First day in Ahmedabad

8.20.09

Ok so that whole diet soda addiction I had is going to be quickly gotten over. It’s just too hot here to drink anything but tons of water! Today Caryn and I left Hotel President to get our rooms we had arranged at the Indian Institute of Management dorms. That was quite an ordeal…We carted all of our heavy luggage to IIM in autorickshaws. When we got to the IIM gates they wanted letters showing what we were there for, but after a few minutes it was worked out. Then we couldn’t find the office where we were supposed to go to get checked in, everyone we asked seemed to tell us differently. We finally found it and then we had to go to the Doctor there to be checked for Swine flu! Our rooms were in the new campus of IIM. After I finally got everything settled in I went to meet the girls who were looking for a roommate. They were researchers at IIM, and they were very sweet. They seem like fun girls.

After that I went to CEPT which was really exciting to be going back there after 4 years! I had to use the bathroom and there was one in particular that had a western-style toilet, but I couldn't find it! I thought I was loosing my mind. When I went to find Ruchi she said they had made the bathroom into the work studio she and others were using! I felt so much better - I couldn't imagine I had forgotten where it was! But they even re-did the old bathrooms and are much nicer now. It seems much easier overall to find western style toilets which comes as a relief I must say. But it was great to see her! She was telling me about how everyone was married now, and showing me pictures from all the weddings. She was enjoying traveling all over the country for the weddings. Then I went to meet Shrawan - he's a professor in the planning department who was at Ball State last year on a Fulbright. He was really nice and welcoming. We talked for a good while and he had some interesting ideas for my research. When I pulled out my notebook to write some down though, he said, no put that away - this is your first day, you'll have time later! I also met with Utpal who is dean of the planning dept. and who is my actual advisor. He is so busy! Constantly on the phone, but he had some good ideas for my research too, and it was really interesting to hear from them some of the planning projects going on in Ahmedabad. They just recenlty put in a bus rapid transit line!

Ahmedabad seems to have changed quite a bit since I’ve been here. It seems a lot more cleaner, a lot less trash lying around. And fewer animals! Far fewer cows and dogs roaming the streets, and it smells a lot better…Maybe it’s just my perception has changed, but no I think it really has improved.

Ruchi and I had chai and I spoke with Harpreet on her phone. After she was done working, we went to get a snack at rajasthani snack shop - pani puri and samosa. Then we went to meet a friend at her apartnment, pick up some tailored clothes, and finally go to eat at Curries, a Punjabi place. It was nice because we met several other CEPT students from her class there, but I was sooooo exhausted after staying up so late talking to Karuna and Nihal! It was really fun though to see everyone and to talk to the professors!

The images are of IIM campus - Louis Kahn Plaza, the new campus addition, and the the dorm we are staying at there.

Here's a link to my pics on Flickr- I can't get Facebook to upload them right now...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/41723269@N06/