So... How has the exotic life in India been since last time? Busy. That word summers up everything that has been going on the last few days, without saying anything. It fits perfect, but all the colors are missing.
Since I came here almost a month ago, I have had four exams, to individual hand ins, six group hand ins, and two presentations. I think I have had sixty lectures already, I should have had one more, but I was locked out of it, because I was a minute to late, I have been completely exhaused, I have loved India a lot, hated the life a little, missed home a bit, danced til late at night, fallen asleep at eight in the evening, eaten great food, lost four kilos, and then gained six.
I don`t think my life has ever been this busy, but still there is time to do some fun things in the meanwhile. Like on wednesday; Indian Independence day. The first day since I came here, without a single lecture. Oh sweet luxury. Back home I would probably have spent the day sleeping ultra late and chilling without a single plan. There is no time for such a life here. When I finally had some real time off, there was so many things I wanted to do. On wednesday we chose to go to an adventure park somewhere outside Pune. Not one of those with rollercoasters and those kinds of things, but one where you climb mountains, paddle canos and dance in the water. It was sooo much fun, and sooo muddy in the middle of the monsoon. (Smileface)
After school, the campus is filled up with boys playing cricket and soccer. It seems they never get tired from it, and since there are so many people living here, they always manage to fill up the teams. The last few days they have had tournaments in the evenings, and I bet you would have been able to hear the cheering several kilometers away. It is so much fun. At any given time you can just go down to the court - and you will find someone to watch and cheer with. The same thing is true if you want company, there are people everywhere.
So life is basically really really great. Exept from two things that are driving me kind of nuts.
1. The curfew
Yes, there is a given time we are supposed to be inside our room. 22:30. Every day. When having to be prepared for five lectures evey day, and two other people living in the same room as I, there is no way that can work. Seriously, I need to study. And I am never done by 22:30. I cannot understand how other people do it, and so far I have just concluded that they are even sharper machines than I suspected. Me, I am trying really hard to remember that curfew, but every second day I have dived into a book and suddenly I realize it`s 1:30 already. I am so afraid it will get me into trouble at some point, but man... That cliche about not knowing what freedom is until you loose it? I am starting to realize what it means. I can feel my body getting really tense when those people are making me sign a form every night stating that "my name is Karen, and I came home too late last night". Seriously, I have been able to take responsibility for my own curfews the last six years.
2. The lack of caffeine
The other, and probably biggest challenge is the lack of caffeine. With lectures for ten/twelve hours each days, after five or six (if I am lucky) hours of sleep, I am experiencing serious issues with keeping my body in a horizontal position. And I really think it would have been possible if I had the possibility to pour down three or four cups of coffee, but we are not allowed to drink anything during the breaks. If I was back home, and I read this, I would have asked myself why I didn`t just drink coffee in the breaks, and believe me, I am trying. It`s just a few things that is making that tough as well: first of all, the cup you get is smaller than a cup of espresso back home. and it is filled with 3/6ths of milk, 2/5ths of sugar and 1/6th of coffee in the top. I live in the land of chai. They do not like the taste of coffee here. So, I order a black coffee (no sugar, please). And they start brewing (is that the word for it?) while I stand there. It is done a minute before I am supposed to be inside that room where no liquid can enter. That burned tongue and sugar layer on my teeth helps in about fiftheen minutes, before I again sit and concentrate on staying awake. And the Indian students? Totally awake. I told you they are machines.
What else.... Oh, yeah, the Democratic Republic of India just desided that every citizent of this country can only send five texts per day. Three days before that, they sold me a sms package with 1000 sms to be used within a month. I want my money back. Why they did it? To calm the people. There are lots of riots in India right now, becuase of the amount of illegal immigrants they are dealing with, and the way they are being treated. I can`t say I have seen any of it, but it is happening. So to keep the people of India calm, they cut their abilities to communicate freely. Hello real world, good bye freedom. Not that I am the people of India, but I can`t say I am super happy and calm when my phone tells me I reached my allowed amount of texts.
Well, I am in their country now, they probably know better how to run their own country than I do. And for me, I am off to class. For seven more hours.
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