I know, I know: I didn't even blog about my last days (or even weeks) in India! So, here's the recap:
1. Mango Orchard If you don't know why, you don't know me. It was a great chance to eat some DELICIOUS, JUICY, MAGNIFICENT MANGOES, and also to meet some great new people! They shared my passion for mangoes, so nobody judged when we all ignored the conversation and devoured mango after mango!
1. Mango Orchard If you don't know why, you don't know me. It was a great chance to eat some DELICIOUS, JUICY, MAGNIFICENT MANGOES, and also to meet some great new people! They shared my passion for mangoes, so nobody judged when we all ignored the conversation and devoured mango after mango!
2. Finished my research project! This was obviously the main reason I travelled to India. Though the research I conducted was not quite what I was expecting, it was nonetheless educational. For one, it was really important for me to learn how to conduct field research and to formally undergo a research project. This was extremely valuable in itself, so it made researching a topic I'm not particularly interested in worthwhile in the end. Second, it was difficult for me to do research on something that wasn't pertinent to my own studies. Studying cause-driven cafes was desired by CCS, and as an intern my duty was to fulfill that need. Though I sometimes let my frustration show, this was a really good chance for me to learn to keep my head down and get the work done. I found ways to make my research more meaningful to me (visiting cafes really wasn't all that bad ;) ) and gained experience working for others and not myself.
3. Said goodbye to many friends... saying goodbye to so many new friends was hard on me, but also gave me some hope—I now have that many more reasons to visit again! My fellow interns and I had an unforgettable time getting to know each other really, really well—and yes, too well in some cases!—and it will always be our group packed in that conference room that my thoughts turn to when I think of CCS! It took me a while to remember all their names (Abhishek, Aditi, Adrita, Aneesha, Ankita, Antaripa, Avni, Karan, Nikhil, Nikita, Pariroo, Pranav, Prashanth, Shambhavi, Shruti, Tarunika, Urmi, Vidushi!) and though I make no claim to spell them correctly, now or ever, I will never forget them :)
3. Said goodbye to many friends... saying goodbye to so many new friends was hard on me, but also gave me some hope—I now have that many more reasons to visit again! My fellow interns and I had an unforgettable time getting to know each other really, really well—and yes, too well in some cases!—and it will always be our group packed in that conference room that my thoughts turn to when I think of CCS! It took me a while to remember all their names (Abhishek, Aditi, Adrita, Aneesha, Ankita, Antaripa, Avni, Karan, Nikhil, Nikita, Pariroo, Pranav, Prashanth, Shambhavi, Shruti, Tarunika, Urmi, Vidushi!) and though I make no claim to spell them correctly, now or ever, I will never forget them :)
| I can't forget the "wardens" of the internship, Meril and Sadaf, who put up with all our goofiness and antics and sometimes joined in :) |
There are a few people who made the time special outside of the internship as well (and two who did both!) and I want to high-light their impact on me a bit!
Arjun—He was pretty cool, I guess. He's doing some start-up thing (like the rest of Delhi, it seems) called DriverJi. It's pretty cool, and if you are planning a trip to India I recommend you check out the site. But let's be honest, he didn't do any work. That was all Abu (discussed in previous posts). See the photo to the right for proof. When he wasn't lazing out, he was playing "devil's advocate," which basically consisted of him pestering you until you just ran out of damns to give. But he was a cute pit bull, so we kept him. Until he left us. Traitor. | Vasu—Vasu was more than just the hostel owner, he was also a friend, tour guide, Dad-ish figure, and subject of impersonation (when he wasn't around). Cue Urmi pumping her fist saying, "THAT IS SO SEXY, MAAAANNNN." Basically, Vasu was always there for everyone in the hostel. Since it was just a few of us at the beginning (before the "others" showed up) we got pretty close, and Jugaad really felt like home with our little family of weirdos. Thanks to Vasu for creating such an incredible space that made all of us, with all our differences, immediately feel at home and comfortable. |
Amith—Amith saved our butts when we mistakenly trusted Google Maps to take us to Chandni Chowk, and was our in-house Hindi speaker. Though we didn't get the chance to get to know each other very well, I wish him all the best of luck in his upcoming nuptials! He's gonna do great things for the orphaned children he works for and with, too, and I've enjoyed getting to know what a kind person he is. Also, he gave us the oven that led to the Great 4th of July Apple Pie (Charlie Brown). And, even though he left for a brief period of time, AMITH CAME BACK BECAUSE HE LOVES US (*cough cough* Arjun *cough cough*)
Vince—Okay, so the party didn't start until he walked in, and it didn't end until he left karaoke. Which is basically just when The Garage (inevitably where we ended up) closed. Vince was so great, and always up for a good time and a good conversation. And once you bond over "researching" gender norms in India, there's no "take-backsies" for friendship. He takes great photos, too, and does way more dangerous stuff than I'll ever do, so I will enjoy living vicariously through him in the years to come :)
Ammar—There are just no words. We loved having him, and miss him a ton, but we were definitely glad when he finally got back to Saudi. Also, come to 'Murica sometime for a great pork chop sandwich!
