Eating Well, Accomplishing Little

While we continue to be comfortable and content - perhaps too comfortable - I am very busy accomplishing almost nothing.  As one can imagine, it's frustrating.  Still, I can't say I'm really upset by any of it.  My concerns only are with the difficulty of staying in touch, of being able to do, at least some, of my project, getting around and functioning day-to-day.

No problem, right?  As Becky advised, one goal only per day.  Unfortunately, I believe she meant: set and accomplish one goal.  I'm well with goal setting.  It's in accomplishment where I fall short.

On the other hand, I've leapt two of the initial hurdles - with a great deal of help - and didn't hurt myself.  We now have a mobile phone and both C and I completed 'Foreign Registration'.

Regarding the Foreign Registration process: It was made much, much easier by the many people in Udaiphur at the Fulbright meeting who warned that it might be terribly difficult, necessitate multiple visits, long waits, etc.  Though it wasn't the simplest thing, by any means, it wasn't as bad as I anticipated it might be.  It did require a long drive.  The nearest Foreign Registration Office (FRO) is quite far from here.  It took several hours at the station. We each needed four copies of several forms and had to write each copy out by hand. (Not bad, but a little tedious. However, they let us sit at a table that had a nice breeze going by, so it was really pretty civilized, in a no-duplicating-machine kind of way.*)  It was an overly-long ordeal for C, but the only part that troubled me was when the officer repeatedly scolded me for waiting until I'd been in India for 12 days. (14 is the legal limit.)  I don't think he would have cared about my going to the meetings, leaving luggage in Delhi, waiting 2 days in Kolkata.  No matter.  It's all done.

One little difficulty, though.  As we were leaving, the officer told me that we had to get an exit stamp from that FRO before we leave India. At the least, it means I have to do this two more times: once with C in August, once when I leave, a few weeks later.  More troubling is that it may involve a bunch of extra travel (including the costs there of) if we spend time in the north when N, S and Steve come this summer.

Worry later.  Exit stamps are not on my daily goal/accomplishment list for months yet.

As I type now, I am uploading a single 30M file as a test. It's 39% complete and has been running for 17 minutes.  My greatest worry regarding internet is that I rely on it to back up photos. I also have backup devices here, but were I to lose my equipment, it would be very upsetting. Should I lose my equipment and have no net-based backup, I would also lose all my work.  Wish me luck and hope that the technology angels take pity on me.

For day-to-day narrative, see C's blog where she is carefully recording her experiences with her typical wit and insight.  I enjoy reading it, and I'm right here.  For now, from me only ramblings, observations, bits of experiences.  If the technical stuff gets evened out AND I dig out from all the settling-in chores AND I figure out how to do some work, maybe then... I will catch up on email.  AND if that happens, perhaps a more timely updates from me, too. Maybe.


Until then, some 'bullet points' about which I had intended to write in detail (the ones I remember).

• My first bicycle rickshaw trip.  It made me feel uncomfortably guilty to have this man doing all the peddling.  I also felt very heavy.  And a little worried we might tip over as we turned.  The driver didn't complain.  He even smiled as I paid.  As it was explained in one of the books we read, it's work for him.  I hope that's true and that it really was okay with him.

• Cost of living.  The house in which we are staying now (not sure for how long) is charming, spacious, clean, safe, a good location, with a western toilet and running water, plus they cook and clean for us and they have a dog.  [More about 'home' at another time.] 

Negatives, not many.

1. It's really hot and no AC. 
2. The power goes out pretty frequently, but that's not specific to this house. Perhaps AC wouldn't help much without electricity?
   
3. The hot water tank light comes on, it's full of water, but I can't figure out how to make any of it come out. (4 knobs, all cold.) Since it's hot, we don't really mind cold bucket baths, but I'll put figuring it out on my daily goal list soon.
   
4. Lizards, or whatever they are, are disconcerting. Again, not unique to our place. (C will write more on them.)
5. This lifestyle is expensive.  Not by US standards, but it's way more than either USIEF or I had budgeted.

Figuring cost of living is not as simple as I'd thought.  Without internet (sorry to be whining constantly about it), I cant find in-country flight prices, a major expense.  I hope to have more info on local expenses as I accomplish some of those daily goals.  Obviously, I never thought of this as a money-making venture.  I knew I'd spend more than the grant.  But how much, and how I can control costs, is a tough call.  Made even tougher as I contemplate it sitting in my comfortable rooms...

• Trucks:

1. Nearly all commercial trucks we've seen are intricately painted with a variety of designs, instructions to honk on the back and, occasionally, text that inspires my curiosity (e.g., "Hypothicated to State Bank", "Sunset, Good Morning", "Backing Home").
2. Most have their mirrors very close in to their cab (they'd be knocked off otherwise), possibly explaining requests to honk? 
3. And many of those mirrors are adorned with decorative, hanging pom-poms.  C and I think we will need some pop-poms for our car when we return.

• Graphic anti-smoking ads with images of damaged lungs and very ill people.  I approve.

• The most helpful airport staff imaginable.  Not particularly speedy, but helpful beyond my best expectations.

More soon. (Now lets see if I can upload this post.)


The following are notes I tacked to the bottom of my text as I composed.  I was doing various upload tests. Don't pay them much attention.  I include them only to illustrate my adjustment to, or battle not to adjust to, technological limitations.
Note: This entry was typed into a text document, off line, over a period of about two days, during which I did (read: 'tried to do') a lot of other things. There were also two power-outages, one lasting all yesterday afternoon.

• FYI, the upload I was trying crashed.  Oh, well.
• Restarted upload. Ran 2hrs 16mns and disconnected itself. No crash this time, but I can't get back in to see if anything, even remotely successful, happened.
• Nothing. Ugh! Retrying using different approach and with a smaller file (15M).  It says it will take another 32 mins.  We shall see...
• Ahhhh! Logged off with 15 mins to go.  I re-started and it began from 2k.  I'm not surprised, just fantasized it might remember where it was.
• I shouldn't write this as it may lead to bad luck, but I will so you don't see only complaints. The upload says it's 63% complete.  I know, I know.  I won't hold my breath.  Just trying to be positive.
• 75% !!
• 95% !!
• Success!!
• 15M in less than 2 hrs.  Hmmmm.

* As we were leaving the FRO, I saw a pile of carbon paper on one of the desks.