CAP Asia Travel Log: Ahmedabad (Day 2)

DAY 2
01/10/05 10.30 AM@CEPT while waiting for Nihal in an interesting canteen

First day of Ahmedabad program, we had a late breakfast on the campus, CEPT. It's very open to context and it has an interesting system of buying food. Order, pay and getting a coupon first then pick up your food. Nihal and a guest professor from other place came to give a brief and reconfirm our understand in this special course.
Then we had about 2 hours free time before 2.30 PM which is the time for listening an introduction of Admedabad project. I went with one group consisted with Matt, Emily, Lu, Chris, Chelsy, Owen, etc. We went out of the campus heading to the market but we couldn't make it there. It's too far and we got distracted from all the stores along the merchandized street.
To encounter the street experience, I'm quite excited with all the diversity of Indian ethic groups. They are look different in cloths, facial appearance, activities that they are engaging. I've never seen the local people that is pretty enthusiastic to face with foreigner. I met many people who asked me to take their picture. Comparing with American people which are very aware of their personal space and privacy. Then we went back to the college using the same route.
The introduction session is pretty serious. They are 21 students from US and the same number from CEPT, from Environmental and Housing department. We got a brief explanation of our project which we need to complete within 7 weeks. After the brief, we took a tour around the campus, which is designed by Dochi.
My first impression of the place is a contrast of bright and dark. I can't explain exactly what I feel but the space is very beautiful. The high - low, bright - dark, hard - smooth of the surface and the perfect combination of materials like concrete, brick, wood and steel.
Talk about my friends, we are getting closer and closer everyday. Even I'm an only Asian among all Americans. There guys are very fun and friendly. Another good thing is they are very respect with other international people and culture. They are the group of people who were trained and preparing in this kind of environment.
There was nothing much going on in the evening. We were try to find the internet cafe' which the local people call "cyber cafe". We couldn't make it at the first try but we did it on the second try after the dinner. The dinner of this evening was wonderful. We used the cooking service in the apartment. It's only 50 RPs per person including cooking, serving and cleaning. For five of us, it's totally worth it.
Like I mention before that we found the cyber cafe eventually after dinner, I had a chance to write the first mail to my girlfriend and family It's such a strange feeling to me. During 15-20 min of online, I felt that I'm not in India at all. It's like I'm in a internet space. The space that has no boundaries. I'm afraid to say that I feel like home which mean that I'm a slave of the internet and digital world. My life is too much rely on computer and internet. Entertaining myself by listening digital music and watching DVDs, searching information of any kind of my interest, connecting to people by email, doing necessary things like paying bills, all are on the net. May be living in India will push me out of that .

(to be continued)

BiGGa