Dhruv—DHRUV!!! He was the cutest, and was always curling up in his blanket because he wouldn't turn the AC off. His laugh was the funniest, and even though he was horrible at giving directions to the delivery guy, he was really good at ordering food! I'll miss this guy a lot, and be safe when you go out! Make sure to find someone who keeps you from wandering off :)
Vince—Okay, so the party didn't start until he walked in, and it didn't end until he left karaoke. Which is basically just when The Garage (inevitably where we ended up) closed. Vince was so great, and always up for a good time and a good conversation. And once you bond over "researching" gender norms in India, there's no "take-backsies" for friendship. He takes great photos, too, and does way more dangerous stuff than I'll ever do, so I will enjoy living vicariously through him in the years to come :)
Ammar—There are just no words. We loved having him, and miss him a ton, but we were definitely glad when he finally got back to Saudi. Also, come to 'Murica sometime for a great pork chop sandwich!
Dhruv—DHRUV!!! He was the cutest, and was always curling up in his blanket because he wouldn't turn the AC off. His laugh was the funniest, and even though he was horrible at giving directions to the delivery guy, he was really good at ordering food! I'll miss this guy a lot, and be safe when you go out! Make sure to find someone who keeps you from wandering off :)
For some reason, we only took photos together on the last day. Sorry, Mom, I failed you... | Prashanth—Oh, Prashanth. From day one, Prashanth was everybody's source for "Word of the Day," and often more than just one! I guess that's what you get from a Twitter celebrity (@prashanthbhat people, check him out! 8,000 followers means he's kind of a big deal!) There were so many Prashanth-isms, but none of us could ever actually remember them accurately because it was way too lofty and ideological for us to actually remember. So, we paraphrased (but we always cited him, so no plagiarism!). He was wise beyond his 28/29 years, and we had a ton of fun celebrating his birthday on the 4th of July! He brought a lot to the internship and to the hostel, and I was really grateful to work and learn with someone so driven, motivated, and intelligent! I can't wait to send his CCS paper to all his future students, though, so they know that at one point he, too, was just beginning—although I don't think this paper is going to even be embarrassing, with his work ethic. Urmi—aka "The smartest person in the world" and/or "the best roomie I could have asked for". Seriously, girl is a superstar! Aside from having the best birthday in the entire world (albeit one year late), I was so surprised at how similar she and I were. We had no problem hanging out together, listening to new music, talking about good TV, or having ridiculous and embarrassing conversations. But we also got to do our own thing. It is amazing when you find a person who lets you be fully yourself when you're with them, and I found that with Urmi! I am sure our paths will cross in the future, and I am so lucky to have met this amazing, inspiring, brilliant woman. Plus, it was great to have someone helping me explore Indian culture and explain things to me when I got confused. Often, she acted as translator when I was trying to order food, and she definitely knew how to get rickshaw drivers to treat me like less of a foreigner :) Ultimately, she really made my trip to India one of a kind, and I can't wait for our friendship to grow and flourish in the future! |
Finally, thanks to everybody else who made my time in India so special. There were people at the hostel I knew for just a short time, but it was always such an enjoyable time! I will never forget this summer, and will often revisit my adventures there :) The memories from my second Indian summer will definitely be worth rewinding and "rewatching" in the future! Also, it makes returning that much more enticing! Fortunately, I have a 10-year visa and lots of Indian friends who need to invite me to their future weddings ;)