Small, But Sweet Victories.

Sunday, June 10, 2007

I haven’t posted anything in the past few days b/c not much has happened. My boss has been MIA, so I have spent the latter part of my week working on my own here at the center. But on a personal note, I have made some small, but still noteworthy progress in my quest to get around. On Thursday I was able to convince the guy who sells cell phones in his grocery store in my town to sell me a prepaid mobile phone. In order to get a cell phone in India, you need proof of address and a passport sized picture. Don’t ask me why, but you do. I came to India with two extra passport sized pictures. One I was planning to use to get my entry visa when I got to Nepal, and the other was “just in case” Well the first day I arrived my organization had me fill out paper work (in duplicate) to register with the police here and I had to attach a photo to each. I was lucky I had them, but who knew you needed them for everything! So the guy gave me the phone and told me to come back with a photo and some ‘papers’ or I could ask someone else for their papers. I don’t know that I would worry that much about it normally, but since it seems to be the only place in my town that sells phones and can refill my minutes, I decided to make good on my promise to go back. I brought him a copy of my police registration papers and I cut out my picture from a copy of my driver’s license I happened to have. It seemed to appease him enough so that I can go back to the store.

Today was my day off so I decided to take another stab at expanding my wardrobe. Rotating between the two shirts I brought and the cotton candy pink outfit I bought last week was getting a little boring. Having felt like I half-mastered the bus, I decided to try my luck with the train. As intimidating as the train looks going through my town with people busting at the seams and literally hanging out the doors of the cars, I decided I might as well jump right in and take the bull by the horns. I also did a little research and got some advice on places to shop and go in Pune, and they are much closer to the train station. So I headed out to catch the 9:25am train from Urulikanchan to Pune. I successfully bought my ticket and was waiting for the train. But as the train pulled up, it was headed in the opposite direction I knew I needed to go. So at the last minute I asked someone and they confirmed I was on the wrong side. (Stupid British colonists, everything is on the wrong side here!) But I caught my train in plenty of time and stood in the doorway for the hour trip. I am not sure of all the gender ‘rules’ or norms here, but sometimes I can tell I am breaking them. I was the only female standing in this area. I didn’t feel unsafe, but it is strange to quite frequently be reminded that there are social differences and being a woman traveling alone you can’t always follow the norms. I was no way going to push myself into the car to push myself onto a bench seat or stand in the hot car just b/c I was the only woman there. Again, I don’t think it was wrong or unsafe for me to stand there, but it just is unusual for women to be traveling alone. The women on board were sitting with their kids or families while men stood in the doorway.

I had forgotten to look up the return train schedule on the internet the day before, so when I got off in Pune, I decided to do that before I ventured off. After strong arming my way into two different lines (which were the wrong lines of course) I finally found out the return train was at 120 and then at 6. It didn’t give me much time, but I didn’t want to be there until 6, so I bought my ticket then so I wouldn’t have to wait in line again. (which was the best decision I made, b/c at 1230 the “lines” were three times as long.) I use lines in quotations b/c there is some form of line I guess, but once people get five away from the window, they just push up to the front and try to cut the people in front of them. And I mean PUSH in front of you, there is little to no social stigma against pushing your way in anywhere. People also regularly just cut the entire line or push past you. I had heard this was the case before I came, but man is it infuriating when a 2-3 men in a row step ahead of you and demand service. It’s dog eat dog and the men think they are top dog! I cant wait to get back and see how I behave in a big crowd of people. I apologize ahead of time to the people I will be with that will bare the brunt of this embarrassment. There is also very little concern for personal space and people have no problem just pushing past you, hitting you with their bag as they pass by, or squeezing three people onto a train seat meant for one. I guess that’s what happens when so many people are all trying to do the same thing. The trains were super crowded and you have to push your way onto a seat or stand for your trip, no one is going to offer it up. I remember thinking the same thing at the tourist spots we visited in China. Maybe once you hit a billion, all bets are off.

I had much better luck in Pune today. This was the area I was looking for! I don’t know where I was last week, but it wasn’t the place I needed. Last week was like heading into Boston for the first time looking for downtown and the main shopping district, and ending up in Allston. (Im not saying there’s anything wrong with Allston don’t get me wrong, but its not the first place you would send a tourist in Boston). Today I found Boylston St and maybe even Newbury street, or something like that. I was able to buy 2 dresses pretty easily. Unfortunately I didn’t have too much time b/c the train left at 1 and I wanted to give myself time to figure out how to find it. I did set aside time to stop in this midsized grocery store that was a nice sight. It was even air-conditioned! Something I hadn’t felt since being here. It was pretty fancy in the context, but it was nice to get some food I knew how to prepare and some supplies I cant get in my town. I think the area I was in is very close to a University and it is close to this famous ashram where people come from all over to visit. I even saw a handful of white tourists! I did a double take the first time b/c I thought I was seeing things.

I made it back this time without a hitch. A much better trip home than last week’s return bus I must say. I even managed to get a window seat b/c this guy took pity on me and gave me his buddy’s seat. I must have looked pretty pathetic. I think people were afraid to sit with me, b/c as they were doubling and tripling up in the other seats, I had mine all to myself. I didn’t complain.