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

The Curse of the Delhi Belly: or being Sick in India

Sitting in my bed for the 3rd day in a row and dreadfully missing the beautiful caves of Ellora and Ajanta (and my beloved fellow FSPers) I thought I’d take the chance to blog a bit about being sick in India. Because let’s face it… no one is immune to the Delhi Belly. Before our departure, Dick’s house gave us an intense rundown on medical does and don’ts, a lot of which I found roll my eyes self obvious. Oh, poor innocent Meg. Following this “easy” advice has gotten harder and harder as the weeks go on. It gets annoying to carry a bottle of water into the bathroom every time you want to brush your teeth. You start craving salads. That fresh pineapple being cut by a street vendor in the old city looks too good to resist, or you forget to tell the waiter to hold the ice in your coke and you just decide to go with it. Regardless, you wind up spending two terrible nights camped on the Tagore bathroom floor with your blanket and a trashy romance novel, and another two days curled in bed feeling exhausted and trying to force down glass after glass of rehydration salts. But although this blog is partially an outlet for a “meg’s sick pity trip” (I really miss you guys!) what I really wanted to write about are the resources available. Being sick sucks, and when you’re sick it’s hard to figure out what to do, or who to go to, especially in a new environment. The campus health center is the obvious place to go, located right on campus with free treatment, but it’s nearly an hours walk from Tagore, definitely not an excursion I was capable of at the time. So enter my heroic roommate Mia, who suggested talking to Mr. Daas our house supervisor, who immediately called me a campus shuttle to take me directly to the health center. Once at the health center and accompanied by the wonderful Jyotsna, I checked in with a receptionist and waited for a doctor. After being bypassed by nearly three patients who came in after me, I learned quickly that waiting patiently was not going to cut it. With the help of my advocate Jyotsna, I really had to push my way into a doctor’s office. Once there, after a bit of trouble communicating (who knew “vomiting” could sound so much like “warm things”?) I was given a prescription for multiple medications, which were filled immediately at the prescription counter in the front. The whole trip was relatively easy, but did feel a bit unnerving as compared to my usual medical experiences. The doctor didn’t check me out, take my temperature, or ask more than a few cursory questions. My prescriptions were snipped off of a larger disposal of pills, and I was given no clear directions about what they were, or when/how I should take them, least of all potential side effects. Luckily, I’m into my second days of meds and feeling better, so all seems to have turned out well! Last but not least, I highly suggest the healing powers of Mulan and a skype call to your mom. They do wonders!

Goin' to Goa

Getting around India was a lot easier than I thought! A few of us took a 14-hour bus ride from Hyderabad to the beautiful beaches of Goa. Sleeper buses are another option (where there are bunk beds in the bus). There are also a lot of options in flying, as most major cities (and more minor cities) have airports.

It was such a relief to get a break from the hustle and bustle of the city. The area of Goa we stayed in was Anjuna, also known as "Hippie's Paradise." LOL Anjuna is very friendly toward ex-pats and tourists: lots of English-speakers, lovely guesthouses/hostels, and diverse restaurants. There also wasn't any expectation for tourists to dress conservatively, so I felt pretty comfortable wearing whatever I would wear at a beach back in the states. And lots of bikini's and speedo's on the beach! (But I think this might also depend on the beach you go to. We were at Anjuna beach, which is a very Western touristy beach area. A more Indian-tourist beach area might have been different.)

This was the guesthouse we stayed at. It's called Anjunapalms Guesthouse. It had a lot of great reviews on hostelworld. Though the rooms were pretty basic, we requested a room with a/c and a private bath. And the Goan family who owned the guesthouse were WONDERFUL. They gave us a lot of tips on what to do, where to eat, and they even arranged transportation for us. The guesthouse was only a 10-minute walk from the beach!

Cows on the beach! What a life!

What was unique about the beach in Goa from other beaches I've been to are the ladies who carried baskets of fruit on their head. They sold you fresh fruit and cut it up for you, so it's ready to eat. There's nothing like eating fresh mangoes and pineapple while sunbathing next to the Arabian Sea!

- Amy '12

Pets!

Buffalo, monkeys and other wild animals can be spotted roaming our campus in Hyderabad; but dogs dominate the wild-animal scene throughout India. Most are scraggly looking pups who have likely never had a home, but a recent visit to Kolkata introduced me to a few canines who are living the luxurious life of a house-dog.

The emergence of a pet market is a sign of the new middle class in India. This group has money to spend not only on the appetites of their family members, but on their animals as well, and boy does it show! I'm no stranger to chubby pets, but these dogs surpassed most that I have ever seen in the states!
-RS