First Post in India (at last)

Many things have kept me from blogging since I arrived in India (namely lack of motivation and internet access), but as I begin month 3 in-country, I realize it is truly time to get this blog rolling. Not sure where to begin, so I suppose I will start with the present.

Life has started to come together for me in Pune.

After weeks searching for apartments all over the city, Michaela and I are finally settled in our new flat. The first of March, we moved into a lovely place in “Rajas Garden,” an apartment complex in the Model Colony neighborhood of Shivaji Nager, Pune. Though we lucked out and found a semi-furnished pad, we have still had to invest quite a bit of time and energy searching and bargaining for home goods. With the help of friends, a lot of leg work, and much patience (read: hours waiting for delivery or installation), our flat is starting to look like a home. And, we are collecting some great stories about apartment life in Pune. Some gems include:

• The electricity going out just as our refrigerator was being delivered. I attempted to help the delivery men with my headlamp, but instead made them laugh with my strange silly head gear.

• Taking half a day off of work to register the apartment with the two sets of police. The logistical difficulties of renting to a foreigner gave me a new sense of appreciation for the signs I sometimes see near housing complexes which state “NO foreigners, bachelors, or students.”

• Being lectured thrice by the apartment owner about appropriate behavior for young women (ie: no boys, booze, or loud noise). And then breaking all of these rules immediately after signing the lease when our (male) friend came to visit from Ahmedabad.

• Shopping for furniture on Laxmi Road (where each of the 15-20 furniture stores sell exactly the same pieces of furniture) and attempting to bargain for the same exact table at each shop.

All in all, I am thrilled to have a fantastic home in a great neighborhood. We live right down the street from a huge fruit/vegetable market and we are surrounded by little stores selling everything from eggs (and live chickens!) to electronics to household goods. Both Michaela and I joined a nearby gym and have recently figured out bus routes to our respective offices. In addition, we’ve met several groups of college and graduate school students in our neighborhood with whom we’ve started to spend time. So, as we put up curtains, cook our first meals, and get to know the local vendors, the apartment and neighborhood are really starting to feel like home.

Work continues to be challenging and rewarding. Last week the entire NGO spent two days at a retreat to review the activities of the past year and plan strategies and activities for the future. In addition to writing and presenting a strategy plan for the media unit, the NGO director asked me to co-facilitate the event, which took place at a hotel outside of the city. While I generally enjoy group facilitation, I quickly realized that language and cultural differences complicated this job. It is much more difficult to keep a group on task and on time when they are speaking a language with which you are only vaguely familiar. While I definitely struggled to feel out the best way to manage my role, my coworkers were very gracious about my performance, and ultimately I think that the retreat helped bring me closer to the NGO and the staff. If nothing else, the late-night all-staff dance party did the bonding trick.

Besides the retreat, I am very much kept busy editing reports, writing documents, and participating in various rallies, lectures, and documentary film openings in and around Pune. While I am still developing a long-term workplan at the NGO, I never want for something to do or someone to talk to. I often return home exhausted at the end of long days, but feeling happy with my work and my colleagues. I suppose, according to the director of the NGO, I am still in the "honeymoon" phase.