Getting Around Campus

You can never underestimate the size of the University of Hyderabad. It is probably bigger than entire city of Hanover. And instead of snow, there is a blazing sun to accompany you as you walk. This made me think of the best ways to travel around campus:

5. Walk

I love exercise just as much as the next Houstonian (lol) but walking across campus can surprisingly turn into an all day event. There is always something great to see on a walk and you will most likely befriend a water buffalo on your stroll. However, if you are trying to make it to class  “on time”, you need to prepare for 30-40 mins. of walk time.

4. SIP Shuttle Bus

This is a great resource, if you can catch it. It’s like a ghost sometimes. You hear it coming, you see a glimpse of it, but when you need it…its like the Miami Heat in the clutch: nonexistent.

3. Bike

Bikes are useful at times but most of campus bikes are broken and require a lot more effort than they should. (Wasn’t the wheel supposed to make things easier?) If you purchase a nicer bike perhaps a mountain bike then it will become your best friend. If you happen to have the Mary Poppins Antique, then you might want to try another mode of transportation.

2. Taxi

No I am not saying you should call a taxi to get around campus. I am saying you should enjoy the free ride of a taxi when your friend has ordered on to leave campus. Always be on the look out for a taxi on the move, they always are willing to help out. Which brings us to my favorite mode of transportation

1. Hitchhiking on motorcycles.

This is my go-to punch every day. When you luck up and get someone who is a speed demon, there’s nothing like having tears roll from your eyes because of the speed. Of course this is dangerous because you do not have a helmet, but hey, you live once and living in today’s world is dangerous anyway. Have to enjoy life.

When you hear a bike coming behind you, the trick is to turn around and look the driver dead in the eye with your thumb out. Usually after eye contact, they wont refuse. If they do, then it’s on to the next. You will have at least 5 opportunities to hitchhike within a 1km walk. Enjoy the thrill.

Aaron Limonthas '12

Cool

I have always been a people watcher. Perhaps the reason I am a sociology major is because I love studying people. (Or maybe because the economics department is egregious.) Nonetheless, studying globalization has really opened my eyes up to notice various things in my surroundings. What I have begun to analyze now is the perception of “cool” in India. Possibly “cool” is the wrong term. But, in risk of dating myself, maybe “hip” is a better choice. Either way, marketing teams continue to transform and exploit what is desirable in India.

Shall I start with KFC? Yes, Kentucky Fried Chicken. This American based fast food chain is known for its quick service and extra crispy fried poultry in the States. However, don’t be surprised if your significant other takes you out on a date to KFC in India. This company has a completely different perception over here and is known as a classy, American restaurant. It is interesting how the adjective “American” all of a sudden makes things “good”. Or in this case, “cool”.

Next stop, Apparel. While in the mall, I was walking by the Reebok store and I saw a huge poster of Gilbert Arenas, who is a professional basketball player in the NBA. This is usual of course, a sports star in a sports store. However, Arenas was wearing a Washington Wizards jersey, which is his former team. Also ... (continued in comments) 

AL 

Seed Saving in Gangwar

Today a small group of us were able to do a field visit to Gangwar village (about 2 hours from Hyderabad) with The Deccan Development Society (DDS), a local NGO which works on food sovereignty issues. I'm very interested in food systems, so the trip was one of the highlights of the FSP for me! In an ever-globalizing world, food sovereignty has become a major issue for Indian farmers, many of whom have found themselves indebted to companies like Monsanto. As part of the visit we were able to meet Anjamma Nadimidoddi (pictured below), who runs the village's seed bank. DDS helped start the seed bank to preserve the variety of indigenous crops planted and allow farmers maintain to their independence from multi-national corporations.

Anjamma with her seeds

 

The seed bank, with 50+ seed varieties

L to R: Amy, Sarah, Anjamma, Meg and Anna

-Sarah '12

Movie Night at Prasadz

Last night we ventured out to Prasadz Entertainment Complex (check out the FAQs for advice on how to ride an escalator).

