strangers. Plus, once it's done, it's done, and when people complain about finding housing at BYU, you can say, "I was dropped off in the middle of India and found a place, so stop complaining."
ReplyDeleteIt has indeed. Thank you for posting this. It actually was very comforting. It helped me change my perspective on the frustrating experience of finding housing and helped me think of ways I could frame it in terms of being in India and my project.
DeleteI love that you keep calling everything, "sketch," it's sounds basically awesome - good luck with that housing thing. Down here in Southern India I'm not sure I even want to travel much on my own none the less wander the streets searching for housing but Averyl's thoughts are great and I'm sure true so I'm kind of jealous of your particular adventure - enjoy the north!
ReplyDeleteAw, you will learn to love everything there. Sketch is no problem. Just stay on your toes, maybe wait a month or two until you feel more comfortable and then go see what is out there. India is very safe. Just take a buddy with you and make friends with a local, and it will be awesome, usually.
DeleteHow are things working out with your Hindi in all the housing craziness? I've been very surprised with how much I've gotten to use it down here in the South. Everybody and their mother speaks Hindi, and it surprises people to no end that this tall white dude can actually communicate... I had heard it was a universal language for the subcontinent, but I thought it was just wishful speaking by people who wanted to reassure me!
ReplyDeleteNope, Hindi is pretty universal. You can go pretty far on it. Although personally, if they talk faster than super slow I can't follow, haha.
DeleteDire dire! (Or, in Tibetan, kali kali!)
Delete