OUCH, that hurts!

Sunday, July 25th 2010:

Okay, just a warning that the photo in this blog will not be pretty. After a group meeting late Friday night for our Research Methodology project, I was locked out of my room and went in search of water at the campus canteen. Didn't get too far though, because just in front of the hostel building after mine (Ashoka) I slipped and fell on the brick walkway. This is what happens during the monsoon season in India. It was just a matter of time, I guess, given that it had rained for days and all the walking surfaces are hard and slippery. There are marble floors and marble staircases indoors, and brick and stone outdoors. So, I fell with one leg under me and one forward (no, I've never been a cheerleader) and got pretty scraped and bruised.

However, I did manage to protect my laptop computer which I'd been carrying in my bag.
So I returned to my room completely covered in slimy mud. COVERED. I rinsed my clothes and threw them into our "wash-bucket", took a shower, did the laundry by hand with my nifty Tide soap bar, and then tended to my wounds. The next day I went to class as usual (yes, there is class on the weekend) but my foot really was bothering me. It was swollen across the top (not my ankle) and it wouldn't stop bleeding. Plus here at MICA it's really hard to keep yourself dry and clean (did I mention the monsoon rain?!). Not good for an open wound. I kept putting Neosporin on it, took some Ibuprofen, and dealt with it as best I could.

Now to today. I LOST IT. I think I finally reached the point in this trip where I just became overwhelmed. I woke up late and had to talk to my family on Skype in like 5 minutes AS I was getting dressed and ready for class. I took more ibuprofen, but it just didn't make a dent in the pain. Our group project is due by tonight, and we'd barely made a dent in the workload (didn't even get to complete a draft due to a four-hour dinner event the night before). I hadn't gotten enough sleep. Also, as soon as I got up from bed and started walking around again, my foot started bleeding and swelling again. Plus, I think it's about the time of month for me to have PMS. So, I was not a happy camper by the time I reached class at 7:55am. Once the lecture started, and my foot was now swollen and thoroughly wet from walking through the rain again, I just couldn't hold back the tears. I left the class for a little while to try and compose myself, but it just wasn't going to happen.

This was the embarassing part. They stopped class to get me some ice and a first-aid kit. I wanted to be there, and everyone was very helpful (though I didn't want the attention), but even then I couldn't stop the flow of tears. So much for being the mature one. Anyway, when it was pretty clear that I wasn't going to pull myself together the professor (very kindly) gave me permission to leave. I came back to the hostel and took a nap for the remaining hour of class, and got my foot dry and elevated again. After that news, Dr. Alvey called from Mumbai and directed me to go to a hospital in Ahmedabad right away to have my foot tended to. So, I had to leave my group in the lurch without the draft done (still) and spend a few hours round-trip to Ahmedabad. I don't give myself much slack, but everyone has those days sometime, right?! At least the clinic was very nice and they treated me very quickly. Some sick MICA students needed care too, so they came along as well. They cleaned the wound, dressed it (which is already falling off),and gave me prescriptions for antibiotic and pain medicine.

Now I have to get my luggage plus 12 other grad students (and their luggage too) safely through the Ahmedabad airport and to Mumbai tomorrow at 4:45am. Thankfully, the paper is now DONE and my packing almost is too! I'm just waiting on the rest of my group to okay it  (the paper) before it gets emailed to the teacher. I'm looking forward to getting on the plane tomorrow and getting to Mumbai. We'll have three corporate visits there, plus some sight-seeing, and then we head to Goa for a couple days off before returning home. Sadly, I think I'm going to have to change my pedicure appointment at the Goa spa to a manicure instead. But oh well. Only 10 days to go! I'm excited to get home.

MICA Classwork: Crunch Time!

Saturday, July 24th 2010:

Only eleven more days in India, and only one more day here on the MICA campus in Ahmedabad. We'll have a final class tomorrow on quantitative research methods- conjoint analysis (Sunday) from 7:55am to about noon. We have until tomorrow night to turn in our only assignment; a group project from the qualitative portion of the class. We were divided into groups of 4 or 5 and had to conduct a series of in-depth interviews of Indian students re: America and also American students re: India. Each group is expected to complete at least 5 interviews from each country. We worked in groups to come up with a Discussion Guide, then had to combine the best portions of each into a master guide to use in the intereviews. Now, we have this afternoon and then tomorrow (if needed) to analyze the responses, come up with consumer insights, and write a report on the research. It's crunch time! Hopefully we'll come up with some good research findings and strong consumer insight about what college students think of India and America.

