AIIS arranged housing in Jaipur beforehand, so I moved into my flat within a day of arrival. My roommate is a French PhD student from Cornell, whose research focuses on agrarian politics in Uttar Pradesh, so it couldn't be a better fit for the summer program.
Natalie will arrive in mid-August, and interestingly, I think my apartment here is nicer than anywhere Natalie and I have lived since we got married. It's spacious, within a kilometer of the institute, and we have A/C and a water filter. The apartment is on a quiet street, and around the corner from a local market called Janta Store. I get all of my fruits, vegetables, and staples there, and occasionally drop by Sanjay's for one of the best omelettes I've had, or by the ice cream shop for some respite from the heat.
India's an imposing place--it interrupts stereotypes, peals back cultural layers, and shakes world views. One is welcomed into a world of questions, prodding, and self-searching, which is the perfect environment for a young, somewhat naive researcher. My research--focused on climate change, drought, and shifting agriculture production--has at times felt distant, technological, and disconnected from people on the ground. Being here changes that notion. This is where it happens; these are people affected by what I'm studying. It's unlikely that I'll make some great discovery which changes large-scale outcomes, but if I can add an iota to what's already been done, and it has some positive effect, I will have accomplished what I set out to do.
Daily life here is busy for us. We have Hindi courses 20 hours per week, along with another 20 hours or so of homework. It's an incredible amount of work, and very exhausting. We learn a great deal very quickly, and like studying anything, the more one learns, the more one realizes how much there is to learn.
Below are some pictures from the first few weeks:
