Week 3

This week was somewhat slow. I’ve gotten a sort of rhythm down – work, gym, pool, dinner. At work I finished up and submitted my report to my adviser, and was able to check in on the soybeans in the greenhouse and field a couple of times with Huyen and Usha…

It has been very

The vegetable soybean pods are growing! When they are harvested, I'll be doing a taste-test survey/experiment with them

We also checked out the ICRISAT museum one day:

Examples of displays at the ICRISAT museum...

Also, the monsoon is about three weeks late here. It’s hitting other parts of India, but for whatever reason, not Hyderabad. Which is a problem for the farmers waiting to sow their seeds…

Harshal and Amita left this week, and Uma and Millind will be leaving in a few days, unfortunately! I accidentally fell asleep after work and missed Harshal’s goodbye dinner, but at least was able to wish Amita well during her last lunch here. For both of their last nights we gathered in one of their dorm rooms and had snacks and watched movies. While watching one Bollywood movie, where three male roommates each found girlfriends and were shown romantically frolicking around the city with them, I asked if that wasn’t illegal. Puja told me that yes, it would be illegal, but this is the movies.

On Friday, there was an organized tour of the campus , beginning with the museum and then with two hours on a bus (air conditioned!) through the fields. The tour guide was an ICRISAT veteran, and had quite a lot to say about the campus, and his personal philosophical view on sometimes-relevant political, economic and moral issues. Here are shots from our tour…

The four types of soil at ICRISAT

Tea/coffee break before the tour. They take their tea (and lunch) breaks very seriously here.

In front of the tour bus - Hashish? and Millind from India, Mari from Puerto Rico, Sarah and Alice from Kenya, me, and Huyen from Vietnam

Farmers sowing seeds, despite the lack of rain...

Sahima and I at the back of the bus

I didn't catch the explanation for this one...

Rice field

It's bright and I am pale.

Hooray solar!

Part of the large, multi-shot, multi-location post-tour photo-shoot...

I just finished reading One Hundred Years of Solitude - loved it!

Also, I will be starting to volunteer at one of the schools on campus for employees' children! I think I will be helping to supplement English lessons and teaching basic computer skills. :)