Week 4.5: Farewell India

So already it is my last day in Bangalore. I leave with the group at 9pm tonight. We are flying on Emirates to Dubai at 4am and then to Capetown.

I can't believe it's already been a month. I have learned so much, met so many new people and found out so many things about myself in such a short amount of time. As I get ready to leave I am a little overwhelmed by all the things I have to do and all of the thoughts and emotions that rush through me. I am starting to think about my senior thesis and how I will incorporate my abroad experiences into it, which classes I want to register for next semester, fellowships and jobs I want to apply to, essays to write, postcards to send to friends and family, souveneirs to buy, things to pack, people to call in South Africa, etc. My brain feels so cloudy with things I need to worry about in the coming weeks. Hopefully, I will get everything done in time with very little stress.

Enough about my worries. Here are some updates on what I've done for the past week or so.

Last week we went on an overnight field visit to Navadarshanam, an alternative community living outside the city. It is a community of 7 families that have decided to live sustainable lives--growing their own food, producing their own energy through solar, wind and biogas power, building eco friendly homes, and conserving as much as possible. It was an incredible visit. We stayed in beautiful houses in the middle of the forest. We ate delicious organic food and took a morning hike. It was great being able to escape the chaos of the city for a little while.

Also this week we presented our case studies to the class. My group-waste management, focused on what we learned about recycling, segregating waste, how to treat hazardous waste, and government policies addressing the problem. I learned that each day Bangalore produces 3000 tons of garbage! It was very interesting learning about waste management and how urban garbage negatively impacts rural farmlands.

For Politics and Development, my group conducted a debate on approaches to counter-terrorism in India. Given recent bombings and other tragic events, this issue seemed important to discuss. We presented arguments about how the government should respond to the attacks- allocate resources to intelligence and security or tackle some of the roots of the problem ie: marginalized Muslim communities? It was a fascinating topic and I learned a lot about the complexities of national security and political interests.

So overall, it was an academically rigorous and exhausting week. Thankfully, on the weekend I had a chance to relax and unwind. I visited the Bannerghatta National Park and went on a safari where I saw lions, tigers, bears, and more. I rode an elephant too!!! It was amazing to be so close to these animals. Then, the next day our host family threw a bbq party on our roof. We invited the whole family-cousins, aunts, uncles and close friends. It was wonderful- full of Bollywood dancing, delicious food, lots of pictures and laughing. I am really going to miss my host family. I think I was so lucky that I had such a caring, open minded, loving, and funny homestay. I will definitely try to visit them again in the near future. My host parents joke that when I get engaged I have to bring my fiance back to India for their approval. I think it is so sweet of them to say such things because it makes Meg and I feel like their real daughters. I can't imagine what my next host families will be like in South Africa. I guess I will have to wait and see.

Ok, well I guess you will hear from me again when I get to Capetown! Thanks for reading!