Note: This post was originally published on May 28th, 2013.
Hello Pune! How I’ve Missed You
After more than 20 hours in-flight, 2 flights, and travel across 15+ time zones, I arrived in India this past Friday. The sun had yet not risen as I drove home to my grandparents home with my uncle and younger cousin Friday morning. It was 3:50 AM, and the city was still sleeping. Later that morning, I went to my grandparents home, where I spent time with them for the weekend. It was really nice to be able to spend time with them for a bit. Around 7 AM, I recognized the familiar buzz of the streets- a ‘comforting’ sound I usually anticipated.
In the few days I’ve been in India, ironically, I’ve never felt more at home, but never felt like such an outsider, either. Memories of fun-filled past family vacations to India have colored my vision of the nation since I can remember: cultural visits to temples & mosques, rainy expeditions through misty hills/mountaintops and random outings through gardens and bazaars. When I think of India, this is what I always envision- and yet, I am beginning to realize that I’ve only experienced a pocket- a corner- of India. In its truest element, the nation is built on the fundamentals of genuine hard work. Even within the whirlwind of a first day I spent in India, I saw this principle in action. The moment I stepped off the plane, personnel were there to guide us and help us put luggage on our carts. The car-ride back from the airport was another reminder of this portrait of India. Even as early as 5:00, people were up and alert, already having begun their days. Shopkeepers were preparing their stock, rickshaw drivers tapped their horns and the quiet buzz of the city was slowly rising- as if to a crescendo, over the next couple of hours. I find this quite remarkable in a city as large as Pune- it really is a reminder of the nation’s resilience, in spite of poverty and difficulty plaguing the nation.
Anyway, after reuniting with my grandparents (I was seeing them after two years), I joined them to register for my research internship and stay at IISER-Pune, the world-class university where I will work. After filling out general paperwork and touring the area with my Ph.D. mentors, I checked into my room. I was completely amazed by how clean and spacious the dorm (or hostel) is.
Enjoying Mango Season with Family
One of the best parts of summers in India is mango season- they are sold on every corner, in nearly every bazaar- in varieties of yellow, orange, and crimson, and every shade in-between- spanning throughout India. Mangoes are most certainly my favorite summer treat! This past weekend- perhaps on Sunday alone- I probably consumed a week’s worth of mangoes. However, I have absolutely no regrets!
On Sunday, I visited more family. Since my aunt works at the Government Polytechnic College- University of Pune (my father’s alma mater), I also got a chance to see a bit of the campus! Later, we cooled off with a Pune Classic- Sugar Cane Juice and many mangoes; Just before returning to my grandparents’ home, I joined my cousin in viewing some of the pictures she had taken on a trek near the Himalayan foothills. The scenes were absolutely stunning. I hope to travel there someday.
Attending a Conference
Monday morning, my short, idyllic respite was over, as my grandfather drove me to my hostel, staying to make sure I was comfortable and settled. I’m so thankful for all of his help!
Once I had said goodbye, I made my way to IITM, the Indian Institute for Tropical Metallurgy, where a conference on chemical biology was being held through May 28th. I also attended this conference this morning.
The conference has been really exciting start to my summer research. Many of the speakers and presenters here are world-class scientists and technologists featuring their studies and discoveries. In fact, there are scientists presenting their work on carbohydrate vaccines from Germany, Cambridge and France, among other places. Although I did not understand much of the technical jargon in many of the presentations, just being there with my new research group was incredibly meaningful.
My lab had a poster at the poster session on Monday at the conference, as well. “Protein-protein interactions”, “Raman spectroscopy”, “Enzyme Catalysis” were a few of the highlights I caught from a quick glimpse of the glossy page.
One of the most exciting parts of the symposium was the special session commemorating the 60th anniversary of the discovery of DNA. The event began with a historical overview of Watson & Crick, Rosalind Franklin and other significant innovators who were involved in this truly magnificent historical feat. Then, prominent speakers, including the director of IISER- Dr. Ganesh- and other great scientific minds, took the audience on a journey through history, with personal accounts of research experience in Cambridge, and IIT’s, and the remarkable discoveries leading to the discovery of DNA. It was an inspiring talk, to say the least, and has captured my research experience in the lab thus far.
Tomorrow will be my first full day at the lab. Although I am certainly incredibly excited to begin my internship, working with the Ph.D. students and my mentor, I am also feeling quite nervous. I guess I can attribute it to the ‘cultural shock’. Nonetheless, I know that I will learn a lot and meet new people with unique perspectives and learnings. Indeed, as Henry Miller said, “One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.”
I’ll have more updates (and hopefully photos) by the end of the week.
Time for a tea break! 🙂