That place is AMAZING. It houses the largest IMAX theatre in Asia, along with many other theatres, some shops and restaurants, an arcade, a bouncy house, a climbing wall and a "4D" virtual entertainment station. Accessible by train, car, auto and bus, sitting on the edge of Husainsagar, Prasadz is the place to be for consumer-based fun.

We chose to get there by train and shared auto. We learned that when traffic is stopped for train crossings, vehicles pull up in every available space on either side of the tracks, parking lot style. When the train passes and the gates lift, cars somehow manage to cross the tracks and get back into loosely defined lanes. The traffic rules for this driving in this situation remain a mystery. We were on the train about the time that many workers at Hi-Tech city head home, so our car was filled with lots of tech employees heading home.

We got to Prasadz, made our way through 2 separate security check points, and settled in for dinner and a movie. There was a good mix of Indian and western food options, but we opted for the fast food dosas. Unlike in many of the other malls we've visited, we seemed to be the only Westerners there. We saw many families and groups of young men, but not too many couples or groups of women.

We didn't have time for arcade games before our movie, but we may go back.
Avatar in IMAX was exceptionally good. The graphics are so much better supersized! People tended to talk throughout the movie, but we expected that from our previous movie experiences.

If you get a chance to visit Prasadz, give yourself enough time to explore, eat, and catch a movie at the Imax. It's definitely worth it.


-KD

Weekend in Kerala!

We spent the past weekend exploring the beaches, mountains, and backwaters of Kerala. What an adventure!

Tea Plants

Tea Workers

Chinese Fishing Nets

We stayed in guesthouse in the city of Kochi (formerly know by its colonial name, Cochin). Must-see sites include the Chinese fishing nets, Santa Cruz Basilica, and an the Paradesi Synagogue.

After a late arrival Friday evening, we sat down with our host and planned out our weekend. We sampled some of the delicious fresh fish, and went to bed.

Mhmmm Fresh Red Snapper!

We left bright and early Saturday morning for Munar, a tea plantation community in the mountains outside of Kerala. On the drive up we learned about the different crops harvested in Kerala, including rubber, cashews, pineapples, and pepper. The landscape was lush and green, with waterfalls and hydro-electric dams along the way.

At the plantation, we visited the Tata tea museum and learned more about the tea making process and the history of the plantation. Most of the people working on the plantation are immigrants from nearby Tamil Nadu. The documentary shown went in to great detail about the welfare programs offered to the workers, including maternal health care, child care, family care and other provisions. Munar is also a hot spot for honeymooners, so we saw many young couples.

Sunday we visited a few villages on the outskirts of Kerala and went on a backwater tour.

View on the backwater tour

Monday morning was the day for site-seeing in Kochi. I was able to go to mass in the Santa Cruz Basilica. It was entirely in Malayalam, but was otherwise very similar to church at home. There were a few striking differences. Unlike churchgoers at home, who file in and out of their pews in a very orderly fashion to get communion, churchgoers at the basilica wandered up to get communion whenever they felt moved to in a 15 minute window at the end of mass. I was told later that people will even push and shove for communion at the more crowded masses.

Santa Cruz Basilica, Photo courtesy of Mia. During mass, most of the saints had flashing Christmas lights strung around them

 The rest of the day was spent eating, shopping, and visiting the synagogue. We were sad to leave the palm trees of Kerala for the far less lush landscape of Hyderabad, but it is nice to be home out of the humidity!

-KD

Working Out in India - Aaron Limonthas ' 12

My stay in India has been interesting thus far. Probably one of my most interesting experiences revolves around “working out”. For those who travel, they might be familiar with certain culture differences in the gym. However, India takes “different” to a whole other level.

(I am simply speaking about working out on the University of Hyderabad campus. No where else.)

