I've been living in India for two months already. Two whole months. Honestly, I haven't really had time to notice. So far, I have had more than 200 hours of lectures, had 32 graded evaluations and gotten food poisoning four times. And I am enjoying it. There are moments, of course, where I wish things were slightly different. Like during that last point, I sometimes wish I didn't live with two others who can hear everything that is going on in the bathroom - but except from that, life is pretty good.
Maybe I should have been posting more about all those fancy places to visit in India, but so far, I have basically not had time for it. I moved here to live like everyone else here, not to for a long holiday.
Of course I hope to get time for traveling too, but life as an indian doesn't really include impulse trips across countries and fantastic attractions every day. Many of the students here have actually never been outside of India at all, both because India on it's own is a really big country, but also because it is very expensive to travel. Compared to bak home, traveling is still cheaper here, but since the indian salaries are lower, it becomes quite expensive. Therefore many of my fellow students takes the train when going home - even when it takes more than 24 hours to get there.
India is extremely different than back home, but still I am somehow adjusting to it, and it does feel a little like home now. At least a little. I am, for example, still so exhausted after 12 hours of class and four evaluations that I almost fall apart, but I am starting to be able to tell myself that that is perfectly ok too. It is extremely frustrating to not perform absolutely maximally perfection-like on everything, but I am starting to realize that it is ok to be happy with my work as long as I tried my best.
I am even starting to get used to the curfew. Well, I mean, I don't like them, but at least I am able to come home and sign in before the red line appears under my name. Everyone else has to do it, so after a while it has just become a part if it,
And there are a lot of things I have come to appreciate. Like the way indians appear to be open ti accept things (and each other) just the way they are. And they really are them selves all the time, there is no need for analyzing what the person just meant. Back home we tend to wrap things into polite phrases, we are afraid of being rude in public, even when things aren't good enough and we tend to try not to bother each other to much. Those concepts doesn't seem to exist here. As a result, you come really close to people quite fast. My room is always filled with people, something that drives me completely nuts sometimes, but it has also made me capable of telling people to get out this instance when they I need to study for those three exams I have in the morning. And it doesn't make you rude. Amazing. People seems to be more genuinely aware of the need ti function together, they are used to be together all the time, in a more intense way that I am used to, so it also takes a lot more before they are offended by things than back home.
Oh, and yes, I am getting a lot tougher I think. I am pushing for things more, and I am getting better at being reeeeally clear about what I want. If nit, nothing ever happens here. I live in a country where people say yes to everything, or just doesn't answer - and there is absolutely no guarantee it happens. In Germany, you would get it right in your face if someone disagreed with you, so it's been quite a transition. Here, there is no such thing as being nice and polite and waiting for your turn if you need something. You will wait forever.
It is really weird to notice these changes. I think I am handling it s where between partially to mediocrely well so far. I am so thankful I have Abhimanyu and Praveen (the two Indians who came to Berlin last year) around though. They know how it is on "the other side", and know why I get frustrated from not getting responses on my emails, from eating vegetarian food all the time, from all the sugar you will find in everything and from people steering at me all the time. They let me complain about it for a while, try to explain why it is the way it is and lift me back up. Without their Europe/India translation, I suspect I would have jumped out of a window by now,
Ah, man, I have to get back to class though. Two presentations and lectures till eight thirty is waiting for me. Phew. What a life huh? But some say you only live once, and if it's true, it should probably be filled up well, right?
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