A short update on daily life

I feel as though I am finally settling into a routine in Lucknow, and it is making my adjustment to living in India easier and easier. I am still constantly amazed at how long it takes me to accomplish the smallest errand and sometimes frustrated by the fact that buying a small item (a notebook or a pair of socks) takes me an entire afternoon, but I think that my time here will be very good for my patience and I am really beginning to appreciate and find joy in the process of doing things.

In addition to falling into a routine, I am also beginning to find a few activities that I enjoy participating in and meeting people outside of the school. My daily schedule (not horribly exciting) involves me waking around 5 am and walking either in a garden or a walking path. After that, I return home, shower and breakfast. I then go to classes at school from about 9 am until 1 pm. At 1 pm we eat (a very large, delicious, vegetarian) lunch, and then I study (either at school or home) until about 5. After that I make dinner, visit with some friends, and head to bed between 9 pm and 10 pm. I am really enjoying the morning times, especially the walks. The weather is a little cooler and the city a little quieter. This weekend, I am going to visit a few yoga studios to see it any seem like a place I'd like to practice yoga in the mornings. I tried to join a gym, but found that exercise in India is thought of differently than exercise in the United States and decided not to join. The biggest difference is that at the gyms in India, one is NOT ALLOWED to run for more than 5 minutes, because running for more than 5 minutes is considered detrimental to one's health. Its a little too hot to run outside and I have not seen any woman running in Lucknow, so as of now, I am sticking with the fast walks and hoping the yoga works out.

On the weekends, I am taking a little bit more time to explore the city (I've put some pictures I've taken around Lucknow in the blog). Lucknow has many historic areas (that I've read a lot about with my research) and I am really enjoying the site-seeing. There are also a few wonderful bazaars that I enjoy visiting. One is near my home and sells many vegetables and fruits. Another is a little farther and has many fine cloth stalls. It is amazing, but I have had a tailors make me a few very nice outfits for about $3 per outfit (pants, long shirt, and scarf). When I am tired of bargaining or the heat, I head to the mall. Its a little pricey, but it has a movie theater that is very comfortable. I've gone to see 2 Bollywood films - I think they must be good language practice and its a fun and relaxing break in the day. I have also had the opportunity to hear some live music and enjoy the cultural happenings of the city. Qawaali, the devotional music of the Sufis, is a type of music that really enjoy and that is performed in Urdu around Lucknow quite a bit.