Well no one told me but I guess they work on Saturdays too! Crazy! I guess now that the corporations are coming into India the idea of the 5-day work week is catching on, but not yet at Navdanya.
I still have no work but I came to the office anyway since it is slightly cooler and there is internet and good lunch.
Yesterday the guys I am staying with Mukesh and Manu had an entrance exam into a joint Philosphy MA/ Law JD program. It was interesting reading some of the questions on the exam. They had three hours and were to chose four out of fourteen topics to write on from globalization, judicial activism, women's rights and special economic zones. It is extremely competitive with thousands around the country sitting in on the exam and only perhaps 1% being admitted. I like the idea that entrance doesn't have to do with grades and reccomendations like in the states.
I got to the apartment before anyone and spent the next two hours cleaning the kitchen. They had recently fired their maid and men will aparently put up with an infinite amount of dirty dishes. By the time I was done I was drenched because there is no ventilation or fan in the kitchen.
While everyone was gone a man came to the door looking for someone. Since I didn't remember the names of all the roomates I wasn't sure if he was looking for someone who lived there or not. He kept me there for 20 minutes trying to get me to tell him where this person was. He turned out to be a debt collector on behalf of Citibank. Apparently the guy had run out on $150,000 debt. He owed all of the roomates money too. Mukesh said that there is no credit reporting system, however, so this guy can just go to a different state and still get a loan. But although he will get off in this case if they ever do find him he is likely to be severly beaten or killed.
In the morning before the blanket of heat completely decended I went to the Hauz Khas park. There is a deer park with probably one hundred deer similar looking to those in the states but with white spots and a balck stripe up the spine. The park is actually a site for an ancient water retention system which used to supply the neighboring areas of Delhi. Now it is a haven for the corpulent, looking to sweat off the fruits of their excesses. I sat and watched a snake glide across the water below me and ducks and swans herding their newborns.
I left the office after lunch to go to an art exhibit I read about in the paper. It was very nice and also very small so I am back now.
I have only gotten lost once and in that case I just retraced my steps to find my way. That is the only thing I hate about exploring the area is that people are always staring at me so I feel silly looking like I don't know where I am going. Since eye contact or a polite smile is seen as a come-on I have to look destination driven, which of course I am not.
I got a guidebook about Delhi today so maybe I will be a bit more ambitious in exploring the other parts of the city I haven't been to yet.
I still have no work but I came to the office anyway since it is slightly cooler and there is internet and good lunch.
Yesterday the guys I am staying with Mukesh and Manu had an entrance exam into a joint Philosphy MA/ Law JD program. It was interesting reading some of the questions on the exam. They had three hours and were to chose four out of fourteen topics to write on from globalization, judicial activism, women's rights and special economic zones. It is extremely competitive with thousands around the country sitting in on the exam and only perhaps 1% being admitted. I like the idea that entrance doesn't have to do with grades and reccomendations like in the states.
I got to the apartment before anyone and spent the next two hours cleaning the kitchen. They had recently fired their maid and men will aparently put up with an infinite amount of dirty dishes. By the time I was done I was drenched because there is no ventilation or fan in the kitchen.
While everyone was gone a man came to the door looking for someone. Since I didn't remember the names of all the roomates I wasn't sure if he was looking for someone who lived there or not. He kept me there for 20 minutes trying to get me to tell him where this person was. He turned out to be a debt collector on behalf of Citibank. Apparently the guy had run out on $150,000 debt. He owed all of the roomates money too. Mukesh said that there is no credit reporting system, however, so this guy can just go to a different state and still get a loan. But although he will get off in this case if they ever do find him he is likely to be severly beaten or killed.
In the morning before the blanket of heat completely decended I went to the Hauz Khas park. There is a deer park with probably one hundred deer similar looking to those in the states but with white spots and a balck stripe up the spine. The park is actually a site for an ancient water retention system which used to supply the neighboring areas of Delhi. Now it is a haven for the corpulent, looking to sweat off the fruits of their excesses. I sat and watched a snake glide across the water below me and ducks and swans herding their newborns.
I left the office after lunch to go to an art exhibit I read about in the paper. It was very nice and also very small so I am back now.
I have only gotten lost once and in that case I just retraced my steps to find my way. That is the only thing I hate about exploring the area is that people are always staring at me so I feel silly looking like I don't know where I am going. Since eye contact or a polite smile is seen as a come-on I have to look destination driven, which of course I am not.
I got a guidebook about Delhi today so maybe I will be a bit more ambitious in exploring the other parts of the city I haven't been to yet.
View from our balcony
1 comment:
I feel like you are living a movie... totally cool.
Also... HOW AMAZING THAT GUYS ARE SO SIMILAR ACROSS THE WHOLE ENTIRE FREAKIN' WORLD!!!!!!!!!!! Sheesh!
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