outdated update

I'm settling into my new house now. It's actually working out very well. We don't have a house mom to tell us what to do, we're in a lively sector (neighborhood super-block) where we can walk to the market, and are close to a busy street where it's easy to pick up a tuk-tuk (autorickshaw). The house itself is very nice, and Eryn and I have our own bathroom (big plus!). Our shower is a bucket, and you have to start up the water heater and hour before you shower, but that's the only real difference I see from home. The house is in the Modernist style, with some quirky Indian details and a lot of personality. There's no oven, which may prove problematic when we go through further cookie withdrawl.... but the stove heats water super quick for tea, and with this cold weather that's really all we want! We also have a washer that we share with the families upstairs. Unfortunately as there is no drier and it's freezing, anything you wash is likely to be wet for a week... so I'm waiting to do any laundry (also because I am usually wearing at least 6 layers of clothing on top at any given time: 3 shirts, 1 sweater, 1 sweatshirt and a jacket) so there is no way I am giving up any article of clothing. I'll just remain dirty. :)

I'm particularly enjoying all of the amazing Indian food. The man who takes care of our house is cooking dinners for us (he cooks them in the morning before he goes to work, and we heat them up on the stove in the evening). We're on our own for breakfast (we're eating a lot of yogurt and bananas) and for lunch we usually find a small place near school. I'm really interested in learning how to cook, and Vijay, our house cook has offered to teach us how to make paneer (cheese) and roti (a wheat bread similar to a tortilla). I've also decided the secret to amazing Indian food is lots of garlic and ginger. The whole house smells like ginger all day and it's amazing.

School started mid-week and so far it's moving slowly. We have studio every day of the week, 9am-1pm, and at noon we have a guest speaker series. Locals come in to talk about the city from a resident's point of view, as well as professionally (there are govt officials, architects, activists, etc). I think those lectures are my favorite part of the class so far. Our projects are still very freeform. I'm broadly studying the architectural controls (aesthetic rules essentially) applied to all commercial and residential buildings in the sector centers. I think I'm going to look at how the rigid system was adapted over the last 50 years to function with the Indian lifestyle. I'm working with Kate on this project, as well as an undergrad.

I'm getting more used to the city, and more comfortable with the city layout. I think it's somehow clear to the locals that we now live here: I'm not longer quoted 120 INR by the tuk-tuk drivers to get to school (it should be 50-60)! So it's nice to feel a bit more at home. We still get a lot of stares everywhere we go, and alot of catcalls from cars when it starts to get late (although we are never really out after dark). Our only tramautic experience so far has been Kate getting hit by a motorcycle (she's okay, just a bruised leg). There are no crosswalks here (well... there are some marked, but they really aren't crosswalks) and the streets are incredibly wide. The city was designed with the intent that you stay within your neighborhood block (which theoretically has all of the services you would need in daily life), so all streets outside that area are designed for fast car traffic. Crossing the street as a pedestrian is a bit of an art. First you look both ways (because even though traffic should only be coming from the right, there is often someone coming the other direction) and then you cross to the center, and then you repeat to get to the other side. When Kate and I were crossing we got to the middle and stopped, and then Kate saw someone in the wrong lane and panicked, running into the lane. I'm feeling really guilty that I didn't catch her. It all just happened so fast. We are lucky that it was only a motorcycle. She's a little nervous about crossing streets now, but with practice I think we'll both be fine. We're now using the hand-holding buddy system.

Alright, that's just a short update for now. I think I may be getting a phone in the next couple days. I made friends with a nice girl at school who has offered to get me a sim card (as a foreigner I can't get one on my own.... terrorism laws). I'll keep you updated.