Classes during our time at MICA have been intensive, since we've had to cram an entire course into 40 hours of class over only two weeks. However, I have learned a lot. The most interesting part of our interviews was the final question, where we asked each student to describe a typical person of the other culture (India/America).

So, here are some of their words on how India is personified. First of all, the older generation is like Gandhi:

"(I’d personify India as) a wise, old sage. Someone who’s been around forever. A complex old man, but gentle. He’d be thin, dark, in pajama-like clothes. He’d barely be getting by (very low income). It would be hot and he’d have no A/C. Maybe not even have a house. If he had a job, it would be a religious one (like a leader or elder). He might play a game of cricket every now and then, but no other entertainment. I also think of Mother India, but mostly an old religious man like Gandhi comes to mind."

as for the younger generation of India (think "Slumdog Millionaire");

"I think Americans are a lot fatter than Indians. They are much skinner." "Yes, I would say this person is attractive or average.  A different type of clothing but an average style." " She would be 30, well, there are a lot of young people there and old people. But the average person I think of would be around that age." "I feel like they would work in some sort of business environment. They are producing or selling something. A modest job. Maybe somewhere around or below American minimum wage." "They would probably live in a modest apartment." "Probably driving just a 5 or 6 year old sedan. Small compact car. They seem to all drive small cars - they are most affordable." "They like to watch TV just like us, read the paper, yell at the neighborhood kids. I think they are a lot more involved with their close neighbors than we are." "I feel like it's someone who works that hard for their money wouldn't just blow it on materialistic things."

Here were some of the personfications that Indian college students had of a typical American:

"Huge, tall, bulky, not as big as the Australians, blonde, brownish, white, freckles. Dressed in a bikini, working a lot and stressed out. Friendly and loud. Probably lives in a large house with 3-4 bedrooms and a bathroom for each person. This person has a car, as does each person in their family."

and one more (think "Sex and the City"):

"Young adult, between 18-24. A woman, beautiful, attractive, confident, independent. Hair color blonde/golden. Style of dressing anything she is comfortable with, but a good sense of style. A New Yorker. She would have a job, since I’m in a creative field, I’d say she’d be in advertising or the TV industry. Income level mid to upper class. She’d drive a hybrid Honda. She’d have a boyfriend and a housemaid. In her free time she’d read or travel. She would be happy and culturally aware. She would be kind. She’d know more than one language (English, French). She’d be Catholic."

The stereotypes are very telling, aren't they? Somewhat true, although obviously cliched. I think that perhaps we all should move beyond Hollywood and Bollywood and gain personal experience with the other country through travel and beginning new relationships! We'd all be better off for it.

To see more photos of my time in India, go to http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=67693&id=1493536168&l=6effaaef67 or connect with me on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/alexandra.watson. You can also find me on Twitter as "abcwatson".

The Golden Triangle: Jaipur Stay

July 10th to 12th, 2010: We ventured away from Ahmedabad and the MICA campus for a week of travel, touring, and industry visits in India's Golden Triangle of cities: Jaipur, Agra, and Delhi. First, we flew from Ahmedabad into Jaipur. Of course, I enjoyed some Wahg Bakri tea in the airport before we departed!

The difference from Ahmedabad to Jaipur was striking. Ahmedabad seems to have spung up from chaos. It is a rural city, with one main road (SG Road) and lots of winding paths and congested streets mixed in with shanty houses and farm communities. The Heritage Walk we did in Old Ahmedabad was an assault on all of our senses. There is a rhythm to moving in and out of the traffic of Ahmedabad that is like an urgent dance. One must be both calm and assertive to fit into the flow of things. Many in our group found Ahmedabad to be overwhelming for many reasons: crowds, grime, the poor, pungent smells, oppressive heat, ancient temples and remnants of history in states of such disrepair, the strange mix of beings on the roads (bikes, motorcycles, rickshaw, cars, buses, dogs, cattle, people).

