India-pendent … Well, Sort of.
Over the past 8 years, I’ve lived in a variety of places – dorm rooms, Stephens Lane, a kid’s room, The Dojo – but I’ve never once lived alone, until now. I am living in a “flat” situated in area called Bodakdev, which is in the newer part of Ahmedabad.
Reliance Mart.
I figured that living alone would force me to be independent, but between the routine hospitality of my neighbors and my incredibly generous family in Ahmedabad, it’s not entirely the case. Neither is the concept of simple living. As I’ve said, Ahmbedabad is now considered a “mega city”, so many of the amenities found in Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore are now in Ahmedabad; malls, movie theaters, new restaurants, McDonald’s are common place here.
Warming up my milk.
That said, my average weekday day to day life is still vastly different than what it was like at home. For the first time in 4 years, I don’t have to wear a suit and tie to work. I only shave three times a week (they are rolling out the Fusion here now). I still eat cereal every morning, but I buy individual milk packets the night before, boil and then strain the milk before applying to said cereal.
I get around by rickshaw and although I’ve finally learned the math behind the DC like taxi charges ((total distance / 4) +2 = rupees owed), I’m in the market for a scooter. I walk home from work when I can, which usually takes 45 minutes. My neighbors help me navigate the local market (by market I mean the western-style grocery store; I haven’t built the courage to buy from street vendors yet) and arrange for my apartment cleaning. Because of my child-like Gujarati, they also think I’m 15 years old and regularly ask me for a “he-sob” – a weekly account of my expenses.
Vasna.
I work Monday through Friday from around 10AM to 630PM and on Saturday from 10AM to 130PM. I go into the field 3 days a week for at least 3-4 hours per visit (field = slums where Saath works).
Marketing for Umeed on a pan-wallah.
I spend the majority of my field time at the Umeed centers (vocational training program) and at the Urban Resource Centers (where slum residents obtain ration cards, livelihood information and basic services) collecting datat and interviewing and interacting with students, visitors and staff.
After avoiding caffeine through banking and PE, I drink chai (Indian tea) twice a day, at 11AM and at 230PM.
The Bullpen.
For lunch. 3-6 of us usually gather in the courtyard outside our office and share meals, discuss politics (everyone loves Obama) and catch up.
At work.
Natassia and I just started a tiffin service (see picture below) where we split an assortment of shak (cooked vegetables mixed with flavored gravy), roti (thin, circular bread), dhar (vegetable curry), and bhat (rice). In Mumbai, an organization called Dabbiwalla, serves 200,000 tiffins daily. Apparently, they are “six sigma certified … most are illiterate lecturer MBAs” … Read about it: http://www.mydabbawala.com/
One Container. Six Meals. Everyone is Happy.
For dinner, I either eat at my uncle’s house (3x), eat out with Natassia and Ekta (2x) or make pasta (penne with ketchup disguised as tomato sauce) and grilled cheese (2x). I love eating and spending time at my uncle’s house. He and his family helped me move in, call me regularly and even help Natassia and Ekta with their new clothes alterations. My cousin Parag has two kids, Hersh and Kanisha, who speak great English and are teaching me Gujarati. It’s incredibly humbling to learn a new language from a 13 and 9 year old.
I like it here.
Desai Family.
finding rickshaw. 