Tomorrow to Ahmedabad

Just now out in the bustling street I ran into a very strange woman from my Hindi classes in Seattle. I don't remember her name, but I do remember that she spoke very slowly and quietly and seemed awfully naive. At the same time she was probably the best Hindi speaker in that class and she had grown up in an ashram. I thought it would be quite amazing to meet someone I know by coincidence in this city, but then there is really only about a 15 block radius in which tourists tend to roam around here. Clearly I am one of them, but since my first time here I see Mumbai as a place that I can come and find many of the things, and certain comforts, I like without leaving India. For example, a place that I can go and write and plug in my computer without too much trouble, a croissant, a beer, some fish or chicken, things like that. I've decided not to beat myself up about getting to know the rest of the city.

I am nervous and excited to see where I will be staying in Ahmedabad. I arrive tomorrow evening around 6pm and I am supposed to take and taxi to the campus, look for dorm 4 and ask for my room key - we'll see! I cannot emphasize enough how nice the weather is here - how much better that when I was here last! Apparently this is the time to come because of the weather and because the tourist season is not yet at its height.

Typically, I left the rest of a very important funding application to be completed here. So I am sitting daily in a crowded little internet cafe slaving away. Wish you all were here!