Jaipur, on the other hand, seems much more planned and open. While it contains many of the same elements of India as Ahmedabad, it is less compact and condensed. Streets were wider, roads were better to travel upon, it was a larger city with more sprawl to it, temples and historical sites seemed to be in better repair. It was somehow altogether less assaulting to our senses. Perhaps it also has to do with us having had time to acclimate a little to India, but I think in general we tolerated Jaipur better because the urban city felt more modern and familiar to us. It also helped greatly that when we arrived at our hotel in Jaipur it was like we had come upon a grand oasis. We stayed at the Jai Mahal Palace (a Taj property). I think it must be the single most luxurious hotel in which I've ever stayed. It was breath-taking! Check it out yourself at: Taj Hotel Link: Jai Mahal Palace, Jaipur, India.

We toured a local jewelry polishing company in Jaipur and then did some high-end shopping in their gorgeous jewelry store. Some of the ladies in our group spent hundreds of dollars on beautiful pieces of jewelry. I would have loved to buy a Indian star ruby (aka "the star of India" stone) but unfortunately, that's not in my budget this time around. I settled for some lovely enameled bangle bracelets instead. I got one for myself, and one for each of my daughters. I'm hoping to find some cheaper bracelets for them also for "everyday" wear.  We were also able to tour a marble temple and stop briefly for photos of the Floating Palace (at sunset) before returning to our hotel. Jaipur is so nice, we're not going to want to leave at all!

To see more photos of my time in India, go to http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=67693&id=1493536168&l=6effaaef67 or connect with me on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/alexandra.watson. You can also find me on Twitter as "abcwatson".

Wahg Bakri Tea Experience

Thursday July 8, 2010:

Our first Indian advertising industry visit today ended up pre-empting our scheduled class time. We were slated to visit Wagh Bakri Tea (pronounced "vahg bock-ree") in the morning and then return to MICA in time for our afternoon Research Methodology class. However, the industry visit took until late in the afternoon, so plans changed. I'm so glad they did! Our time at Wagh Bakri was exceptional.

Wagh Bakri is a local Gujarati company that has been in existence for over 100 years. They are a very popular brand in India (particularly in the states of Gujarat, Maharashtra (Mumbai), Andhra Pradesh (Hyderabad), and Delhi). They also import to several countries, including Asian/ethnic markets in the U.S. We first traveled to their production facility outside of Ahmedabad. There we were introduced to their operational staff and were able to tour the plant. We sampled their delicious Masala Chai (spiced) tea blend. We saw the tea storage area, the loading/unloading area, the blending area where the various estate teas are mixed into the different Wagh Bakri labeled brands, and the production area where the teas are bagged and boxed. They have some very state-of-the-art equipment that produces 250 filled and sealed tea bags a minute, and without the need of stapling. Following our tour we were given samples of their delicious Darjeeling blend (with lemon juice and sugar). Then we loaded back onto our vans and traveled to Wagh Bakri's corporate headquarters. At the headquarters we viewed the tea tasting room, where they decide from which estates they will purchase their tea leaves and also how they will blend those various estate leaves into their proprietary label blends. Then we saw a presentation from their ad agency on Wagh Bakri branding and their advertising efforts. We also sampled the Wagh Bakri flagship brand (iced) as well as hot (with milk and sugar). The entire management came to meet us, and they gave us lunch and personalized gifts as well (engraved pens, plus a box of the Masala Chai blend). They could not have been more gracious or informative. Plus, all of the teas we sampled were delicious! I think they have many new converts to tea drinking, plus many new Wagh Bakri customers after that experience. 

After our time there, we headed into the city for some shopping at dinner. My favorite of the stores that we visited was a clothing/textile store called Anokhi. They had beautiful fabrics. I purchased several patterns in scarves as well as boxers, handkerchiefs, coin purses, etc. And the prices were so low! I can't believe how far the American dollar goes in India. I'm on a tight budget, but thankfully I can still buy beautiful gifts in India for very little money. Our dinner was at a wonderful restaurant named Chawlas. We ate family-style, and everything I tried was great. I particularly liked the Afghani Chicken, which was mild and very well-roasted. Great way to end a fabulous day!

To see more photos of my time in India, go to http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=67693&id=1493536168&l=6effaaef67 or connect with me on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/alexandra.watson . You can also find me on Twitter as "abcwatson".

