Sunday July 12th, 2009

Delhi had not been kind to me.On Sunday we departed for the domestic airport at 5:15 am, with the hope that it would be the start of a better journey, in Mumbai.Earlier in the week I had a bout of heatstroke which caused me to black out in the metro.The oppressive heat made it difficult to eat, and the malfunctioning air conditioning unit made it difficult to sleep, its motor being so loud it was like trying to sleep next to a lawnmower.

My optimism was there, even if weak as I threw up in the airport bathroom before boarding the plane.When flying over Toronto, you see rows upon rows of parallel and perpendicular lines, creating a grid pattern.When flying over Delhi, you see block upon block of apartment buildings which look remarkably like lego.When flying in to Mumbai though, the land is lush and green only interrupted by a patchwork of slum rooftops.The topography of Mumbai is unlike any other city I have flown over, where despite the hills and recesses of the land, the slum is built as if it was poured on, continuing for miles.Due to heavy rain blue tarps covered many of the roof tops, and it was the rain which made our descent difficult.After a very turbulent landing, where I am fairly certain the child in the seat behind me crapped his pants, we were in Mumbai.

Monday July 13th, 2009 / Tuesday July 14th, 2009

I set off for the institute today, hailing a dilapidated Fiat taxi cab, which had holes in the floor that I could see the road though.At any given moment the sky can open and it pours, sometimes for five minutes, at times continuously for hours.The flooding can stop the trains from running, flights from landing, but not the daily lives of the people who live here.

Mumbai has been described to me as a concrete jungle, where every surface is etched from the downpour that continues for a third of the year.Today was the first day visiting the university where I will be working as an 'independent research scholar'.While I had an idea that The Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) is a smaller school, and also a nature preserve- I wasn't expecting what I found.The school is nestled within a mini tropical jungle, and despite its ranking as a top graduate school for social sciences and being world renowned, it is small campus with one main building where most profs have their offices.The school has none of the sterility of regular academic institutions, and the organic environment is refreshing.

Because there are only a few hundred students, everyone is friendly and in the short time I've been here I have been treated really well by the people that I've come across.Today for example I asked some students where I could get photos taken (needed for a library pass) and instead of giving me directions, one of the girls insisted on taking me herself.While I have limited time to socialize here with my concentrated workload, it's great to know if ever a break is needed I can go to the main lounge and grab a coffee with anyone sitting there.

I currently do not have housing, and am staying in a hostel.Hopefully tomorrow if the rain lets up we can check out some flats, and work can begin.