Pulicat week 1
On Monday we left for Pulicat, a big lake north of Chennai. We live at a field station for Madras Christian College - MCC (Madras and Chennai are 2 names for the same place). On the way to the station, we stopped at MCC. We are the first BCA group to work with MCC so there were all sorts of formalities of meeting professors and touring laboratories. We had tea with everyone. At one point we were just introduced to a room full of masters students and told to socialize. It was really awkward at first, but I started talking to some girls and they were really nice. Some things were kind of awkward. I asked what they did for fun, and they told me they didn’t go out for fun because of a strict upbringing, so I’m not quite sure what they meant. I did eventually find out that they liked shopping at the market down the street and going to the movies. It was cool to talk to them.
When we got to Pulicat, we went on a boat ride around the lake. That evening we went into town. we had been told that it would be very rural and there wouldn’t be much around. It’s actually a decent size town with a main street of shops. The research station is across the street from a school. During the day there are tons of kids in khaki uniforms running around. They all want to talk to us. To get between the classroom building and the building where the girls are staying, we have to walk down the street a little, so we pass everyone.
The building we stay in is one big room with beds. All 7 girls are there. There is a curtain separating the other half, where some MCC girls were staying. They are all nice, but several nights they were up later then we wanted to be and sound carries extremely well in the room, so any talking seems incredibly loud. I feel bad we don’t socialize with them more. We did a bunch of name games the first day in hopes of getting us to interact, but they didn’t really help the interaction.
The rest of the week, we had classes with various MCC faculty and various assignments. everything was pretty good. we weren’t too busy and it was very relaxing. It was warmer than it has been so far, and more mosquitoes, but good food (all indian).
no one uses silverware in India, you eat with your hands. I’m good with using the breads to scoop things up, but i’m still awkward with the rice and sauce meals. I will learn.
This weekend we are back at feral, and we go back to Pulicat tomorrow night. the next weekend we leave for spring break in Goa. the trekking idea fell through, so we are spending some time in north goa and some time in the south. i’m excited.