Yoga Nation

Wednesday July 7, 2010:

Began the day with free time. Nice! Didn't get to sleep in though, because we elected to hire a yoga instructor for several sessions while in Ahmedabad and today was the first class at 6am! It was a lovely introduction to the practice of yoga. She concentrated on explaining the principles of yoga, and we learned basic exercises for breathing and for flexibility (all sitting poses). It wasn't at all strenuous, but very relaxing and meditative. We each get to purchase our yoga rug as well. They were each woven by hand-loom and purchased in Ahmedabad. Four group yoga sessions, plus the yoga rug, for just over 500 rupees each (a little more than $10 U.S.). Amazing! No photos of that yet, we'll have to ask the instructor's permission first.
Following yoga, I spent time on Skype with the family, then had breakfast, showered, and caught up on my class reading. Our class time is scheduled from 1:30pm- 4:45pm most class days. This lecture series was on research design, and the nature of qualitative research. Interesting but not too complex to follow.

This evening we were scheduled to visit a local bird sanctuary, but that plan was cancelled due to the afternoon rain. However, the car had still been reserved, so our group elected to go out to dinner in Ahmedabad at a place called Barbecue Nation. It is similar in style to a Brazilian churrascaria (steakhouse). You pay a fixed price for a buffet of side dishes and desserts, and then either select vegetarian or non-veg entrees that are served tableside on skewers. They continue to serve various skewers of meats or veg, until you place a small flag down on your table to indicate that you're done. This restaurant has small coal grills at each table, so you can baste and continue to cook the skewers between servings. I tried the non-veg skewers, but actually preferred several of the buffett items most of all. Definitely a place to try if you are ever in India (they have several locations). Best of all, ice cream for dessert!

To see more photos of my time in India, connect with me on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/alexandra.watson. You can also find me on Twitter as "abcwatson".

India: Stomach Trouble and Growing Pains

Tuesday July 6, 2010:

I felt slightly better today than I did the day before. Still some chills and occassional stomach cramps, but they seem to be lessening. I'm on a steady round of Tums, plus Immodium, and that seems to be all I need. Hopefully my body will adjust to the climate and foods soon and I'll be over all the stomach troubles. This, I suppose, is a downside of growing up in America. We have such a sterile environment that we don't build up immunity as others naturally do.
Today we enjoyed the same guest lecturer, Sunil Parekh of B Tech ITT Delhi. This time he went into more depth on the Indian economy. He was very supportive of democracy in India, and particularly of the free market system. I was surprised to hear that poverty levels have declined in India from 46% of the population in 1980 to roughly 16%-18% of the population in 2010 (with "poverty" being defined as less than $1 U.S. per day). India really is producing a tremendous amount of high-tech services and the economy is growing rapidly. Although the average standard of living is still quite low, there is vibrant growth potential for businesses and I can see why SMU chose for us to study advertising in this particular diverse and emerging market.
Following lunch in the MICA dining hall, I attended our second Research Methodology class. The professor (Dr. Rajneesh Krishna) is very animated when he speaks and has quite a lot of industry research experience. I was happy to find that this particular set of lectures was an overview of the research process, which was a review for me from the pre-requisite Advertising Research class I took last fall. I had been worried that the statistical analysis and techniques used in this class would be over my head, but I think I'll be able to handle it. Especially good for me today, since I'm still not feeling particularly well.
No photos from today in particular, although here are a few more of the MICA campus:

To see more photos of my time in India, connect with me on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/alexandra.watson. You can also find me on Twitter as "abcwatson".

Indian Culture Lecture

Monday July 5, 2010:

We began our first academic day at MICA today with a session, for both the undergraduate and graduate group, on Indian Culture. The lecture was by a very knowledgable man, Sunil Parekh, of B Tech ITT India. He spoke about many facets of this multi-lingual, multi-racial, multi-religious country which also has such a large population and such diverse climates and agronomy. He was a very engaging speaker and I found the lecture to be fascinating. Unfortunately, toward the end of it I began to have very painful stomach cramps. By the time we returned to our home (about 12:30pm) I felt terrible. I missed our first session of the graduate Research Methodology class and went back to bed instead.
By the end of the day I wasn't feeling much better. I think the steady diet of Indian food caught up with me. Ugh. Sorry, no photos or anything more to blog about today.

