familiar yet foreign

Reflections from my first weekend in India (May 20 – May 22, 2022)

After roughly 24 hours of travel, I have finally arrived in India! Special thanks to Priyanka, a PhD student at the University of Arizona and my travel companion who made sure that I was well taken care of every step of the way, much to the relief of my parents. After navigating customs and health screenings at the Bangalore International Airport, we were finally greeted by Mr. Kantharaj, who drove me the 3.5 hours from BLR to the Public Health Research Institute of India (PHRII), where I will be working for the next two months. While waiting for Mr. Kantharaj to pull his car around, I was struck by the symphony of sounds. Even at 4:00 am, honking cars and cawing ravens signaled a warm welcome.

Despite my best efforts to stay awake during the drive to PHRII, I found myself drifting in and out of sleep. Every time I woke up, the scenery would change; the sky becoming lighter and the landscape becoming more rural by the hour.

With that, here’s a few things I’ve noticed about the roadways in India:

Honking. So much honking. The drivers here are definitely much more liberal with their horn than those back in the States. Likely due to the lack of stop signs and traffic lights, at least on the roads I’ve been on, drivers honk prior to intersections and pretty much whenever they feel appropriate (which is incredibly frequent), signaling to nearby vehicles their presence. Here, some trucks even have bumper stickers welcoming other cars to honk at them.

Mario Kart-esque rides. Besides the non-stop honking, the autos/rickshaws here also dodge a wide array of obstacles, ranging from cows to zigzagging scooters. “Personal bubbles” and “space cushions” do not exist in this precarious realm. As someone who gets nervous driving in downtown Phoenix, this was truly a terrifying and unorthodox way to travel but effective nevertheless.

The scenery on the drive to PHRII reminded me a lot of the other countries I’ve visited. The painted buildings reminiscent of the colorful houses in Agua Prieta, Mexico while the lush greenery, shuttered storefronts, humid weather, and even the paved sidewalks were similar to those in Taiwan. Other times, the landscape was completely different than anything I’ve ever seen – the sheer amount of people walking in the streets, Hindu temples, gated hospitals and municipal centers, the multitude of animals ranging from cows to peacocks nonchalantly existing alongside bustling crowds. In moments like those, I could only soak in the scenery and marvel at the differences. I imagine there will be a lot of these moments on this trip.

After reaching PHRII, I was introduced to the security guard Siddhu, who graciously helped me bring my luggage to the upstairs dorm where I will be staying. At 9:30 am, I met Teju, the office supervisor, who gave me a tour and promptly introduced me to a flurry of individuals who work at PHRII. Everyone was incredibly friendly, and I feel bad that I only caught the names of a few people. While eating breakfast – a South Indian dish called idli served with chutney and a potato curry – Mrs. Poornima Jay (the PHRII administrator) gave me a summary of the expectations and details of my internship. I also briefly spoke to Dr. Vijaya and Dr. Kiran about the miRNA project I will be working on for the next two months.

Around 10:30am, I retreated back upstairs and ended up taking a 7-hour nap. I am never underestimating the power of jet lag ever again.

Saturday and Sunday, I mainly spent the weekend orienting myself to the sights and sounds of Mysore. Interestingly enough, Saturday is also a work-day in India, although thankfully a shortened one. Teju took me to Loyal World, a supermarket stocked with essentials ranging from shampoo to spice mixes. Even though it was smaller in size, it did remind me a little of the Costco warehouses back home. I even needed to have my receipt checked at the door, albeit without the cartoon smiley faces drawn in highlighter.

Living at PHRII is also a bit lonelier than I thought it would be. The other interns won’t be arriving until June 6th, and with Priyanka staying in an apartment farther away, it does get isolating at times. Once all the PHRII staff leave for the day, the house becomes a lot quieter. Even though Siddhu, Lakshmi (the housekeeper), and their family keep me company, our interactions are fairly limited. They’re both incredibly sweet and thoughtful though, with Lakshmi even bringing up my breakfast Sunday morning: ragi roti served with chutney and a concoction of curry leaves, onions, peppers, and tomatoes.

I think my motto eating food in India is best summed up by “I’m not sure what it is, but it tastes amazing.” Hopefully by the end of this trip, I’ll be less clueless though and be able to both enjoy the dishes and know their names. All in all though, it certainly has been a unique experience living in a foreign country, and I’m excited to see where this internship leads next!