Today it's been a week since I arrived to India for the first time. To be fair, things are going pretty well, better than expected if I am permitted (of course I am, it's my blog lol). I mean this because I never thought I was going to adapt so quickly to this whole new way of living, especially only in a week time. Now I know that if you are to take an "otto" or Indian rickshaw (sort of a taxi, http://winnersdelhinews.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/auto-rickshaws.jpg) you need to be aware of the price, for many times the driver will try charge you more money on the real price of the trip (tip: never ever pay more than Rs100 for a local trip). It is also widely known that if you search for something in India, that doesn't mean you're going in the right direction. Indian cities are constructed out of the blue, with no planifications. Manipal doesn't even have street names, they work fine with landmarks. That means that if you are receiving a letter, the postman won't usually know your address, instead he will call you and you'll meet him/her at a landmark nearby, e.g. near the police station. I know it's crazy. This may account for the way people drive in here. They can overtake whenever possible (by possible they understand risking your life a few times), push the horn ceaselessly and shout curse words to stray dogs on the road if necessary.
And switching to other issues, I've already had my first lecture here. Professor Praveen spoke about European literature from the ancient ages (Greece and Rome) until modernism. We had great reflections with him, sharing our thoughts and perceptions about what we understand by literature, constructing general views of past eras and exploring the different ideas of some of the greatest thinkers in History: Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Machiavelo, More, Ockham, Da Vinci, Rafael, Camus, Hesse, etc. It's simply amazing to recreate part of the history of Europe from its literary works. There are so many things yet to learn, thinking currents, ideas, masterpieces, wars, empires... From the craddle of civilization to the obscure times of the middle ages (you just can't imagine how sad it is to talk about Spanish inquisition) until the "boom" of artistic currents of the twentieth century. Sometimes I think I would love to live enough to know more about every single thing that has influenced us to come to where we stand now, from the ancient works to the most modern pieces, *sighs*...
Also, two days ago was the festivity called "Rakhsha Bandhan". This day commemorates the bond between brothers and sisters. Sisters tie a thread on the brother's hand, meaning that the brother will protect the sister for the rest of their lives (beautiful huh?). Fortunately, my new friend Akash gave me a spare thread for me (which is currently tied on my left wrist). I'll try to upload a picture of it as soon as possible.
More about Indian rituals. As I told you in the first post, I'm going to an Indian celebration this sunday. One of my colleagues is moving to her new apartment and they have a celebration for it. So finally I could find a picture of it to share with you:
Please notice the swastika symbol. No, they are not nazis lol. Most of Indian people don't even know who Hitler was. The swastika symbol has Indian origins. It may have several meanings, though the most accepted one is "welfare". Together with the Om and the Sri, these are some sacred symbols in the Indian culture.
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Quick update: finally got 3G on my phone. Still need to arrange the computer dongle (USB stick). We're planning a trip to Bangalore for next thursday, it's one of the most important cities of Karnataka. Tomorrow we'll be probably having an international dinner at Stefano's. I'll try to cook some Spanish omelette and other Spanish meals if I find the right ingredients. I'm also organising the Spanish A1 level for the first semester and sorting out my registration paperwork at the police station. Stay tuned for more and...
NAMASKARA!
And switching to other issues, I've already had my first lecture here. Professor Praveen spoke about European literature from the ancient ages (Greece and Rome) until modernism. We had great reflections with him, sharing our thoughts and perceptions about what we understand by literature, constructing general views of past eras and exploring the different ideas of some of the greatest thinkers in History: Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Machiavelo, More, Ockham, Da Vinci, Rafael, Camus, Hesse, etc. It's simply amazing to recreate part of the history of Europe from its literary works. There are so many things yet to learn, thinking currents, ideas, masterpieces, wars, empires... From the craddle of civilization to the obscure times of the middle ages (you just can't imagine how sad it is to talk about Spanish inquisition) until the "boom" of artistic currents of the twentieth century. Sometimes I think I would love to live enough to know more about every single thing that has influenced us to come to where we stand now, from the ancient works to the most modern pieces, *sighs*...
Also, two days ago was the festivity called "Rakhsha Bandhan". This day commemorates the bond between brothers and sisters. Sisters tie a thread on the brother's hand, meaning that the brother will protect the sister for the rest of their lives (beautiful huh?). Fortunately, my new friend Akash gave me a spare thread for me (which is currently tied on my left wrist). I'll try to upload a picture of it as soon as possible.
More about Indian rituals. As I told you in the first post, I'm going to an Indian celebration this sunday. One of my colleagues is moving to her new apartment and they have a celebration for it. So finally I could find a picture of it to share with you:
Please notice the swastika symbol. No, they are not nazis lol. Most of Indian people don't even know who Hitler was. The swastika symbol has Indian origins. It may have several meanings, though the most accepted one is "welfare". Together with the Om and the Sri, these are some sacred symbols in the Indian culture.
______________________________________________________________
Quick update: finally got 3G on my phone. Still need to arrange the computer dongle (USB stick). We're planning a trip to Bangalore for next thursday, it's one of the most important cities of Karnataka. Tomorrow we'll be probably having an international dinner at Stefano's. I'll try to cook some Spanish omelette and other Spanish meals if I find the right ingredients. I'm also organising the Spanish A1 level for the first semester and sorting out my registration paperwork at the police station. Stay tuned for more and...
NAMASKARA!
Lo prometido es deuda y hoy es lunes.. ;)Muy interesante todo lo que escribes. Espero que sigas deleitándonos en tus futuros post para conocer más sobre tus aventuras y la cultura de por allí.
ResponderEliminarP.d: Si los taxis son así...descarta ya la opción de blablacar!