To see more photos of my time in India, connect with me on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/alexandra.watson. You can also find me on Twitter as "abcwatson".

Sun, Water, and Lessons from Gandhi

Sunday July 4, 2010:

Today was a scheduled sight-seeing day for both the undergraduate and graduate groups. I Skyped with the family again first thing in the morning (this time with working video!), then got a quick breakfast before we had to meet at the shuttle buses at 8:30am. We drove a few hours outside of Ahmedabad to the Modhera Sun Temple. It was built around 1026 A.D. of sandstone as a place of worship to Hindu gods. It sits along the Tropic of Cancer, so that two days per year (on each Equinox) the natural sunlight would fill the highest portion of the temple and illuminate an idol of Lord Surya, the Sun God of Hinduism. The carvings of the temple served as pictographs of religion and culture for the uneducated people of the time. Today it is not an active place of worship (idols are not maintained inside), but rather an historical and cultural monument. It was amazing to see the intricacies of the carvings and the archictectural elements that have survived so much time and wear. What a spectacular site to tour!

Following our visit to the Sun Temple, we returned to the outskirts of Ahmedabad and visited the Adalaj (a community Stepwell). The well was commissioned in 1499 by Queen Roopba as a community water source in honor of her deceased husband, and completed by a neighboring Muslim King. It is intricately carved and five stories in depth, and contains both Hindi and Islamic architectural elements and carved motifs.

Finally, we visited Gandhi's Ashram in Ahmedabad. This is a set of buildings used by Gandhi and his followers as a home and religious community. It was very interesting to read more of Gandhi's life and to see the simple, sparse dwellings in which he and his followers lived and practiced. My favorite part of the Ashram was a simple wall that had a life-size photo next to the phrase (in script) "My life is my message". I love that. That phrase is something I agree with wholeheartedly. Before his death Gandhi began a school on-site to provide free education to the poorest children of the area. It still operates on the premises today (now government-run), and there were many children running around the property and asking our names and to be in our photographs.

After sight-seeing, the undergraduate group went to a local Indian restaurant while the graduate group elected to go back to Pizza Hut (Mainland China was closed, and it was the 4th of July so pizza seemed appropriate anyway). Then we lit our Indian fireworks on the MICA campus to celebrate American Independence Day before turning in for the night.

Free Day! Bollywood Blockbuster and "American" Food

Saturday July 3, 2010:
Today was a free day on our schedule. As has become routine, I began the day by calling my family on Skype (Saturday AM for me, Friday PM for them before the kids go to bed). After breakfast, I spent a good deal of time editing and uploading photos on Facebook and catching up on this blog.

After lunch, a small group of us (about six) met in the auditorium/classroom for a screening of the very popular Bollywood movie "The Three Idiots" starring Aamir Khan. We got ice cream and water from the MyCafe Canteen beforehand. It was a long (nearly 3 hour) but interesting movie. It was only sparsely subtitled, but we got the basics of the story. It's broken many box-office records in India since its premiere in about January of this year, because its on the controversial topic of the Indian college experience and the societal and familial pressure to pursue engineering degrees over one's personal interests and passion. I'd love to see it again with full subtitles. It was an excellent movie, and I felt that it really helped to introduce us to the academic environment and culture of India.

After the movie, I spent more time in my room until late in the evening due to the intense rain. Many of us didn't eat dinner in the dining hall until after 9pm when the rains subsided. The campus chef was very proud to be serving "American Night"...and it was the worst food yet by far! There was garlic bread (okay), hot and sour soup (didn't try), macaroni and cheese (sweet...yuck!), and a VERY spicy penne pasta (the hottest thing I've ever tried, by far). At least they served little cups of ice cream at the end! I'd much rather have authentic Indian food than their attempt at American dishes:). Finally, it was time to shower and go to bed around 10:30pm.