Let’s start with the gym time; the gym is ONLY open at these hours:

5:15 AM – 8:30 AM and it reopens at 4:30 PM to 7:15pm. (Monday-Friday)

So this leaves 8 hours during the day when the gym is not open. Countless hours during the day are wasted not working out because I have to wait until 4:30 PM. Once, I decided to try and work out before the official gym opening time. As I entered the empty gym, a gentleman (with whom I have shared multiple altercations, but I’ll discuss that later) tells me the gym is closed for “cleaning”. 8 hours of cleaning? One must be able to eat off the weight bench if it is that clean.

As a result, I have to rush to the gym after my class ends at 4. Oh and don’t forget class may end at 6:30 PM on occasions. I have attempted numerous times to wake up at 5 am or 6 am and even 7am so that I could work out in the morning but without an infuriated coach hovering over me, threatening to end my life if I do not wake up in the morning, my motivation to roll out of bed prior to 9:00 AM is (to say the least) non-existent.

The gym is approximately 2 KM away from my dorm, so about a 1 ½ mile, which I jog every day. I am not sure if the stares I receive are because I am running (which is not common at all are these parts) or because I’m fairly larger than everyone else. I am opting with the latter as men tend to touch my arms quite often as they ask me, “Do you take supplements?”

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To Pack or Not To Pack: What to Bring on the FSP

Here are some suggestions on what to bring on the FSP. These are all just suggestions based on my personal experiences, so don't take them for requirements! It really just depends on your own comfort levels. Just remember not to pack too much!

TO PACK:

• bathing suit - I didn't think I would need it, but we ended up going to Goa and I bought a bikini there. Since you're going to be partially naked anyways, bikinis were definitely fine to wear in Goa.
• twin bed sheets and/or blankets, towel - the Tagore dorm provides one flat sheet, one pillow case, one pillow, one fleece blanket, and one towel. Definitely bring an extra towel if you think you will need it.
  
• some packaged snacks that you love - while you're getting adjusted to India time and Indian foods, it's nice to have some granola bars or something similar to fall back on. After the first few weeks, you'll get adjusted and can go out to buy these things on your own. Just remember that you're not allowed to cook in the Tagore house! However, they do have hot/cold water dispensers if you're a ramen cup fan, like I am! lol
• over the counter medicines - cold/flu, allergy, advil, etc. you will most likely get sick at some point, so they're good to have for mild illnesses.
• unlocked, international cell phone if you have one - all you need to do is replace the sim card. But no worries if you don't have an international cell phone, because SIP arranges for you to purchase one when you arrive in Hyderbad. It was around $50.
• weekend bag/backpack - if you're planning on traveling on the free long weekends!
• fold-up laundry hamper or bag - not a crucial necessity but if you have a small one that folds up easily to fit in your suitcase, it will be handy. Sometimes the laundry machine is broken, so you might have to tote your laundry around to find one that works.
• modest workout clothes - if you're planning on working out at the gym on campus or running around campus. Long, nylon running pants and a t-shirt works.
• electrical converters and adapters - You'll probably need to buy an adapter for your laptop, and you'll need to buy a converter if you're planning on using smaller appliances like a blow dryer.
• shower shoes - just like on campus at Dartmouth - communal showers necessitate the flip-flops.

NOT TO PACK:

• don't pack too much clothes - because you'll buy plenty of Indian-style clothes here
• shampoo/soap - you can definitely bring your own but they do sell these at the small convenience store on campus, as well as laundry detergent! They even sell American brand shampoo/soaps/lotions that we are used to. There is also a store that is similar to Wal-Mart in the mall that is about 15 minutes away from us. It's called Hyper City in InOrbit Mall, and it sells all these things plus more.
• too many books on India - you should definitely back a travel guide as well as the assigned reading books plus one or two that you want to read. But both Tagore International House and the SIP building have small libraries. The Dartmouth FSP is even adding its own section to the library in SIP. Professor Fluri bought a ton of great books on India that you can read. Also, you're allowed to check out books form the University Library.
• notebooks/pencils/other school supplies - the shopping complex on campus sells these items.

Just a working list! Will continue to add more!

- Amy '12