One week in...

I feel like so much has happened since I arrived, I don’t even know where to begin in attempting to describe my experiences so far. I arrived last Thursday night and I took a prepaid taxi to my PG (paying guest) house. I was a bit nervous since it was quite late and the cab driver didn’t seem to know exactly where my PG was located. He kept on asking me questions, but I couldn’t understand him at all! So we were stopping every block or so and he kept on asking people how to get there. We finally managed to arrive and I was so happy to see Jackie, the intern from Oxford. The place is a bit crowded, but pleasant enough. I share a room with Jackie and about 6 other Indian girls, who are all very nice. The food is good and the little girl (she must be around 10 years old) who brings us tea and food is so adorable and nice! We have a nice little balcony that overlooks the neighborhood, as well :). As for the weather, it is terribly hot! Although I’m surprised it hasn’t rained that much considering that it is monsoon season. I have to say the driving is much worse than I expected. There seem to be no lanes or rules….I feel like I’m on a rollercoaster every time I’m on the road!

My first day at work (Friday) was quite nice, as well. Everybody at the SEEDS office was very nice and welcoming. Monday we had an earthquake engineer from Nepal who works for NSET (National Society for Earthquake Technology) come give a presentation on how our work this summer fits in with the overall scope of the project. We discussed what building characteristics (in particular, seismic resistant features) we will be noting. This week, we are finalizing our plans and intend to leave to the Himalayas on Saturday. We will be staying in Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh for two months and evaluating structures all through the Kangra region. From what I’ve read and heard, this area seems to be very beautiful and the weather should be quite pleasant at this time of year. I am so excited about going! :)

As for sightseeing, I’ve seen quite a bit for being here less than a week. This weekend Jackie and I took a trip to Agra to see the Taj Mahal and Fatehpur Sikri. Jackie had already planned the trip since she had been here a week prior to my arrival. We had a driver for Saturday and Sunday and hotel accommodations for Saturday night. Our overall trip was good, although we did have plenty of troubles. Everything seemed to happen….getting a flat tire, being followed around by some sketchy-looking men, having our power go off in our hotel at least 10 times, buying an over-priced wine that tasted awful, having no hot water (which actually wasn’t so bad considering it was so hot outside), dealing with people trying to constantly cheat us, watching our driver argue with a police officer that pulled us over for no good reason, taking a wrong turn and ending up in a very sketchy neighborhood filled with stray animals (cows, dogs, monkeys), which made me quite nervous since I didn’t get a rabies shot….let’s just say it was quite the experience. But, it was definitely worth it. The buildings were magnificent! The Taj Mahal is probably the most beautiful building I have ever seen and the visiting mosque in Fatehpur Sikri was an incredibly great cultural experience! This past weekend taught me a lot about the way of life and culture in India….particularly, I learned a lot about getting around here. I am excited to see what the upcoming months will bring :).