Ahmedabad Up-Close and Overwhelming

Friday July 2, 2010:

We had some time free first thing in the morning, so I began the day by talking with family on Skype. I love that it's free internationally!!!For some reason we couldn't get the web-cameras to function properly so it was audio only, but that's okay. After that I went to breakfast in the MICA dining hall, then we had an library orientation at 9:15am. The man that spoke re: the MICA libraries is the head of the MICA Knowledge Exchange and Information Center (KEIC). He spoke for 45 minutes and began with a talk about the importance of wisdom. He defined that as applying insight, skills, values, worldview, etc. to the data, knowledge, and information we glean from others. He had about 70+ PowerPoint slides prepared but only went through a handful. You could tell he definitely has a passion for what he does. I appreciated him because he could've just come in and said "this is how you check out a resource" and "this is our online library" but he instead took it from a different angle and really demonstrated the importance of using what is available to us while we are here.

We had a little time free again until about noon, and then took the shuttle vans into the city of Ahmedabad once again. We started at Crosswords bookstore (very much like Barnes & Noble in the U.S.), then some of the group wanted to purchase fireworks for us to use to celebrate the 4th of July. After buying fireworks, we went to lunch at Main Land China in one of the local malls. It was a high-end Chinese restaurant. The food was fantastic (spiced a little differently at times than similar dishes in America, but pretty true to our expectations of Chinese food). The wait staff completely messed up the orders and ended up serving everything family style, but that was fine.

After lunch we met a tour guide who took us across the river and into the Old City of Ahmedabad for a Heritage Walk. We rented little "rickshaw" cars and sat three per car on the way to the oldest Hindu temple in Ahmedabad (built circa 1820). We had to remove our shoes and wear shawls/scarves to enter, and there was a separate area for the women (in back) and men (in front). It was a beautiful building with all sorts of carvings and gilt work, but as a Christian it felt odd to be standing in what is considered to be a holy place for another religion. I debated whether or not to even take photos, but in the end only took a few of the inside. We then entered the courtyard area and the women were allowed to visit the nunnery area.

After that, we were led by our tour guide on a walking tour for about an hour and a half. We walked some of the oldest and most crowded streets of Ahmedabad. I've been to a few foreign places before, but this was different than any other singular experience I've had previously. The area reminded me at times of the poverty in portions of Mexico, Jamaica, and the Czech Republic that I've visited but yet it wasn't the same. Houses were built hundreds of years ago in small neighborhoods or communities called "Pols"; centered around common occupations and/or common worship of a particular Hindu god. Road-side food stands were on many corners, and animals, people, and various forms of transportation were crowded all throughout the narrow streets. Dogs and cows roamed the streets, and even sat in doorways and courtyards. Young children followed us and begged. In many places, the residential areas were interspersed with business sections called "Ols" where goods such as electronics, books, and clothing was being sold. The tour guide was obviously interested in architecture because he pointed out a lot about the building carvings and decorations we saw. The experience was hot, loud, busy, emotional, and overwhelming for some. We ended our tour at a Muslim mosque. We were allowed to enter the courtyard (although it was evening prayer time) as long as we were wearing head coverings and clothes past our knees. I entered for just a moment, but again it felt odd to be inside, particularly while men prayed and worshiped.

On the steps of the mosque, we saw a woman with her daughter and her paralyzed son begging for alms. She had the boy on her lap and was trying to keep him cool and feed him from a cup while they waited for pasersby to drop money on a little mat. He appeared to have cerebral palsy or something similar. It was such a sad scene, with all the poverty before us. I thought I grew up in a pretty poor, rough area but it hardly compares to what we saw today. I know that as a group we aren't supposed to give to those that beg on the streets, but I gave her my rupee coins anyway as we left. Hearing the guide talk on and on about the history, culture, and architecture of the city while seeing the poverty and hearing the traffic and crowds was like a clash of my senses. It moved me to be there and prompted me to think that I can only be thankful for what I have, give what I can, and pray for the people of India. There is so much need, and so much potential here.

We ended our evening with a traditional Gujarati Thali meal at Agashaye in the House of MG (Mangaldas Girdhardas). It was a beautiful former residence that has been restored and is now used as a hotel and restaurant. We had dinner on the rooftop terrace. It was a unique experience that I loved.
We returned to the MICA campus around 9:30pm and had the first monsoon of the season! Some of the rooms (even upstairs) flooded from the patio doors, but our room was okay. I went to bed around 10pm as the MICA students sang, shouted, and danced outside in the rain.

To see more photos of Day Two, connect with me on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/alexandra.watson. You can also find me on Twitter as "abcwatson".

