Arrival
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