Sorry this has taken a long time to come, but since arrival life has
been non-stop! I will tell you more about things when I have my internet
properly set up (I am just using the computer in the office at the
moment). Arrival in India is a complete shock to all the senses. No
guide books can possibly prepare you for the overwhelming nature of
experiencing the sight, sound, smell of a completely different culture
all in one go. Coming off the plane the first thing you notice is the
smell, not a bad one, but unique. Having cleared customs I met with
Bhavna, who took me to the campus. This involved an hour long taxi ride,
in a rickety old minivan with no seatbelts through
Bangalore`s notorious roads.
Even now this seems more familiar, having been in
rickshaws and up and down Hosur Road a few times, but it really hit me
the first time. Hosur Road is the main road from
Bangalore
to Electronics City, and it is about twice as wide as the M25. There
are no lanes, no rules, cows, boulders and craters litter the road and
it is packed with traffic constantly.
Traveling
30km can take up to 2 hours. The other thing I remember vividly is the
sound of the city. At first the chorus of song-birds (I arrived at 5am,
just in time for the dawn chorus), of which there are many all over the
city, and then the car horns, which are inescapable. Everyone honks all
the time, and many larger vehicles play tunes.I will be updating more
regularly soon, and I will be able to upload some of my photos as well.
There is so much to talk about and even more yet to see here, it can be
very daunting. I am very glad I am here for long enough to see
everything, as it is a fascinating place.
Tom