MICA Orientation

Thursday July 1, 2010:

The day started with a breakfast buffet in the lower courtyard of our dorm area (the "Ashoka" building), with some of the MICA faculty and student volunteers. After breakfast we had several orientations today by MICA faculty and staff. Following that we had a campus tour and lunch in the campus dining area. At 2pm we received our internet access, and everyone had a short amount of time to get online before meeting again to go into Ahmedabad.

In the city we went shopping for cell phones (for those that had pre-purchased Indian SIM cards). I opted to use the international plan on my HTC Android with Sprint instead. We also got grocery items. A few in our group stocked up on American staples such as peanut butter and corn flakes cereal in lieu of so many Indian meals. I only bought extra shampoo, plus some biscuit-like crackers ("Parle-G") to take with my daily medications. I'll take my chances and eat what is served at mealtime. I love Indian food in America, so I figure trying what is here is part of the whole experience!

After shopping we had dinner at a Pizza Hut. The MICA staff wanted us to have something familiar on the first night. I had a personal sized cheese pizza. It tasted quite the same as in the U.S., but the restaurant is a sit-down place with a more formal atmosphere than having pizza in the States. At least if some in our group are longing for "American" food, they now know where to find it.
I took some photos during the campus tour and time in Ahmedabad today, but definitely want to take more (and a few with me in them!). We were back by about 7:30pm and then had the rest of the evening free. I talked with Chris (cell phone) and the kids (Skype), updated my Facebook page and uploaded photos, showered, and then went to bed about midnight. To see more photos of Day One, connect with me on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/alexandra.watson. You can also find me on Twitter as "abcwatson".

Bible reading from Our Daily Bread devotional today: Acts 11:19-26. The topic was on the history of being called a "Christian", and a call to be a "Christian" not in name only but also in action. My prayer for my time in India, and in the SMU graduate program in general, is that my words and actions will set me apart in such a way that demonstrates my faith in God and brings Him glory.

Arrival in India

Tues June 29 and Wed June 30, 2010:

Had a long day of traveling from Dallas, TX to Ahmedabad, India. Flew American Airlines to Newark, NJ and then switched to Air India. The short transfer on Air India in Frankfurt, Germany was a hassle. We had to de-plane, go through security (again), and wait to re-board for the same seat assignments (new crew). The shuttles out to the aircraft took forever and delayed the flight. I'm glad that on the return flight we fly direct from India to New York. The flights were generally good. A little turbulence here and there, but nothing major.
Air India flight was on an older but refurbished plane. It had little leg-room, but plenty of overhead compartment space, plus personal video screens, complimentary headphones, pillow, blanket, etc. We had two curry meals on the way over. I opted first for lamb, then vegetarian (lamb was better). The flight was nearly full so the plane was very crowded and customs and luggage claim in Ahmedabad was a mad-house. We arrived at 9:25pm (local time). Our one flight took up the entire waiting area in the little Ahmedabad airport. It was hot (even at night), with no moving air and a slow wait. Most travelers had lots of luggage to claim, so the baggage area was crazy. My bag got fairly beaten up, and one wheel is nearly coming off. I'll probably need to replace the suitcase before we fly home.
Once our group was ready to leave the airport, we were bussed about a 45 minute drive outside the city to the MICA campus. The campus (what we could see of it in the dark) looks small but nice. Our rooms are in the new dorms that will usually house the PhD candidates. The dorm area was under construction the last time an SMU group came two years ago. From what we were told these accomodations are much nicer than those they shared last time. Our rooms have a bathroom en suite, plus two twin beds, two desks, two separate cabinets for clothes, and a shared vanity area. The shower set-up was like nothing I've ever seen before. A whole slew of faucet fixutres are on the bathroom wall, with a curtain separating them from the toilet, and a small drain on the floor. It was interesting trying to figure it out and not make a mess all over the bathroom. My roommate and I unpacked, showered, called home, and got to bed about 2am. We have a breakfast and orientation to attend for Day One at 9:30am.
First impressions of India: hot, sticky, pungent, loud, grimy, crowded, assertive, friendly, and gracious.

Bible Reading from Our Daily Bread Devotional today: Matthew 6:25-34 on not worrying. It was very fitting for the start of this trip. A good reminder for me to surrender my circumstances and needs to God, and turn my worries into prayers and/or actions instead!